The Exciting World of Traditional Games

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

A child plays a spinning top on the palm at the Banua Traditional Game Village (KPTB) of Peace, Banjarmasin City, South Kalimantan, Friday (15/10/2021).

Residential sites in Banjarmasin are now colored by the laughter of children. They are absorbed in playing traditional games to relieve boredom. After staying at home for a while, they have now found a world that was once lost, namely playing in open spaces.

Children's boisterous voices were heard from Gg. Pendamai in Telawang subdistrict, West Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Friday afternoon (15/10/2021). Several boys and girls played in the field of the Banua Traditional Game Kampung of Pendamai (KBTP).

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On a field measuring 18 by 20 meters, they were absorbed in play. They took turns shooting a blowpipe to hit a target from a distance of about 15 meters. The target was a circle with 10 colors that were assigned a score value of 1 through 10.

"The last month, we’ve played here almost every afternoon. So, I'm used to shooting the blowpipe,” said

Sofia, 12, an elementary school student who lives on Gg. Pendamai.

After the gasing was rotating, they lifted it with a wooden spoon, then passed it from one child to another until it stopped rotating.

On the same field on the other side, some of the children were engrossed in playing the traditional game of gasing (spinning top). They took turns spinning the gasing on the playground board. After the gasing was rotating, they lifted it with a wooden spoon, then passed it from one child to another until it stopped rotating.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Children play beam running at Kahimungan Play Village in Banua Anyar Village, Banjarmasin City, South Kalimantan, Saturday (16/10/2021).

To make it more exciting, they competed on the spinning tops. The spinning top rotating on the playground board was intentionally hit with another top. The winner was the top that kept spinning or spun longer. It was simple, but the game brought a lot of fun.

Fun was also present in the Gang Pendamai. A number of children used the alley to play ball and the traditional game of lari balok. In the game of lari balok, the children used four wooden blocks as footrests. The blocks were moved in a squating position from the starting line to the finish line.

Throughout the games, they were asked to keep their distance. Just before sunset, they dispersed.

Muhammad Suriani, 65, the head of the KPTB, reminded children who were busy playing to go home. Before returning to their respective homes, they had to first clean up their play equipment and put it back in its place and clean themselves off.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, children's playtime in open spaces was reduced because they had to stay at home. When the trend of Covid-19 cases slowed down, traditional games were played again. The spirits of the children were rekindled.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Children play stilts in the Peace Alley, Telawang Village, Banjarmasin City, South Kalimantan, Saturday (20/6/2020).

Even though they were allowed to play, health protocols were still implemented.

Before and after playing, children had to wash their hands with soap. They also had to wear masks. For the time being, children were not allowed to play with bakiak (clogs) so as to prevent them from gathering and making lots of physical contact. Siti Nursiah, the KPTB manager, said that other games, such as gasing, logo, egrang and shooting with a blowpipe, were still allowed to be played because children could keep their distance while playing.

"Alhamdulillah [thank God], during this pandemic no cases have been found in our place. The children are all healthy,” said Nursiah, who is also the third deputy chair of the Banjarmasin chapter of the Indonesian Community Recreation Sports Committee (KORMI).

In the beginning, they were concerned to see that many children were addicted to gadgets and did not know traditional games.

Nursiah and her husband Suriani formed the KPTB in 2016. In the beginning, they were concerned to see that many children were addicted to gadgets and did not know traditional games.

“We facilitate children’s play. Coincidentally, our alley is locked and there is no special place to play here. After all, playing and being happy is the right of children," said Nursiah.

Active again

As time goes by, play kampung are increasingly spreading in Banjarmasin. After a pandemic hiatus, at least 14 play kampung are now active.

KORMI Banjarmasin also continued to encourage the establishment of the game kampung as a forum for activities for children and adults. “We are trying to continue to build the game kampung. There, everyone can do recreational sports and play traditional games,” said Uzlah, the head of KORMI Banjarmasin.

Uzlah hoped that the existence of the game kampung would not only become a forum for activities that were

healthy for the community, but also a place to pass on the cultural heritage to the present generation.

The existence of the game kampung has inspired the Banjarmasin administration to pay more attention to children's activities.

With the game kampung, children in residential areas of Banjarmasin can forget their gadgets for a moment. They can enjoy their childhood in the alleys of their residential complexes or in the fields. When they grow up, they can remember such games as part of an enjoyable childhood.

(This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo).