These were not just games that entertained us, back in the day, but also created a sense of togetherness, and resilience.
Ghana has had indigenous games for years before the introduction of televisions, radio, and other computer games made possible by the advent of the internet.
Some of the games that brought joy to many Ghanaian children included ‘Oware’, Chaskeli, Ampe, Four Corners, and countess ball.
These local games fostered unity amongst families and provided a sense of community.
Some members of the public shared their experiences playing the games.
“I played Ampe, ‘Oware,’ Ludu that time we were kids, I enjoyed it so much that when they call me to run errands, I feel reluctant because I am enjoying the game.”
A sociologist at the University of Ghana Sociology Department, Dr, Samson Obed Appiah explained the moral lessons learnt from the games.
‘The lessons are that people were socialized to learn from these games, for example, tug of war, it is a way of teaching the young person that you don’t always need to be soft, you need to be brave, fight for yourself. ‘Ampe’ for example, you need certain skills, I mean, how to be calculative, which leg, the left or the right to use so it also expresses some level of intelligence,” he explained.
With the advent of the internet, video games, and other modern forms of entertainment, these games have almost gone extinct. This has resulted in some children, mainly in urban areas, forgetting about their cultural heritage, which development experts describe as worrying.
“Parents buy the games, and they think that is all, but it goes a step beyond that, the games take the kid into a gaming world where you are exposed to all sorts of things. The moment you start playing games with some people they start asking you personal questions. Parents will have to supervise what their children do online.” IT expert, Derrick Laryea said.
“The gadgets are important especially for this generation where everything is online, they need to know and be educated but parents have to put a limit, because it can affect their cognitive skills,” Clinical and Medical Psychologist and Director of UPSA Clinic Dr Isaac Newman Arthur stated.
Society may have evolved, but our culture and identity should always be embraced by all.
By Frederick Kunzote-Ani