The game of pétanque began in France, but is played throughout the world today. Sometimes the games are as casual as walking to a park, drawing a circle in a packed down rocky area, throwing out the target ball called a cochonnet, taking out the steel balls, and beginning play. Other times there are tournaments with strict rules and even stricter officials. The Federation of Pétanque USA is affiliated with the International Pétanque Association.International tournaments can be seen on Youtube. Some say pétanque will be an olympic sport some day. That remains to be seen.
Pétanque for Kids is intended to be played by children of ages 4 to 10. At age 11 juniors can compete in world competition. After developing strategy and skills playing pétanque, children will transfer those skills at age 11 to playing the adult game using steel balls but still using the same strategies learned at a younger age.
There are many pétanque (boules) clubs in the US and other countries. Information about location and playing schedules can be found on the Internet. For more history see www.petanqueamerica.com.