Introduction
As technology advance through the years, with the inventions of social media and electronic gadgets seems to be a new and preferable pastime. In this era, kids nowadays don’t play traditional games as much as kids from our previous generations. However, traditional games were the go-to activities for kids as that is they find leisure with this and used it to bond with one another. Sadly, traditional games seem to be fading away from the interest of the millennials.
Playing traditional games, such as board or outdoor games help children to think for themselves, learn cooperation and teamwork skills, work on strategies and tactics, and learn how to hold a conversation with adults. Games are a fun way of getting children to learn without them even realising it.
Some of these games are not played nowadays but still remembered by our parents and grandparents. So, let’s look at some of these traditional games that were played by our previous generations.
Malaysian Traditional games
1) Batu Seremban
2) Galah Panjang
3) Congkak
4) Ceper
Batu Seremban
Selambut or also known as Batu Seremban or Serembat is a traditional game played in Malaysia. Selambut is a reference to the north and east coast of Peninsular, while on the west coast of Peninsular is called Seremban game. It is usually played by girls individually or in groups of two to five people.
Selambut games only need a few pieces of fruit. Rubber seeds, pebbles or small stones, chunks of other objects commonly used round, often as much as five seeds. In addition, the cloth bag sewn and filled with saga seeds, sand, etc. are also used.
The game is often played at leisure, on the porch of the house, in the house, in the park or anywhere else that there is a clean, flat surface. The players sit on the floor, and play in turns.
HOW TO PLAY
In Batu Seremban game, there are several levels or different ways of celebration. The game will start with a simple first stage, in which a piece of fruit called a used, up to a more difficult level or top level of seven named.
Galah Panjang
Galah Panjang is a game traditionally played on a court drawn on the vacant land. Tennis made containing two columns and several rows depending on the number of players. Long pole ring is made according to the number of players playing long pole. For example, if there are 10 players, tennis made consists of 4 lines. If the number of eight players, tennis long pole consists of 3 lines. The game involves the expertise of a chief or capital to control movement on behalf of the children of the control field.
While the efficiency and speed tested to the ring to face. If the court has the discretion to face to face the court, then they can win easily.
How to play?
Tennis long pole in sketch above ground space. The length and width depending on the painter line and the number of players. Often a long pole box measuring approximately 2 meters x 1.5 meters.
After a selection is made, each group will perform the selection head. Chief of these two groups will vote who care and who are the tennis courts.
After the determination, the group in charge of the court will keep the ring with treads upon lines drawn earlier. Chief will keep the centre line and free go to any front or rear lines.
Group attack will gather in front of the ring, the next chief will touch hands with opponent's head. Next, run to finish their entry into the ring.
Guardians will keep an area not exceeding facer guarded line.
Facer will cover most end up crossing the line without being touched by the keeper ring and then turned back.
Victory is achieved when people who have crossed the line beyond the end of the start line. And the game continues until there are players who want to quit.
Congkak
Congkak is a traditional Malay game often played as an indoor activity or as a competition. Often, it uses hollow perforated wooden planks or holes on the ground and usually a ‘buah’ (game piece) using rubber seeds or marbles.
In Southeast Asia, Congkak may develop from Melaka as the state is a trading centre in the past. The name "congkak" is believed to be derived from the Malay word "congak" which means mental calculation. Besides the Malays, the Congkak game is also famous among the descendants of Indian and Baba Malacca. In the Caribbean Congkak is known as Warri or Awari. In Indonesia, Congkak is known by the name Congklak, while in the Philippines, Sungka. In a Congkak set, there are two components which are the Congkak board and Congkak piece. The board are shaped like boats and can be made from different types of wood or by digging holes on the ground.
There are five to seven inline holes known as 'kampung' (village) and at both ends there is a main hole known as 'rumah'(home). The length of the 7 holes Congkak board is usually around 80 cm wide and the diameter of the seven holes is usually about 18 cm. In this game, the player will start it simultaneously. They will take
Congkak piece from any of the ‘kampung’(usually around 7 piece per ‘kampung’) and put one at a time into subsequent ‘kampung’s in a clockwise direction. The main goal is to put as many Congkak piece in respective ‘rumah’. One’s round ended when the Congkak piece stop in an empty ‘kampung’. One’s own ‘rumah’ is located at the left end of each player. Each player will continue the game until the each ‘kampung’ runs out of Congkak pieces. A player with the most Congkak pieces in their ‘rumah’ takes the win.
Congkak boards Marbles \
Ceper
It is a popular game around 1970-1980. This game always played by them because they did not have any games like today. This game also known as 'jentik tutup botol', 'tutup oren', or 'kempyeng'.
This game need five steel caps or 'ceper'. Please press a little to make the steel caps easier to lob This game need more than one player to make this game more exciting and interesting Player determine the rotation by lob action. The player who lob the cap and get big number of caps get the advantage to start the game. Player will spin the ceper to play. Make sure each piece of ceper is not overlap. If the allocation meets the criteria of the rule, the game can be continue with take one of the ceper which are scattered. If chosen have been made, the other player need to decide which ceper should be flipped.
STEP 1 Each person will lob ceper (one pieces of ceper will consider to 2 points). Player with higher point will start first. Ceper must be overlapping (vertical) and placed on the other hand.
STEP 2 The all the ceper was measles on the floor. Another team will choose which ceper to be flipped. If the overlapping (two), is called "chicken". While if the ceper overlapping (three) it is called 'jamban", and overlapping (four) called "flowers".
STEP 3 Winners will be determined by the total number that player get.
Conclusion
Traditional games are effective in improving preschool children’s social development and emotional intelligence. Parents need to be informed about the positive effects of traditional games and should be encouraged to provide their children with the opportunity to play such games.
We have lost and forgot of our traditional games since the technological development We must find ways to practice and preserve our traditional games as it is a part of us and our nations identity. We can promote the games as activities that can be introduces to tourists, practiced in schools, have traditional games club so that teenagers and our future generations can maintain and uphold cultural heritage.
Traditional Games in Malaysia – LOCCO Malaysia. (2018, October 19).
https://www.locco.com.my/2018/10/19/traditional-games-in-malaysia/
Batu Seremban - Malaysian Traditional Games. (n.d.).
https://sites.google.com/site/malaysiantraditionalgames123/type-of-games/batuseremban
Malaysia, T. G. I., Malaysia, T. G. I., & Profile, V. M. C. (n.d.). Galah Panjang
http://traditionalgamescct.blogspot.com/2013/03/galah-panjang.html
Ceper/Tutup botol - Malaysian Traditional Games. (n.d.).
https://sites.google.com/site/malaysiantraditionalgames123/type-of-games/cepertutup-botol
https://phdessay.com/malaysia-traditional-games/