15 Exciting Traditional Games You Need To Try

15 Fun Traditional Games You Need to Try – Sinaumed’s, if you remember the traditional games you played when you were little, they were really fun, right? Along with the development of time and technology, traditional games are now rarely found. Everything is replaced with games on the gadget.

As the nation’s next generation, we must continue to preserve traditional games so that their existence does not just disappear. Traditional games are no less exciting than games on gadgets , you know , Sinaumed’s. Want to know what are the fun traditional games that Sinaumed’s should try? Come on, read this article!

15 Exciting Traditional Games You Need To Try

1. Slim

The traditional gasing game that has existed since ancient times is generally played by boys. This game is made of wood and has a unique shape like a big onion but has a bulb on it.

The way to play it is very easy by using a rope made of tree bark which is wrapped around a top head and then thrown as hard as possible to the ground. Usually everyone has a special technique so that the gasing can spin the longest.

In a race, the top cannot go beyond the predetermined line and the longest spinning top is the winner, Sinaumed’s. The types of wood that are usually used to make tops are grinding, pelawan, iron wood, leban, mentigi, and the like.

As technology develops, tops are made more modern and more attractive with an elegant appearance. If you are interested in buying a top, Sinaumed’s can buy it on a well-known marketplace with many choices of models/types and also very various prices.

2. Dragon Serpent

The dragon snake is absurdly long, always happily strolling here. Tasty bait, that’s what it’s looking for, here it is retarded ”. When we hear this song, it feels familiar, right, Sinaumed’s. Yes, this song is a typical song in the traditional dragon game.

Why is it named snake na ga huh ? Because in this game the players form long lines like snakes. How to play this game starts with 2 people forming a path for a line of snakes to pass while singing a long dragon snake’s distinctive song.

Then, 2 people guarding the road caught 1 person from the line of snakes that passed by. Then, the trapped person chooses to join team A or team B.

After finishing all the lines of snakes, then the struggle for members begins, namely catching each other between friends from different teams. This dragon snake game knows no age, you know , Sinaumed’s. So, anyone can play together. Wow, what fun!

3. Stilts

Stilts are a traditional game that uses 2 bamboo sticks measuring 150 cm high and given a footrest below, where a person can stand on the footrest and walk in height and balance.

This traditional game of stilts has existed since the Dutch colonial era and this game has been influenced by China. Sinaumed’s, what’s unique is that the designation of these stilts varies in each region. For example, in Kalimantan he is called Batungkau, in Central Java he is called Jangkungan, in Bengkulu he is called Ingkau, and in West Sumatra he is called Tengkak-tengkak.

However, Indonesian people know him as stilts. This traditional game of stilts is not only in Indonesia, Sinaumed’s. Several other countries also have this traditional game of stilts, such as in several European countries and Japan. As you can see, this stilts game is very easy to do.

However, how to play this traditional game requires good balance because the player stands on a footstool and walks with this bamboo stick. If unbalanced, the player may fall off the stick.

This traditional game of stilts has a very deep meaning when examined with the value of life because this game is played with strong intentions. When the feet are planted on the bamboo stick, then the body is slightly leaned forward to walk, so Sinaumed’s must not hesitate to keep walking. Players must walk quickly and balance so as not to fall.

It’s the same with the value of life, when we have made a decision we must be determined and committed to completing it and must not hesitate. Values ​​such as sportsmanship, hard work, and tenacity are very strongly reflected in the cultural values ​​of this stilt game.

The game of stilts knows no age in playing it either. Children or adults can play it too, as long as there is intention, determination, and courage. Let’s preserve this game by inviting Sinaumed’s friends to play stilts and other traditional games so they don’t disappear with technological advances through the book Super Fun Indonesian Traditional Children’s Games.

4. Cat and mouse

The game of cat and mouse is a traditional Javanese game that has been known for a long time, around 1913. This game of cat and mouse is like telling the life of a cat that is always chasing its enemy, a mouse.

The way to play this game is to choose 2 people, 1 person to be a cat and 1 person to be a mouse. After the cat and mouse are determined, the other players form a circle while holding hands, becoming the mouse the cat is chasing. So , the mouse must save itself from the cat’s pursuit.

This game is fun with the rule that mice cannot be caught if they are squatting. If you are squatting, you are prohibited from standing alone unless assisted by a friend to stand up by sticking your hand to his friend. If the mouse is caught, the mouse turns into the next cat.

This game is very exciting if played with many people. This game of cat and mouse knows no age limit because anyone can play it. This game of cat and mouse can also hone your agility, you know , Sinaumed’s. You have to try this fun game of cat and mouse!

5. Crank

The crank game is a traditional game of jumping on a flat plane drawn on the ground with a checkered image. Then, hop on one leg from one square to the next. This hopscotch game can be played individually or in groups , men and women can also play this game. The term engklek game comes from Java.

