A few girls in our complex were getting bored... too bored to play, ...I tried to motivate them to play some games out of my childhood...
As kids we never got bored with friends around. We were always at something depending on the season.
More often than not it was Hop scotch. Btw, is this game dead now? Nobody plays it anymore. And we had multiple versions of it, the circle, the 10 section one or a square with 9, 16 etc sections and there was also a single row one. And then we played them in the sand or the cement floor. And we played them in groups of 2 to many and if there was no one else with us, we played alone!
I wonder if I could skip like that anymore. As one finished 1 sequence, they were entitled ownership of a section and the rest were supposed to skip over that without resting their feet on that- Wonder if I can manage that now- something I could do expertly and with a lot of agility!
During the lunch breaks we used to have our fill of the game and if we were "lucky" some of the younger teachers would join us...They must have been in their 20s! Teachers at such young age and we were in complete awe of them!
And what about that engaging game of 5 stones or 4 stones & a marble? We were addicted to it- summer vacation was spent collecting the round-most stones for playing five stones (the flat ones were collected for playing hop scotch or kit kit as we used to call it). The stones were precious- stored safely when the game was not in season. Funny I don't see anyone playing that!
We had this game of taking a wool and making formations out of it - a game played in pairs only. Winter was the season for that - nicking a piece of good knitting wool from our moms and playing it at every available minute!
Why don't kids play these games now?
As kids we never got bored with friends around. We were always at something depending on the season.
More often than not it was Hop scotch. Btw, is this game dead now? Nobody plays it anymore. And we had multiple versions of it, the circle, the 10 section one or a square with 9, 16 etc sections and there was also a single row one. And then we played them in the sand or the cement floor. And we played them in groups of 2 to many and if there was no one else with us, we played alone!
I wonder if I could skip like that anymore. As one finished 1 sequence, they were entitled ownership of a section and the rest were supposed to skip over that without resting their feet on that- Wonder if I can manage that now- something I could do expertly and with a lot of agility!
During the lunch breaks we used to have our fill of the game and if we were "lucky" some of the younger teachers would join us...They must have been in their 20s! Teachers at such young age and we were in complete awe of them!
And what about that engaging game of 5 stones or 4 stones & a marble? We were addicted to it- summer vacation was spent collecting the round-most stones for playing five stones (the flat ones were collected for playing hop scotch or kit kit as we used to call it). The stones were precious- stored safely when the game was not in season. Funny I don't see anyone playing that!
We had this game of taking a wool and making formations out of it - a game played in pairs only. Winter was the season for that - nicking a piece of good knitting wool from our moms and playing it at every available minute!
Why don't kids play these games now?
11 comments:
Why? The answer is simple and very sad! Because it's so much easier to dump the kids in front of the TV set and forget about them for a couple of hours!
Alright, that was the cynical M4's answer and I admit, I have been guilty of the above practice myself. The other answer to that qtn is where? Where are the open spaces and parks where our children can run free and wild? Get muddy and skinned knees?
The irony of my situation is that I'm one of the lucky ones who lives next to a park. The same one where hubby darling and his brother and all the neighbourhood kids grew up playong cricket and football. And today, with so many unsavoury charcters hanging about, we end up thinking ten times before we can even send them there!
Another thing is, we have become too formal nowadays. When we were growing up, we wouldn't think twice about dropping in on a friend unannounced and playing for an hour or two. Now? You either wait for an invite or you have to call in advance, ask whether you can send your child over and verify around 100 times to make sure it's not an inconvenience! I miss the easy friendships of yesteryear.
Sorry...this rant seems like a blog post, and I'm not even finished!
Do you mind if I qote you and carry on venting in my blog? :)
M4- the sad or happy part is that my complex has a lot of space to run around, play badminton etc but nobody wants to play. our quadrangle has 8 cars parked and we tried to shift them to alternate spaces but a few nasty people will never agree to shift their cars and make way for the kids to play. but these hop scotch type of games can always be played. al the kids r interested is in cycling or plucking leaves and flowers and doing faux cooking. the indoor games becoming the new outdoor games.
and yes i am not sure where my kids will play cricket... wheres the space?
u r free to vent and go ahead and quote me. i will be quite honoured.
Hop scotch, Oonch Neech, I wrote a letter to my father, on the way I dropped it, Statue, Posham Pa, Pithu ... you certainly sent me on a nostalgia trip.
A/c ka zamaana hai - no one wants to brave the weather - plus we are overprotective about our kids.
:)
i remember we used to play it with a hair pin!! :p and as the levels got tougher we had to play keeping the pin on the tips of our fingers and toes and the works!! full dhamaal!!
i guess lack of space is one. and there are just so many other distractions! theres TV, computer, play station and the works!!
we played both right... faux cooking and hopscotch!!
lets c whats next for our kids?!
cheers!
abha
phoenix- ooh, i used to love all those games and color color and i am just wondering how did we play blind man's buff.. what a disadvantage for the blind man to begin with.. hide n seek, etc..
mama m- i dread play station. and all video games too. dont think i will buy one and oh forget it perhaps the kids will bully me and make me buy
Oh u sent to down on memory lane... loved playing kit kit, posham pa, oonch neech, & that rubber band game where you made strings of rubber bands & jumped around.
Why? lack of space i wud say. & i agree with all the other reasons given in the above comments.
Well, because they have far more interesting things to do - TVs, computers and video games beat hop scotch hands down unfortunately. It's sad though
You remind me of yester years when we played these games in the hot Chennai sun during summer. We used t ocall hop skotch - chilli and more games like 'Colour/Colour', 'stone or sand' and the like. I would not be able to completely blame TV, for in my part of the world, its the weather - always raining/too cold to get out and play!!
I guess its just that change is a way of life.
We did not do what our parents did, so too it is with the kids these days.
What makes it ( this trend of not involving in Group games ) more prominent is the faster pace of change. we now have newer faster computers , play stations, mobiles..etc.
Its the question of kids getting involved in "something " and that thing is what "is available" !
Changing trends ...we got to accept them as normal.
I can't believe kids don't play hop scotch any more!!!
That's one game quintessentially reminiscent of an indian childhood!
I think there are too many distractions and all free time is spent in hobby, tuitions or talent classes. Earlier parents used to let the kids be, these days we spend all/most of our free time with the kids....but I do see kids (girls) playing hop scotch where I stay. No Pithu...no Hide and seek etc though...more of badminton, tennis, basket ball and CRICKET! We are all aiming for some medals,no more playing for time pass.
Post a Comment