Chapter 16 of 24
Chapter 16: Games We Play
Traditional Street Games (Hopscotch/Stappoo, Gilli-Danda, Kabbadi), Sportsmanship, and Olympic Champions | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Traditional Indian outdoor games: Stappoo (Hopscotch), Gilli-Danda, Kho-Kho, Kabbadi, Peetthu (Seven Stones).
- Indoor games: Chess, Ludo, Carrom, Playing Cards, and Snakes & Ladders.
- The value of sports: Physical fitness, cardiovascular stamina, teamwork, and fair play.
- Overcoming gender barriers in professional sports (Sania Mirza, Mary Kom, P.V. Sindhu).
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (17 Questions)
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Q1
Traditional Games
How is the traditional game of 'Stappoo' (Hopscotch) played? What is a 'thippi'?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
In Stappoo, a rectangular numbered grid of blocks (1 to 8) is drawn on the ground with chalk. The player throws a flat stone marker called a thippi into square 1, hops through all the squares on one foot without stepping on lines or on the square with the thippi, turns around at the top, and picks up the thippi on the return trip.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Description of the grid and hopping rules
1.5 Marks
Definition and role of the 'thippi' marker
1.5 Marks
Q2
Indoor vs Outdoor Games
Classify these games into Outdoor and Indoor: Cricket, Chess, Kabbadi, Carrom, Kho-Kho, Ludo.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
• Outdoor Games: Cricket, Kabbadi, Kho-Kho.
• Indoor Games: Chess, Carrom, Ludo.
• Indoor Games: Chess, Carrom, Ludo.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Accurate classification of all 6 sports
3 Marks
Q3
Sportsmanship
What does it mean to show 'sportsmanship' when you lose a game?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Sportsmanship means gracefully congratulating the winning team with a handshake, accepting defeat without throwing tantrums, learning from our mistakes, and valuing fun and friendship above winning.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Graceful acceptance of defeat and congratulating opponents
2 Marks
Q4
Traditional Games • Hop-Scotch (Stappoo)
Explain the rules of Hop-Scotch (Stappoo / Kith-Kith):
(a) What marker is thrown into the numbered boxes?
(b) How does a player hop through the boxes 1 to 8?
[3 Marks]
(a) What marker is thrown into the numbered boxes?
(b) How does a player hop through the boxes 1 to 8?
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Stappoo Rules:
(a) Marker:
• A flat stone or tile called a Thippi is thrown into the boxes in numerical order.
(b) Hopping Method:
• In single boxes (1, 2, 3, 6), the player hops on one foot without stepping on lines.
• In paired side-by-side boxes (4-5 and 7-8), the player lands with both feet open (one foot in each box).
• The player turns around at box 8, hops back, picks up the thippi while balancing on one foot, and hops out safely.
(a) Marker:
• A flat stone or tile called a Thippi is thrown into the boxes in numerical order.
(b) Hopping Method:
• In single boxes (1, 2, 3, 6), the player hops on one foot without stepping on lines.
• In paired side-by-side boxes (4-5 and 7-8), the player lands with both feet open (one foot in each box).
• The player turns around at box 8, hops back, picks up the thippi while balancing on one foot, and hops out safely.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Thippi marker identified
1.0 M
Single-foot and double-feet hopping rules clearly described
2.0 M
Q5
Games Classification • Indoor vs Outdoor
Classify the following into 'Indoor Games' and 'Outdoor Games':
Cricket, Ludo, Football, Carrom, Chess, Kho-Kho.
[3 Marks]
Cricket, Ludo, Football, Carrom, Chess, Kho-Kho.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Games Classification:
• Indoor Games: Ludo, Carrom, Chess.
• Outdoor Games: Cricket, Football, Kho-Kho.
• Indoor Games: Ludo, Carrom, Chess.
• Outdoor Games: Cricket, Football, Kho-Kho.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Three correct indoor games
1.5 M
Three correct outdoor games
1.5 M
Q6
Sports Champions • National Pride
Match each Indian sports champion with their respective sport:
• Sania Mirza: [Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Chess]
• Sachin Tendulkar: [Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Chess]
• P. V. Sindhu: [Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Chess]
• Viswanathan Anand: [Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Chess]
[4 Marks]
• Sania Mirza: [Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Chess]
• Sachin Tendulkar: [Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Chess]
• P. V. Sindhu: [Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Chess]
• Viswanathan Anand: [Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Chess]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Indian Sports Champions:
• Sania Mirza: Tennis
• Sachin Tendulkar: Cricket
• P. V. Sindhu: Badminton
• Viswanathan Anand: Chess
• Sania Mirza: Tennis
• Sachin Tendulkar: Cricket
• P. V. Sindhu: Badminton
• Viswanathan Anand: Chess
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 4 sports champions correctly matched
4.0 M
Q7
Pastimes of Grandparents • Evolution of Play
What games did your grandparents play when they were children that are rarely seen today?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Traditional Pastimes:
• Grandparents played Gilli-Danda, Satoliya (Pitthoo with 7 stones), Posham Pa, spinning wooden tops (Lattu), and flying kites on rooftops.
