Games a lot of Nigerian kids grew up playing. Which did you enjoy the most?

Going to school was totally fun for most of us, although we must confess, many of us detested the getting out of bed part. However, the pure glee of endless games we were going to engage in at break time at school was one unarguable factor which inspired us beyond comprehension. 
It will be recalled how as children we got very excited and carefree when playing our favorite games. In Nigeria for example, we have street games which have been passed on from generation to generation with her sweet memory forever lingering in our hearts. 
Guess you are recalling some of them right now- Nice huh? Okay let’s help revive your memory a bit.

Tinko Tinko 

Bet that brought a smile to your lips. Many of us remember playing this game; it involves two partners facing each other, while the theme song is sang by both as the game proceeds. With hands held half way up, they begin the game which involves interchanging of hands front and back and slamming of hands by both partners. In this game, a lot of clapping is involved which produces corresponding sounds, adding a new energy which makes it interesting.

Who Is In The Garden

Here, the children start by singing “form a big circle” and when the big round circle  is formed, the anchor then stays in the middle and runs in the circle singing, “ Who is in the garden a little fine boy/ girl( depending on the sex of the child” can I come and see him/ her, then everybody then responds “No” “No” “No”  , then the anchor then touches whomever he wishes and says “follow me”. This cycle is repeated until the last person remains, then others go in hiding while the last person goes searching for them.

Open And Close

This game was a girlie kind of game, only a few guys tripped in just to make fun and get laughed at. This was a version of Ten Ten; it involves two partners who face each other and sing the theme song- “I say open, kick, faster faster, open, close, faster, faster”.
Both players spread their legs and obey corresponding orders of the song and as it proceeds, the tempo is changed and it becomes faster, which is fun because the children try to outdo themselves in trying to keep up to the orders dished out in the song.

Police and thief

Just as the name implies, there are the good guys (police) and the bad guys (thieves) but the stolen object is imagined. What really happens here is that the kids will divide themselves into two groups, then the police group will try to find/catch the people playing thieves, who will be on the run.  

Toros
This was basically the male child’s game of soccer but with a little twist. The game has no keeper, no positioning but with one rule: the ball must not pass between your legs. The consequence is if the ball finds its way through your legs, you are either beaten up or sent out of the game. So, everybody tries to keep their legs close while trying to kick the ball with the intention of making it pass through the next man’s legs.

Ayo
This is played on a rectangular carved board by two players with 12 round pits, 6 on each side. 48 small seeds are shared in fours into each of the 12 holes. Each player takes turns to move seeds from the pits on his side of the board and strives to win more than half the seeds to win the game.
Ten Ten 
In playing this game, girls stand facing each other and clap their hands as they move their legs to a rhythm. The goal of each girl during this game is to ensure that she does not raise the same leg directly facing the other girl – which means it is no problem for a girl to raise a left leg when the other girl raises a right leg. The moment a girl raises the wrong leg, the other girl scores a point.

Fire on the mountain
Kids are arranged into two circles, one with one more member than the other. When a signal is given, they begin to run in opposite directions singing “fire on the mountain, run, run, run” until a whistle signalling – “fire is up!” is blown. Then each player tries to get a partner from the other circle. After the scramble, the player without a partner is penalised to do certain stunts or made to squat in the centre of the circle. The removal process continues until one pair is left and the pair are crowned the winners. 

The name for this games varies across Nigerian cultures.

Absolutely fun! Sometimes we all need to delve into the unquantifiable joys of our childhood and relive every second and as we go through that journey, we remember the days of humble beginnings.