The ancient Egyptians had great lives and in spite of working so hard, they never forgot leisure and recreation. Thus, equal or sometimes even more importance was given to pursuing leisure activities. Some of the activities which the ancient Egyptians pursued were:

Fishing - Although fishing was a means of subsistence for some, it was a pastime as well. Drawings from the Old and New kingdom display fishing in a recreational context. As a matter of fact, this evidence suggests that the Egyptians were the first to fish for pleasure. Many different fishing artifacts such as rods and various types of hooks have been unearthed to show the versatility of their equipment. Fishing for survival was traditionally carried out with a net or spear, while the angler used a rod and line.

Hunting - Javelin throwing was mostly associated with hunting for both sport and the provision of food. However, with the arrival of farming and agriculture, hunting for survival became outdated in ancient Egypt. However, hunting continued to be practiced a sport especially by the noble class and pharaohs.

Lions were hunted with the help of a bow and arrow from a chariot. One of the archaeologists JH Breasted, recorded the ancient records of Egypt which pointed out the fact that Amenhotep III hunted and killed as many as 102 fierce lions Likewise, archery was a very popular sports recreation in Egypt; although it seems to have been practiced more by royalty for entertainment purposes than for practical means.

Sport - The ancient Egyptians enjoyed their sport. In fact, many athletic events and some team sports have descended from this land long time back. One team sport was very similar to hockey. Wielding clubs made of palm branches, they would hit a ball made of leather stuffed with papyrus and stitched. The bow and arrow was not only used in hunting and warfare but as sport as well. One of the oldest sports, archery was practiced in ancient Egypt. The contestants were judged on accuracy on the target as well as strength to pull the bow. Additionally, the Nile provided calm waters for another of ancient Egypt's more popular sports namely swimming and rowing. Some of the wealthier classes had pools built for princes to learn and practice the sport.

Just chilling out - Apart from the above stated activities and sports that ancient Egyptians indulged in, there were some other activities which did not involve any rigorous physical activity. The ancient Egyptians played a variety of games which were different for adults and children. The children mostly played board games but occasionally also played with toys made especially for the little children.

Since boards games of all quality have been discovered it is needless to say that the games were played by all classes of people in Ancient Egypt. The most popular of these was the game Senet especially with the wealthier males of the society. Senet was a popular Ancient Egyptian board game. This game symbolized the struggle of good against evil. The evil forces tried to stop you from reaching the Kingdom of the god Osiris. The rules of this game were very complex.

It consisted of a board with 30 holes, 3 rows and 10 columns. Most of the games used 7 pawns, sticks or knucklebones for each of the two players but some only had 5. During the New Kingdom, the game of Senet had acquired a religious and magical interpretation which symbolized the passage of the deceased through the other world with his resurrection dependent upon his/her ability to win the game.

Music was an integral part of both Egyptian culture and religion in spite of not having any written record of annotated music. As a matter of fact, it was believed that music pleased the gods and mortals alike and nearly any festival or banquet included musicians. Many depictions and artifacts exist including a number of instruments that have been preserved.

In addition to these, ancient Egypt sports also included lengthy marathons which are a part of a number of ancient Egyptian texts. Marathons played a part in the coronation festivities of pharaohs throughout most ancient Egyptian history.

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This site covers all areas for Ancient Egyptian Facts. Besides the popular ancient egyptian topics for kids of Pharohs, Gods, Inventions, Religion. Itis one of the biggest websites for ancient egypt information for kids. Many college students use it for research on ancient egyptian times.

Money & Coins	Recreation Part 1	Trading of Goods
Famous Monuments	Recreation Part 2	Translation Of Hieroglyphics
Mummies / Mummification	Religion Part 1	Transportation System
Music in Ancient Egypt	Religion Part 2	Viziers Ranking
Musical Instruments	Religious Beliefs	Famous Wars Fought
Myths Part 1: Creation, Eye of Ra	Sarcophagus	Weaponry & Chain of Command
Myths Part 2: Death	Children's Schools	Common Weapons Used in War
Names and Meanings	Science and Technology	Women's Life Part 1
Numbering System	Role of Scribes	Women's Life Part 2
Obelisks Designs	Life of Slaves & Slavery	Status of Women
Paintings Style, Colours	Social Classes in Ancient Egypt	British Museum and Ancient Egypt
Papyrus Invention	Soldiers in the Army	Burial Tombs In Ancient Egypt
Pharaohs Dynasties	Sphinxes - majestic monuments	Concept of Afterlife
Pottery Designs	Common Sports Played	Farming In Ancient Egypt
Priests' Role	Famous Statues	Common Food and Drink
Process Of Embalming	Symbols and Meanings	King Tutankhamun of Egypt
Famous Proverbs	Tattoos and Designs	Sun God: Ra
Queens Part 1: Cleopatra	Technology Advancements	The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt
Queens Part 2: Other Queens	Temples' Significance	Valley of The Kings
Popular Quotes	Commonly used Tools	Pictures/Photos

This page last updated in Feb 2013