What Games Do Chimps Like to Play?

Chimpanzees are closely akin to humans in their genetic structure and physical abilities. They cohabitate together in woods, grasslands or rain forests in Africa. Playtime and games are a favorite pastime for chimpanzees. This desire begins in their youth and carries over into old age. Chimpanzees are experts at being able to communicate their emotions and needs. Games are one of a chimpanzee's crucial needs for pleasure's sake. They tend to play independently or in groups.

  1. Stick Playing

    • Chimpanzees enjoy inventing their own clever games. The youthful chimpanzees have fun making up games. They enjoy the pretending and caretaking role. One such game involves using a special stick that they nurture, as if it were a live infant. They foster to its daily needs by gently holding, hugging it and laying it down to sleep, as they play an adult role.

    Branch Swinging

    • Swinging happily around in the tree branches from limb to limb is a favorite game activity for chimpanzees. They have mastered the art of twiriling throughout the different levels of the branches. The official term for rotating through the tree branches is called brachiating.

    Somersaults, Wrestling and Tickling

    • Chimpanzees enjoy doing somersaults, as they haphazardly spin around. They can do this on their own or in the company of their friends. For more fun, they also enjoy chasing each other around and then wrestling once they are caught. They will then begin tickling and poking each other.

    Grooming Playtime

    • After the chimpanzees have completed their fun activities and game playing throughout the daylight hours, they are then ready to spend time getting themselves fastidiously clean. They would have accumulated a substantial amount of dirt, leaves and bugs from their day of haphazard fun. They develop another form of a game in the pleasure of meticulously grooming each other in preparation for the next day's activities.