From boisterous jumping and running games to hush-hush
games that required strategic thinking, many of us could not get enough of them
as children.
But more than just fun, these old-fashioned school games were a
wonderful way to bond and build friendships.
When I was in primary school, recess time
was what everyone looked forward to.
My friends and I would spend those
precious 30 minutes to play games. Our games were not sophisticated computer or
mobile phone games that children today prefer, with full of snazzy graphics,
beeps and dings.
Instead, children from my generation in the 90’s played with simple props, like rubber bands (as a skipping rope) and sticks, and squealed,
jostled and laughed among friends.
We also played soccer; not using the soccer ball but instead empty can in the school field
under the hot sun, dashing between pillars in the school compound and in the
canteen after hurried meals.
Simple improvised materials using sticks, stones, tin cans. All these added to the recipe for games that provided hours of fun and joy for the kids of the past. Catching, police and thief game and hide-and-seek had ruled the playgrounds long before the electronic games conquered the kids’ world.
There were also the “lastic” wars. Popular among the boys who would arm themselves with elastic bands and multiple paper missiles, and take joy in aiming at each other.
Zero-point:-
Another game that tested our co-ordination
skills was zero-point; a game that uses a long rope consisting of rubber bands and two teams of gung-ho youngsters. Players in the first team would take turns
to leap clear of the rubber band rope, which would be held taut by the opposing
team. At the start of the game, the rope would be held flush to the ground.
This stage was called zero-point; and players would yell that out after
crossing this easy hurdle. The next hurdle would be the same rope held at ankle
height, then knee height, then higher and higher and higher until someone
stumbled and yielded the team’s turn to the opposing group. While hopscotch was challenging for me,
zero-point proved far worse. Nevertheless, while I endured gentle ribbing from
my team-mates and frequent falls that left my hands and knees constantly
scuffed, the occasional thrill of successfully clearing a tall rubber-band rope
kept me playing for many recess periods.
Pick-Up
Sticks:-
I was much better at the quiet games that
required concentration and a steady hand. For instance, I loved playing pick-up
sticks. The game would start with players scattering brightly coloured wooden
or plastic sticks on the ground. We would take turns to gingerly pry sticks
loose from the pile, one at a time, without disturbing any of the other sticks. Each player would attempt to remove as many
sticks as possible during his turn, and would cede his turn when he
accidentally moved other sticks. The game ended when all sticks were claimed,
and the player who removed the most sticks won. To ramp up the game, we would
sometimes play with two packs of sticks combined. This would extend the length
of the game, and allow us to accumulate a large number of sticks. Another variation we played was assigning a
colour to each player, who could then get extra points for collecting sticks of
that colour.
I will spend 10 cents or 20 cents just to play the Tikam-Tikam at Kedai Mamak (a provision shop owned by the local Indians), hoping to strike the 'big prize'. Very often, I managed to get back some insignificant candies, or lucky if there was cash rebate.
Styrofoam Airplane:-
A better version of a paper airplane, it could take a longer flight and had different designs printed on it.
Casio's Western Bar Game:-
The handheld game Western Bar from Casio was a big hit in the 90's. The sound effects were excellent, with realistic gunshot sounds and cowboy-styled music. We played as the drunken sheriff, shooting at the beer bottles the bartender threw, dodging the ashtrays thrown by the bar's customers and had a shoot-out with the bandits with dynamites.
Racing Simulator Game:-
A dream toy for the boys. Considered a high tech game then, it had steering wheel, engine key, gears as well as a screen showing the directions of the simulated racing car. It came with adrenaline-rushing engine sounds too.
Chapteh:-
Made of rubber disc fixed with colourful feathers, the player has to keep the Chapteh in the air during a game without using his hands. It is also similar to Malay sport Sepak-takraw, which used a rattan ball instead.
Playing Cards:-
Who can forget the simple playing cards like Old Maid, Donkey, Happy Family and Snap? They bring back fond memories indeed. In “Old Maid”, all cards in the playing deck had a
matching twin, except for one - the “Old Maid”. Each player’s goal was to
discard all the cards he received, which would be kept hidden from the other
players. To do so, one had to pair up each of their cards with its twin, through
a series of strategic card swaps with other players. The one player holding the
“Old Maid” had to keep a straight face and subtly convince his fellow players
to pick that particular card out of his deck. The game ended when all players
matched up their cards. The last player left holding the “Old Maid” lost the
game.
“Snap” was a much simpler, two-player game
which relied on intense concentration, quick reflexes and a deck of picture cards. Players would flip open a card from their given deck of cards at a brisk pace,
placing the open cards in a neat stack in front of them. If the top-most cards
on the two opened stacks displayed the same picture, the players would shout
“Snap!” and scramble to slap their hands on the piles. The quickest to do so
won that round, and that pile of cards. The game would resume until all cards
were opened. Whoever completed the game with the most cards, won the game.
These simple games tested and honed my physical
balance, speed work, and hand-eye coordination, as well as my mental skills of
concentration and strategising. More importantly, they were a wonderful way to
build friendships and create precious memories.
