Gonggi-nori 공기놀이

Gonggi (Korean: 공기) is a popular game among Korean children. Traditionally, players will use five small pebbles. Nowadays, children buy colorful plastic stones instead of looking for pebbles. This game can be played alone or with other people. In Korean, these stones are called gonggitdol (공깃돌). The game is widely popular because of its simplicity. You only need a few pebbles to play this game.

In addition to the name Gonggi-nori, this game has many other local names such as in South Jeolla Province known as Datjjakgeoli, in North Gyeongsang Province known as Jjagebatgi, or in South Gyeongsang Province known as Salgu.

How to play Gonggi-nori:

Each person is given 5 small pebbles. The game will begin in the order of players, each person throws stones in the air and plays until it is deemed to be lost, then switches to another player. The game is played in levels from easy to difficult:

• Level 1: Stones are thrown onto the playing surface and the player chooses a stone to throw in the air. While flying in the air, the player picks up a stone on the playing surface. Then the player catches the stone. These steps are repeated until all the stones are captured.
• Level 2: The stone is thrown back on the playing surface. However, in this level, the player picks up two stones at once.
• Level 3: Stones are thrown on the playing surface. The stones are picked up once in a cluster of three and in a cluster of one.
• Level 4: The player throws a stone into the air, places other stones on the surface and catches the stone in the air. The player then tosses the same stone again, but this time picks up four stones gathered on the playing surface and catches the stone in the air.
• Level 5: The player tosses stones from the palm of his hand into the air. While flying in the air, the player must quickly flip the hand to the back. The stones are then caught on the back of the hand. The player then throws the stones into the air and catches them. The number of stones caught corresponds to the number of points. There are different tricks in this phase.