Game where wooden sticks. Mikado

The Mikado game is a Japanese creation. The game is simple, but at the same time can captivate anyone for a long time. Correctly they say: - "Everything ingenious is simple!". And the genius of this game is not only in simplicity and fascination, it also develops fine motor skills in people of any age. It also promotes concentration and attention.

The game consists of a handful of bamboo sticks (this is a classic Japanese version), all sticks have their own coloring and dignity.

I propose the option of making this game ourselves from toothpicks. It's very simple, the main thing is to know what the sticks look like, and what is the cost of each of them.

We will need:

1. Toothpicks 41 pieces (this is the number of sticks in the game)
2. Paints (blue, red, yellow)
3. Paint brush.
4. If there are no paints and brushes, felt-tip pens will do.
Toothpicks are very well suited for creating Mikado, as the ends of the sticks for the game are specially sharpened. And as you know, toothpicks already have sharp tips, as we need.

The main wand in the game is called "Mikado". It has a pattern in the form of a spiral along the entire length of the stick, usually blue. She is the only one in the whole set. Its value is 20 points.
It is followed by sticks "Mandarin". They have two blue rings and three red rings. The value of such sticks is 10 points. There are 5 of them in a set.
Then follow the sticks, which officially do not have a name. There are 5 of them. They have one red ring and two blue ones. Their value is 5 points.
Next come 15 sticks that have one red ring, one blue ring and one yellow ring. Their dignity is estimated at 3 points.
Well, the Mikado set is completed - 15 sticks with one red ring and one blue. They are the least valuable, only 2 points.

As a result, you can calculate that in a set of 41 sticks, the total number of points is 170.
The homemade toothpick Mikado game is good because compared to the classic version, it is smaller. This means you can take it with you wherever you go. You can perfectly pass the time on a train ride or while waiting for a plane. It is suitable for both adults and children. The game is designed for 2 to 4 people.

The rules of this game are quite simple and unpretentious.
To start the game you need to collect all the sticks in your hand. Raise your hand above the surface where the game will take place and open your fist so that the sticks fall freely to the surface.
After that, it is necessary for the participants in the game to pull out one stick at a time, without moving the rest. You can press on the end of the stick to try to pull it out. If you have already touched one of the sticks, then you need to pull it out. If you pulled out the Mikado stick, let me remind you, with a pattern in the form of a spiral, then in the future you can help it pull out the rest.
If, when you try to pull out a wand, you still move the others, then the move ends and another participant enters the game.

The game may consist of several rounds. In this case, the points of each round are summed up.
Sometimes, to make the game more difficult, the participant who gets the right to lay out the sticks can choose one "Mikado" and place it on the playing surface, and only after that they lay out all the others.
Many of you may be familiar with this game. In fact, the Mikado has a lot of variation around the world. In Russia, during the Soviet era, a similar game was played, for which eleven matches were used. But a more sophisticated version was invented behind the prison walls. Pieces of wire were used for the game. Rings and hooks were twisted at the ends of the wires. So the game became more difficult.

Now you know how to make the Mikado game and how to play it. Try to play in the evening with your family. Perhaps it will become your family's favorite game. It's so nice to sit together, discarding worries and extraneous thoughts.

Here are the hero games of our today's review. Let's start playing by seniority in "Mikado" and "Jenga".

But closer to the point...

How to play jenga?

The meaning of the game

Our task is to build a tower from the blocks, and then carefully pull out one block at a time from the base and rearrange it up. The game continues until the tower collapses. The one who caused the tower to fall is punished. For example, let him build a tower for the next round. If your building blocks are of different suits (it happens, they can be different in texture or color), then the game can develop according to several scenarios.

Scenario #1

This is a light version of the game to "shoot" and get to know Jenga. We are building a tower of 16 floors, as shown in the figure above. Consider that the game has already begun, since building a high-rise building is like assembling a constructor. Then, in turn, we pull any block we like and put it on top of the tower. We continue until complete collapse.

Scenario #2

Events unfold as in Scenarios #2. This is where the cube comes into play. We built a tower, then we roll the die. What drawing will fall out, you will drag such a block. Each time the tower becomes more and more unstable, the hour is not even, and it will crumble like a house of cards.

Scenario #3

We complicate the game. Let's say we have 2 players. We distribute the bars between them. One player is only allowed to drag blocks with a panda and a giraffe, and the second one with a cheetah and a zebra. Blocks without a picture remain spare. They can be pulled out by both players, but only in hopeless situations. This is where you have to think about it.)

Scenario #4 - Domino Effect

We line up the bars vertically in a row at a distance of several centimeters. Then, with one movement of the finger, we push the last bar, and the whole row unanimously falls one after another. It's a lot of fun for kids :)

Scenario #4 - Big construction site

Building incredible structures with jenga blocks is almost an art. Our customers are so addicted that they buy a second set of parts. Here, enjoy....



And this building seems to be a light cobweb. Dun, and it will sprinkle, but no, it’s worth it ....

From Jengi, of course, it's hard to break away))) But the queue is already languishing Mikado, no less interesting game. So let's move on.

Japanese serenity with the Mikado


Mikado- an old Japanese game, somewhat similar to our spillikins. Does not tolerate fuss and sudden movements. You need to play thoughtfully, slowly, smoothly pulling the sticks out of the common pile. Such finger movements perfectly develop fine motor skills in people of any age.

How to play Mikado?

The essence of the game

Pour a handful of sticks freely on the table or on the floor. Then you try to pull out the stick without hitting the neighboring ones. If hit, the turn passes to another player. If the "operation" was successful, the move is yours. The whole point is that the sticks have different values, and the player who scores the most points wins.

