Childhood games. Blog marathon post- 18

Childhood is always close to heart. No matter how mature and grown up we become, childhood is always endearing. Kid-ish talks, games played together and the question bank we were for our parents can never be lost in time. It’s always treasured like a magic lamp. 

As we grow, the games we play change. They are more of professional ones with competition and killing attitude. A sea change from what we cherished as kids. But the essence of those games we played as kids always remain fresh as ever.

Slow race

When we read ‘race’, its implied that something fast and furious is in store. Maybe speeding down the hill, or, running 200-400 mts, etc. But have you ever played a slow race? Sounds weird? Truly, we have been a bunch of freaks. We (me and my brothers) use to mount on our respective two wheelers, and then the race began. Winner was the one who drives it slowest. If we touch our feet to ground for balancing, we were eliminated. Almost at zero speed we had to balance. We teased, distracting each other so that the other one is eliminated. It was so much fun!

Arm wrestling

This has been one of my favourites. Rolling t-shirts up, highlighting our muscles, we used to have arm wrestling competitions. As my brothers flaunted their biceps in the mirror or to each other, I used to barge in flaunting mine- see even I have a cut in my biceps. And, we all laughed.

Twenty-nine 

It is a card game, which has been our family game. My grandmother taught me how to play it. During summer vacation, entire family used to play it together. The addiction went to an extent that even late nights when elders had dossed off, we used to sneak out of our beds and play under a candle so that no one knows. We had special code language designed before every game to give hint to our partner. Yeah, we used to cheat a lot- everything is fair in love, war and a card game.  :)

Ghost stories 

Wrapping with white blankets, even putting artificial teeth with horns was the most daredevil and favourite game of my brothers. I was a scare cat, was even scared of the Onida ad with devil. The more they looked real at night peeping from the window, dancing and making a horror sound. The more sleepless nights I had. This was the scariest music -

Throwing stones in a puddle of water

How often have we done it? I think it was a major reason for floods during rains, as we overflowed all the pits with stones. :) Bigger the stone, bigger was the splash of water. How innocently crazy was that!

Snakes and ladder

The saddest part of the game was when the big snake bites at 97 and brought back to 2. It was heart wrenching- seemed as game was over. How hard was it to understand the fact that life does mess around with you sometimes. So, we invented few variations, we climb with snake as well as ladder. :) Or, if someone climbs a ladder, then he/she is immune to the first time a snake bites. See, it was a win-win situation. We never had to worry about snakes any more; only competition was between each other. 

Musical chair

I don’t remember any birthday party without musical chair and tons of gifts. Even if we loose, then also parents gave us gifts. Running fast and breaking suddenly to grab a chair, how fanatical it was. Even making a train, the eldest standing in front and roaming in the home like train compartments.

Climbing trees

We were mini version of monkeys, I suppose. Climbing trees was a hobby especially to a litchi tree. Plucking litchi, negotiating our share, and never being satisfied. Once I slipped from the tree and my brothers were scandalized that parents will scold them. Hehe. I still remember both my brothers, pulled me inside the home; one held my arms and one my legs.

Bath tab was a boat

We used to treat bathtub as a raft. Sitting close to each other and using hands for rowing, as done in a raft. We splashed water hard out of the tub and kept filling it so that water doesn't drain completely.

Tipi tipi tap tap

So which color you want? We had a different version of it. One person was supposed to say, ‘tipi tipi tap tap’ and the rest of the players in union would say, ‘which color you want?’ To which the person used to play manipulative spelling out colour just next to him/her. If someone hasn't touched the colour named by him/her, then they will be out.

Chor police

How we all fought to be the bad guy. Making room dark, hiding to places less expected and sometimes even getting locked for hours until parents find us. Playing was fun and so was bashing and pampering by parents when we got locked.

Oonch neech
Total fun and frolic. Teasing the person who is den by hanging one foot in air, touching it just for a second. We were very aggressive while playing the same, prone to getting hurt a lot of times.