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Myanmar Traditional Toys : Forgotten memories of the childhood days

Nowadays, kids are immersed in phones and computers, and many barely remember the joy of playing with physical toys. If you're feeling nostalgic like I am or curious about the toys we used to play with back in the day, this blog is for you! I've put together a list of Myanmar's traditional toys and how we enjoyed them during our weekends and summer holidays.

1. Pyit Taing Htaung (Tumbling Toy)

The direct translation of this toy's name is "upright whenever thrown down". The "pyit-taing-htaung" is a type of tumbling toy which has a weigh inside the bottom to make it stand upright whenever it's thrown onto the floor. In Myanmar culture, this toy represents resilience, courage and the spirit of never giving up. The toy is typically made from wood and comes in various sizes, shapes, and designs, but usually they all have a human smiling face at the front and is shaped like an egg.

2. Pa Lote Tote (Pellet Drums)

This toy is popular throughout Asia, especially among toddlers, back in the days. You roll the stick back and forth in your palms and the stringed pellets will hit the drum in the middle to make a catchy drumming sound. You can usually find these in pagoda festivals (payar pwal) where street vendors sells little handmade toys to attract the crowd.

3. Oh Pote (Clay Pot Toy)

Have you ever picked flowers and herbs, pound them with a rock and arrange them nicely on a leaf plate to pretend you're having a feast? This kind of play-pretend is quite popular back in the days and we even have colourful little clay pots to cook meals with your friends. The best part? You can actually heat them up with fire and boil whatever you want but they are quite fragile so make sure the kids don't drop them while they're playing with these Oh Pote!  

4. Yote Thay Yote (Puppets (or) Marionettes)

 In Myanmar, there're still a lot of professional puppeteers thriving in the theatre business. Some wealthy families used to buy this kind of puppets as a toy for their kids to play back in the days. The puppets are usually replicas of Myanmar's mythical creatures and are colourfully decorated with extravagant clothes. If you visit Bagan, you'll see a lot of vendors selling Burmese Puppets and they're pretty nice-looking souvenirs to bring back to your home!



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