Filipino Toys: Back to the Classic Times
As soon as technology rose in our world today, children are more fond in playing tablets, PSPs, video games and other gadgets. It is really a shame that they are slowly forgetting all the Classic Filipino Toys we played when we’re still kids. Those toys were not expensive but were memorable because you can socialize with your friends personally and you can use all your body and energy to enjoy. Come and let’s reminisce together all the fun we had playing with these traditional filipino toys.
1. Sipa
Who wouldn’t forget this teeny weeny toy? With just a small metal washer and a plastic cover of a 1- peso candy (usually snowbear or Hany), you can now immediately play the game. Just hearing its name will make you want to find your favorite pair of slippers. Sometimes, you could play it with just bare feet. This game requires you two superpowers: Balance and Agility. If you don’t have those two, good luck playing with it. One of the reasons why it is a fun game is that it has no limited players so you can enjoy it if you have many friends.
2. Holen or Jolen
Another well-known tiny toy is the Holen or Jolen. Before, every kids dreamed of having a collection of these colorful marbles. These things vary in sizes and are usually made of a kind of hard glass that cannot be easily broken. There are also different variations of games using these. The most popular is the game where you try to hit a group of marbles inside a circle in the ground with another marble. All the marble that will go outside the circle will be added to your very own collection.
3. Teks
Talking about card games? Surely, Teks will not be forgotten on your list. Just like the Holen, kids also dreamed of having a collection of these. Having a stack of these cards will make your friends think highly of you. These things features all your favorite cartoon characters and heroes. It was a kind of betting game where you flip the cards and whoever lands with with their card facing up wins. After winning, the loser will pay you with another card that will be added again to your collection. That is why you must carefully choose your favorite card (pamato) so that you can easily win. After playing the game, all of you will count the cards and brag who had the most numbers added to their collection.
4. Saranggola
“Rainy day? Do not forget to bring your umbrellas. Windy Day? Do not forget to bring your kites”. Remember going to the grounds of your school with your friends carrying those things? Kites vary in shapes,colors and sizes. You would always compete on whose kite could fly higher. Some even put a blade at the tip of their kite for the purpose of destroying other kites (That’s kind of evil).
Even though the kite is not an original Filipino invention, it still made our childhood memorable.
All you need is some plastic bags, sticks, thread and you are ready to make one. The tricky part is just the process of making it. If something goes wrong with your kite, it could fly circles in the sky. Try asking help from adults.
5. Trumpo
Before bey blades, there was a thing called “trumpo”. It was a conical toy from ancient origins that made impact to many Filipino Kids. It has an iron-nail pivot and is wrapped with nylon lines or strings that is attached to a stopper held between the player’s fingers. You play this game by throwing it and letting it spin at a flat surface. They battle each other and the last trumpo that is still standing will be the winner.
6. Sungka
Sungka is an indoor Filipino board game. This game is not only famous in the Philippines, it also has its own counterparts in other Southeast Asian regions.
A sungka has seven cups for each of the two players. Six cups will hold the shells (it can be stones or seeds) and the seventh cup will be your home base. The goal of the game is to distribute the shells one by one on each of the cup in a counterclockwise direction. The player who gathers the most number of shell in their own home base will win the game.
7. Tirador
It is said that slingshots were used in the ancient times as a tool for gathering and hunting food. In the Philippines, we call it “Tirador” and it is still being used up until today. This a Y- shaped tool that is made from hardwood, rubber strips and some leather. It is used by children to gather fruits hanging from trees or to hunt small animals. The rubber is usually stretched or pulled back to launch a stone striking a thing. You need to be accurate so that you can hit your target.
8. Old Tires
Who said old tires have no use? Just seeing these things capture the attention of children because they can make a toy out of it. You just need to add a stick so you can play with it. They would roll the tire by hitting it with the stick from time to time. This is usually played in open spaces. You can play it with your friends so that you can race with each other. The one who reaches the finish line first will be declared as the winner.
There are still more Filipino toys other than that.
Traditional Filipino Toys really completed our childhood. They were simple yet it gave us happy memories. Even though they were just made from old and unused things, we still made ways just to enjoy ourselves. This just means that we can still enjoy without using gadgets. It doesn’t matter if it is not expensive, as long as we make memorable moments with our friends and families.
“Enjoying our lives with just simple things”. That is the true essence of the Traditional Filipino Toys.
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Source of Photos:
http://etc.soundsfunny.ws/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Sipa-Traditional-Philippine-street-game.jpg
https://philihappy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/toys-every-90s-kid-played-23.jpg
https://everythingeric.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/teksfromtumblr.jpg?w=490
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G5va7MGrA9w/T19s2jigkLI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/JofDI2_M0yA/s640/2+bethany3.jpg
http://ci.memecdn.com/6731318.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5213439606_a32221999c.jpg