Keep those games alive!

Children are inventive, original and very messy. As they get older they start losing these nice qualities. Some manage to hold on. This is what I am trying to do with this blog. My brother - a great inventor of games - kept most of my childhood happily occupied with his original games. This blog started out as a way to keep those games alive. Do read the first few posts to enter his wonderful world. Reader contributions welcome :)

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Ways To Amuse a Baby - Part 1

Bachaooooooooo! (Help me!)

Required: A baby who can kick, a dramatic parent (or anyone, really)

Place baby on bed and get him in a nice playful mood. Like Figure 1 below:



Place his feet near your tummy and encourage him to kick you. It tickles...hehehe. At some point he will land a nice powerful kick and this is the time to let out a dramatic cry and fall. Like Figure 2 below.


Then, with exaggerated dramatics, extend your hand towards baby (who will now be looking over the bed to see what happened), while yelling "Bachaoooo" in a typical action movie climax style. Chances are baby will lend a hand, maybe even pretend to pull you up after a couple of tries. Once you're up, if the baby has enjoyed this game, he will send you right back over the cliff :-)

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

First Reader Contribution - Ants Vs. Humans


Contributed by Tin Tin :-)





You take 5 ants and put them down somewhere near the Start Line. Keep a close watch on their movements, because that dictates your destiny in this game.

If an ant strays into the blue squares, he becomes a pawn in your hands. You can move him to any other square.

If he strays into the red square, too bad, he's out of the game.

If he enters a green box, you HAVE to move him to the row closest to the Human Area.

If he enters a yellow box, you become a human giant wheel and give him a giant wheel ride for a whole 10 seconds. Note that you become completely powerless during this time. Ant can go anywhere he likes - red box and even out of the game area and back in, and you are powerless. Rules for other boxes don't hold either.

So these are the Ant Movement Rules, now how do you win?

Simple. If at least 3 ants enter the red box, or just give up and go out of the game area, you win.

If at least 3 ants enter the human area they win.




Note that Tin Tin is a great animal lover and wouldn't harm an ant to save her life. For some of the rowdier elements reading this however, there is a STRINGENT RULE: NO SQUASHING THE ANTS!!!!

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Kappe Aata (Kappe = Frog; Aata = Game)

If the Bunk Bed game was described by TCP as good for someone with the brains of a 6-year old, this one takes your grey matter further down memory lane. I'd peg this at 3 or 4.




Requires 2 people and some cushioning material. Position yourselves as shown in diagram. Make sure you have cushioning. Place feet together and... PUSH! If you can squeeze your opponent against the cushioning and have him/her begging for mercy, consider yourself the winner.

One important rule - NEVER to be broken - No, ABSOLUTELY no kicking in the crotch!

On another note, I guess a number of you have played your own games, or games that not too many people have played. I would love to hear from you! In other words, Readers' contributions welcome! Tin Tin has sent me a unique game already, and Shyam soon will. So dear children, put your games down on paper, and believe me, writing about them is fun :-)