REMEMBER a time before smartphones and internet access? In the 1990s, it was all about making our own games and having fun with them. From skipping with ‘tali getah’, to tossing Batu Seremban, to Pepsi Cola and many others, we have done it all.
Here’s a list of those, and other games that will take you down memory lane.
Lat tali lat
Remember the song “Lat tali lat tali tamplom”? Standing in a circle with three or more participants, and waving your hand from left to right. This was a sort of elimination game that was used to select a person from a group, or to divide people into teams. The children wave their hands in time with the rhyme they sing the tune. At the end of the song, players extend their hand, with palms either upwards or downwards. Depending upon the outcome, the last player left may be declared the winner or loser.
Batu Seremban
Batu Seremban, often known as “five stones”, is one of the most popular childhood games among millennials. It is a traditional game – typically played by girls – either solo or in small groups. This game was especially popular during the 90s, and it can be played using materials found in or around the home, such as seeds, stones, pebbles, or any little round object. The game features varied levels of difficulty, making it an enjoyable hobby for children who did not grow up with technology. To play this game, toss a stone into the air and catch the remaining stones on the ground one by one until all of the stones are in your palm.
Fox and chicks
Everyone laughs when you mention fox and chicks, or fox hunting chicks – that’s how much fun this game was. This defence game is played in small groups, with participants needing to strategies and safeguard individuals from the ‘villain’. One player takes on the role of a fox attempting to hunt chicks under the care of a ‘mother hen’. The mother hen is usually a player who is older or larger in size, and he or she will protect the other participants (chicks) from being hunted by the opponent (fox). Players would have to form a line and follow the mother hen’s instructions by holding onto each other’s t-shirts. The person playing the mother hen would have to aggressively wave their arms and hands to keep the hungry fox from stealing the chicks.
