Filipino Street Games for your next party
When you are done eating lumpia and are looking to play games with your friends at your next party, try these uniquely Filipino street games.
All. of these can be adjusted on what materials you have available with you.
Tumbang Preso
Translates to "knock down the prisoner” and is simple game that requires an empty can or bottle and a slipper.
A very simplified version of game the is where you set up the target far from the players and they try to hit it using the slipper from a distance. This is much a like to a bowling game set-up.
The accurate way to play it is as follows:
Draw a line as a “toe-line” where players must throw from. Designate one person is to be “it” and is called to guard the can. The other players will then get at the back of the toe-line, and the game starts at a signal from the It.
Players from the toe line must throw their slippers aiming at the can. When the can is knocked down, and the slippers is retrieved. The It then starts putting it up inside the circle, and the tagged player becomes the new It. In any case, the can is hit and fall outside the drawn circle but remains to stand, then the It has all the rights to tag players once they leaves the toe-line. The can may be kicked or knocked down under when it is outside the circle. Supposing a hitter is unable to retrieve their slipper, the other hitters can save him/her by hitting the can.
Chinese Garter
A game that requires flexibility, balance, and coordination. The game focuses around a regular garter that is two to three yards long and can be purchased for roughly twenty pesos or less at a sewing store. Two persons should be holding both ends of the horizontally extended garter while others try to transfer across the other side of the garter. The main objective of this game is to cross the garter without tripping. The height of the garter grows with each round. The garter is usually placed at the ankle level, then the knee level, and so on until it is placed over the head. Higher rounds necessitate agility since players leap into the air with their feet first and cross over.
Level 1 – The garter is being held by the posts closer to the ground.
Level 2 – Knee high
Level 3 – Around the height of their hips
Level 4 – Waist high
Level 5 – Chest high
Level 6 – Shoulder high
Level 7 – Head high
Level 8 – At the tip of the head
Level 9 – A few inches above the head
Level 10 – Also known as the Father / Mother Jump, as high as a kid raising his arms high on tip toes.
Luksong Tinik
Translates to jumping over thorns. It is said to have originated in Nueva Ecija.
It is played 2 teams with the same number of of player on each team. A ”Nanay” (mother) of each team is chosen as the team's captain, while the rest of the players are referred to as “Anak” (children). The players who are picked to be the captian are usually the ones who have the highest jumping ability. Players sit on the ground as other players hop over parts of their bodies in this game.
Basically, you leap over people's feet, which is the tinik, and when all players have jumped the first round, one foot/hand of the two players sitting on the ground will be added. On the base, two players will face each other with their right feet touching. The jumpers land on their feet and jump over them. Then, with palms and fingers open, one hand is placed above the feet, followed by another, and so on until all of the fingers are piled one on top of the other. All players must have leaped over the file before placing an extra hand. To keep the jumpers from jumping over the gap, another player's hand is frequently placed there. Five hands are sometimes employed, and a fourth player is called upon to fill the hands file. The game is resumed and the jumpers will be the jumpers again when they jump over the hands without contacting them with any part of their body or garment. It is deemed a "fault" (an mistake) if the mother's "children" (the rest of the team) touch the hands while jumping over them, and the mother will jump for them. However, if the mother fails, the team will be forced to assume the team's place on base.