Drie Stokkies means Three Sticks in Afrikaans. This is an indigenous game to South Africa. In an effort to preserve their culture, South Africa hosts Annual Indigenous Games, featuring many games from the country’s past. The Drie Stokkies Game is a long distance jumping game. It is made up of two teams and only requires 3 long sticks/branches to play. To make the game more meaningful, you may want to make your own African Jumping Sticks.

Materials for Drie Stokkies Game

• 3 sticks – 4 to 5 feet long (branches, broom handles, or make your own African Jumping Sticks)
• tape measure

Teams

There are 2 teams with the same number of players on each team. Traditionally there are 2 teams with 6 members on each team; 3 girls and 3 boys, but this can be played with only 2 children.

Game Set Up

Position the 3 sticks parallel to one another on grass or sand. The sticks should be 1 yard apart.

Teams stand on opposite sides of the line of sticks.

Game Play

A person from Team A goes first. She takes a running start and takes 1 step between the 1st and 2nd stick, 1 step between the 2nd and 3rd stick, then jumps as far as she can after crossing stick 3.

A player cannot take more than 1 step between the sticks and cannot touch a stick with any part of their body. If they do, they are disqualified and must sit out the rest of the game.

When Team A’s first player is done, Stick 3 gets moved to the position of the jumper’s body part that is the closest to the stick 3. In other words, if a player runs, jumps, and falls backward’s on her landing, the stick would be moved to her hand’s position. It’s always best to try to fall forward!

A player from Team B goes next. He takes a running start and takes 1 step between the 3rd and 2nd stick, 1 step between the 2nd and 1st stick, then jumps as far as he can after crossing stick 1.

When Team B’s first player is done, stick 1 gets moved to the position of the jumper’s body part that is closest to stick 1.

Stick 2 always remains in the same position. Sticks 1 and 3 continue to move outwards, making the game more difficult. (Sticks are never moved inward.)

If a person cannot clear the last stick when jumping, they are out of the game.

The person/team that jumps the farthest wins. Make sure to measure the distance of the winning jump. Everyone should try to beat that record next game!

Note: If playing with many children, all children get a chance to jump. The round is over when everyone has had a turn. An alternate version is the game continues until only 1 person is left. This is a good version if there are only 2 – 4 children playing.

Check out how to make your own African Jumping Sticks.