Children’s Folkgames of Kerala: An Introduction (BLAC003)

Children’s Folkgames of Kerala: An Introduction

Dr Edward A Edezhath (edward.edezhath@gmail.com)

When elders become nostalgic, they talk of their long-lost childhood. In this south Indian state of Kerala, they often talk of a not-so-long-past when children used to roam around in the fields or those hills, valleys and riverbanks, playing all sorts of games. Now much of the open spaces have disappeared from towns and villages and along with them those simple games as well. Reset the calendar to three or four decades back and a kid’s life was full of simple and enjoyable games of a variety of sorts. These games have almost completely vanished, but of late there have been sporadic efforts to revive them.

There used to be a wide range of folk games played by the kids. The little children would sit in small circles, place their little palms in front of them, and one would start counting with a little rhyme in vernacular, “Athala, puththala, thavalachi”.  While all are engrossed in the process of counting out one after another the kids would unconsciously be practicing the difficult dark ‘la’ sound of Malayalam language.  Some other toddlers would play one or the other variety of ‘hide and seek’. A little more grown-up kids would play some form of ‘hopscotch’ one of which is locally called ‘Am-I-Right?’ or a game of sticks called ‘kuttiyum kolum’ that literally translate ‘the kid and the stick’. Each of these games have local variations, but there is no doubt about one thing, most of the precious early memories of those who had their childhood three of four decades ago were closely linked to the folk games they played. They learned to build healthy interpersonal relationships and practiced important lessons in life, all on the playfield. These childhood games and friendships taught them much more than their classrooms or any books they read.

Simple yet well-structured play

These folk games are very familiar to most of us from that age. They are different from the established games like cricket and football. So, what are they? As a simple definition we could say: they are well organized pastimes with very clear orientations. Folk games don’t need expensive arrangements or specially designed tools. It can be played in the little space available with materials that children can gather from their surroundings.  Some of these games are played or known only locally; some other games are played all over the land or even in different countries but with variations.

The handbook of Texas State Historical Association defines it in this way, "Folk games are those traditional games passed along informally from one group to another. The folk games. .  .like the games of today, had the same functions that games have had from the beginnings of the human race: they amused, instructed, and inspired. They reflected the values and beliefs of their parent cultures”[i].  Famous folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand describes folk games as "a form of structured play with objectives and rules but are variable and generally need no special equipment or playing area"[ii]. Then how they are different from the other regular games that are so familiar to the modern society? Here we refer to the popular games like soccer, cricket or baseball. He calls them institutional games, which are highly organized with codified rules, and played in a regular area with specialty equipment. But folk games are quite different.

In a goal driven society, the very next question would be, ‘what purpose do they serve?’  As was hinted, they amuse, instruct and inspire. These were the ways in which children, and sometimes grownups also, kept themselves occupied in their free time. But it was not just whiling away the free hour. Folk games were deft ways of behavioral training and skill formation. “Games help small minds and imaginations mature, providing children with a chance to act out roles, make choices, and experience the thrill of winning and the disappointment of losing”[iii]. Some of the games trained them to balance the body and other physical skills, some others help them repeat and learn difficult sounds in the vernacular and most of them formed them in social skills of healthy competition, cooperation and team spirit.

As we already discussed, among the older generation these folk games were very popular, and the young people were influenced by them at various levels. But all that has radically changed. For today’s children these games are a thing of the past and they are not at all familiar with them. Yesterday’s kids, those who are the youth of today, they have heard these names, but they haven’t played them in their childhood. Only the elderly are familiar with these folk games. Not that today’s children don’t play games, they do. But most of them are institutionalized ones or, in recent times, digital games. The games played in Neighbour’s yard have ceased to exist. They have dwindled in numbers, at the very least. Certain questions come to our mind when we think of these folk games that have almost completely disappeared. Why do these folk games disappear? Should we be concerned about this? How does the disappearance of these folk games affect children?

Folk Games, what happened to them?

The countryside and rural settings have disappeared, the playgrounds and even playtime is no more there, and the folk games have also vanished into thin air. All these happened in the last 25 years. The rapid changes of the circumstances and lifestyle have pronounced death sentence on these games. What constitutes these drastic changes?

Perception about children has changed: A couple of generations before there were eight to ten children in every family. Some would be interested in pursuing studies. They studied very well. Others would pursue different careers according to their interest and talents. Girls might get well acquainted with the household chores. All these have changed today, as there are only one or two children in each household. Parents expect children to fulfil their own great dreams. Today the whole family is focused on the little ones and their needs. And they are given, in a way, too much attention.

Study methods and Education styles have become more efficient: The concept of the old type of rural schools is almost fully gone. Modern facilities in schools and well-defined curriculum have not only changed the educational context, but also the children. No doubt today’s children are well trained to face the challenging future through this style of education.

Hustle and bustle of daily life: Like the adults, these days children also have a very busy life. This pressure of daily life is now part of different life situations, cultures, and almost all economic strata. Even in a small town, other than the activities at school and church, for every child there is football practice, violin class, abacus practice, different educational organizations offering variety of trainings, and then there is TV, contacting friends and relatives, computer games, and so on and on. All these together create a very hectic life for every child. If they have their own hobbies or responsibilities at home those only add greater pressure to their daily life. Amidst the growing hustle and bustle where is the time to engage in any aimless leisure? And those old folk games had a place only in a life ofleisurely.

Free-time is now packed with social media: Even if the children manage to get some free-time amidst all these activities, today it is filled with social media. FB, WhatsApp, digital games, TV, video games, there is a long list. Characteristically these are so well designed to lure young minds and engage them fully, for good or for bad. Consequently, for today’s child game has come to mean digital pastimes.