• Grandparents played Gilli-Danda, Satoliya (Pitthoo with 7 stones), Posham Pa, spinning wooden tops (Lattu), and flying kites on rooftops.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Two or more authentic traditional games named
2.0 M
Q8
Observation Time • Animals and Habits
In Chapter 16 ('Games We Play'), what animals did the characters observe, and how do they move from place to place?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Observations:
Animals move in diverse ways adapted to their bodies:
• Birds (Crow, Pigeon): Fly using wings and hop on two feet.
• Mammals (Cow, Dog): Walk and run on four legs.
• Reptiles (Lizard, Snake): Crawl on walls or slither on the ground.
• Insects (Ant, Grasshopper): Walk on six legs and hop/fly.
Animals move in diverse ways adapted to their bodies:
• Birds (Crow, Pigeon): Fly using wings and hop on two feet.
• Mammals (Cow, Dog): Walk and run on four legs.
• Reptiles (Lizard, Snake): Crawl on walls or slither on the ground.
• Insects (Ant, Grasshopper): Walk on six legs and hop/fly.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Birds, mammals, reptiles, insects movement
3 M
Q9
Find Out & Write • Animal Habitats
Name two animals that live:
(a) On trees
(b) In water
(c) On land
(d) Underground in burrows.
[2 Marks]
(a) On trees
(b) In water
(c) On land
(d) Underground in burrows.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Habitats:
• (a) On trees: Monkey, Squirrel, Owl.
• (b) In water: Fish, Frog, Crocodile.
• (c) On land: Horse, Elephant, Goat.
• (d) In burrows: Rabbit, Earthworm, Snake.
• (a) On trees: Monkey, Squirrel, Owl.
• (b) In water: Fish, Frog, Crocodile.
• (c) On land: Horse, Elephant, Goat.
• (d) In burrows: Rabbit, Earthworm, Snake.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Correct examples for all 4 habitats
2 M
Q10
Discuss & Share • Our Senses
How do our five sense organs help us understand and navigate our daily environment?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Five Senses:
1. Eyes: Help us see shapes, colours, and identify hazards.
2. Ears: Help us hear traffic horns, spoken words, and alarm sounds.
3. Nose: Helps us smell food, flowers, and detect smoke or gas leaks.
4. Tongue: Helps us taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter food.
5. Skin: Helps us feel touch, heat, cold, roughness, and pain.
1. Eyes: Help us see shapes, colours, and identify hazards.
2. Ears: Help us hear traffic horns, spoken words, and alarm sounds.
3. Nose: Helps us smell food, flowers, and detect smoke or gas leaks.
4. Tongue: Helps us taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter food.
5. Skin: Helps us feel touch, heat, cold, roughness, and pain.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 5 sense organs explained with functions
3 M
Q11
Water Cycle & Weather • Rain and Clouds
Where does rainwater come from, and why do plants and trees look fresher and greener after a rain shower?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Rain and Plant Health:
• Rain comes from water evaporating from rivers, ponds, and seas, forming clouds in the sky that cool and condense into rain droplets.
• Rain washes off thick dust accumulated on leaves, unblocks stomata for breathing, and deeply soaks the roots with fresh mineral-rich moisture.
• Rain comes from water evaporating from rivers, ponds, and seas, forming clouds in the sky that cool and condense into rain droplets.
• Rain washes off thick dust accumulated on leaves, unblocks stomata for breathing, and deeply soaks the roots with fresh mineral-rich moisture.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Water cycle / cloud formation
1.5 M
Why plants look greener after rain
1.5 M
Q12
Food Diversity • Regional Diets
Why do people living in Kerala eat more rice, fish, and coconut, while people in Punjab eat more wheat chapatis, mustard greens, and lassi?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Regional Food Factors:
• What people eat depends directly on what grows easily and abundantly in their climate and geography.
• Kerala has coastal climate, abundant rainfall, and coconut groves, making fish and rice staples.
• Punjab has fertile plains ideal for wheat and mustard cultivation, and a strong dairy culture.
• What people eat depends directly on what grows easily and abundantly in their climate and geography.
• Kerala has coastal climate, abundant rainfall, and coconut groves, making fish and rice staples.