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In each region this game has its own name. In Riau it is called Setatak, in Jambi it is called Tejek-tejekan, while in the Toba Batak area it is called Marsitekka. How to play this game begins by drawing boxes on flat ground media.

Then, each player takes turns to jump on the boxes that have been made using one foot. Before jumping, players who take turns jumping must throw stones into the boxes in the order. If it falls while jumping, the player must place a stone in one last marked square to start the player’s turn.

In this game, balance is needed. Because, apart from not being allowed to fall, players are also prohibited from stepping on the lines along the box. There are various types of box arrangement in this game. There are plane shapes, mountain shapes, and propeller shapes.

6. Clogs

Bakiak game is a traditional game originating from West Sumatra. This game uses a kind of sandal made of wood and a footslip that is used for 3-5 people. Usually the leg binders are made of tires that are nailed on both sides. 

This clog game has another name, namely Terompa galuak. How to play the player has to fill in the empty sandals, then they step together. If one person doesn’t move in unison, the other players will fall too.

Even though it looks very easy, this game really requires concentration to run compactly. This game is usually played on Indonesian Independence Day on August 17. This clog game can be played with men or women.

This game also knows no age, so anyone can follow it. The benefits of this game are many , Sinaumed’s. Playing bakiak can train limb coordination, namely moving the body and legs simultaneously.

Playing bakiak can train patience because it requires concentration, balance, and teamwork between players to take steps so they don’t fall. Playing bakiak also trains cooperation because when playing players must be compact in their steps so they don’t fall and can keep going until the finish line .

Through various traditional games, we can develop our intellectual intelligence. Therefore, this book, Collection of Traditional Indonesian Games, is here with the hope of being a means to develop children’s intelligence through play.

7. Congklak

The congklak game is a traditional Indonesian game which is very popular, especially for girls. This game has been known in Indonesia, especially the island of Java, for a long time.

In ancient times, the courtiers used to play congklak using a congklak board that was ornately carved, while the common people played it by digging holes in the ground and using seeds. The congklak game has different names in each region.

In Java he calls it congklak, dakon, or dakonan, in Sumatra he calls it Congkak, in Lampung he calls it the Slow Bang, in Sulawesi he calls it Mokaotan, Maggaleceng, Aggalacang, and Nogarata, in Malaysia he is better known as Congkak.

How to play this game is done with 2 people using a congklak board and 98 congklak seeds. There are various types of congklak boards, some are made of wood and some are made of plastic. While the seeds are made of shells, seeds, rocks, marbles or plastic.

On the congklak board there are 16 holes, 14 small holes facing each other and 2 large holes on both sides.

Each small hole is filled with congklak seeds and 2 large holes are considered the owners of each player. Before the game starts, each small hole is filled with 7 congklak seeds.

Players sit opposite each other. one of the starting players can choose which hole to take and put one into the hole to his right and so on in an anti-clockwise manner.

If the congklak seeds run out in a small hole containing other congklak seeds, the player can take the seeds and continue to fill in each hole as before until the congklak seeds run out.

In this game, the player is considered finished if the player has no more congklak seeds in each small hole and the winner is determined by the number of congklak seeds in each player’s big hole.

Congklak is very easy to find in well-known market places in Indonesia, ranging from congklak made of plastic to congklak made of Indonesian wood carvings. Wow, what fun, Sinaumed’s?

8. Catapult

The catapult game is a multifunctional traditional game. In addition to playing throwing, slingshots can also be used to hunt mangoes, rambutan and others.

Eits, as long as you don’t hunt for fruit on a neighbor’s tree or someone else’s, Sinaumed’s 😀 In ancient times, children used slingshots to hunt animals such as birds. This slingshot game is made of wood in the shape of the letter Y with a height of about 25 cm.

The upper part of the slingshot was tied with rubber and in the middle a piece of leather was tied as a place for the stones to be thrown. How to play this slingshot is very easy, after the slingshot is made, place stones or pebbles on the skin that was made earlier. Then, pull the slingshot firmly and point it at the target then release.

Catapult is now widely available in various well-known marketplaces in Indonesia with various types and prices. To get to know more about catapult games and other traditional games in Indonesia, Sinaumed’s can read the Encyclopedia of Traditional Games, which is below.

9. Fortress

Fort game is a traditional game played by 2 groups, each group consists of 4 people to 8 people. Each group chooses a place as its base, usually in the form of a pillar, stone or pillar that is used as its base.

How to play this game begins with the advancement of one of the players from one of the forts to challenge the players from other forts. Players from other strongholds will step up to give chase. If a player from the challenger’s stronghold can be overtaken and can be touched by an opposing player, then the challenger player is declared dead.

Usually the challenger players will run away or return to their own fort, and friends from this fort will chase the players from the opposing fortress who were chasing earlier.

And so on until there is a chase after each other from the two forts. Until one of the forts runs out of players because it has been turned off and the fort has been surrounded by its opponents. In this fort game, usually each member has their own task.

