Childhood Games I Used to Play
My childhood wouldn’t be as good as it was without the Pinoy games I loved to play back then with my neighbor friends. The adrenaline rush I always felt, and the satisfaction from winning the games hit me differently. It was as if my team and I won a prestigious medal in an Olympic match. Here are some of my favorite Pinoy games!
Childhood Games I Used to Play
Tumbang Preso
This childhood game is one of the traditional games children loves to play in the streets. It is a favorite among Filipino children, and its name is derived from the Filipino words ‘tumba’ to fall, and ‘preso,’ which means prisoner. The preso, called “It,” is tasked to guard the can placed inside a drawn circle. Immediately the milk can is knocked down, and the pamato is retrieved. The It then starts putting it inside the drawn circle, and the tagged player becomes the new It.
Tumbang preso as a childhood game is highly intense and gives you so much adrenaline as it requires running in a fast manner. Also, it allowed me to exercise without stress and promoted better socialization among kids.
Childhood games in the Street: Pinoy Pogs and Teks
I enjoy playing childhood games like Pogs and Teks as a child. I even have tons of it, sitting in a box of toys back then, including playing cards from Yu-Gi-Oh! The only thing required to play this game is your cards. Some of the Teks cards depict anime shows like Pokemon and Dragon Balls Z; others are Tagalog movies in the comics format. The number of players was 2-3 people, with rules that my friends and I had agreed upon.
Every player will have a card called a “pamato.” This card will serve as a representative of his entry into the game. Meanwhile, in Pogs, we play this by slapping the “pamato” in a deck of Pogs, and whatever cards face up will be yours. It is a very competitive childhood game back then. And going home with double stacks of Pogs is so satisfying.
Batuhang Bola
I mostly play this childhood game in my school together with my classmates. I always had the ball in my bag, and it was time to play when the bell rang for lunch! This game is between two teams, a team of the thrower and the team that dodges the ball. The thrower would try to hit the ball, and the dodging team would avoid or catch it to gain another life for themselves.
A lot of jumping and running are a requirement in this game. Excellent attention and fast eye movement are also vital in winning this game. The adrenaline rush when dodging the ball takes the air out of you, so you better have great stamina!
When life gets hard and harsh, I always tell myself, “I wish I could return to being a kid.” Where I would only worry about how to ask my mom if I could play outside with my friends, thanks to these games that made it more special, I had a memorable childhood.
