It's play time, folks

Snakes and ladders, ludo, chess, checkers, the list of names of games is never ending. Some games you have always remembered, though actually you can't even remember how you even learnt them. But you have always played them. Some you have learned in school or from friends. It is interesting to note how each region has its own store of games, call them folk, regional or otherwise. But they are exciting and interesting.

Folk games can be games of physical skill or of strategy and they can be games of chance. Through the ages they have proved to be entertaining, exciting and challenging. Check out the different folk games of Tamil Nadu that promise hours of endless fun.

While there are board games like

pallankuzhi and

aadupuli attam , there many outdoor games too. You must have seen in many movies the hero wielding a stick singlehandedly to bash up the bad guys. This is called

Silambam, an ancient martial art, which hones the defensive skills of the participant.

Hold your breath literally;

Chadackadu is a game that has two teams. One person has to hold his breath while muttering a statement and cross into the opponent's zone and touch someone and get out of the zone without getting caught. The greatest challenge is not to exhale!

Leap frog or Pachai-k-kuthirai is simple, yet calls for all your jumping skills. One person has to bend and hold his ankles with his hands. The others have to jump over him without touching him. The bent person slowly rises, making the jump tougher with each round. The person who touches him while jumping has to be the next kuthirai.

Another favourite is

Nondi . Two teams of six are formed. A large square is drawn. A person from one team hops, trying to catch members of the other team. He loses if he puts his leg down.

A little bit of water sports can add zing to a hot and long vacation. Tie an earthen pot filled water to one of the lower branches of a tree. Blindfold each participant in turn, and get them to break the pot with a long sturdy stick. Take care to keep out of the way.

There are many folk games that are gradually being forgotten. Make it a point to talk to your elders and learn more about these games. More so, talk to friends and neighbours specially from other parts of the country and get to know about their folk games. Have a note book to jot down interesting stories and points about these games. When school reopens, you can start a game club to play these regional folk games.