By Mr. Rogelio Calimag and Mr. Gardy Del Pilar
To diversify activities last week, we integrated Filipino games into Field Day activities at the Southwest Campus.
The games are "Luksong Tinik” (Jumping Over Thorns) for girls and “Luksong Baka” (Jump Over The Cow).
Luksong Tinik is a popular game in the Philippines. It is played by two teams with equal numbers of players. Each team designates a leader, the nanay (mother), while the rest of the players are called anak (children). The players chosen to be the nanay are usually the ones who can jump the highest. The game involves players sitting on the ground and other players jumping over parts of their body.
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Luksong Baka (Jump Over The Cow) is a traditional Filipino game. It involves a minimum of three players and a maximum of 10 players. It involves the players jumping over the person called the "Baka" (cow), and the main goal of the players is to successfully jump over the "Baka" without touching or falling over him or her.
The students were able to experience how it is to play without needing any toys - and still have fun. They were able to enjoy playing and socializing with each other. It tests their physical strength and fosters teamwork. While having fun playing and enjoying their time, the students actually are exercising. As exchange program participants, we had fun looking at the students enjoying the games, which remind us of our childhood.
Mr. Calimag is The Varnett Public School's instructional coach specializing in math and science, and Del Pilar is a fifth-grade teacher at Southwest Campus. They are Filipino J1 teacher participants, meaning they may remain in the United States until the end of their exchange program.