Little P was a shy child in her early years. She didn’t follow every game other girls played; instead she loved “dodging,” a lively playground game where she would evade balls thrown by friends, which was a welcome break from household chores. Hopscotch was another favorite. She and her aunt, only a year older, traced the hopscotch grid again and again until the markings became a familiar sight in front of her grandmother’s house. Those were carefree days of play.
Children today don’t play “dodging,” “sizo,” or “tabala” the way we used to. They rarely make the little pretend meals we once did during “play play,” where one child acted as “Mami,” another as “Papa,” and others as “pikin them.” Mami would mix grass and saliva into a pretend dish and serve it to the children. It sounds gross now, but it was part of the fun.
If you grew up in Cameroon, reading this probably brings back memories. If you didn’t, just enjoy the story.
Times have changed. Girls now watch movies like Barbie instead of rolling up their skirts and running outside for energetic games. Boys spend hours playing video games rather than staging imaginary battles in unfinished buildings. We live in the technology age — and by the way, Little P is me.
Our play has shifted to computers and smartphones: we Facebook, Skype, tweet, and blog. The playground has expanded into the digital world, where social interaction and creativity take new forms.