One of Dayak's Childhood Game, Gabat

Indonesia is a country that has a variety of different cultures, religions and languages. Just like with the game, Indonesia has its own traditional games from various regions. This traditional game is included in its own characteristics for Indonesia compared to other countries.

Gabat, one of the games originating from the Dayak ethnic in Kalimantan is very diverse and has hundreds of sub-tribes scattered throughout the island. Every ethnic and sub-ethnic always has local wisdom, traditions and cultures. In the culture of some Dayak ethnic in Mahakam Ulu, there are several things that have similarities between one tribe and another. Some of the games below are played not only by one tribe, but by several other tribes, though not exactly the same.

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This game is played by several children. The game begins by drawing a shape on the ground and inside it is divided into squares for the player's path. Each player is required to have a gabat or sign as a requirement for play. Each player must have 1 gabat each. Gabat is usually flat, and players are free to choose their gabat from any object they like. Usually used as gabat are stones, tile fragments, ceiling shards or even thin wood. Gabat size is not specified, according to the player's wishes.

Initially, each gabat is placed in the first order of the game. The player must walk through each box without touching the edge of the box. Boxes that have been filled with gates may not be stepped on or skipped. If the gabat is in box number 1, then the player must walk past the box 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-6-5-4-3-2, then take the gabat in number 1 and exit the box. Then the player continues to put his gabat by throwing it into box number 2. Since box number 1 and number 2 have been filled with digits, the player must go straight to box 3 and continue the game as before. That continued until the last player.

When a gabat from the last box has been taken and the player has already escaped, then the player must kick the gabat slowly with one leg and the other leg raised, passing box by box in the order as before.

If someone has arrived at the last box, then the player must throw his gabat by closing his eyes and turning his back on the box. The position of the player's gabat will later become the player's capit or paddy field, where the player's capit is not allowed to be trampled by another player.

That is one of the traditional Indonesian games and how to play it. But along with the development of technological advances, traditional games eventually began to experience extinction and rarely played. Even though traditional games have many benefits that are good for children's development because the physical and emotional aspects of children are directly involved so that they can affect their growth compared to games that only use fingers to play like nowadays.