Hop, Skip, Tug! Classic Kids’ Games Revive Dalmatian Summers

Sack races, tug-of-war, elastics, trading cards… all these childhood games will come back to life this summer on the streets of Dalmatian towns.

The Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board is launching the event “Rediscover Play” with the aim of preserving tradition, encouraging physical activity among the youngest generations, and connecting people of all ages. Through classic street games, participants will relive a time before mobile phones and digital devices—when fun was found right outside your door.

As part of the “Rediscover Play” initiative, several towns—Trogir, Supetar, Jelsa, Omiš, and Sinj—will host sports games and competitions inspired by those once commonly played in the streets throughout July.

The project is carried out in cooperation with the Faculty of Kinesiology in Split, a key partner in the initiative, with the support of local tourist boards. Experts from the Faculty emphasize that today’s children are increasingly struggling with basic physical skills, such as jumping, rhythm, and coordination. That’s why “Rediscover Play” is especially important for their physical and motor development, as well as for encouraging social interaction.

The goal is to involve not just children, but also parents, older siblings, and the entire community, inviting everyone to step back into a time when these games filled the streets of Dalmatian towns.

One of the highlights of the program is an old game of throwing flat stones, known as pljočkanje in Istria and na plojke in Dalmatia. This traditional game, once played by shepherds in the fields, is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage and experienced a revival in Dalmatian neighborhoods during the 1990s.

Alongside this, many other classic games will delight visitors, taking them back to childhood and reviving the spirit of the old neighborhood streets.

For full details, visit the website of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board.