Perhaps one of the most versatile playthings is the ball. Almost every child is introduced to it at a young age. The thrill of rolling, throwing, kicking, and bouncing it is truly special. A child’s eyes light up when the ball is tossed and it rolls away. But this got me thinking. What did people play with before balls were manufactured commercially or widely available?
I have seen playthings resembling a coconut or banana frond ball. Sometimes, a stone is placed inside to give a little sound. These ball-like toys are light and perfect for young children. Although they are not perfectly round, they are safe enough for a wild throw, and the rattling sound fascinates the child. But what else was used for play? Here are some interesting answers I got to my question.
I recently met a woman in Hyderabad who told me how her mother would take a few tamarind seeds and tightly wrap them up in a cloth. She would then add layer upon layer of cloth, each tightly wrapped so the ball became larger. The seeds inside lent it weight, and it was safe to throw as the cloth layers cushioned the blow. Another old gentleman told me that they played with balls of twine or tightly wound coir rope that was stored in all homes, but, he recalled with a laugh, they tended to unroll when the game was in full flow.
A friend’s father, who grew up in Kerala, told me that he and his young friends would explore the rubber trees and carefully collect leftover strands of rubber after it was tapped. They would keep rolling these strands tightly together, and when enough was collected, they would have a ball to play. He admitted that the ball was rather unpredictable in its bounce and also remembers ruefully that it was quite painful when thrown at someone as the ball was very hard. Tender coconuts were often used to kick around or throw after the sweet coconut water was extracted by making a small hole at one end. Its shape interestingly resembles the ball used to play American football.
The coconut itself was used after stripping it of all fronds, but to be that seems to be a very hard ball with which to play, with the added risk of it breaking open during play. Of course, coconuts are used to roll along both to amuse children and in South Indian wedding ceremonies when the bride and groom roll coconuts to each other after the wedding rituals are done. The perfect synchronisation while rolling the coconuts is believed to be a metaphor for their life together and the hope that no one, to use an allied phrase, drops the ball in the marriage.
Pieces of animal skin stuffed with soft material were another kind of ball. Mud or clay was shaped into balls and left to dry in the sun; it was sometimes even baked. These were particularly used in games like marbles, where small clay balls were common.
These conversations were fascinating in the sheer creativity of solutions that emerged as well as the fact that we take so much for granted today when stores are filled with balls of all sizes, colours, and types.
While the time to make these things has passed, it would be interesting to stop, take stock of how people thought creatively, using their hands, being inventive, using materials around, upcycling and recycling to create fun and play.
If you or someone in your family would like to share their stories please do write to me at vinita@kreedagames.com