Hoop rolling
Ganymede rolling a hoop and bearing aloft a cockerel – a love gift from Zeus (in pursuit, on obverse of vase).
Attic red-figure crater, 500–490 BCE; Painter of Berlin; Louvre, Paris)
Attic red-figure crater, 500–490 BCE; Painter of Berlin; Louvre, Paris)
Child's game in which a large hoop, made of wood, metal or plastic, is propelled by means of a rolling stick. Skilled players can keep the hoop upright for lengthy periods of time and can do various tricks. Able hoop rollers have created circus acts around their skill.
It is known to have been played in early antiquity, as seen on Greek vase paintings from ca. 500 BCE. It is still found – albeit rarely – as a feature of children's street culture all over the world.
Categories: Games | Toys | Game stubs