Sometimes life imitates art. These games from books (and movies!) left the page (or screen!) and became real:

Lightsaber Dueling

The French Fencing Federation calls lightsaber dueling an official competitive sport. Fencing is a sword fighting sport. In the past, characters like Zorro and Robin Hood drew young people to the sport. Could modern characters like Luke Skywalker do the same today?

Tri-Dimensional Chess

Tri-dimensional chess debuted in the original Star Trek TV series. Turning it into a real game was only logical. The board has the same number of squares as regular chess. But it’s split into seven different platforms! Pieces don’t move just left, right, forward, and back. They also move up and down. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the World Tri Dimensional Chess Federation held tournaments for the game.

Quidditch

Flying broomsticks! Self-propelled balls! Quidditch might not seem like a game that could become real. But fans of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books found a way. The broomsticks don’t really fly. Instead, two teams of seven players run around with regular brooms. They try to accumulate points before someone catches the snitch. In the books, the snitch whizzes through the air on its own. In real life, an official wears a tennis ball tied to his clothes! Hundreds of teams compete in tournaments worldwide. The International Quadball Association governs the rules.

Poohsticks

Want to play Poohsticks like Winnie-the-Pooh? You just need a stick, a bridge, and water! A.A. Milne invented this game in The House at Pooh Corner. Each player chooses a stick. The players drop their sticks off one side of a bridge into the water below. The first stick to come out the other side wins! Feel ready to compete? You could join the World Poohsticks Championships in England.

Have you ever invented a game? Let us know and tell us how to play! Email us at WORLDkidseditor@gwnews.com.