Kalaha

The classic Mancala family game of sowing and capturing seeds — one of the world's oldest strategy games.

Age
6-99
Time
10-15 min
Players
2 players

What's Included

Wooden board with 12 small pits and 2 large stores, 48 seeds or stones

Skills Developed

Strategic thinking, counting and arithmetic, planning multiple moves ahead, cause-and-effect reasoning, spatial awareness, patience and concentration

How to Play

Each player owns six pits and one store on their side. On your turn, pick up all seeds from one of your pits and sow them one by one counter-clockwise into subsequent pits and your own store (skip your opponent's store). If your last seed lands in your store, take another turn. If it lands in an empty pit on your side, capture that seed plus the seeds in the opposite pit. The player with the most seeds in their store when the game ends wins.

Notes

Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA. "Kalaha.jpg"

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