Fed Up with Lato-Lato? Here's How to Keep Your Kids Entertained Without It

You've probably seen the meme on Facebook showing veteran actress Gina Pareño from a soap opera scene, crying and hysterically screaming, "Tama na!" (Stop!) The humor-infused source of Miss Pareño's frantic grief? Hearing the relentless and simultaneous sound of lato-lato everywhere!

This echoes the collective annoyance of mostly Filipino adults who are fed up with hearing the obnoxious sound waves that the lato-lato game produces.

To be fair, lato-lato didn't start off as an unpleasant and annoying activity played by kids in the streets. However, over time, it got on everyone's nerves, from a work-from-home employee taking call center calls and getting the lato-lato clacker as the background noise, a security guard to a school principal confiscating them, to parents who noticed that their child's arms have gotten bruises caused by the swinging plastic balls.

With all this said, you can get your children to voluntarily give up playing lato-lato by offering them alternatives that will divert their attention. And here, we'll help you come up with equally exciting and fun lato-lato replacements to positively distract your kids.

But first, let's be informed and know more about the infamous game, which became tremendously popular again in Southeast Asian nations as of late.

When and How Did the Lato-Lato Game Become So Popular?

According to Brunei-based newspaper Borneo Bulletin, "lato-lato" originated from the word "latto" which means "making clacking sounds." It's made out of two plastic balls on a string that, when swung against each other, creates the clacking sound. Kids ( and even adults) then compete on who can swing the lato-lato the longest. There is even an actual competition first held in Tarlac province where winning players were rewarded with a cash prize.

Where did the game originate? It was first erroneously believed that it came from Indonesia. Interestingly, however, it was later reported to have actually been invented from the United States in the late 1960s. It was referred there as "Newton's Yo-Yo" as an educational toy. The American version was made of tempered glass instead of plastic, which shatters into pieces when played. This prompted authorities to set safety precautions, with some schools even banning the toy for its perceived harm and danger.

Lato-lato are somewhat similar, or at least comparable, to fidget spinners, except that the latter don't produce an annoying clacking sound.

Top 5 Entertaining Alternatives to Playing Lato-Lato for Your Children

Lato-lato is admittedly good as a physical game. It enables kids to get off their smartphones and therefore have reduced screen times. However, it was already proven to be physically harmful as reported in Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, and how a certain kid sustained bruises playing it.

As such, there are equally fun and physical ways to keep kids active without this dangerous game that adults around have grown to hate because of how excessively popular it became. These entertaining lato-lato alternatives are the following.

1. Age-Appropriate Multi-Piece Puzzles

If your kid is 3+ years old, he or she can definitely solve a 180-piece puzzle already. They may demonstrate struggle at first, but that's perfectly normal. Hence, it's advisable to help them solve the pieces the first time. You'd be surprised at how they will grow to love solving puzzles and how they can intellectually improve as they would later require other challenging puzzles with more pieces!

2. Scavenger Hunt

Make your toddlers solve a puzzle that will both trigger intellectual and physical exercise. Scavenger Hunts work by giving out clues on how to find a certain object that will lead to the next one, and finally to finding the ultimate treasure. This could be a tremendously fun way that will render your kids smiling the whole time!

3. Board or Card Games

If the main object is intellectual stimulation, then board and card games are simply one of the best and coolest indoor activities for bored kids. Some of the most timeless board and card games include Chess, Monopoly, Scrabble, UNO Cards, and even Jenga. These types of games can even be played by the whole family as a source of great weekend bonding!

4. Corner for Arts and Crafts

Unleash the inner little Picasso in your kids and provide them with an avenue for creative expression. Now, you certainly wouldn't want to make them paint your walls with permanent marker stains, so make sure to give them the necessary art materials, namely colored pencils, colored papers, markers, glue, and scissors. You can also join them in their creative pursuits. If they insist on doing their thing on their own, however, still be there to keep them supervised.

5. Outdoor Adventures

Finally, do not deprive your youngsters with the great outdoors. Invest in giving them age-appropriate bikes that they can ride on up to the community park, take them to a play area where they can interact with other kids from the entire neighborhood, or simply have them play whatever they come up to outdoors, as long as these games are considered safe.

At Lumina Homes, we have spacious communities from our affordable house and lot provisions meant to provide the utmost convenience for all homeowners. We have a play area for every Lumina project nationwide that your children can play to along with other kids their age. Moreover, we offer best-selling house models such as single firewalls that have bigger lots in them, which allows homeowners to create a playing space for their toddlers.

On top of these, Lumina Homes also offers other amenities such as mini-gardens, multipurpose hall, guarded entrances, gazebos, shuttle services with pick-up points, and 24/7 security. All Lumina Homes from 50 key locations in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are also conveniently located near elementary, secondary, and tertiary institutions for your growing kids, healthcare facilities, shopping and grocery stores, local tourist spots, places of worship, and more perks that render homeownership for every Filipino family a lot less hassle.

We can definitely help you achieve your property investment goals! Rest assured that an affordable house and lot for sale availed through Lumina Homes is worth every penny you'll shell out. Become a Lumina homeowner this year and see for yourself what it's like to be one!