These 8 Traditional Filipino Games Can Help Your Children be Physically Active

With the boom of smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other high-tech gadgets, maraming traditional Filipino games ang hindi na gaanong pamilyar sa bagong generation ng mga kabataan ngayon. This is because most kids now associate playtime with screen time.

Studies show that introducing technology to young children can improve their multitasking and visual-spatial development skills, as well as problem-solving and decision making. Subalit, alam naman natin na ang lahat ng sobra ay hindi na mabuti at madalas harmful.

Ngayong mas madalas nang nakatutok sa mga screen ang mga bata, they are less likely to engage in recreational play that allows them to utilize physical strength, creativity, and social skills. Pinapakita rin ng research na ang mga bata na madalang nang maglaro ng physical games are more likely to suffer from obesity dahil sila ay nag-e-engage sa mas madalas na mindless eating.

Maaari ding magdulot ng eye problems and excessive screen time ayon kay Dr. Maria Fe Marquez, an optometrist at Eye World. Aside from eye problems, ipinapakita ng research ng Western Governors University na ang kids na mas gustong gumamit ng gadgets ay at mas mataas ang risk na magkarron ng social interaction issues at maaaring mag-struggle with face-to-face social interactions.

With these growing concerns, maaaring i-encourage ng parents ang kanilang mga anak to play physical games that they grew up playing. These traditional Filipino games will help them stay in tip-top shape, as well as gain new friends!

Also, as children prepare to go back to school, makatutulong ang mga laro ng lahi na ma-develop lalo ang problem-solving at physical skills ng mga bata, giving them Laban ng Katawan na maaari nila magamit while we’re in a hybrid learning set-up.
 
1.    Piko 

Noong tayo ay mga bata pa, common na scenario after school hours ang makakita ng students sa kalsada na naglalaro ng piko. Isang laro na nagre-require ng chalk at ng pamato (usually stones or any small objects), Piko will surely be enjoyed by kids today. Not only is it fun, but it also develops the balance and aim of players.

To play it, a player must toss their pamato in one of the squares at kunin ito sa pamamagitan ng tamang pagtalon sa corresponding shape. Players must successfully finish the course without stepping on the lines.
 
2.    Luksong Baka

Kids’ imaginations will jump freely with this traditional Pinoy game na maaaring laruin without the need for any toy or equipment. Sapat na ang presence ng three or more players. Sa luksong baka, one could either pretend as the baka (cow) or join other players who must jump over the cow without making contact with it or falling over.
 
What makes this game fun and exciting? As the level goes up, mas tumataas ang kailangang talunin ng players, making it more physically challenging.
 
3.    Luksong Tinik

Almost similar to Luksong Baka, this one is played with kids jumping over the tinik (thorns) instead of a cow, and crossing to the other side nang hindi dumadaplis sa tinik. Divided into two groups, the first team, usually called the taya, stacks their hands and feet on top of each other, forming thorns, and gradually increasing the height while the opposing team jumps over it.
 
4.    Chinese Garter

Isa pang laro na nag-i-involve ng pagtalon, ginagamit sa Chinese Garter ang isang ordinaryong garter na at least two yards long. Two players must hold the two ends of the garter, which is extended horizontally, while other players cross over it. The first level begins at ankle height and progresses to higher spots. Ang goal ng larong ‘to ay makalipat sa kabilang side without tripping.

5.    Langit Lupa

Ang Langit Lupa ay isang laro na nag-i-involve ng takbuhan, habulan, at pag-stay sa isang elevated area (langit or heaven) para hindi mahuli ng taya. The rule is simple: The taya must sing the chant, and everyone must run to a new elevated position (langit) for safety. The taya must then tag someone na nasa lapag (lupa or ground) pa rin pagkatapos niyang kantahin ang chant.
 
6.    Patintero

Pino-promote ng patintero ang team play, camaraderie, at healthy competition sa players. Nilalaro ito ng  dalawang grupo ng players, identified as blockers (guards) and the runners (passers), on a rectangular grid drawn into the ground.
 
As a team game that requires speed and strategy, dapat ay marating ng runners ang starting line of the big rectangle and back na hindi nahahawakan ng blockers. With Patintero, the more players, the merrier!
 
7.    Taguan

Para sa parents na gustong mag-introduce ng traditional na laro sa mga bata pero hindi pa komportableng palabasin sila sa bahay, magandang pick ang Taguan. Ang local na version ng Hide-And-Seek, this all-time classic can be enjoyed both outdoors and indoors.

Para laruin, isang player ang magiging taya na maghahanap sa ibang players na nagtatago. From crawling under the bed to going behind a closet, players try their best na hindi makita ng taya bago makabalik sa starting point ng laro.
 
8.    Sipa

Formerly the Philippines’ national sport, this game is played by literally kicking the Sipa, usually made by straw attached to the lead washer, upwards, gamit ang kanilang paa. Hindi dapat mahulog ang sipa sa lapag, otherwise, he loses the game.
 
The good thing about Sipa is that it can be played alone or in groups.

Bukod sa health benefits na dulot ng physical games sa health ay wellbeing ng mga bata, maganda ring bonding session ang mga laro ng lahi between parents and their children. The parents can relive their childhood and reminisce the simpler times of the past and, at the same time, these traditional games live on in the next generation of Filipinos.

Reference

•    In Focus: Traditional Games in the Philippines. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. (2015, May 18). Retrieved from https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/in-focus/traditional-games-i…
•    Ma. Teresa Montemayor. May 5, 2019. (n.d.). Excessive gadget use increases risk of Myopia in Kids. Philippine News Agency. Retrieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1068930
•    Western Governors University. (2020, August 25). Impact of technology on kids today and tomorrow. Western Governors University. Retrieved from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/impact-technology-kids-today-tomorrow1910.html 

About The Writer

Marjorie Duran 

Marjorie Duran is a writer, content creator, fitness coach, dragon boat athlete, and a proud mom of her 2-year-old boy.
 
After getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism at the University of Santo Tomas, she started her writing career as an entertainment journalist for the Manila Bulletin. Marjorie then worked briefly as a Literature Instructor at the FEU Institute of Technology before becoming a writer for one of the Senators at the Senate of the Philippines, where she is currently employed. She has also contributed articles that have been published in several websites, such as Spin, Men’s Health and FHM.
 
During her free time, Marjorie also side hustles as an online fitness instructor, specializing in coaching High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). On top of this, she also manages the Facebook Page, “Fit Mom Journal,” where she shares fitness tips and various parenting content. 
 
Marjorie may be wearing different hats all the time, but for her, being a mom is the best of them all!
 

The views and opinions expressed by the writer are his/her own, and does not state or reflect those of Wyeth Nutrition and its principals.