Sweet Memories! You Missed a Lot if You Never Did These as a Growing Child (Photos)

Posted by George on Wed 17th Feb, 2016 - tori.ng

There are some common games paramount to Nigerian kids while growing up in several parts of the country particularly the suburbs.

These activities depicts the common ways average Nigerian children participated in while growing before the advent of amusement parks, video games, sophisticated toys and exotic eatries as we have it today due to the effects of globalization.

Check out the games in pictures and brief description as explained below:

(1) Ten-ten:

This was a very common game mostly played by the girls. One can still remember a few songs we sang then in the tune of 'tinko tinko tinkolo tinko' and other simple Christians songs or nursery rhymes taught in primary schools.

(2) skipping rope:

Again, this is another game that accommodated so many females but males joined once in a while especially doing a superiority battle common to kids.

(3) Tyre Riding:

Mostly played by boys but a few girls commonly tomboys joined in the act. Condemned tyres of vehicles or motorcyles were used for the racing across short distances and the speed was mostly controlled with sticks and at times by hand.

(4) Playing in the rain:

This game was fun especially when you are playing in the rain with your friends. Most people used the opportunity to fetch the rain water. Some kids danced in the rain unclad those days while some wore panties. Most kids ended up falling sick due to the cold while others were severely beaten by parents for getting their clothes wet.

(5) Cooking with plant leaves:

This one is almost related with the popular 'mummy and daddy' play. Nigerian kids plucked any leaf they see around them, make fire and begin to cook a supposed delicious meal. Some people even go as far as tasting it out of childish antics.

(6) Kite:

This one is mostly done by the boys. Kids displayed their creative skills unconsciously by using carbon papers or leather bags and brooms with a long rope to make a kite. This is mostly done during the dry seasons when its windy to enable the object soar high to the amusement of the kids.

(7) Jangilova:

This one is done by both genders and it was a fun game. The children used to compete on who will go the highest when swinging. It entailed age-long songs like 'Jangilova epo motto' and so on.

(8) Box game of numbers:

This entails securing spots like you are purchasing lands with a chart that is drawn on the ground. Any opponent that barges into your land space is penalized and the person with most spaces at the end of the day wins the game.

(9) Boju Boju:

This is another exciting game that involves forming a circle during which a kid is selected to take a middle position with his eyes veiled or covered with his hands while he is made to pick on a random person who is part of those that formed the circle. The game entails some high spirit songs and dances. Anybody picked goes into the circle to follow the same procedures over and over again.