If you’re a 90’s kid, prepare some tissues for we are going to take you down memory lane with some of the most classic Singaporean games. It might get a little emotional. Just kidding, we only hope that this list of childhood games will bring smiles to your faces as you reminisce some of your best memories of all time when you probably felt more invincible and free than you ever have.
Country Eraser
Have you heard of Kuti Kuti or Country Eraser? Well, Kuti Kuti’s successor is in fact Country Eraser which is a game all 90’s kids would have at least heard of. Intense battles between schoolmates attempting to flip their erasers on top of each other’s were a common sight in classrooms. Back in the days, it cost just a mere 10 cents at the school bookshop! you were a hardcore fan like me, you probably collected stockpiles of erasers of various flags and showed them off as one of your proudest achievements too.
Five Stones
I’m sure Five Stones is a game which still remains close to most of our hearts. It is also probably one of the first games which springs to mind when Singaporeans think about old-school games. This simple no-frills game only involves five cloth bags which are usually filled with sand, green beans or uncooked rice grains as well as some fast reflexes. The game begins with throwing one ‘stone’ into the air, attempting to pick up one of the four placed on the ground and catching the airborne stone. The player must continue this process until all five ‘stones’ are in his/her hand in order to win.
Block Catching
You will know which game is the ultimate old-school game of the 90s when there is no equipment needed – just your friends. Block Catching essentially takes catching to a whole new level by rallying all the kids in the neighbourhood to play. The whole neighbourhood – corridors, stairs, basketball courts, and even the friendly mama shop was the playground. Even though I vaguely remember making our neighbours slightly displeased (oops), this remains as one of my favourite childhood memories.
Hopscotch
Hopscotch was one of my most-played childhood games during recess in primary school. Not just unique to Singapore, this game requires a few players tossing small objects and then hopping from one square to another to pick it up on one foot. It definitely helped to train my balance and agility especially when the game gets challenging. The only downside was heading home with a pink-turned-grey coin pouch caused by all the accumulated dirt on the ground.
Zero-Point
Talking about agility, Zero-Point is a game where you can truly put your skills to the test. Players would tie loads of rubber bands together to form a long rubber band chain, which they have to cross over without touching it. The game starts off easy at the ankle, but the difficulty level accelerates as the height of the rope increases each round.
Don’t these old-school games bring back great memories? Well, that’s not to say that they are a thing of the past. A old-school games outing definitely sounds exciting, so go jio your family and friends now!
