• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

What Do We Do All Day logo

  • Start Here
  • Books
    • Classics
      • 20th Century Classics
    • Early Chapter Books
    • Easy Readers
    • Folktales
    • Holiday Books
    • Middle Grade (8-12 years)
    • Nonfiction
    • Picture Books
    • Read Aloud Chapter Books
  • Games
    • Traditional Games
  • Kids Activities
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Literacy & Writing
    • Math
    • Playful Activities
    • Science
    • Toddler
  • Parenting
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Books for kids
  • Games
  • Indoor activities for kids
  • Parenting
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Games / Tchuka Ruma: Solitaire Game for Kids

     

    Tchuka Ruma: Solitaire Game for Kids

    1882 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Although I enjoy sharing our favorite board games via our game of the month feature, not every game we play is bought in a store. We have recently been having a great time playing Tchuka Ruma. Tchuka Ruma is an Indonesian transfer game that is a good precursor to the more sophisticated and well-known Mancala. Unlike Mancala, it is a solitary game and your kids can make it and play it in no time flat.

    How to play Tchuka Ruma, a fun solitary Mancala game with math learning.

    Simple, DIY games are very satisfying for kids and can often be played on the spur of the moment or on the go much more easily than board games. Ruma is a simple but surprisingly challenging game (more on that below!) My 10 year old played it on his own, but we also had a few face offs (see our video below). It keeps their brain active and they won't want to stop until they discover the solution.

    What you need:

    • Paper
    • Pen
    • Counters (we used buttons)

    Make the board:

    Divide a 10 inch strip of paper into 5 equal sections. We made 2 game boards. One is 10 x 2, the other is 10 x 3. Measurements don't need to be exact. Write "Ruma" in the final end section.

    Objective: to get all the counters into the "Ruma" section.

    Set up: place 2 counters in each of the empty sections.

    How to set up Tchuka Ruma

    How to play:

    Pick up counters from any square and drop them, one by one into each section (similar to Mancala) towards the Ruma square. This is called "sowing the seeds".

    What comes next depends on where your last counter falls.

    If your last counter falls into Ruma then you move again, sowing seeds starting from the square of your choice.

    If your last counter falls into an empty space, you lose.

    If your last counter falls into a space already occupied by one or more counters, pick up all the counters from that square and continue sowing the seeds.

    Good to know:

    There is only one solution that will get all the counters into the Ruma square. There is a mathematical reason for this, but it is way above my head - ha ha ha. See the video if you want the solution. It was quite challenging for me, although I do not profess to be particularly adept at games like this!

    It is fun, though, and my 10 year old and I did not want to give up. Even after we solved the game, it was not always easy to remember the exact steps, so even after your kids win, ask them to try and repeat the feat.

    Watch a the new and improved (!) video of how to play. First I demonstrate how to lose (ha ha ha) but then you can watch a mother-son face off, plus at the very end I reveal the solution!

    More DIY games we love:

    • Tapatan, a 3 in a row game
    • Dara: 3 in a row with a challenging twist!!
    • Len Choa, a leopard and tiger hunt game
    • Peg solitaire game
    • Tower of Hanoi, logic puzzle
    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    « The Absolute Best Mermaid Coloring Pages
    Dragon Book Series & Novels for Tweens »
    1882 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maya says

      June 04, 2015 at 2:23 am

      It is a great game... Thank you for bringing back memory. I call it "congklak" in Javanese, one of the many regional languages in Indonesia.

      How do you even find this game?

      Have fun

      Maya

      Reply
      • Erica MomandKiddo says

        June 05, 2015 at 9:36 am

        We found it in a book!

        Reply
    2. Pattie Perry says

      July 11, 2019 at 12:05 pm

      Thank you so much -- I made a board with the directions on the back so I could give it to my Sunday School students when they come in early. I have made several of your games for that purpose. They love challenges! I made a word document that has three gameboards on a page. I can email it to you.

      Reply
      • Erica says

        July 13, 2019 at 7:12 am

        Oh, I love that idea of making printout like that and I'm so glad your students enjoyed the challenges!

        Reply
      • Tanya Kelada says

        April 08, 2021 at 9:05 pm

        Patty, would your be willing to share those game boards with another passionate Sunday school teacher?
        My email is tjkelada@hotmail.com

        Reply
    3. Shiruvan says

      August 09, 2021 at 8:30 am

      I tried to resolve without watching your solution and I find an other way to win :
      22220
      20330
      30041
      01151
      01061
      12113
      03113
      03104
      00215
      00206
      00017
      00008

      Reply
      • Erica says

        August 09, 2021 at 10:56 am

        Thanks for your enthusiasm and sharing your game play experience1

        Reply
    4. johnhenry says

      June 27, 2022 at 3:40 am

      This is a great puzzle! Thanks for sharing it. I have a couple of questions which the more mathematically minded students might like to approach.

      For the 5-pit board (as described in your post), if you increase the number of seeds per pit, will there still be no solution, more than one solution, or still just one solution?

      As you increase the size of the board, what is the solution state (none/more than one/just one) for each number of seeds put in the pits?

      Make a matrix showing the solution move by move (just list the pit from which you start sowing for each move) for each size board and number of seeds, what patterns do you see in the matrix? You might have to make two matrices, one for size of board with the number of seeds increasing per column, and another showing a set number of seeds with the number of pits increasing. A mathematician could put these two factors together.

      Reply
      • Erica says

        June 27, 2022 at 10:51 am

        Those are great explorations for kids interested in the mathematics aspect of the game! Thanks for sharing them.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Erica! I believe parents can stay sane without giving their kids an electronic device. Learn how!

    More about me →

    Newsletter

    Join over 15,000 subscribers who said "Yes! I want to unplug my kids!" We'll send you 10 waiting games your kids can play anytime, anywhere. Join here -->

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Site

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and join over 15,000 other families finding ways reduce screen time.

    Other Stuff

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

    Copyright © 2023 What Creative Media LLC

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want More Free Activity Ideas?
    Join our email list and as a thank you gift I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games that will make your kids smarter.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want your kids to love being unplugged?
    Join our newsletter and as a thank you, I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.