Our long lost kind of childhood in the Philippines.
By clowdine
@clowdine (1402)
Philippines
March 16, 2010 8:18am CST
Some decades ago, in our country, children got to enjoy childhood in a more interactive way as they went outside with other kids in the neighborhood [at least I did] and played with games that require running, hide and seek, or anything that may require them to move around but when the computer games got introduced to children, these traditional neighborhood games were abandoned. I recall, we were playing tumbang preso [wherein an empty tin can is left alone and the slippers of the participants hit it], piko or step-no [which are games of foot work, especially for little girls] agawang panyo [handkerchief snatching], chinese garter... etcetera. I and my playmates laughed and cried together and we saw each other face to face in the process unlike today, when every game they can think of seems to be indoor, kids should be able to type "ha! ha! ha!" or "(lol)" to let other kids online know that they find, while playing gun bound, counter strike, MU, or whatever it may be, funny. So what childhood games did you play outside around 10 to 40 years ago?
2 people like this
9 responses
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
my friend clowdine, those traditional neighborhood games were never abandoned. they were simply banished by lack of space and the influx of cheap toys, first from japan, then korea, now china... if you will only go to our rustic barrios and bucolic communities, these games are still being played by children who can't afford the cost of surfing the internet and playing online games... also, nothing can replace the joy of playing taguan or hide-and-seek under a moonlit sky... only, in the cities, there's no more place to do that...
@clowdine (1402)
• Philippines
23 Mar 10
On that part, the barrio people are luckier because they still get to interact with real people face to face. It's nice to sleep after getting exhausted by strenuous but enjoyable games because the muscles and bones were exercised. And it's inevitable to laugh more frequently while these games are being played which is another benefit one can gain.
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
25 Mar 10
that's another good thing derived from playing traditional games. aside from the fun and laughter, the joy and happiness, those who take into traditional games get a good dose of exercise. nice point, my friend.
@nvtellan (1907)
• Philippines
22 Jul 10
I think we belong to same era, clowdine. :)
Yeah, me and my childhood friends used to play those games that you mentioned. You forgot some other exciting 'street games' like hide and seek (specially before nightfall), langit-lupa where one player will try to touch other players if ever they step foot on the ground. Another team-based game is the patintero, where one group will try to go pass the opposing team while stepping on lines watered on the street.
Man, those were the days.
I hope my child/children will also experience these kind of active activities and not just spend their time in front of the tube or monitor.
@nvtellan (1907)
• Philippines
22 Jul 10
Oh, and I used to go out late in the afternoon with my friends to catch spiders so that we can have them (those spiders) pit at each other. I stored my spiders inside empty matchboxes and then store them inside my socks. Well, I was also bitten a few times by those 8-legged critters in the past and no, no spiderman powers came out of me. hehe
My other favorite was the kite-flying. We usually have fly our kites starting around Mid-September and usually end at November 1.
@strawberrychocodahi (4818)
• Philippines
17 Mar 10
It was really a good experience on my part to play such classic street games such as Tumbang preso, Siatong, Tagu-taguan (Hide and Seek) and Luksong Tinik. I guess these are to be remembered also by other generations because it has been a traditional game in our country.
Call it modernized age, kids these days are into computer games, wii,psp, etc. But it is still wonderful to try and experience such wonderful games without spending a peso because its mostly free game, not like in computers, you consume electricity. And if you don't have a pc, they tend to rent and pay also.
@clowdine (1402)
• Philippines
19 Mar 10
I have also played all those games you mentioned. Siato [that's how we called it in our neighborhood] or Siatong was really enjoyable for me at that time. For someone who was not very good at jumping, running, and who easily got exhausted in any sport just like myself, that game seemed to be a consolation. At least, it didn't require me to exert much effort. We just let the two pieces of wood did the work and we just measure how far that shorter piece went.
@angelsofmine2010 (21)
• United States
17 Mar 10
I used to play those games too when I was young and with my two siblings with me (In philippines eldest sibling used to be nanny of their younger siblings,hahaha) lots of fun...and its good for our body because it's like exercising everyday..chinese garter (the best!)
