Inspiring Anecdotes:

The games I used to play

By Pepin

It’s a pity to see children getting hooked on their laptops and PSP’s playing online games. Kids these days do not get too much of enjoyment as what I have experienced when I was eight years old. They are often seen locked on the four corners of their bed room during weekends, and their after-school schedule on weekdays is mostly dedicated to fantasy games.

Departure time at school was at four thirty in the afternoon when I was in the second grade. By the time I reached home, I usually spent an hour playing tumba patis, tintin-bika, pityaw, sikyo, and other local games that were passed on to us by our elder brothers and sisters. Those were the days that I used to enjoy a lot because playing with other kids defined my childhood years.

However, I have seen tremendous changes nowadays. With the technological advancements getting more advanced and with every software and password-secured sites easily accessible to children ages seven to ten, the native games we want to teach to the younger generation today is slowly losing their mark and their cultural value is fading away as well. Kids do not mind not learning these stuffs because they are being spellbound by the colors and incredible visual effects of online gaming, and they do not have to get sweaty and change their shirt from time to time unlike when they will be running in the street or in a vacant lot.

Playing outdoors gives more benefits for children. From my personal experience, I’ve learned how to interact with other children and I have become unbiased. It also allowed me to use my critical thinking skills, especially in employing strategies to win against the opponent team. In addition, I have developed my leadership skills and I have become more organized in my day-to-day living. It also helped shaped my values and armed me with skills to face everyday challenges.

So what will happen for kids getting too much of the indoors? I believe that they would simply grow up with so much hesitations and insecurities about the world around them. Not to mention, they will have poor interaction skills, and when they will become professionals, they will truly regret of not getting much of the sun and fun during their childhood years.

I hope to see another group of kids aiming for a tiny tin can on a rough ground; running to save their team mates and saving their home base. Tumba patis, tintin-bika, pityaw, and sikyo is more than just a sweaty game, it will make every kid believe that their imagination can actually work in reality.