A Need to Preserve?

Significant Part of Culture

Malay traditional games are a significant part of the cultural heritage of Singapore’s Malay community. They reflect the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our forefathers in creating their own games by using inexpensive materials for their pastime and recreation.

 

Community and Team Spirit

 

Malay traditional games also foster community and team spirit in children of different ethnicities and social classes especially during the kampong days of Singapore.

 

The Issue

However, as Singapore becomes more urbanized and modernized, we are losing many of such socio-cultural heritage due to economic, social and environmental changes.

 

These changes include: 

- the disappearance of closely-knit kampongs and villages 

- lack of suitable playing areas in the Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates where majority of Singaporeans nowadays live in

- the emergence of new technologies and gadgets that children are nowadays more attracted to as compared to Malay Traditional Games

How to play Bola Tin

Similar to batu seremban, there are many different variations of how bola tin is played. below is the most common variation played.

Step 1. Stack up your painted cans to form a pyramid.

Step 2. Players are divided into two teams, Keepers and Throwers.

Step 3. Draw a line 10 steps away from the pyramid. The Throwers will stand behind the line to begin their throws. The Keepers can stand anywhere behind the tin pyramid.

Step 4. Using a ball, each Thrower is allowed 2 throws to destroy the tin pyramid. If he/she fails, the next Thrower gets into position to throw.

Step 5. When the Throwers knock down all the tins, the Keepers must try to rebuild the pyramid. A Thrower will rush for the ball and try to hit the Keepers or the tin pyramid. A Keeper who is hit before the pyramid is rebuilt, is out of the game.

Step 6. If the pyramid is completed before all the the Keepers are knocked out, the Keepers win and the teams change sides.

Step 7. However, if all Keepers are knocked out before the tin pyramid is completed, the Throwers win and the game starts all over again.

Have fun!

DIY: Bola Tin set in 3 easy steps!

Materials you need:

• Ten soda cans of similar sizes
• Paint (colors depend on the characters you wish to paint)
• Brushes
• A small ball (eg. tennis and wafer balls)

Let's get started! ~

Step 1: Decide what cartoon characters or theme you would like to paint on your cans. Choose three main characters to paint on your cans.

Step 2: Paint the base of all your cans either white or black, depending on the cartoons you are painting on your cans. A black base is more suitable for cartoons with bright colours, while a white base is more suitable for cartoons with dark colours.

Step 3: Start painting your characters! You can choose how many cans of each character you wish to paint.

Wait for your cans to dry and there you have it! Your very own themed Bola Tin set! Have fun!

How to play Batu Seremban/ Five Stones

There are many different variations to how batu seremban is played. We have compiled the different variations and ranked them into different stages of difficulty. Don't be embarrassed if you have trouble at Stage 1. After all, practice makes perfect!

Stage 1

Step 1: Throw all five stones on the ground. Pick up one stone and toss it in the air, pick up another stone on the ground and catch the stone in the air before it falls to the ground, all with the same hand. Do this for each of the four stones on the ground.

Step 2: Repeat step 1 but pick up two stones at a time.

Step 3: Repeat step 1 but pick up three stones at a time.

Step 4: Repeat step 1 but pick up four stones at a time.

Stage 2

Step 1: Throw all five stones on the ground. Pick two stones in one hand. Throw one stone in the air, exchange the other with one on the ground and catch the stone in the air before it falls to the ground Do the same with the remaining stones on the ground.

Stage 3:

Step 1: Throw the two stones held at the end of Stage 2.

Step 2. Pick up one stone and then catch the two falling stones separately in each hand. Do this until there are three stones in one hand and two in the other. Throw the two stones in one hand and catch it separately. Throw the remaining stone in one hand and catch it with the hand that has all the stones.

Stage 4:

Step 8: Throw all five stones on the ground. The opponent selects a stone to be thrown in the air. The player has to pick this stone without moving any others. The player throws the stone in the air and picks the remaining on the ground in one clean sweep.

*If at any point of time the player fails to complete this set of eight steps, he/she will have to forfeit his turn to his opponent. Upon his opponent's failure to complete, he will return to the incomplete step, starting from the very beginning of that step.

Hope this helps and have fun!

DIY: Batu Seremban/ Five Stones in 5 easy steps!

Materials you need:

• Five pieces of cloth cut with measurements (6.5cm by 10cm)
• Scissors
• Needle & thread
• Rice grains/green beans (any small bead sized items will do)
• Pencil

Let's get started! ~

Step 1: Fold the cloth in half with the right side facing inwards. Draw a line 1 cm away from the edge of the cloth in an L-shape.

Step 2: Sew along the line drawn across two of the open ends. Stop 1 cam away from the edge of the only open end.

Step 3: Turn the cloth right side out so that you have a small pouch.

Step 4: Fill the pouch with your chosen bead-like item. Do not pack it in too tightly, ensure that there is space so that tossing the stone will be easier. Do not put in too little as the stone will be too light.

Step 5: Fold in the seams of the remaining open end and fold the open end to form a pyramid. Sew the folded end.

There you have it! Have fun playing with your kids and reliving our forefathers past!