Sipa - Traditional Games of the Philippines
Written by Celeste Halliwell in partnership with Mira Ello
Sipa (Feather)
Sipa is another popular traditional game that continues to be played in the Philippines [1]. Sipa is a game that requires agility and coordination by players as they try to keep a weighted bundle of feathers or a rattan ball from falling to the ground. Quick reflexes and spatial awareness are developed while playing this game [2].
Sipa translates to ‘Kick’ and resembles the game of soccer, or hacky sack, usually playing with a ball made of rattan or a bundle of cloth, fiber or feathers [3].
“These feathers are hard to hit because you need to hit them at the base where it is more solid to be able to transfer it to your opponent for as long and as many times without the feather falling to the ground. Players can bounce it with all parts of their body except their hands. The one with the most hits of the feather wins the game” [1].
Traditionally, boys kick the feathers or ball with their leg in front of them and girls from behind. Some will play in a court defined by grids and lines that serve as spaces for players and determines points awarded depending on where the ball or feathers land in the court [5].
Outdoor court games consist of two to four players that use a larger ball that can touch the ground, similar to soccer [5].
Sipa is often played in public spaces and cultivates community bonding by bringing people together to enjoy the challenge and excitement of the game. Players and spectators alike come together to enjoy the game. Regional variations are apparent with the game Sipa reflecting each community dynamic [2].
Building Brains: Playing a game like Sipa, or Feather, enhances endurance and motor coordination skills to keep the feathers airborne, but also develops skills of timing with motor control, attention to the feather, and regulation of motor control that is necessary to promote smooth transitions among each bounce of the feather. These games develop time estimation and skill automation with practice that lend to stronger executive functions [4].
References
1. Ello, M. In Discussion, December, 2024. Philippine Community Christmas Party 2024.
2. Retrieved online December, 2024 from: Traditional Filipino Games: Sungka, Patintero, Sipa - Keeping Culture Alive - Pinas Culture.
3. Retrieved online January 2025 from: https://www.philippinature.net/traditional-games-in-the-philippines/.
4. Rigoli, D., Piek, J. P., Kane, R., & Oosterlaan, J. (2012). Motor coordination, working memory, and academic achievement in a normative adolescent sample: Testing a mediation model. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 27: 766–780.
5. Sipa – A Traditional, Native Philippine Sport – Subli