Lately, there are many communities in social media that upload so many kinds of traditional games that used to be played, a long time ago. The memories of these traditional games are unforgettable for those who played it. However, it is now abandoned.
Yes, a number of traditional games are substituted by modern games that mostly utilize the technology of gadgets. But actually, traditional games are easier, cheaper and have more moral values.
Luckily, there are many societies that are still concerned about traditional games. One of them is Zaini Alif through Hong Community that relentlessly invites children to play traditional games. He has also conducted many researches to collect a number of traditional games to preserve it from extinction. Furthermore, Zaini Alif focuses himself in research about traditional games and he made a community that is concerned about traditional games.
Even so, there are still many people who are less concerned about the conservation of traditional games as part of the culture. Therefore, the researches about traditional games were re-conducted to market, remind, and reconstruct this idea, especially to kids.
According to Zaini Alif, Indonesia has more than 800 kinds of traditional games. This record was gained after a field study and observations were conducted. This number may have increased since there are many traditional games that have not been listed in the database.
Specifically in West Java, there are around 250 kinds of traditional games that have been listed since 2003–2011. However, from this number, there are only some that are still remembered and played by children. Even today, especially in rural areas, such as Bandung and its surroundings, there are many children who do not know about the forms of traditional games from West Java.
For that reason, 2 lecturers from Visual Communication Design (DKV) program, School of Creative Industry, Sonson Nurusholih and Gandara Per- mana assisted by Affan Miraza (a student of DKV program), conducted a research by documenting some traditional games from West Java that still exist. This research strives to visualize some kinds of traditional games in the form of documentary photos. The aim is to change the paradigm; traditional games considered old fashioned and not fun must be changed to be something fun and playable. The community also exists as part of Indonesian traditional culture, not only as an ornamental accessory, but also as a value that clings to the society itself.
In this research, researchers selected 20 kinds of traditional games that would be played and they would be the research objects. These twenty games were: Bebeletokan, Bedil Jepret, Boy-boyan, Cingciripit, Congklak, Dam-daman, Engrang, Eng- rang Batok, Galah Asin, Galah Bandung, Hompimpah, Kokoleceran, Kukudaan, Paciwit-ciwit Lutung, Rorodaan, Sondah, Suten Suit, Tetemute, Ucing Peungpeun, and Ucing Sumput. Although there are still many other games and traditional games tools in West Java, these games were selected based on the investigation of playability, especially in Bandung. Until now, Zaini Alif has listed 130 games that are still played in West Java.
Gathering kinds of traditional games, especially in West Java region is not an easy thing to do because there are many games that has already disappeared, or even unrecognized by the community. There is nothing in the previous research that discussed traditional games from scientific point of view. Another problem is the lack of literature review from previous researches and references for this kind of research. For instance, the categorization of shapes, kinds, rules, how the games are played, a number of players, the end of the games and other classifications have not been stipulated until now.
The Educational Values of The Game ala Bloom
For the research that was conducted in 3 months, researcher chose Cimahi as the location of the research. The reason is because, a few years ago, there was still a place to play traditional games, in a field that was surrounded by bamboos. This research used a quantitative approach by descriptive analysis method and data was obtained by field observation, deep interview and literature review.
The first thing to do was finding as much as information through literature review. In- formation was gathered from a book wrote by James Danandjaya about Indonesian folklore. The book states that the traditional game is divided into several categories. First, it is divided into three parts; a game that trains the sensitivity through sound, movement and development, and that prepares for their adulthood (special). Second, observation and simulation was conducted with the help of the children in Cimahi – Cimahi city. This simulation was, then documented by camera and the result was selected and analyzed.
The result of the observation shows that there are traditional games that use special tools, for example Engrang uses bamboo, Engrang Batok uses batok (hard shell of coconut), and there are also games that uses stem of banana bunch, leaves, wood, etc.
There are 20 traditional games that are modeled in the simulation based on James Danandjaya category. This is where traditional games consist of two characters; the first is games characterized as play (recreative – play, games in the form of simulation) and games characterized as games (competitive) that is divided into three parts, they are: games of chance (take turns to win and lose), games of strategy, and games of physical skills (games that need power and agility).
The result of the documentation from simulation shows that one game could be interpreted differently because recreative and competitive game is only slightly different. For example, a game of Bebeletokan is a form of game that is categorized as recreative game in the form of the tool (Bebeletokan – gun). How- ever, in the practice, this game is considered as competitive game when children agree to develop a game to contest the group by playing battle. So, based on the research conducted by Zaini Alif, previously, to decide the group of recreative or competitive can be taken from the dominant character of the game itself.
The other result of traditional game documentation is related to the area or domain that is stated by Benyamin Bloom or it is widely known as Bloom Taxonomy. It is found that there are activities that are aimed at educational results; those are cognitive, affective, and psycho- motoric process.
It is proven from simulation of traditional games played, for example, in Galah Asin and Galah Bandung, children are demanded to work together and find a good strategy to pass the enemy lines.
Also in other traditional games, such as Engrang, Eng- rang Batok, Bebeletokan, Bedil Jepret (psychomotoric), Boy- boyan, Cingciripit, Congklak, Dam-daman, Hompimpah, Kokoleceran, Kukudaan, Paci- wit-ciwit Lutung, Rorodaan, Sondah, Suten Suit, Tetemute, Ucing Peungpeun, and Ucing Sumput, after the activities were analyzed, they contain numerous educational values, both physically and spiritually.
From the explanation above, it can be concluded that by documenting the kinds of traditional games in West Java, it is expected that there will be appreciators who are interested in them and try to preserve them from extinction. This research can also be a reference for anyone who wants to make the same research and it is wished that there will be an improvement for further research.
