This was not the case decades ago. Cebuano kids used to go out of the house to play with other neighborhood kids. We came up with a list of games Cebuanos used to play when they were still young.
Shatong
Shatong is one of the most popular games Cebuanos used to play. This outdoor game only needed sticks and a field or a small patch of land for the playing area. There were even instances when kids would simply try to find a hole on a concrete road and play the game in the streets inside a subdivision. The game involves hitting a small stick with a big stick. The goal is to hit the stick hard enough so it will fly far from the hole. The opposing team would try to catch it while it is in the air. But, the game does not end here since it has many other levels that allow kids to exercise their muscles over the weekend.
Tago-tago or hide-and-seek is another game Cebuanos used to play when they were kids. The game did not require any equipment to play. A playing area where the kids can hide was all that was needed. There are even instances when the play area is the whole subdivision. The “it” would be asked to count while the other kids find a place where they can hide. After counting, the “it” would look for the other kids in the playing area. There are some variations in the game, but it essentially required one person to look for everybody else in the playing area.
Japanese Game
Tubig-Tubig
A direct translation of tubig-tubig in English is water-water. The only connection of the game to water is that water is sometimes used to make the lines used in the playing area. Similar to the Japanese game, tubig-tubig involves teams going up against each other. The defensive team tries to catch at least one player of the opposing team as they try to cross the lines on the ground. On the other hand, all members of the attacking team try to cross all the lines before going back to their starting point without anyone getting caught.
Tumba lata is another game kids used to play in the neighborhood. The game only required an empty can and slippers. The object of the game is to hit the can placed in the center of the circle using the slippers. The tin can is guarded by an “it,” who tries to catch the other kids as they try to retrieve their slippers after setting the can upright again.
What other games can you recall playing when you were still a kid in Cebu?