Games and entertainment

Ancient Egypt had games of all kinds. Some of the games were for fun and entertainment and the others for fitness. Samples of these games have been found in the drawings located in the tombs at Saqqara, and many others. These pyramids were built nearly 2600b.c.e and some of the games are still played today. As well as board games, pictures have also been found in tombs from the same period of time.

Children's Toys

The oldest toys ever found in Egypt, like little toy boats carved from wood, came from a child's tomb dating to the Predynastic Period. From the same period baked clay animals and rattles have been discovered.

Lovely toys were made by the ancient Egyptians from wood, bone, ivory, ceramics and stone. Many little children played with dolls of Nubians, toy animals, spinning tops and mechanical toys like crocodiles with moving jaws and Jumping Jacks. At el Lisht a toy was found it was made up of three carved ivory dancers. The figures were set in an ivory stand and by pulling the strings they span. Ancient Egyptian children played with many toys. One of the more popular ones was balls made of hollow painted clay and filled with many seeds. They played ball games standing, jumping high in the air, or even piggyback. These games were popular, especially with girls.
Paddle dolls were made out of wood, with twine threaded with clay beads for hair. They may have been for children, or they also may have been to accompany the deceased in the afterlife.

Fitness games

Some of ancient Egypt's games were for fitness. Hockey was played with long palm tree branches. The puck was made out of stuffed papyrus in-between two pieces of leather.
Some games were played with balls that were made of a leather skin filled with chaff, dry papyrus reeds tied tightly together, string or rags. Boys preferred team sports and throwing games, while girls generally went in for games which were less fiercely competitive.

Marble games are very ancient. A white and a black stone marble and three little stones forming an arch seem to have been used in one such game which may have been played like a sort of mini-skittles.

http://www.kingtutshop.com/freeinfo/Ancient-Egyptian-Games.htm