Have you played cricket, tennis, and other sports in the 21st century? Are you born in the 80s? If yes, then you have experienced a huge change not only in technology but also in sports, right. Nowadays, people tend to play different games like shot-put, tennis, football, long jump, etc.
No one ever remembers the best 80’s games like Goli, Gilli, hopscotch (stapu), and indoor games like Moksha Patam, or chaupat. 80’s kids are the signs raised with the greatest decade. Sports and games are always considered to be an integral part of our country India.
They are rich in culture and tradition. But the sad truth is that those born now are indulged more in video games rather than playing outside with their friends. Video games like Pubg and many others have made people so lazy as they were sitting in one place just moving their thumbs on the mobile screen.
Gone are the days in which people tend to sit outside or play outdoor games more than indoor. Playing outdoor games improves not only your physical ability but also provides a host of health benefits. In this article, we are going to rejuvenate the era of the 80’s by talking about the various popular 80’s games children play. The list of those games is mentioned below. So, without wasting any time, let us get started.
Popular 80’s games people love to play
With a large number of games children played in the 80’s we have gathered them in a list below. No matter what age people play these games, they enjoyed it a lot while playing. So, let us get deep in those 80’s games and see who remembers most of their time.
1. Antakshri
Being the most popular game until centuries, antakshri was very famous among the kids of the 80’s and 90’s. This entertaining game is very popular among the citizens of India, from grown-ups to adults. It has been played with alterations now, worldwide. It has been played at various occasions like weddings, gatherings, parties, birthdays, and many others.
Variations can be made depending on which situations people tend to choose this game. In this game, one team usually sings a Bollywood song, no matter how old that song is, and the other one will sing the song based on the last consonant of the previous one. A lot of people enjoy this energetic game until now. Both the teams keep taking their turns unless one doesn’t remember the song based on the last consonant and looses.
2. Chaupat
Chaupat is an ancient game that started at the time of Mahabharata between Yudhisthira and Duryodhan. This easy to play 80’s kids also played the game. This popular game does not require any special skills to play in. You just need to play on the chaupat board that is in the form of the cross made on a traditionally embroidered cloth.
The arm of each side is divided into three columns with eight squares in each row. The seven cowry shells are considered as dice, and this game is played among four people sitting at each side of the cloth. The pieces are usually made up of wood, and each player has four men. This game is easy to play and known to be one of the comprehensive traditional games.
3. Lagori
Lagrori is another popular game among the kids of the 80’s. This game is also called dappa kali in the northern parts of Kerala. This popular Indian game is also known as Pithoo, satoliya, in the northern parts of India. It involves a pile of stones, maybe 6 or 7, and a ball.
There are two teams in the game in which one team assembles the stones in a pile, and the other team needs to hit it with a ball. There is some time required by a team that hits the ball to reassemble it.
If they ran out of time, the team loses, and the whole team will be declared out. This game needs an ample amount of physical ability and is played among the boys mainly. You should try this game with your children to regenerate your cultural game values.
4. Hide and seek
Who does not know, hide, and seek? This popular ancient game has been played by the 80’s and 90’s kids. The other name for this popular game is Kannamoochi and being a timeless game, this has been played throughout the ages. This is a game that not only children who play enjoyed it, but the parents also love to play with their children.
This earliest aged game teaches the children about attachment and detachment in this environment. Rest, this popular game is whole exciting when one needs to be blindfolded and counts till ten, and the rest team will hide at several places. The person who will count has the responsibility to search all members of the team to be in the game. This super exciting game never bored any member of the team.
5. Gilli Danda
Everyone till now heard this game, right? This popular 80’s game is played with two sticks. The large stick is known to be a danda, and the small one is called Gilli. In the Gilli danda game, the person needs to hit a gilli with a danda. This famous game is known with various names among the various citizens of India. Standing inside the circle, the player playing this game manages to balance the Gilli on the stone, in an inclined manner.
The one end will touch the ground while the other end will be raised, which will be flipped in the air. While the Gilli rises in the air, the player playing this game will hit it with the danda. After hitting the Gilli, the player is struck to hit the point outside the circle. This game is usually played among the boys of different ages and is similar to run in cricket or home-runs in baseball.
6. Moksha Patam
Moksha Patam is also known as Parama Padam, is the famous ancient game played among the kids of the 80’s. This popular game’s main purpose is not only to entertain people but also teaches morality. This game is to be played in a snake board, also known as snake and ladder game. The lower levels of consciousness come to higher levels and then to spiritual enlightenment and finally to moksha. This game is very exciting among various people of different ages.
7. Gutte
Gutte is another traditional popular game played in India among different levels of age group. In this simple game, it requires five pieces of small stones. You need to spin the stone in the air and pick them without dropping them in the air. Any number of players can play the game and the player who finishes the eight steps with less number of tries will be the winner of this game.
8. Lattoo
Lattoo is considered to be the popular game in the 80’s and 90’s kids. This simple to play the game is famous among various citizens since 3500BC. The lattoo or tops are made up of clay at the beginning, but due to changes in technology and creativity, it has been made with wooden. In today’s world, colored tops are also available to play this game.
In this game, these two or more player gets involved and unwinds these tops with the string. The player who spins the top for the longest time will be declared as a winner of the game. This really exciting game is played among children of different ages.
9. Kancha
Most of the 80’s kids have also heard about Kancha or Golis. This game is the best childhood game played among the kids. The other names of this game are Marbles, Goli, Lakhoti, and it has been played during the Harappan age.
The main objective of this game is to collect as many marbles as possible by striking the chosen marble with another one. The winner who strikes more marbles has to take all the marbles of the other player at home. Several people can easily participate in this amazing game.
10. Kabbadi
This team sport has been played for ages. There is no requirement of any equipment or tools in this sport. It only requires agility and strength in holding the breath. It has originated in India in ancient times and has been played worldwide. A player consists of two teams with seven to ten members present in each team.
Player of any one team has to break-in the opposing team area. They need to touch the ground line with the opposing players stopping the single-player from doing so. The player who touched the ground with a limited span of time will be declared as a clear cut winner of this game. The team with the least number of players at the end of the game will also be a winning team.
Conclusion
In this article, we have listed the top 10 ancient games played by the children of the 80’s. These games make children delight and also increases their physical strength. Other games like Kho-kho and chain games were also popular among the people of different ages. With these games, their childhood becomes nostalgic.
The children then enjoyed playing outdoor games as compared to the children born after the year 2000. It is very important to play games outdoors rather than just sticking to your phones. The outdoor games not only refresh your mind but also makes the right use of your physical energy.