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Playable heritage game

Pinata swing

Also known as Piñata · Piñata (clay pot)

A party skill game: a decorated paper or clay pot hangs from a cord and is kept swinging while a player, eyes covered and turned around a few times, swings a stick at it. Each turn is short, and a clean hit on the middle of the pot is worth the most.

Play the previewAbout this tradition
Pinata swing: photograph by Paricutina
Photo: Paricutina, CC0, source on Wikimedia Commons
Pinata swing: the game in attract modeLive previewPlay

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How to play

  1. Press and hold to wind up the stick; the crosshair wanders because you cannot see well and have been turned around.
  2. Release when the crosshair sits on the swinging pot; the stick needs a moment to arrive.
  3. Three swings make a turn, and there are three turns.
Rules at a glance
  • A hit on the middle of the pot scores 3, on the body of the pot 2 and on its edge 1; a miss scores nothing.
  • The pot swings from side to side and bobs up and down, and every turn starts you facing a slightly different way.
  • Stars are given for the total over all nine swings.

About the tradition

Hitting a hanging pot with a stick is a children's party game enjoyed in Mexico, Paraguay and many other countries of the Americas. The pot is made of paper or clay, decorated by hand, and the fun is in the swinging and the guessing.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Modern Heritage (1800 to today), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of The Americas: Mesoamerica.

Credits

Sources

Get the app

Pinata swing is one of 18 sports and skill games in the Sports & Skill of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 18 sports and skill games in the app

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