I remember fondly the traditional games that we used to play when we were young.

We came across this meaningful purpose of traditional games while at the Anchorvale Community Club last year.

“Traditional games are a significant part of our cultural heritage. They reflect the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our forefathers in creating their own games by using inexpensive materials for their pastimes and recreation. These indigenous games such as “congkak”, “capteh”, “gasing”, speak raga/takraw and others are also played in the Southeast Asian region although the versions may vary.

With the advent of computers as well as economic, social and environmental changes such as the disappearance of closely-knit kampongs and villages, most of these traditional games have faded out. These games, although simple, have cultural and social value and encourage children to exercise their ingenuity and help develop their social skills, especially in fostering team spirit in school and in the neighbourhood.”

They are so true.

Those traditional games were simple but yet they had never failed to bring about laughters and enjoyment as a group.  Given today’s latest art of technology, will our children still be fascinated by these traditional games?  Have we remembered the importance of fostering our children’s social skills instead of just showering them with the latest games and toys on the commercial shelves? Have we forgotten to develop our childrens’ ingenuity?

Indeed those are the yesteryears when we would be happily entertained with games or toys “designed”with simple resources.

Without doubts, days have been different.

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Remember this game of SEPAK TAKRAW?  I believe this game is still commonly played in the Southeast Asian countries. Made of rattan, these balls can be played with the feet, knee, chest and head only.

We would use the rubber bands to make skipping ropes.

Haha! Those days when rubber bands were such such collectibles :)

Those days when the tins are used to contain milk and then tea or coffee …and then recycled for a game of BOLA TIN.

So how’s BOLA (meaning ball in Malay) TIN being played?

Arrange the tins into a pyramid. Then use the ball to knock down the tins.

Just like this:

1. Empty tins of similar size are stacked up to form a pyramid.

2. Players are divided into two teams, e.g. A & B teams. The teams decide which team destroys the pyramid and which to rebuild it.

3. A line is drawn about 10 steps away from the pyramid. Assuming Team A destroys and Team B rebuilds, members of Team A will position themselves behind this line to begin their throws. Team B stands anywhere behind the tin pyramid.

4. Using a ball, each member of Team A is allowed two throws to destroy the tin pyramid. If he fails, the next member of the team gets into position to throw.

5. If Team A knocks down all the tins, both teams will rush for the ball. If a member of Team B gets the ball, he will throw it as far as possible so that his team members will have the time to rebuild the pyramid. If a member of Team A gets the ball, he will try to hit members of Team B or the tin pyramid. Any member of Team B who is hit before the pyramid is rebuilt, is considered “dead” and out of the game.

6. If the pyramid is completed before all the members of Team B are knocked out, Team B wins and the teams change sides.

However, if players of Team B are knocked out before the tin pyramid is completed, Team A wins and the game starts all over again.

Source: wikipedia.org.

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If you have not played these games before and have a team of players, give it a try :)

If you have missed these games that were so fondly played in the past, what’s stopping us and our children from playing these traditional games in these modern days?

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