Did you miss your childhood days? Did you miss those games you used to play with your playmates then? Of course, we do. Who would not miss the game that we used to act as mother and father in bahay-bahayan or family games? Or the game where we would jump as high as we could to avoid touching the tip of our playmates’ fingers and feet in a luksong tinik (jumping over the hand fingers and feet of our playmates). These are just some of the exciting games that we will surely play if you could turn back time.
Below are the 16 popular Filipino games:
Luksong lubid (skipping rope)
Luksong lubid is a popular game for Filipino children. Interestingly, this game is also part of routine exercises for athletes particularly those who are into contact sports such as boxing. While athletes perform it to improve their foot agility, children play it purely as part of their childhood entertainment activity.
Luksong lubid can be performed solos like the athletes which is much easier as they can control their foot mobility and the rope. But performing it with other people controlling the movement of the rope is quite hard.
To Filipino children, the luksong lubid game is exciting as it is usually played in groups of two, three, or more. Timing, eyes, and foot coordination are very important in playing this game. Children must take note of the pacing and rhythm of the rope, failing to do so their legs would get caught/entangled by the rope. It's really fascinating to watch children happily jumping together in this game.
Marble games
It is a Filipino children's game in which there are two or more players. In the Philippines, this game is played in several ways:
How to play this game?
● Some of them hit a target marble from several meters away.
● If the target marble is hit, it's a win for the hitter.
Another way of playing this game is by digging a fist-sized hole in the soil. It's like a golf game in which whoever gets a first shot wins the game.
And the most popular way of playing this is by digging five (5) marble-sized holes. The holes' depth is half the size of the marbles so the marbles are easily pulled out from the holes.
In this game, when a child is able to shoot all the marbles in the holes in one roll, he wins the game, but if some of the marbles are not shot, the players take turns hitting the target marbles.
In the Philippines, the marble game is a seasonal game just like the other Filipino games.
Rubber band game
Let's just say that this is one of the dirtiest among the games Filipino children play as their hands are constantly touched on the surface or land.
How to play this game?
● In some rubber band games, children would intertwine and roll several pieces of
rubber using their middle fingers or their ring or index finger depending on which fingers they are comfortable using.
● In another rubber game, pieces of rubber bands are placed on a surface then strike the surface with the children’s inverted palms. The pieces of rubber bands are moved forward by the air produced by their palms. Usually in this particular game, the children would draw a square or round shape.
● Then whoever is able to move the rubber bands inside the shape wins the game.
Bato-lata/tumbang-preso
This is one of the exciting games for Filipino children. A child’s shooting skills are tested and measured in this game. Bato-lata is a Filipino phrase that means to throw and hit an empty can. Bato in the Filipino dialect is “stone” and lata means “can.”
● In this game, the players would hit the empty can using any pair of their slippers. An empty can is placed in the middle of a road.
● Children would hit the can using their slippers.
● When the can is hit, the child assigned guarding it would put it back in the middle of the road and run after the strikers.
● What makes this game exciting is the chase between the guard and the hitters. The chance of the guard to catch/touch (any part of the body) the hitters is if he runs faster than them. Another chance for the guard if a hitter's slipper is thrown several meters away which would take time for him/her to get it, giving the guard enough time to catch them.
Bahay-bahayan/balay-balay
Another part of a child’s fun life is the bahay-bahayan (Filipino) or balay-balay, a
Visayan dialect refers to a children’s family house. Although, bahay-bahayan is not considered a game but still part of a child’s fun life. It is another exciting game for both boys and girls.
● In the bahay-bahayan, the children would designate a father and a mother among them and the rest would act like children or assume any roles.
● Like a real family, the children designated as parents would be given authority over their children like ordering them to do household chores such as doing laundry, dishwashing, cooking, and cleaning the house and its surroundings. What makes it exciting is that children would really perform their roles and use toys as their cooking tools, dresses, and other toys needed in the bahay-bahayan.
The bahay-bahayan is one of the favorite children’s entertainment in the Philippines. Regardless of their roles, Filipino children really love to portray and act their roles.
