Where are the Outdoor Games of Our Childhood?

Ruchira reminisces about the games played in the childhood days of her generation — something that this generation hasn’t even heard about – exclusively for Different Truths.

Long before video, computer, and electronic games saw the light of the day, children by and large (I’m talking of Indian brats) lived in a down-to-earth world full of fun, frolic, smiles and tears, mischief and team spirit, brotherhood, and bonhomie. Games for kids’ recreation and entertainment were of two kinds, i.e., indoor and outdoor. Here’s a look at some familiar (read popular) outdoor games, which youngsters born during the 50s to 70’s period indulged in and gradually passed into oblivion. 

Kabaddi is a team game of Indian origin involving two teams, each having seven players. Both teams have a designated area of their own. The players have to raid the other team’s area and try and touch one of their players, thereby making the player he touched “out.” While the game is underway, each participant must keep uttering Kabaddi (3) rapidly, almost breathlessly, moving back and forth in and out of the enemy territory. From time to time, proposals to make it India’s national game have been doing the rounds.

Still played in schools and neighbourhoods, Kho-kho is another team game involving two teams which must chase down and tag the opposite team players to win. The chasing team sends nine players onto the field, who squat in a row with alternate players facing opposite sides. The chasers must catch the runners (who enter the area one at a time) before time runs out. Interestingly, plans are on the anvil (by the Union Government) to render an international stature to the game. 

Langdi Tang: In this case, two teams battle it out. The team that wins the toss defends first. The opposing team sends players to tag as many defenders as possible while hopping on one foot. The team that ranks the most defenders wins. Readers may recall a scene from the Bollywood flick Tumse Achha Kaun Hain wherein Shammi Kapoor appears to be playing Langdi Tang with a bevy of young girls. On a personal note, I found this game pretty exhausting and ended up flopping down on a grassy patch in the playground or park once the game ended. 

Gilli-Danda strongly resembles cricket and baseball in nature and procedure. The components are gilli (gulli), a small spindle-shaped piece of wood and danda, a wood stick used to hit the gilli. The game’s objective is to hit the gilli as far as possible. The bystanders must maintain a safe distance to avoid being hit by the gilli, which is no pleasurable experience.   

Pithu, or seven stones, enjoyed immense popularity among Indian kids during the 1970s and faded out with a whimper. It required a ball and a pile of flat stones (which were dexterously balanced on each other). One team member threw the ball at the stack to knock the stones over. The team then tried to restore the pile of stones while the opposing team threw the ball to disrupt the action. If the ball touched a player, he was knocked out, and his team continued the game, minus him.

Kancha is still popular among rustic kids countrywide. The game involves a cache of round glass marbles; the motive is to collect the maximum number of marbles by shooting and striking other marbles with the ones in each player’s possession.

Chain:  The critical role is that of a denner, aiming to catch the other players. Once the denner sees a player, the player becomes part of a chain (formed by holding hands) and then has to help the denner catch the remaining players.

Hopscotch (aka stapoo) is a commonplace game in which players throw a small object into numbered spaces of a pattern of rectangles marked on the ground and then hop or jump through the spaces on one or two legs to retrieve the object. This game enjoys popularity among ordinary folks in other countries, as we discover from anecdotes, stories and audiovisuals about earlier decades. 

Dog and the Bone: Like the rest, two sets of players are involved here in addition to an object, e.g., a bottle or handkerchief, and such like. This object is earmarked as the “bone.” A player from each team comes forward and attempts to take the bone (placed at the centre of the playing area) back to his team. The player who fails to take the bone has quit the game. 

Rumal chor: Though an indigenous game, it somehow got beautifully interspersed with an American nursery rhyme that was popular in earlier decades. At least, that’s how we used to play it in urban missionary schools.

A tisket a-casket
A green and yellow basket
I wrote a letter to my friend, 
And on the way, I dropped it,
Someone came and picked it up,
And put it in his pocket.

The game may involve any number of players. One of them volunteers to be the chor (thief). The rest of the members sit in a circle (or row) with their eyes closed or open for some time. Within this period, the chor darts behind the sitting players and quietly drops his rumal (handkerchief) behind one of them. On a cue from the chor, each one starts looking for the rumal behind them. The one who finds it runs after the chor, trying to grab him. The chor runs around the circle/row to avoid being caught and tries to occupy the space vacated by the pursuer (the rumal being in his possession). If the ‘rumal wallah’ sees the chor, he must become the chor again.

Blind man’s bluff:  At the outset, the denner is blindfolded and made to stand inside a circle formed by his fellow players. The onlookers keep shouting at the blindfolded player. It is indeed an uphill task for them to run inside the circle to locate the other player/s guided by their voice/s. Whoever is found and touched becomes the next denner. 

Does this impress children of Gen X, Y, or Zee?  

Most likely not since they are growing up — far removed from dust, dirt, grime and sweat — playing racy, action-packed, mind-boggling games in a virtual world.

Picture design by Anumita Roy