@clowdine (1402)
• Philippines
19 Mar 10
I also liked Chinese garter a lot even I could only jump up to the shoulder level (lol). My sister could jump over a palm on top of ones head who was standing upright. There's another version of that game that uses braided rubber bands too. It's called Chinese Kingkong, and that's what I usually played with more ease.
@knights1106 (6)
• Czech Republic
17 Mar 10
I'm always outside when I was a kid,I used to play sikyo (where two teams will guard what they call their base) hagaran upo (a tag game where you need to sit down so you won't get tag)those were the days, but now I seldom see children doing stuffs like that anymore, kids now usually play psp's,gameboy's,online games.
@clowdine (1402)
• Philippines
19 Mar 10
Role playing was also part of those childhood games. We used to play "bahay-bahayan" [translation: mock household] in which we put together sacks, cartons, spare woods, and hay to make a small house. We also brought small plates, cooking utensils and food. One of us would play as the mother and the rest are children.
Computer games are more on role plays too but there's imminent danger with that because kids are taught violence as anything can be done within the confines of those games [even hurting and killing people] and sadly, it is just considered part of the game.
@lionking101 (31)
• United States
17 Mar 10
We played chase, Marco Polo, Red Rover, we raced each other, rode our bikes, went swimming and so much more. I remember my dad use to bring us to the park and someone would have a ball and we'd play baseball or football or soccer. It was so fun back then and we really did keep active.
I try to keep my kids active and my husband and I bring our kids to the park to play basketball, ride bikes, play on their scooters and skateboards, and to just toss the ball. We go walking around the neighborhood a couple times a week so that the kids can get use up their energy. Today I took our kids for a swim for an hour. The kids are allowed to play with their Nintendo DS and Ipods but they also keep active and enjoy outdoor fun.
@clowdine (1402)
• Philippines
23 Mar 10
All kids play was fun but it was even more exciting when adults got to play us. I remember there were occasions when we also played "taguan" (hide and seek) with our grown up siblings and cousins. Sometimes, we do that by competing individually or we would split up into two two groups. My older brother even climbed up the Tamarind tree.
@laydee (12798)
• Philippines
16 Mar 10
Though we were not allowed to play outside (due to my grandmother's insistence that it's dangerous, we were able to play such games indoors with my cousins and other relatives since we stayed in the same compound with a huge space for playing in the middle.
@clowdine (1402)
• Philippines
19 Mar 10
The compound I grew up in and the other compounds nearby happened to be filled with kids our age and my mother was not very strict. She would let us go out to play with other kids in the neighborhood but we were told not to go too far. It should only be within the boundaries of our familiar neighbors.
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
17 Mar 10
haha =D YEAh!! a lot of things have changed over the last decade or more!! I remember when i'm a kid, i will always be playing along the corridor with my neighbours, or be out in the playground with my frenz, playing all kinds of games!!
As comparing the kids now to then, our generation is definitely much more active, and more sporty too!! lol =D BUt now, the kids will rather choose to be indoors, playing com games, and telling us that, 'hide&seek" etc, are childish games?? lol =D 
@gracefuldove (1668)
• Malaysia
16 Mar 10
oh yes we played alot of outdoor games. we simply ran around from one end of the field to the other end. we played hide and seek in the open areas. we went cycling around the village. we did treasure hunt. we climbed trees to pluck rambutans and mangoes. we fed chickens and ducks.we went fishing in the streams to catch fighting fishes.we even played football and badminton in open areas. the children were always together playing in the open. nowadays children are not seen outside the house or compound. they are busy with computer games and the likes. times have changed.
@clowdine (1402)
• Philippines
19 Mar 10
Generally, I and my older sister were allowed to play liberally outside. We even got to play in the graveyard (in the daytime) on occasions. And because of my fondness to outdoor games during my primary school days, I was a bit slacker in my studies. Whenever I reached home, I would just change my clothes and went outside, leaving my assignments behind. They were usually done only in the last minute, sometimes, not at all. Things only started to change when I reached high school.
Although too much playing outside can make a kid forget assignments, this is nothing compared to kids' addiction to computer games these days because not only they forget their assignments but also attending to their classes.
