The games we used to

Avyanna Mohammed and Arianna Meloney play a classic game of snakes and ladders at Digicel’s games we used to play event at Centre of Excellence, Macoya on July 13.
Avyanna Mohammed and Arianna Meloney play a classic game of snakes and ladders at Digicel’s games we used to play event at Centre of Excellence, Macoya on July 13.

Rhianna McKenzie

Schoolyard games are a great bonding experience. While Fortnite is the gaming phenomenon of the new generation, it may surprise you how much fun can still be had with a few classics. Moral, hop scotch, musical chairs and more were all part of the Digicel foundation’s Play Unified event on July 13 at Centre of Excellence, Macoya. The theme for this year’s event, which is in its third year, was the games we used to play. Children of all ages participated in an afternoon of friendly competition.

Hoola hoop fun with Ionea McDowell and Terriema Collin Lucas who won first and second place.

The stadium was overflowing with nostalgia, with classic board games such as ludo, snakes and ladders and jenga in full swing to one side and a tech station on the other which introduced some of the children to vintage video games like mortal kombat. Participants of the physical activity games were divided into teams which included Digicel staff members, children, parents and teachers, who competed against each other in a series of games from sack race to island hop.

A tower of jenga blocks comes
tumbling down on Kasif Drickpaul as his friends J’rel Piper and Jay Joseph look on.

Desha Clifford, chairman of the Digicel foundation, emphasised that while there is some competition involved, the day is all about having fun together. The event, she says, was founded on inclusive living and encourages participants at every level to participate, including children with special needs. “everybody knows about these games” she says, “so it’s not challenging (and) we made sure that they were games that everyone can participate in and have a good chance at.”

Alejandro Waterfield plays island hop.

Many people may think that these games are a thing of the past, but the children really seemed to enjoy them, especially the ones that they had never played before, like 12-year-old Akil Jaikaran, who tried his hand at the game island hop for the first time. “It was fun,” he said after having finished his race, adding that he liked how the event was set up and was looking forward to playing ludo in the board game section. The winner of the game turned out to be nine-year-old Alejandro Waterfield, who was adventurous enough to participate in almost every event, proving that these games are not as outdated as we may think they are.

Asia Richardson and Abraham Haynes play video game
Mortal Kombat. PHOTOS BY RHIANNA McKENZIE

So the next time the power goes out and your fortnite game comes to an end, fret not. Go get your parents and ask them to teach you a few games from their childhood. You’ll have a ball.

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