Some 70 participants took part in the Hompimpa Jakarta event held by Jakarta Maju Bersama (JMB) volunteers together with PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) at Jalasena, Pantai Maju, North Jakarta, Sunday (9/25). The Hompimpa itself is known as a starter to play a certain game rather than being a standalone game

There are seven games that we present that they can freely choose

Hompimpa Jakarta Executing Chairman, Yan Aufar Al Kautsar said Hompimpa Jakarta is a series of activities for the Jakarta Maritim Fest event with the tagline "Let's Play, Nostalgia Together". At the event, people were invited to reminisce by playing traditional games.

There were seven traditional games presented, namely Tapak Gunung or Engklek (hopscotch), Congklak (a game involving shells), Petak Benteng (a popular traditional game inspired by survival strategies), Galasin (one team guards a rectangular area that another team must maneuver past), Bekel Ball (collecting bekel seeds after the bekel ball is tossed into the air), Lompat Karet (jump rope), and Kelereng or Gundu (marbles).

"The era nowadays is all gadgets, we want to invite people to remember various traditional games when they were young. There are seven games that we present that they can freely choose," he explained.

According to him, the enthusiasm of the community to reminisce with traditional games was quite large. In fact, from the target of 50 participants, 70 participants registered and took part in this event.

"We're surely very grateful, seeing the enthusiasm of the residents," he added.

Darti Isyanti (50), one of the Congklak game participants admitted that she was happy to enjoy childhood games again. She assessed traditional games are more challenging and can increase social interaction between people.

The woman who works as an elementary school teacher said she would introduce traditional games to her students in order to preserve the nation's culture.

"I'll introduce this traditional game to my students, thus the traditional game which is one of the nation's cultures does not become extinct," she closed.