Game: Mancala

I absolutely love this game! It looks simple, but there is strategy involved. It has apparently been around for thousands of years, but not many people seem to know it. My friend received it as a gift and we were playing up at the cottage. It is so addictive. You can find the game in toy stores and other game/puzzle shops. The board has a total of fourteen pits and 48 stones or marbles. If you don't have a board you can improvise with an egg carton, two cups, and stones or beads. This is a two-player game, but it goes quickly and you can easily take turns and compete with more people. I won't get into the details of how to play the game here, but there are a ton of great sites that explain the rules of the game online. Once you get the hang of it, you can scoop up your opponent's beads, strategically get a series of extra turns, and put a stop to your opponent's planned attacks. The objective is to have the most stones in the larger pit at your end of the board by the end of the game. It might sound boring and simple, but I'm telling you it is a ton of fun and things can get very competitive. Give it a try sometime!