a childhood game

In the morning, before the sun came up, a group of Nigerian-Igbo boys and girls, ages four to six, would gather in the front yard of the family home and use a dry twig to scratch a grid of columns and rows within a six foot square area on sandy earthy soil. Then we would take turns and line up with our backs to the grill. From outside the edge, the first boy would throw a pebble over his head, hoping that he would land on one of the smaller units on the grid. Then, still facing the edge of the gridiron, the thrower must retrieve the stone, wherever it landed, from outside the edge.

A good throw was when the stone landed with a thud in the center of a unit, where the child could prop himself up on one leg and one hand, stretch out his body, and retrieve it with his free hand. A successful toss and recovery gave the boy ownership of the unit, and he could use the acquired units to retrieve thrown pebbles in the future. The most affordable units to get were the ones closest to the margins, and we would try those first. A pebble that did not land within any unit was a bad throw, allowing the next child to throw it.

Aiming and throwing overhead on the back was a challenge for most of the kids. It was like groping in the dark. You had to mentally calculate the position of each of the units so that a thrown pebble could land on them without slipping.

There was a lot of motor planning (praxis) in that critical part of the play. For example, the boy had to think about how much force to apply to the stone and in which direction he wanted it to go. He also had to remember the units that were still open; that is, those units that have not already been acquired. Retrieving the stone from where it fell was also a challenge. To do that, they had to support their body on one leg and one arm, while using the other hand to pick up the pebble. This maneuver must have put a tremendous strain on the vestibular balance system, as well as the joints and proprioception. Children without a sound balance system often tipped over and landed on their abdomens.

Occasions also arose where children were expected to hop around the units on one leg to retrieve the pebble. It was against the rule for the soles of the feet to touch the lines. Avoiding breaking the rule required a lot of precision and praxis, and coordination between the visual system, the motor system, and the vestibular system. We did multiple reps and reps. Each game lasted for hours and became more difficult when each child had to place their stone on a remaining unit in one corner of the grid. However, I think we persevered because we were competing with each other and because the play was challenging.

That’s not to say there weren’t frustrations. Children with balance issues were especially frustrated with this particular game. Ironically, I remember the frustration aspect of the game more than the routine parts. I remember the tendency of the stone to slip off the grid, the numerous times the children stepped on the lines and the children fell on their abdomens when they extended their right hand while balancing on their left arm and left leg. Falling down, while disappointing, was also fun. Unfortunately, like cultures, bona fide Igbo children’s games continue to disappear from the playlist of games kids can play.