Surely one of the greatest things about being a helper in an orphanage come school come home of 30 children is playtime. It’s so easy back at home to stick on the TV or switch the computer on. Here, those options aren’t available…excellent! Although the resources maybe a little limited, the imagination is here in bundles and the result; an endless variety of games. I will try and guide you through a few of them, but to be honest, we’re still new at all this, much to the amusement of the children.
There is a real buzz of excitement when school finishes and the games come out. There is also a hierarchy of games which becomes apparent as the children scramble over each other for the most desirable Lego, or the most used playing cards. Of course, the popularity of these games changes on a near daily basis. Trying to keep up with the latest ‘games fashion’ here in India proves impossible. One game that seems to be a favourite amongst all ages is marbles. It’s also a game that is far more technical than I had ever imagined. The children battle it out to claim victory and ultimately possession over each others marbles; a far more important currency than money! There appear to be 2 main techniques used. Firstly the traditional throw from a pre-determined line towards the target of other marbles. The second technique requires far more skill as a marble is flicked using the 1st finger of one hand creating quite immense back spin. The children are incredibly accurate, I just have to try and use my long arms to an advantage.
Of course cricket is very popular here. It’s so good to get the children involved in a team game and again, all ages seem to love taking part. When we first arrived, we used a flat piece of wood and a large orange plastic ball which would make a big hollow sound every time someone got a good connection. We’re lucky enough now to have a couple of ‘real’ bats and some stumps, but in fairness, the excitement is the same.
A new game here is volley ball. Someone kindly donated the ball and whilst we have the use of a harvested field, the children love the ease at which they can hit the ball. There is always a whirlpool of excitement as any object is hurled into the air, be it a cricket ball, volley ball or any other object. I think it’s partly the danger of being struck by the falling ball and partly the challenge of seeing who can reach the highest heights.
I shouldn’t go any further without mentioning cards. Normal playing cards, picture cards, even ABC cards are hugely popular here. In a lot of the small communities here, the adults play cards under big trees in the evening and the children can but watch over their shoulders. However, in school, they have their own cards, their own games and rules. They feel that they are playing a serious game, normally only played by adults. It’s great fun teaching them new variations and games and they are incredibly quick to soak up new rules. ‘Go Fish’ is a particular favorite right now and often played by Malene with her nursery class during school.
An old favorite, and another game for all ages is skipping. For an instant rush of adrenaline, the children love playing this simple game. Be it on their own with a short rope or in groups of 4,5,6 or more with a long rope! It’s great fun seeing who can go the longest or fastest or even do the craziest tricks. Again, not so popular back home any more, but for simplicity and fun, this is a winner for me. One song/video I think they will enjoy is by DJ Fresh – Gold dust – YouTube this for a good skipping song.
Malene and I brought a frisbee over which is one of their favorites at the moment. Again, making the frisbee spin as high as possible is great fun for the children and there are always many hands running after it. Of course the older boys get a size advantage with this game, but by making it a team sport, the smaller ones stand more of a chance of having a couple of throws themselves. The only issue we occasionally have is loosing the frisbee in the rice field. Finding it doesn’t normally provide a challenge, but everyone knows about the snakes that live in the fields, so it’s best to steer clear when possible.
A new addition to the games ensemble is chess. Although only a few of the older ones are learning to play, this really is a lovely game for just sitting down and relaxing. Often when the midday sun is blazing, it’s nice to come inside and cool down – of course whilst playing a game that is. I love playing chess with the children as it gives a perfect opportunity to get to know them a little better. We both feel that the one thing these children miss, is a big brother or big sister to look up to and ask questions. A lot of them are going through difficult times in their lives and its a privilege when they come to us for advice.
Being the fine dancer that she is, Malene is teaching some of the children traditional dance which is a huge hit, especially with the older ones. Although they’re still a little shy to dance with each other, they often eagerly queue up to dance with either Malene or myself. The fact that I was born with 2 left feet doesn’t help, but we all have immense fun, often to the sound of “1…2… Cha Cha Cha”.
Bowling or ‘skittles’ as the children call it is also great fun. We use old water bottles with a little water in to keep them standing. Downstairs the polished floor makes for a perfect bowling alley. It gets quiet crazy this game and keeping score is a bit of a challenge, but all of the children love hurtling the orange balls down as fast as they can. My job is to simply replace the fallen bottles and watch them all cheering.
There are so many games played here, most of which I wouldn’t know how to describe. Some appear to have a million rules whereas others have none. One thing they all have in common is the energy used to play them with. The children also love when we have ideas of new games for them. For example, hop-skotch is a favorite with the girls whilst the simple idea of a running race is great for the boys. If anyone reading this has any ideas of fun games to play, please leave us a comment and we’ll be sure to try it out. The only thing we need to do, is try to keep up with the children, a true challenge!
I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the games we play over here. It really makes us feel very young again which is great, the only thing we need is more ideas. It’s lovely seeing the children playing out our childhood games and its clear to see they love it too.
Our travels through Asia 