Village Kids Play with Waste Tyres

When I read the Thursday Photo Challenge theme is WHEELS, my thoughts raced back to that day when I saw a little boy playing with a wheel. This was in Sunderbans, West Bengal.

Two little boys were playing  this rolling the tyre game. They were rolling an old worn out waste tyre by turns. One of them had a stick and was engrossed in trying to run with the wheel, he was hitting it at regular intervals to keep it straight and rolling. It seemed to me as if it was an art he was trying to master.

Isn’t it such an interesting outdoor toy for kids?

village boys rolling waste tyre

2 Boys Play with Waste Tyre

It was noon, under the hot sun both kids were playing, sweating profusely yet totally immersed in their game. Weren’t their mothers looking out for them?

We had finished our lunch and had just set off for a village tour of Sundernbans, when we noticed these 2 little boys. I remembered my childhood days, I had tried rolling an old worn out cycle tyre but could never master that art. It felt so good to see the 2 boys engrossed the game, competing and sharing the same toy.

Simple pleasures of life! I have never seen the city bred kids playing the same. Instead they are often pampered with tech toys. They are missing out so much fun I thought.

Boys Play with Waste Tyre – Run and Roll tire

The activity kept the boy so engaged in his mind that he was not aware he was almost going to bump in to us. I moved out of his way so that I don’t disturb his game.

A tyre that was thrown away as useless was a source of joy and enjoyment for him. He wasn’t dependent on any costly toy, nor could his parents afford any.

I could see clearly it was a learning experience for him; he made good reuse of a waste stuff, his reflexes improved while trying to balance the wheel and he learned to be happy on his own! Wish I could be like him!

village boys Sundarbans Bengal

I saw the other boy didn’t have any stick but he was rolling the tire with bare hands. He had mastered the art, it seemed. He ran along the rolling tyre for some distance and then came back to start point.

street game rolling tyre by village boy

Tyre rolling game

Years later during my tour of Gopaplur village in Jajpur Odisha, I saw a little girl busy playing with a tire. She seemed to be a master at it.

Tyre game in village

rolling tire game in village – Girl playing with cycle tyre

Have you played this game as a child? What rural street games have you played? Pithoo? Lagori? Seven tiles? Kith-kith? What other outdoor toys for kids do you know? Let me know in comment box.

If you are excited to get kids outdoors introduce them to this unique game with old tyres. These outdoor toys encourages several skills and also burns some energy.

Pin this for later

Rolling Tire game

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