GaMEs Of yEsTeRYeAr

The games of the good old school years...

Was having a chat with my colleagues post lunch and we had a laughing fit digging out those memories we had while in school and the various games we played during our youth. Looking back, at that time we had no tech advanced PSPs, gameboys or computer games. Games were made from using chalk to draw on the ground, rubberbands tied together to make long sturdy ropes and cheap 20 cents a piece erasers.

During my pri school days, games such as poison ball (for boys), hopscotch and zero point (for girls) were played almost everytime during recess time. Students will be divided into their cosy cliques and gobble up their lunch pronto to leave ample time to play.

Poison ball is played whereby a ball (ie. soccer ball, basketball or a ball made from rolls of scotch tape bundled up in a ballish shape) is used to thrown/kick at one another. You got to avoid getting hit my the 'poison' ball or risk getting 'poisoned' and eliminated. The boys always have a ball of a time (pun intended) playing this judging by the screams/shouts and perspiration soaked uniform during recess and when they returned to class.

The boys also loved buying 20 cents a piece erasers from the school bookshops printed with the flags of different countries and play this 'eraser battle' game. Usually played by 2 parties, each one take a piece of eraser with their desired country and start flipping the piece over towards their rival's piece. The piece which succeeded by flipping ontop of the rival's piece wins. As simple as that.

Girls on the other hand love playing the hip hoppity hopscotch. Using simple tokens like one's own coin purse/pencil/stone/tissue, each hopper takes turn to throw and aim the token into the desired numbered boxes to progress accordingly and hop to victory. A talent for balance and springy feet is much valued to win here.

The other game girls (and some guys) love was zero point. Using and elastic rope made from rubber bands, there are many level to jump over such as ground level (easiest), ankle level, below pocket level, waist level, ear level and head level. With each level getting higher and higher and of course more and more diffcult.

Yours truly being 'blessed' with stumpy short legs could never jump pass the head level without the aid of using a finger to press the rope down a little. Oh, and when you jump for the below pocket level, your self cannot touch the rope at all. Tough man! No wonder I suck at standing broad jump and could never master the frog style!

The game also involve using your leg to tie the rope (which is held by 2 persons at each end) around that same leg for a few rounds, do a miss-tie and it will snap against your skin which can hurt pretty badly. It stings *ouch*

It was really fun with the company of friends I had at that time. We just shrieked and laugh to our heart's content.

In comparison, the kids of nowadays are keeping their fingers busy with tech handheld games and getting myopic with all the straining of eyes. Are cheap good games no longer have a place in society or appreciated?