Price table for sticks
Spirals ("Mikado") 1 *20 points 20 points
2 blue rings + 3 red rings (“Mandarin”) 5 *10 points 50 points
1 red ring + 2 blue rings 5 ​​*5 points 25 points
1 red ring + 1 blue ring + 1 yellow ring 15 *3 points 45 points
1 red ring + 1 blue ring 15 *2 points 30 points

If you pulled out the Mandarin or Mikado sticks, you can use them to pull out the rest.

Mikado game options

1. Right-handed-Lefty- make your game harder. If you're right-handed, try pulling out your chopsticks with your left hand, and if you're left-handed, with your right.

2. counting sticks- use Mikado sticks as counting material

3. Mikado in the ring- you will need a ring that tightly wraps around the sticks. It can be a ring from a pyramid, a not too tight hair band, etc. Fold the sticks in a tube, then turn them, as if squeezing out the laundry.

Place the sticks in the ring and place on a flat, smooth surface. Now this hut must be dismantled. Pull the sticks out of the structure one by one. Whoever destroys the hut, he lost.

The Mikado is so popular that a "garden" version of it has even been developed for outdoor play. You need to play with giant sticks 90 cm long (!) Try to pull out such a stick)))

That's what they are, "thinking" skill games. Not only fingers become dexterous, but brain cells. Nice to play!
Olga Polovinkina

The Mikado is one of the oldest and most famous motor skills games. The game enjoys well-deserved respect in many countries and is very popular among both children and adults.

How to play Mikado?

The essence of the game is very simple: colored sticks are poured onto a flat, even surface (they can be slowly poured one at a time or all at once). Then you need to carefully and very carefully pull the sticks out of the pile so as not to move the others. If you touch the sticks with the fingers of one hand, then you must drag it. If you move another wand or collapse as a result of pulling a pile, then the round ends for you. The one of the two players who scores the most points wins. In Mikado, you can play in different ways: keep a total score or score for rounds, as well as introduce various complications (for example, if you are right-handed, then use only your left hand to get sticks) .Each wand has its own value. The most expensive is Mikado (thanks to her, the game got its name), "Tangerines" are also highly valued (there are 5 of them in the game set). Thus, when playing Mikado, it is important not only to dismantle a bunch of sticks, but also to think over exactly how it is best to do it from a strategic point of view.

Who is this game for?

Everyone can play Mikado: it is a great gift for children, great entertainment for the company and just a flawless fine motor training for everyone. Interestingly, among professions and occupations that require high precision movements (from artists and surgeons to even pickpockets), the Mikado game is very popular and respected. There is a more difficult variation of the game - not with sticks, but with bent wire, but it is very difficult without years of experience playing the regular version.

"Mikado" and "Spikers"

In Russia, a game similar to "Mikado" was spread - "Spikers". It was not used sticks, but various objects with ears that had to be pulled out of the heap with a special hook. "Mikado" allows you to significantly better develop dexterity and accuracy of sensations.

Why is it important to develop motor skills?

It is known that the development of fine motor skills affects the parts of the brain responsible for memories. The game helps develop memory, become more dexterous and accurate, and also protect against many brain diseases that are characteristic of old age. If your child loves to play Mikado, it means that his brain will be ready for the strongest tests of school and university, and in old age his mind will remain as clear as in his youth. In a word, if you have not tried to play " Mikado" - be sure to get a set and have fun for your own benefit.







Collect as many high value wands as possible (ideally Mikado and 5 Mandarin) without hitting the others.

Preparing for the game

There are two preparation options:
  • Take all the sticks in a fist above the table. Unclench your fist - the sticks scattered randomly on top of each other, forming a bunch
  • Players take turns laying sticks on top of each other
  • Game progress

    Pull out one stick at a time so as not to move the rest. Pulled sticks can be used to pull out the rest (Mikado and Mandarin only). It is usually easiest to remove the wand by pinching its end with your fingers and pulling it up or to the side. If the player manages to pull out the wand without moving the rest, he is entitled to one more attempt. Otherwise, this right passes to another player. If a wand is drawn and the others move, the next player must place that wand on top before drawing the next one. Before the start of the game, the players must decide how many attempts each player will have. The player who ends up with the most points wins.

    Anna Shonina

    Mikado("high gate") - table game for the development of fine motor skills. Consists of a set of bamboo sticks, painted in a special way. Each wand has its own value.

    Purpose of the game: pull out a stick from a pile without hitting the rest. The one who scores the most points wins.

    That's how it's described classic mikado game. But I decided to make a slightly simplified version so that children from the age of 3 can play(I found the idea on the Internet).

    So, to make our game, you will need - Chinese sticks, a hacksaw, acrylic paints, a wooden cube (in the photo it is plastic, as it turned out later, it does not fit, because the paint did not stick to it) and a wooden grommet from curtains.

    We saw off the edges of the sticks with a hacksaw so that they are even

    Then paint the sticks with acrylic paint. I got 8 yellow sticks, 8 red, 3 blue, 3 green and one black.



    Waiting for the paint to dry play

    We have the following rules - the sticks are installed on the ring on a flat surface, it turns out a "hut". The player rolls a die, what color falls out - must get a stick of the corresponding color from the "hut" so that it does not collapse. If the color of the wand drops out, which are no longer in the hut, then the player skips the move. If the "hut" falls - game over. The one with the most sticks left wins. We let's play like this. With older children, you can count points (a certain number of points are awarded for each color of the sticks).

    For the game, I made a convenient packaging from improvised materials


    Posting a photo of our first game

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