Styles of relationships are changing: The social structures and relationships have also undergone a radical change and it has affected the whole lifestyle. Even though Neighbours live next door, the concept of friendly neighborhood has almost disappeared. Resident associations and friendship societies try to build relationships among households but warm neighborhood relationship that was a backdrop for free roaming of children in the yester years has almost completely vanished. In those days the children could go anywhere and play as they wanted, but not anymore. The manner in which families and neighborhoods relate to one another has also caused the disappearance of folk games.

No open spaces: There was a time when in the countryside there were no walls or plot boundaries around most of the homesteads. Open grounds were so abundant that no one bothered to find out whose those grounds were. Evenings and holidays would be filled with children roaming around the households and courtyards. These were the fertile grounds for intimate interaction among kinds, for practicing folk games and even for creating new ones. With the vanishing open countryside folk games have also disappeared. 

Traditional playthings are not there anymore: For folk games anything available from around the place was made use of. All kinds of seeds, like in central Kerala cashew nuts, tamarind seed, Kunnikkuru, Manjadikkuru, or some flowers, shells or leaves and branches and a variety of other such materials were used for these games. Many of these things are no more available. Children don’t play in the courtyard anymore; they have lost connection with the soil and land. And with all this that style of play has also gone.

As folkgames die out

The nineteenth century novelist Charles Dickens is well known for his depiction of a wide variety of children. He had to give up his schooling early in his childhood and had to start working in the factories. This made him a great proponent of children’s education and their rights. His famous novel “Hard Times” has a well-known character ‘Gradgrind’. In charge of an educational institution, all his focus is to give the children facts and information. In his opinion games, art and literature are not important and even to be considered as something that would lure away children from their important duty of learning. The novel very well depicts the tragedy brought about by this ‘no play’ attitude of an educationalist. Later in the story it is his children’s failures and disasters in their lives that brings home to him the gravity of his mistaken attitude.  

Contemporary studies on child development bring us to a deep conviction that games are an integral part of children’s growth. Sports and games provide essential growth input for personality and character. They also make life enjoyable and psychologically healthy, ensuring wholesome emotional development. This not only accelerates the physical, mental and emotional growth of children but also equips the child to be confident, secure and creative in his or her dealings. Ashley Montagu, a famous English Anthropologist says ‘The ability to play is one of the principal criteria of mental health’[iv]. According to Joan Almon who researched on the development of children, ‘games are the paths that help children discover themselves. They begin at the hands, and slowly discover their feet, body and emotions.’

We know that such oppressive treatment meted out to children was not just confined to the times of Charles Dickens. The stifling of the innate talents of children and the tendency to suppress their yearning has been on the increase today more than ever before. Though it is done with the lofty intent of higher goals and competitive studies, this lack of games in their lives will hinder the character formation and integral development the young ones. According to Heather Shumaker the brain studies confirms the significance of children’s games. Children are designed for it. Games build up the skill for social interaction, memory, emotional awareness, creative approach, adaptability and impulse control. Games help them to understand the world and realize their place in it.

Today’s world is focused on one thought: ‘knowledge acquisition and study focus are the only things needed for children’. All games are against this goal. Many of the recent education experts recognize the foolishness and danger of this mentality. Fred Donaldson studied the importance of games in the growth of children for last 40 years, and he opposes those who propagate the idea of games and studies not being compatible to learning. In his words, “Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn”[v].  

Games are important for the mental health and vivacity of children. They come out of themselves naturally during their play time. For them it is their wholesome path of self-realization. Only through such opportunities can they realize their character and potential. The growth of their personality will take place through all these. A child’s creativity awakens on the playground, he or she builds healthy relationships there. Children learn with their playmates and their peer group will teach them to co-operate with each other and they gradually learn the importance as well as the dynamics of tolerance.  In brief, playground is the best workshop for personality growth for children.

A time to take play seriously

Today, most teachers and elders lament about the failures of young generation. They grumble and criticize that most youngsters have forgotten their own culture and lost much of the values. The media confirms it with vivid depictions of instances of these issues. Numerous awareness programs and classes are organized in schools to check the negative influence of contemporary changes. But then, it is observed that the repetitiveness and the tone of advice of these programs make it boring to the children and sometimes even imperil them by giving unnecessary information about some wrong habits. In this context it is high time to reflect on the important role played by games, especially on the potential of folk games to form the character and impart values.

Maybe it is time for a re-evaluation of games, especially folk games. Those who are interested in the education of children should make a broader study plan on the positive impact of games on children and also on the damages caused by the absence of these games. There is also need for open discussion at various levels of the society. In all these folk games must be given special focus.

Folk games have their deep roots in our culture. May be some of them journeyed through centuries entertaining as well as forming kids. These games which are close to our core culture imparted distinct skills and were wholesome modes of enjoyment. As we already discussed these folk games have vanished from the everyday lives of children. Is there a possibility of re-capture them? The re-inventing of these folk games may surely help regain certain of the roots of our society.

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[i] Handbook of Texas Online, Martha Hartzog, "Folk Games," accessed February 13, 2017, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/llf03.

[ii] Consalvo, Mia Konstantin Mitgutsch, Abe Stein. Sports Video Games. New York: Routlege, 2013. Pg 53

[iii] Handbook of Texas Online, Martha Hartzog,

[iv] Almon, Joan. "The Vital Role of Play in Early Childhood Education". All Work and No Play. Ed. Sharna Olfman. Westport: Praeger, 2003. Pg. 17

[v] Brockman, Emmy. The  Positive Power of Play. Children's Creative Museum. https://childrenscreativity.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/the-positive-power-of-play/