Chinese garter
Though, this particular game is usually played only by girls. The Chinese garter is a long rubber in which the girls would jump over it.
● The beauty of this game is that after all the girls have jumped, the two children who hold the long, thin rubber would raise the rubber vertically, let's say from knee, then legs, then waist, and so on until the players could no longer reach the Chinese garter.
● In the Chinese garter game, girls jump with their right or left leg first. This game doesn’t pose any physical injury to the children because just in case a girl’s leg gets caught/entangled in a Chinese garter, it would be okay as the Chinese garter is elastic unlike in luksong tinik and luksong baka game that pose physical harm to the children.
Luksong-tinik (jumping over the children’s fingers and toes)
The luksong-tinik game is played similar to the Chinese garter, but the only difference is in this game, the outstretched toes and hand fingers of the children are used on which the children would jump over it. The steps or ways of the Chinese garter are basically the same. Moreover, unlike in Chinese garter games which are exclusively for girls, the luksong-tinik is played by both boys and girls. Like luksong baka (jumping over a bent body of a child) game, it poses injury to the children if they make a wrong landing on a surface.
Luksong baka (jumping over )game
Among so many Filipino games, the luksong-baka game is very risky for children. Any wrong jump, children could get injured.
● In this game, the assigned child would bend his/her back over which the other children would jump as high as they can so the bent back of the child would not be touched and fall.
● There would also be a possibility that the jumper and the bender would get injured when the jumper could not jump over the bent child due to several factors such as the bent child is too high to jump, the wrong jump, or the child is a slow jumper.
To soften the impact or to avoid injury, this game is played on a non-concrete surface. Filipino children play this game usually on school grounds in which the surface is grassy.
Taguan (hide and seek)
Taguan or tago is a Filipino dialect that means “hide.” This game is ideally played in the countryside where there are a lot of places to hide such as trees and bushes. The hide and seek game is a very popular game not only in the Philippines but also in
other countries.
In the Philippines, the ways this game is played may vary from province to province. ● In this game, a child is tasked to locate the other children, but before that, he has to count first numbers one to 10, 20 or depending on the agreed counting among the children-participants.
● The assigned (the child tasked to find other children) child would lean his face to a post or any surface while covering and closing his eyes.
● After the counting, the assigned child would start finding the other children within the vicinity.
● The game would be over after all the children are found.
Patintero
This is also one of the exciting outdoor games for Filipino children. How to play this game?
In this game, there are two groups of players.
● The first group guards the lines.
● The first group member has to intercept or touch every member of the second group who tries to cross the lines.
● If a group member passed the lines without getting touched, he would earn a point. If he gets touched, he would be eliminated.
This exciting, outer game is played on concrete so the lines are visible.
Sato/shatong (strike and catch game)
This was one of my favorite games back then.
How to play this game?
● In this Filipino game, the players would use two sticks: a short stick ( approx:5-7 inches long) and a long stick (around a meter long).
● The children would then dig a hole (rectangular)on the surface.
● The short stick is then placed into the hole with its half exposed. Using the long stick, the player would then strike the exposed part of the short stick propelling it upward.
● Using the long stick, the player would strike the short stick as hard as he can.
● The catcher who positioned himself/herself 10-15 meters from the strikers would try to catch the short stick. Should the catcher be able to catch the short stick then it’s over. The catcher would be his/her turn to strike the short stick.
Palosebo
Among the Filipino games, this particular Filipino game is different, unique, and exciting. What makes it unique is that it is usually played during fiesta (community feasts), school activities, and other special occasions. Unlike in other Filipino games where children can play on the spot, this game takes time to prepare.
The things needed like the coins, candies, the piece of wood, the nylon or cord, and the pots are not readily available.
Palosebo is derived from the Filipino term “Palo” which in English means “ to strike.”
How to play this game?
● An earthen cooking tool (pot) is filled with different candies or coins, and other things that are favorite by children. The pot is hung to a tree or post above the heads of the children.
● Then children’s eyes are blindfolded with a handkerchief or piece of cloth. ● A child is given a piece of wood to be used to strike the pot filled with candies or coins.
