In my younger years. There was no mobile phone. Electricity was there already but my parents couldn't afford it yet. Most of my neighbours had the same situations. Television was hard to find. A few houses may be had but some of them didn't let us watch. That's why a lot of children like me played street games. There was a lot that we learned from the previous generations. One of the games is what we called "bato lata." A Visayan word from the Philippines or "hitting the can" in English.
This type of game is popular in the province part of the Philippines. 90's kids experienced it for sure since there were no phones and gadgets those days. It could be anywhere of course. It's just that in the provinces, only a few vehicles are running in the streets. That's why the streets can be used by the children to play the game. Also, even in today's millennial days. Not all children have gadgets and phones to play with. You know that poverty thing. It's always preventing us from using different things.
A lot of children in our province are still playing this old game. I've been seeing the children playing different 90's games every afternoon. I just had my phone when I saw the children playing. It felt amazing watching the games I used to play. I thought they can't be found anymore because of technology. Well, I guess the past can't be forgotten because it leads us to the future.
How to play "bato lata"
In playing this game, each kid should have one sleeper to use. There should be a short empty can. Not the sardines can because it will not recover from standing if it will be hit by a sleeper. The game will not be fun once the can won't stand after it hits. There will be one kid that serves as the guard of the can.
Rules of the game
All the kids that joined the game will throw the sleeper to hit the can. If someone hits the can but it won't fall or remain to stand. That kid who hits it will replace the previous kid who is guarding the can.
If no one can hit to make the can fall down. The kid or the guard will stand near the can. If no one will pick their sleepers that were thrown. The guard will start the count from 1 to 10. If someone will pick a sleeper. The guard will come at him to catch him. If that kid who picked his sleeper will run because he doesn't want to be caught. The guard will keep on chasing him. They will keep on running and leave the others to arrive at the baseline where the guard can not touch them.
When the other kids arrived at the baseline because the guard left them unattended. The kids that arrived at the baseline will not hit the can first. They will wait if the one who ran first will be caught or the guard will surrender. If there will be someone who hits the can while the guard is chasing someone. That someone will replace the guard. This is a fair play of the game.
However, if the can will be hit and falls down. All the kids will pick their sleepers and start running to the baseline. The guard needs to prioritise in placing the can where it was located. When he was finished placing it and made it stand. The chasing will now start. The fastest runner has the advantage of this game. If he can't catch someone and all of the kids returns to the baseline. The game will start again and the guard will remain as the guard. He should catch someone to replace him.
That's how this game plays. It's just so simple but it gives so much happiness.
Thank you for reading
images are mine
Huawei p8
