Soon Forgotten Games - Chinese Skip, Tah & Boom Pan Wall

Chinese Skip, Marbles, and Boom Pan Wall some unique Jamaican games, never to forget.

Photography by Jermaine Cowan

Most of our games were not purchased from a toy store or a department store.

We used creativity, innovation and the little that we had. Nothing would stop us from having fun. Games were face-to-face, we had what we needed; muscles of champions, creative minds of steel, a hundred percent engagement and it was game on!

Chinese Skip

Photography by Jermaine Cowan

"... their feet worked magic crossing one side of the elastic-chain ...jumping loose ... while still maintaining their balance "

Objective: Progress from one level to the other (ankles to hands), following the rules to win

Tools: Rubber Bands

Number of Players: Ideally four players. However, it can be played by one person who through creativity, may choose to substitute the “human posts” with furniture, etc.

The fun begins by making the rubber bands “lastics” into a chain-like link. Forty to sixty rubber bands may be used or as much as desired, depending on how big of an area you wanted the game to cover. Two players would serve as the human posts to hold the lastic-chain on the ankle, then moves it to their knees, then to their waist, to their neck, and finally to their hands held above their heads.

Then of course the brave heart player that would jump in the centre and make their feet work magic crossing from one side of the elastic-chain to the other and then jumping loose from it with both legs spread outside the chain while still maintaining their balance. This would be repeated for each step from the ankle to the waist. The neck was a totally different story. The human posts would hold the lastic-chain at their necks together with one or two hands to prevent it from hurting their necks. The brave-heart in the middle would step on the lastic crossing over to one side then to the other. At last, the summit point, the human posts would hold the lastic-chain in both their hands the brave-heart would position him/herself in the centre and jump with both hands spreading into the chain on the left and on the right simultaneously. This would be done ten times, if accomplished this player emerges as the victor of Chinese-skip. Players would take turns being the human posts or the brave heart skipper.

Tah (Marbles)

Photography by Jermaine Cowan

"...prize would be coveted rubber bands, or even Biggy, Pretty or Steely marbles."

Objective: To win marbles, elastic or most points

Tools: Marbles "Tah", hole in the ground or circle in the middle of the play area

Types of marbles that players may have to gain advantage: Biggy (bigger than average size marble usually a good one to intimidate smaller, sized marbles), Steely (tough marble made of steel that could be used to break or chip-away at the other marbles rendering the owner out of the game), Pretty (any unique looking marble that the other players would be envious “red-eye” of, and want to have)

Number of Players: Two or as many as wants to play

All players would position themselves about five to eight feet from the hole in the ground (centre circle) and throw marbles one after the other towards the hole. The player whose marble is closer to the hole gets the next try to get his/her marble into the hole. Whoever gets their marble into the hole first, gets to use their marble to hit another players marble away from the hole so that they do not get a chance to get into the hole to begin play. This player would continue to hit the other marbles until they miss hitting another marble. If a player's marble is within the spaans (length of the thumb to tip of the index finger) of another players marbles and he measures the spaans and hit that marble, he gets to keep the marble that he hits.

Each time a player hits another’s marble they gain five points so points were gained in multiples of five. The player who first gains one hundred points would win the game. Sometime the prize would be coveted rubber bands, or even Biggy, Pretty or Steely marbles that would be tucked away in our pockets as we seek out the next game.

Boom Pan Wall

Photography by Jermaine Cowan

"... Many a times we enjoyed blissful victory and equal amount of times we tasted the anguish of losing..."

Objective: Win "lastics" (rubber bands) by overlapping others after booming (bouncing) yours on the wall

Tools: Rubber Bands

Number of Players: Two or as many as wants to play

Bounce (boom) lastic on wall, each player would take turns, one after the other until a lastic overlap another lastics on the ground. The player whose lastic overlaps the others would get to pick up and keep all lastic that his own overlaps in a given play.

The player that gains the most lastic would be crowned the winner. Many a times we enjoyed blissful victory and an equal amount of times we tasted the anguish of losing. This never deterred us from buying more lastic and seeking out another Boom Pan Wall game.

Did you play Chinese Skip, Marbles or Boom Pan Wall? Feel free to share with us your favourite childhood games.