• Punjab has fertile plains ideal for wheat and mustard cultivation, and a strong dairy culture.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Climate and agriculture connection
1.5 M
Kerala and Punjab examples explained
1.5 M
Q13
Cooking Methods • Kitchen Science
Match each food item to its primary method of cooking:
(a) Idli — (1) Frying
(b) Puri — (2) Steaming
(c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
[3 Marks]
(a) Idli — (1) Frying
(b) Puri — (2) Steaming
(c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Matching:
• (a) Idli — (2) Steaming
• (b) Puri — (1) Frying in oil
• (c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
• (a) Idli — (2) Steaming
• (b) Puri — (1) Frying in oil
• (c) Roti — (3) Roasting on Tawa.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Idli-Steaming, Puri-Frying, Roti-Roasting
3 M
Q14
Shelter & Houses • Diversity in Homes
Why are houses in heavy-rainfall regions like Assam built on bamboo stilts with sloping roofs?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Stilt Houses:
• Bamboo Stilts: Keep the house 10 to 12 feet above ground level to prevent floodwaters and wild animals from entering.
• Sloping Roofs: Allow torrential rainwater to slide off quickly without accumulating or causing leaks.
• Bamboo Stilts: Keep the house 10 to 12 feet above ground level to prevent floodwaters and wild animals from entering.
• Sloping Roofs: Allow torrential rainwater to slide off quickly without accumulating or causing leaks.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Reason for bamboo stilts (floods)
1.5 M
Reason for sloping roof (rain runoff)
1.5 M
Q15
Community Helpers • Occupations
Identify the worker who:
(a) Mends our shoes
(b) Delivers letters and parcels
(c) Shapes clay into earthen pots on a wheel
(d) Treats sick people and prescribes medicines.
[2 Marks]
(a) Mends our shoes
(b) Delivers letters and parcels
(c) Shapes clay into earthen pots on a wheel
(d) Treats sick people and prescribes medicines.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Community Helpers:
• (a) Mends shoes: Cobbler
• (b) Delivers letters: Postman / Mail carrier
• (c) Shapes clay pots: Potter
• (d) Treats sick people: Doctor.
• (a) Mends shoes: Cobbler
• (b) Delivers letters: Postman / Mail carrier
• (c) Shapes clay pots: Potter
• (d) Treats sick people: Doctor.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Cobbler, Postman, Potter, Doctor
2 M
Q16
Web of Life • Food Chain
What is the 'Web of Life'? Draw a simple food chain showing how grass, deer, and lion are connected.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Web of Life & Food Chain:
• The Web of Life shows that every living organism is interconnected and depends on others for survival.
• Food Chain: Sunlight → Grass (Producer) → Deer (Herbivore) → Lion (Carnivore).
If grass disappears, deer starve; if deer disappear, lions cannot survive.
• The Web of Life shows that every living organism is interconnected and depends on others for survival.
• Food Chain: Sunlight → Grass (Producer) → Deer (Herbivore) → Lion (Carnivore).
If grass disappears, deer starve; if deer disappear, lions cannot survive.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Definition of Web of Life
1.5 M
Grass → Deer → Lion chain explained
1.5 M
Q17
Review Questions • True or False
Write True or False:
(a) Blind people can read books written in Braille script using their fingertips.
(b) Rainwater is the main natural source of fresh water on Earth.
(c) Animals do not have feelings and cannot communicate danger to each other.
[3 Marks]
(a) Blind people can read books written in Braille script using their fingertips.
(b) Rainwater is the main natural source of fresh water on Earth.
(c) Animals do not have feelings and cannot communicate danger to each other.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
• (a) True: Braille uses raised dots felt with fingertips.
• (b) True: Rain replenishes rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
• (c) False: Animals communicate through warning calls, scents, and body language to alert their group of predators.
• (a) True: Braille uses raised dots felt with fingertips.
• (b) True: Rain replenishes rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
• (c) False: Animals communicate through warning calls, scents, and body language to alert their group of predators.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
True, True, False with reasoning
3 M
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
Physical Activity vs Digital Screen Sedentariness
A pediatric fitness survey reveals that 70% of urban children spend their evenings sitting on sofas playing mobile video games instead of playing outdoor sports like Kho-Kho or cycling in the park.
Analytical Task: Explain the physical and social health hazards of replacing outdoor playground games with video games.
Evaluation & Model Answer:
Outdoor street games like Kabbadi, tag, and hopscotch develop cardiovascular stamina, muscle agility, bone density, and eye-hand coordination, while burning excess calories to prevent childhood obesity. Socially, playground games teach vital negotiation skills, team leadership, empathy, and resilience when facing defeat. In contrast, sedentary video gaming causes eye strain, sleep disorders, neck strain, and social isolation.
Rubric: Cardiovascular/motor fitness, social skills learned through playground rules vs screen sedentariness (4 Marks).