13 old school games and toys you can introduce to your kids

13 Old school games and toys you can introduce to your kids

Remember the good old days when playing with your friends meant running around the void deck or at the playground? Where what mattered was not who had the highest score in Candy Crush, but who could run the fastest and escape being tagged.

Ah, those good old days. While we are thankful for the invention of the Xbox, iPhone and the Internet, there's nothing quite like spending time with friends or siblings over a game of 'Freeze and Melt' and 'Heart Attack'.

Here are 13 old school games and toys that you can introduce to your children:

#1 Police and Thief

An ever-popular game that is usually played during recess, or after school. Playing this game involves forming 2 groups, the 'police' and the 'thieves', and establishing a location for the 'jail' cell. Once the game starts, the 'police' will need to capture the 'thieves' and place them in the jail cells. The thieves that have not been caught will attempt to rescue their buddies from the jail cell.

Image credits: SgLinks.com

#2 Hopscotch

Draw 10 boxes and label them. Take a stone (or any small object) and toss it into a box, you would then need to hop or jump through the open boxes to retrieve the stone. Rules can vary, and you can refer to a guide here.

#3 Goli (marbles)

You can find marbles in the pockets of almost every primary school kid at school, as most would play this game during recess. Draw a circle in the sand and place all the marbles within the circle, players (2 or more) will attempt to knock the marble outside the circle. You would have to contribute your marble to the pot, and the winner would be the one with the most marbles collected, and may sometimes get to keep their winnings.

#4 Chapteh

This game is great for improving hand-eye coordination. The rule of this game is to keep the chaptek up in the air for as long as possible, using only your foot to kick it upwards. The winner is the one who can keep it in the air the longest.

Image credits: jbabiesdad

#5 The string game

This game can be played with just... a string. The first player creates a pattern with the string, and the second player would then have to form a new pattern out of the old one. The first one who 'breaks' the string, loses.

Image credits: ifyoulovetoread.com

#6 Scissors, paper, stone

Can't decide who the leader will be? Or maybe you just can't decide who gets to make the final call over something? Settle it with a game of scissors, paper, stone. This is the easiest method game to play as you would only need your hands for it. Players form either a scissors (the index and middle finger), paper (a hand with all five fingers opened), or a stone (a fist). Scissors beats paper, paper beats stone, and stone beats scissors.

#7 Five stones

Oh man, this game has been around for generations! And we love it! It's usually played using 'stones' (beans wrapped in fabric to make them look like actual stones, only cuter). The player drops all five stones from a height, and then selects one stone. He would then toss the selected stone in the air, while attempting to pick up another stone from the pile, and then catch the stone that would then be falling from the air. For rules of the game, click here.

#8 Eraser game

Commonly played with erasers which have the country flags printed on them. Purchasing them from the school bookshop and playing it during recess or even during class was a common sight. Players would need to flip their erasers, until it lands on top of your opponent's eraser. The person who made that flip would then get to keep the erasers that he had conquered.

Image credits: hedgehogcomms

#9 Card games (Old Maid, Donkey, Snap)

Each card has their own set of rules (old maid, donkey, snap), and must be played with a minimum of 2 players. This can go on and on for hours - you simply can't stop!

Image credits: ewehouse

#10 Longkang (drain) fishing

Yes! Fishing out of drains was actually a thing. Back in the day, the drains were usually left uncovered and had guppies swimming in them. Children would head to these drains with a small fishing net and a pail of water, and try to catch these guppies to bring home. Imagine how much fun your kids will have with this!

Image credits: 1good2013classblog

#11 Hungry hippos

A game where each person chooses one hippo to control, and tries to eat as many balls as they can. A great form of entertainment for kids (and adults).

Image credits: mybrownnewfies

#12 Subuteo

Football has always been popular in Singapore - which explains why this toy was such a hit among children. You could either collect these toys or play it by controlling the players with your fingers.

Image credits: Table Football Association of Singapore

#13 Ultraman

It was every boy's favourite toy back in the 80s. Watching the show wasn't enough, you just had to have these figurines with you, and to re-enact what you saw on TV.

Image credits: Amazon

What are other old school games and toys that you remember? Share with us in the comments below!