Pop-Pop Fire Crackers and Bunga Api:-
Made in China, they gave loud "pop" sounds when hit something hard at fast speeds. I loved to throw a few at the corridors or downstairs during the countdowns of Hari Raya Eidul Fitri. Sometimes I would grab a bunch and throw all at once, scaring the passers-by.
Also not forgetting the Bunga Api or electrical sparklers.
Guli:-
One of the most popular games for the boys in the 90's, Guli was a game involving skill and accuracy.
Typically played on sand, the marbles were placed in a drawn circle as the players stood behind a straight line drawn several meters away. Every marble that was knocked out of the circle was a victorious claim.
Teng-Teng or Hopscotch:-
One game we played was hopscotch, and you
would need a piece of chalk and find flat ground to mark out the grid for the
game. We would start with drawing and numbering a series of large boxes on the
ground with chalk. The first player would throw his marker - typically a coin
pouch or wallet - into the first chalked box, and then hop on one foot from the
first box to the last, taking care to skip over the box with the marker. Once the player reached the end, he would turn around,
retrace his steps, pick up the token and return to the starting line. He would
then pitch his token into the next box and repeat the process. Should the
player throw his token into the wrong box, allow it to land on chalked lines,
accidentally tread on the lines or lose his balance, he would have to forfeit
his turn to the next player in line. The first player to complete one full
course won. Being the clumsy, short-sighted child that I was, I never won any
hopscotch games. Often times, I would be stuck in the first few boxes,
desperately trying not to lose my balance or my glasses as I wobbled on one
foot!
Congkak:-
Both players begin simultaneously by
scooping up all the seeds in any house on their side. Each drops a seed into
the next house and continues clockwise depositing one seed into every house
thereafter. A player drops a seed into his storehouse each time he passes it
but does not deposit any into his opponent's storehouse. How the game continues, depends on where
the last seed of each scoop is deposited. If the seed drops into the player’s own
storehouse: the player scoops up the seeds from any of his houses and
distributes them in the houses round the board but not in his opponent's
storehouse. If the seed drops into a house (on either
side of the board) containing seed: The player scoops up all the seeds in that
house and continues distributing them as described above. If the seed drops into the player’s house
which is without seeds: The player is entitled to collect the seeds in his
opponent's house directly opposite his own. These seeds collected from his
opponent's house together with his last seed are deposited in his own
storehouse. If the opponent's 'house' opposite his own is empty, he deposits
only his last seed in his own storehouse. He forfeits his turn and stops
playing. It is the opponent's turn now to distribute the seeds. If the seed drops into an empty house
belonging to the opponent: the player forfeits his turn and stops playing. He
also forfeits his seeds and leaves it in the opponent's house. It is the
opponent's turn now to distribute the seeds. The first round ends when a player has no
more seeds in his house. The remaining seeds are awarded to his opponent. Play resumes in the second round with
players redistributing seeds from their own storehouse to their own houses.
Beginning from left to right, seven seeds are placed in each house. If a player
does not have sufficient seeds to fill his own houses, the remaining houses are
left empty and are considered 'burnt'. The leftover seeds are deposited into
his own storehouse. The opponent deposits excess seeds he has won into his own
storehouse. The loser gets to start the second round.
Play is continued as before but players will bypass 'burnt houses' for instance
no seeds are to be dropped into these houses. If a seed is accidentally dropped
into a 'burnt house', it is confiscated and stored in the opponent's
'storehouse'. Play continues until one player loses all
his 'houses' or concedes defeat.
Play-Doh:-
Play-Doh is a modeling compound used by
young children for art and craft projects at home. Play-Doh's current manufacturer, Hasbro,
reveals the compound is primarily a mixture of water, salt, and flour; while
its 2004 United States patent indicates it is composed of water, a starch-based
binder, a retrogradation inhibitor, salt, lubricant, surfactant, preservative,
hardener, humectant, fragrance, and color. A petroleum additive gives the
compound a smooth feel, and borax prevents mold from developing. Play-Doh
contains some wheat and may cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic
to wheat gluten. It is not intended to be eaten. The high salt content may be
harmful to pets if eaten.
Batu Seremban:-
Another game we played was five stones or Batu Seremban. The
name of the game suggests five little cloth bags shaped like mini pyramids and
stuffed with rice, green beans or sand. Each player would take turns to toss
these “stones” into the air in successive combinations that required escalating
levels of dexterity and hand-eye coordination to execute. The player who
managed to pull off all combinations seamlessly would win. So keen was I to hone my five stones
skills, I persuaded my mother to sew a set of five stones just for me to
practice with, using scrap cloth from old clothes. I felt well in control of my
game playing with my handmade five stones. After practicing frequently with
them, I grew accustomed to their particular heft and feel, and became quite
good at the game.
Battery-powered Car:-
I am sure many of us still remember those battery-powered cars for children commonly seen at the centrals of the new towns in the 90's. Costing a mere $1 for a 10 minutes ride then, kids could choose to drive a car or motorbike. And to drive a mini police car with sirens, you just have to pay a bit more..!
Today, these popular vendors are hardly seen.
No comments:
Post a Comment