Filipino Traditional Games
Before the rise of technology, children were playing traditional games as their past time. Slowly these games are fading with the rise of technology and the western culture. Here are some of the traditional Filipino games that kids play.
Luksong Baka
Jump over the cow in English terms- it is a variation of the game Luksong Tinik. The “taya” is in a squat position while the players jump over him. The position of the “taya” gradually stands up as the game progresses, that makes it harder for the other players to jump over the “taya“. Whoever will fail to jump over the back of the “taya”, will be the one to become the new “taya”.
Taguan
Taguan is the Filipino version of America’s hide and seek. There will be a player who will be the “taya,” he will be the one to search for the other players of the game. The first rule is, you have to set the boundaries of the place where you can only hide. Before the “taya” starts searching for other players, he will count from1-10. After counting, he will start searching. The game will end if all the players will be caught or if one of the players can touch the “taya”. The first one to be searched by the “taya” will be the new “taya” of the next round.
Patintero
This is the most physical game always played by the children way back the early 90’s. There aretwo groups, one group will try to cross the lines of the other group and the other one will be the “it” or “taya”. Each member of the “it” group will stand in the water lines or lines that in the streets. The perpendicular line in the middle allows the “it” who is on that line to intersect the lines occupied by the other members of the “it” group. If one of the runners got tagged, the whole group will become the “it” of the next round.
Luksong Tinik
This game has two teams that must have equal number of players. Each team has a leader, the designated leader is usually the one who can jump the highest. There will be two players that will serve as the base of the “tinik” by putting their right/left feet together (soles touching). The players of the opposing team will start jumping the “tinik”. If all the members successfully jump without touching any of the feet of the base players, the next degree of difficulty is next.
The tinik will gradually build up by placing extending their right/left hands one on top of the other with fingers spread apart. If one of the members of the jumper team touches the base players, the leader will redeem his team members by jumping again in the tinik, if the leader misses the jump, the teams will exchange places and the game will start anew.
Tumbang Preso
This is a traditional Filipino children’s game played in backyards, parks and even in the streets. The equipment are an empty can and a slipper as a “pamato” for each player. One player will be the guard of the can. He is the “taya” or “it”. The other players will stay at the drawn toe-line with their “pamato”. The objective of the game is for the players to knock down the can with the use of their “pamato. And for the “taya” to put back the can inside a small circle few meters away from the two-line. If a player is tagged by the “taya” while recovering his “pamato”, he will become the “taya”.