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Such as attackers, spies, intruders, and castle guards. The aim of the game is to attack and take over the opponent’s fort by touching the opponent’s fort pillar and shouting the word “fortress”.

The game has various benefits, for example, it can train players’ body movements, train agility, train stamina, train cooperation between friends, and foster a high spirit of sportsmanship. Until recently, the game of rook was often played mainly by boys.

10. Rangku Alu

The Raku Alu game is a traditional game and dance from Manggarai, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. Rangku Alu is usually played as a thanksgiving and an expression of happiness to celebrate agricultural and plantation crops.

Usually during the full moon the teenagers gather to play this game. Playing Rangku Alu requires 4 people to hold four bamboo sticks, each of which is 2 meters long, use the sticks to form a crossbar , and move them around while the player’s task is to jump over bamboo boxes formed from open and close movements without pinched by the bamboo itself.

Players must have balance and speed because the longer someone plays the faster the tempo of the bamboo’s movement. Rangku Alu is not only for playing, it can also be used as a means of education and self-character building, Sinaumed’s. Playing Rangku Alu can train concentration and accuracy in acting because it doesn’t just jump around randomly.

In this game, it is necessary to focus on synchronizing footwork and bamboo movements. If you can’t focus, later the player’s feet will be caught in the bamboo and can even slip. Raku pestle is not only played by children. This game can also be played by all ages. Usually, Rangku Alu is played on a hard, grassless field to prevent players from slipping.

11. Boi-boian

The boi-boian game is a traditional game that is played by throwing a small ball on a pile of flat tile or stone fragments. The reason this game is called “boi-boian” is because, in ancient times the players who played this game were mostly boys, which in English was “Boy”.

Therefore, people call it a boi-boian game. It can be said, the game of boi-boian is Indonesian bowling but it is more exciting. The way to play boi-boian is that one group has to arrange tile fragments until nothing is left but stay alert and avoid being shot by balls thrown by members of the opposing group.

The other group shoots balls at the tile fragments that are arranged. Any opposing member who is hit by a ball is considered dead and may no longer continue the game.

Those who were hit by the throw usually came out and stood at a distance to still watch the game and support their group mates who had not been hit by the ball. Wow, this game is fun too, Sinaumed’s. Indirectly , this game teaches sportsmanship and without cheating so that the game remains exciting and fun.

12. Bekel Ball

Bekel ball game is a traditional game originating from East Java. This bekel ball game is a game using a rubber ball and 7 bekel ores. Bekel ball games are usually played by girls.

However, not a few boys also play bekel ball. Bekel ball games are played individually, not in groups. In West Java, this game is better known as Bekel and Kuwuk.

How to play bekel ball is very easy. The bekel ball game begins with tossing a rubber ball followed by sowing bekel seeds. When the ball bounces up, the players take the scattered bekel seeds according to their level.

The rules in bekel ball games, if the seeds are not picked up, the ball is not caught then the player is said to be dead and continues with the next player who has been waiting. Learn other traditional games in the book Elementary/Middle Class 3 Integrated Thematic Textbooks on the Theme of Getting to Know Sports & Traditional Games below.

13. Hide and Seek

The game of hide and seek is a traditional game that is very easy to do. This game has been around for a long time and has become a traditional game throughout the country. The point of the game is to find the person who is hiding. The first person found while hiding is declared dead and will take turns with the seeker.

This hide-and-seek game can be played with at least 2 people and is more fun when played with many players. This hide-and-seek game can be played indoors or outdoors. Before hide and seek begins, players usually do hompimpa to determine who will close their eyes to find friends who will hide.

This game is useful for training in terms of socializing with friends, being active, practicing sportsmanship for those who win or lose, discuss, and can’t be separated from feeling happy.

14. Marbles/Marbles

Game Gundu or marbles is a traditional game that is usually played by boys. Many of these boys collect marbles up to 1 can of biscuits with various motifs and sizes. The game of marbles or marbles in each region has a different name.

In Java he calls it Neker, in Sunda he calls it Kaleci, in Palembang he calls it Ekar, and in Banjar he calls it Kleker. How to play marbles, usually by drawing a circle and placing the marbles to be contested.

After that, the players will take turns flicking their marbles at the opponent’s marbles in the circle. If after flicking the marble and it hits the marble inside until it exits the circle, the marble will be his. Playing marbles or marbles also has many benefits.

The main benefits are the development of motor nerves, training honesty, training patience, training thinking skills, training self-confidence, increasing accuracy, and more importantly training social interaction with friends.

How about Sinaumed’s, there are lots of traditional games that are really fun to play? Sinaumed’s, can try playing with younger siblings, older siblings, or parents. Besides, having many benefits playing traditional games with parents can invite them to reminisce on their childhood, you know .

But, for now, we’re playing #dirumahaja, Sinaumed’s. Even though #diRumahAja is no less exciting than playing outside! See you in the next article!

Erika