Growing up in a Nigerian home is all shades of fun and amazement. The games we played, nursery rhymes, and matching songs added so much vibe and rhythm to the fun. We had some games that were considerably reasonable while some were just not it because what do the following have to do with anything???
1. Cinderella:
The game is played within a circle. The kids would come together to form a circle while placing their hands in a specific way. I don’t have a problem with this but the song we sang while playing;
Cinderella dress in yellow
Went upstairs to kiss a fellow
By mistake, she kissed a snake.
How on earth will someone kiss a snake, forghusake? She sure wasn’t blind, yeah? You sef reason am with me nau(facepalms)
2. After Roundwan:
It is sort of a number guessing game. Numbers are indicated with the fingers of the players and anyone who gets their number as the result of the summation of all the chosen numbers will be saved. But the last man standing suffers slaps to their hands until they can dodge the slap. The song was also weird man.
“After roundwan
Original panadol extra…
Otu gbede, Babangida yaso!”
I’m still trying to relate after round one with the original panadol extra that follows. And why are we singing about Babangida polluting the air just doesn’t make sense to me.
3. Tinko Tinko:
This is also another hand game played by 2 people. They face each other and a series of clapping would follow. Now to the song:
“Tinko tinko
Tinkoloko tinko…”
and the loop goes on till someone misses a clap.
Whadaheck is this song? Afrobeat at its prime? (laughing out loud)
4. African bend down:
It’s a circle game accompanied by a series of clapping over players’ heads. One person will be expected to bend down and then the two people beside the person will clap over the head of the person bending down.
The song goes thus:
“Yoyoyo!
African bend down.
Yoyoyo!
African bend down.
Shokolokodi… brother yeah.
Shokolokodi… sister yeah.
What is the meaning of shakabula?
This is the meaning of shakabula.
I say, one day, Bolanle….”
Really??? How do these lines even make sense but then we were still so happy playing and singing it.
5. Police and thief:
To play this chasing game, few persons (polices) are chosen to catch the supposed thieves. It can be called; “catcher, catcher” sometimes. A variation of this is the famous “Ice and water” where when the players playing ice or police catch the water players, the water players have to quit moving.
What is that childhood game you used to love so much back then but just doesn’t make sense to you now? Let us know in the comment section!
Co-writer; @oyindamolaosinaike
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