What Guatemalan Children Play With

Toys and Games in Guatemala

Guatemalan children enjoy both traditional and modern playthings:

Traditional Toys

• Handwoven dolls: Depicting indigenous figures/folklore
• Trompos: Wooden spinning tops
• Slingshots, toy machetes
• Patolli: Ancient Mesoamerican board game

Active Play

• Football (soccer): Ubiquitous—streets, fields, parks
• Marbles (bolas): Games like boleo
• Kites: Seasonal, colorful, festivals held
• Hoops (aros): Hula hoop games
• Street games: Hopscotch, jump rope, tag

Modern & Commercial

• Board games (checkers, chess, Uno)
• Dolls, action figures, stuffed animals
• Smartphones, tablets, digital games (increasingly common)

Play reflects both deep cultural heritage and global influences.