Kuttiyum Kolum
It is an ancient sport played in Kerala using a twig and a long stick. The game is similar to modern day cricket and baseball. It is popularly known as Gilli-danda in northern India. The objective of the game is to score maximum points by striking the kutti (twig) using the kolu which is the bat. Most often the kutti and kolu are made from locally available plant stems like tapioca and hibiscus. A circle is drawn on the ground and a boat-shaped hole is usually dug within it. The hole should not exceed the size of the twig. The kutti is inserted into the hole at an angle or along the width and beaten using the stick. After each swing, the distance to the hole from the kutti is measured using conventional dimensions like muri, nazhi and muzhamkaal and added to the total score. The marking pattern varies from region to region. The game requires a minimum of three players. One becomes the striker and the rest chasers. As the game progresses, the kutti is swung from various positions. The same person on strike has to repeat the steps to earn more points.
Paandi
Paandi is played by drawing a rectangle crossed by four squares. We used to throw pieces of pottery or stones, hoping to pick the piece out without touching the lines. It had its own rules and regulations. It was a primarily a game for girls, played even by the elders of the family.
Kalangkai
It is played using as many as stones possible. The player will have to keep all the stones, throw one stone up, and catch it the same palm. Before this stone falls the player will have to throw the other up “I used to play this game with my five siblings. It was a game that required a lot of concentration and was fun at the same time,” says Indra.
Poo parika varingala
This game stands apart from other conventional games. There are two people who stand with their hands touching above their heads creating a passage for others to walk through, one person sings Oru kodam thanni oothi ore oru poo poothadhe..., and goes through the passage before the song is over. Once the song is over the fixed two trap one of the players. The trapped one is considered to be out of the game and the game resumes until there is a winner.
Pallanguzhi
Played on a rectangular board with cups or holes in two rows and seven columns. There are 146 counters. The players try to capture counters, as permitted by the rules of the game. The rules of capture depend on the variant of the game played. The game ends when one of the players captures all the counters, and is declared a winner.
Choppu-Saamaan
Those were the days when families lived frugally and new toys were treasured possessions. Most toys were made of mud, clay and wood. “We used to go to our maternal grandparents’ home every summer for a few days. The visit would usually warrant a toy as gift for my sister who loved playing with kitchen sets,” says 60-year-old Vasudev.
Koolai Koolaiya Moondhirika
This is a fun and simple game played that is played with a large number of players. A perfect outdoor game for kids that can be played even in the limited space available. Except one kid, others sit in a circle. Having a kerchief or a piece of cloth in his /her hand, that one kid runs around the seated kids. The running kid sings a song that is customary to the game. Once the song is over, the kid puts the cloth behind one of the kids who are sitting and starts running. The seated kid picks up the cloth and starts chasing the running kid.