The following photos bring back memories of being shown stick games that our mother had learnt during her school days. Māori stick games are also known as tī rākau, tītī tōrea, tītī touretua, tītī tourea and poi rākau. They were played by men and women, and helped with the practising of hand-eye coordination, taiaha skills, dexterity for using the poi, agiltiy for kapa haka, and provided entertainment (see Te Ara).  Suggestions for activities, including videos of stick games, are also listed.  

Early ACCOUNTS OF TRADITIONAL STICK GAMES 

NZ Curriculum, & Boy scouts & Girl Guides

Māori action songs, haka and stick and string games were introduced in the NZ primary-school curriculum in the 1940s and 1950s. In a 1943 article in the Education Gazette,  the new superintendent of physical education, Phillip Smithells,  wrote,  "These activities, while they may not have the same cultural and  historical significance to the pakeha, as to the Maori, are exceedingly  good for the body of the pakeha."  (Source: Te Ara - Dancing at school)  Stick games were also practised by Scout troops and Girl Guides.

Resources on stick games - Video & audiotape

Other videos:

•  NZ Folksong: E pāpā Waiari (a traditional Whanganui song) 
•  TeacherTube:  Māori Stick Games - Rakau (1 July 2008)  Demo presented by students at Tamaki Int, School (2 mins 03 secs)

Also see Youtube for a range of videos including:

•  Music Express Magazine (16 July 2014). E papä wairi (Māori Stick Game) (1 min 28 secs)
•  Rakau stickes - Maori stick game (31 March 2010) Demo for beginners with students at Melville Int. School, Hamilton (1 min 09 secs)
•  SAMIRICO67 MOANA NUI   (23 July 2011). "E Papa " - Maori Tititorea's Dance (2 mins 20 sec) 
•  Te Manawa (3 Dec 2012). Ti Rakau - Māori Stick Game (48 secs)
•  What now (2 July 2016). Traditional Māori Game - Poi Rakau! (1 min 52 secs) 
•  Waikatoforever (31 March 2010). Raukau Sticks - Māori Stick Game (1 min 09 secs)

Materials and additional activities:

Ti rākau was initially made from the mānuka, the flower stalks of the toetoe, raupō and harakeke. (See TKI:  Stick games Tī rākau - Whakapapa). Nowadays, the sticks are mainly made from wooden dowelling and decorated. Rolled up magazines and newspapers, or the inner cardboard tube from kitchen wrapping rolls, or PVC pipes have also been used. 

•  TKI:  Stick games Tī rākau - Whakapapa and Activity 1: Stick games Tī rākau/Tira
•  Sportnz.org.nz:  Tìtìtòrea -  Health & Physical Education Activity Card Level 2  (pdf)
•  Utah Education Network: Maori stick game lesson plan
•  Auckland Museum Blog:  How to play tītītōrea  by Mattie Hamuera  (27 Jul 2015)
•  Online Scout Manager (UK): Tī Rakau - Traditional Māori Stick Game. Describes how to make sticks from rolled up magazines and how to play, with links to videos.
• Ideas4Kids.org.  Maori Stick Game/Dance (Ti Rakau) Louise Bolton (2019) describes making sticks from kitchen roll inner cardboard tube.
• The inside out coconut: Maori sticks with Jane (27 July 2017). How to make sticks from wooden dowels and decorate them, with links to videos on how to play.
•  Felt magnet: How to make rhythm sticks by KA Hanna (27 July 2018). How to use PVC pipe to make sticks.