● To guide the blindfolded striker, teammates would give him/her instructions verbally as to the exact location of the pot. Striking the pot is the noisiest part of the game as children and adults alike would be shouting, laughing, and chanting in excitement and to give support to the striker.
● The strikers are given several chances to strike the pot. He/she is given 2nd, 3rd, and so on depending on the agreed pre-game mechanics. The children-players take turns striking the pots until all of the pots are broken. The mechanics of this game vary depending on the agreed mechanics of the organizers.
● In some palosebo games, the game would be over after all of the pots are hit and broken, while in other places the game would be over after all the players failed to hit the pots in an agreed count.
● If the pot is hit hard enough, the coins and candies would fall to the ground as other children scramble to get coins or candies.
What makes it exciting is that only a few children are able to hit the pot. And at the same time dangerous as some children lost hold of the piece of wood or the piece of wood would slip from the striker's hand in the act of striking which could hit any children around the striker.
Takyan
The takyan is a Filipino game in which children would be striking it. The takyan is a round, holed metal with feathers or candy wrapper as a stabilizer.
● It is played by striking it using the right or left heel of the player many times. ● Some Filipino children play with it using their elbow or palm depending on what they are comfortable with.
● At the last count, the child that plays the takyan would strike hard using his/her
feet with inverted slippers as a pad.
● If hit hard by the child doing the takyan, the takyan would reach as far as 20-30 meters or beyond.
Sungka
Another popular Filipino game is sungka. It is a game that doesn’t require much physical activity. In this game, the players would take turns dropping small stones or
sungka shells (cowrie shells ) or any objects into a rectangular wood with many holes. Holes at both ends are big as the players store their stones or cowrie shells into them.
In the Philippines, the “ Sungka games ” mechanics differ from province to province or depending on the agreed mechanics among the players. The beauty of this game is everyone can play regardless of age and gender.
Besides, playing the “ Sungka games” is quite challenging as players have to calculate and compute the sungka shells to be dropped into the holes. A player would also calculate the shells in all of the holes.
Sack race
The sack race is one of the most popular games played during fiesta (feast celebrations), school events, or any social events. From the name of the game itself, sack race refers to sacks to be used in the game. The sack race game is exciting, yet dangerous to the players.
How to play this game?
● Usually, in the Philippines, sack race games are part of the school or feast festivities. This game is played in groups of two or three.
● The first players of each of the groups wear the empty sacks.
● What makes this game difficult to perform is that a player cannot walk, he/she has to jump/hop, making sure to maintain his balance while landing on a surface or else he/she falls.
● If the player falls to the ground, he/she has to stand up and hop again until he reaches the agreed point then turn around and continue jumping until the players reach their respective groups.
● The second players in the groups will do the same process.
● The group whose members have all finished performing the game wins the game.
Yoyo
This game is not only played by Filipino children but also other children around the world. Yoyo is also played by adults.
Unfortunately, the " YoYo " game has lost its appeal among Filipino children. It's been many years that this game has not been played by Filipino children and adults.
saranggola/kite-flying
Among the games, kite-flying is a seasonal game. In the Philippines, kite-flying is popular during the months of March-May of every year when children are taking their summer vacation. I could remember waiting for kites whose nylon line got cut off by strong winds or the kites were too strong for the line.
Every time a kite's nylon gets cut off we would chase it until we found it. Sometimes, if the owner would look for it we would give the kite voluntarily. During my childhood years, I and my friends would also make kites of different sizes and shapes. We would use Japanese paper (papel de hapon) in our kites.
Regardless of a child's gender and socioeconomic status, he has to experience this stage in life. Sadly, in the Philippines, there have been cases of child labor which takes away the stage memorable, fun stage of their lives that is to play with friends.
It's really fascinating to reminisce about our childhood years, isn’t it? Childhood’s years it's a stress-free life: just studying, playing, and eating. If we could just turn back time, we would surely go back to the thing that we missed doing: playing different games with our playmates then.
Sadly, with the availability of digital devices that come with online games, most of these popular games have lost their appeal to Filipino children. Modern technology has not only changed our social aspects but also in the stage of children’s life.
Please share and comment below.