The house hold games, which yesteryear’s children in our country used to play with enthusiasm after school hours and during summer holidays, are fast disappearing. Having spent whole of my childhood days in North, these games are known to me in Hindi (do not know their vernacular names) such as ‘Chouka Bara’, ‘Gippi’, Kanche-goli’, Gilli-danda’, ‘Kho-kho’, ‘Chor-Sipahi’ (Hide & seek), ‘Sanmp-Seedhi’ (snake & ladder), ‘Carrom’ , 'tug of war', 'ring' and ‘Skipping’. It was fun to come back home with dirt on half pant or shirt and coming back with some bruises on hand or leg was like a bonus!
Barring a few, all these local games have become extinct for urban children though some of them are still being played in remote village side. Thankfully, the last game Skipping has now become an ‘in thing’ for health freaks and health clubs. The advantages of these games were that these neither required any coaching nor needed a playground. They were played anywhere on the road, in the street and back yards of any house. Any time was fun time for playing these games. More over these games involved no expenditure.
Now children hardly get time to go out and play and also they have no liking for these outdated games.Watching TV, playing games on mobile phone or internet gaming have become house hold games for them. Those who can afford to spend, go to play stations in malls to get a feel of modern day games like Bowling, Tag or commuter games like car chase, star wars, Spider man, Harry potter and several such animated games, all for a hefty price!
