A group of teenagers who rarely put their phones down are on their knees, laughing, trying to flick a snail-shaped counter across a line. A young woman who “doesn’t do sport” is the most strategic player in a tile-stacking game. A grandfather is explaining rules to a newly arrived family with gestures and smiles. Moments like these are why I-PLAY exists. In this final lesson of Module 1 we look at three reasons why heritage games matter today: inclusion, health and community.

011. Inclusion: games with a low threshold

The I-PLAY Training Curriculum starts from an honest observation: sport has often excluded the people who would benefit from it most. The groups named in the curriculum’s inclusion profile – people with disabilities, migrants and refugees, women and girls, disadvantaged youth and others facing discrimination or geographical isolation – share a common experience: mainstream sport was not designed with them in mind.

Traditional games have qualities that lower the threshold to take part:

• No “gear barrier”: they use simple, local objects such as stones, cobs, ropes, tiles or a handkerchief.
• No membership or prior training: anyone can join, anywhere.
• Flexible rules: because rules were always negotiated locally, adapting them for a specific group is part of the tradition, not a betrayal of it.
• Varied skills: some games depend more on precision, concentration or strategy than on strength or speed. The Digital Toolkit notes, for example, that Juego de la pesca and Carrera de caracoles rely on fine motor skill and concentration, which makes integration more natural.

Games are also a powerful intercultural tool. When you invite participants to name similar games from their own traditions, the dynamic shifts from “learning someone else’s game” to exchanging games – a key principle of the I-PLAY approach.

022. Health: movement that does not feel like training

As you saw in Lesson 1.3, many young people do not reach recommended levels of physical activity, and girls are especially affected. Traditional games offer movement that feels like play rather than exercise. To help you plan, each I-PLAY game is rated by its level of HEPA (Health-Enhancing Physical Activity) – Low, Medium or High – so you can choose the right intensity for your group and space.

The benefits go beyond the physical. The State of the Art report links physical activity with improved psychological well-being, reduced stress and anxiety and stronger social connection. Short, social, low-pressure games can be a gentle first step for young people who have had negative experiences with sport.

033. Community: shared memory and intergenerational ties

Heritage games connect generations. Older community members often remember versions of the games that young people have never seen; asking them to share that knowledge gives them a valued role and creates natural intergenerational contact. Games also bring people into public space – squares, parks, courtyards – where passers-by of all ages can understand them immediately and join in.

The I-PLAY partners have seen this in action. At JOLASean 2026 in Errenteria (22–27 September 2026), ABARKA presented the four Spanish games to children and families and took part in a round table on inclusive play. Festivals in all three countries continue to put the games into public spaces between October 2026 and April 2027.

04From intention to practice

None of these benefits happens automatically. A game can include or exclude, depending on how it is run. A careless choice of teams, an unexplained rule or a joke like “you play like a girl” can undo good intentions in seconds. That is why the rest of this course moves from why to how: safe rules and risk assessment (M2), inclusive adaptations (M3), community engagement (M4), practice and feedback (M5) and digital tools (M6).