Implementation of the Traditional Game "Petakumpet" as
Representation of Child Character Building
Hariadi Susilo, Salliyanti
The Faculty of Cultural Science USU, North Sumatera Province, Medan, Indonesia
Keywords: Implementation, Representation, Method, Research Finding, Scoring scale
Abstract: The implementation of the traditional game "Petak Umpet" at the research location was introduced as a
representation of various character building game procedures integrating the cultural values of the character
building of the Children. This research uses descriptive qualitative method. Data consists of primary and
secondary data. Primary data referred to traditional games andPetak Umpet (Hide and Seek), while
secondary data information obtained from several sources such as books, documents, photos, research
results, and other written material. Primary data were collected through observation by implementing
traditional game Petak Umpet games with applied data analysis of traditional game research instrument
"Petak Umpet" as Child Character Building. So, the results of the study show that the character building
found in traditional games, the Plot of Umpet is dominated by (a) religion, (b) curious, (c) democratic, (d)
honest, (e) hard work, (f) hard work, (g) discipline, (h) creative, (i) achievement, (j) care for the
environment.Traditional games for the formation of children's characters can be assessed through applied
instrument rating scale characters.
1 INTRODUCTION
Indonesian culture generally pays homage to the
values of the sense of togetherness which encourage
the creation of the games of people’s culture or
traditional games which have been left behind and
even forgotten by most people. Today, there are only
a few people who understand and do the series of
traditional activities because there are so many
changes which cause them to think that it is not
necessary to remember and carry out a traditional
activity in the society. There are many traditional
games throughout Indonesia. Each tribe and
civilization in a certain area has their own traditional
games.
A traditional game is a game which contains
good cultural values and has its function to train its
players to do important things which will be very
beneficial for their social life in the future; for
examples, training them to calculate, to think aptly
and wisely, not to be overly sentimental, to be
courageous, to be honest, to be sportsmanlike, etc.
The values of environmental wisdom are
abstractions of people’s experiences of adapting to
their environment in a broad sense, and can be
considered as guidelines, ways and directions for the
most effective activities for the supporting
community in carrying out community life in their
environment (P. Hijjang et al.,2018:59; 2018; A.
Kiran and J. Knights, 2010: 149; V.
Trajkoviketal,.2018: 243) In addition, this kind of
information could enable physical education
teachers to help students develop the attitudes,
behaviors, and cognitive strategies required to
become “healthy and competent” overallthat is,
socially, emotionally, academically, and physically,
because these four domains are closely related to
one another. This information would increase
people’s emotional awareness, something key to
developing social skills(P. Lavegaet al,.2010: 145)
Furthermore, local knowledge is a personality,
cultural identity of the community in the form of
values, norms, ethics, beliefs, customs, and special
rules accepted by society and proven ability to
survive continuously. (A. Mane Kandariat
al,.2017:129)
Haerani Nur et al. (2013:2) points out that over
time, especially rapid development of technology,
actually influences children’s activity in modern
games and begin to abandon traditional games.
Today, children would rather play digital games
such as video games, play-station (PS), and games
Susilo, H. and Salliyanti, .
Implementation of the Traditional Game "Petakumpet" as Representation of Child Character Building.
DOI: 10.5220/0008996101750180
In Proceedings of the International Conference on Education, Language and Society (ICELS 2019), pages 175-180
ISBN: 978-989-758-405-3
Copyright
c
2020 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
175
online. These games have the image of modern
games since they are considered as “modern” since
they are played by using sophisticated devices with
up-to-date technology.
There were some factors which made
thisresearch in implementing traditional games: (1)
the culture of traditional games was empowered in
the life of children today, (2) the culture of
traditional games was considered as the
establishment of children’s mentality, (3) traditional
games indicated cultural richness in the forms of
values, ideas, ambition, and guidance of the people
in the old days, (4) the culture of traditional games
were assumed to haveprestigious skills as
entertainment which could be found everywhere;
therefore, this research would take inventory
traditional games and examine the material design,
and (5) traditional games with various kinds of skill
and capability of representing the establishment of
values of character building culture and integrating
cognitive, effective, and psychomotor domain.
Traditional knowledge is the knowledge which is
owned or controlled from generation to generation
and is still developed according to the exchange in
environment. Bishop, et. al. in his journal (W.
Hidayati, 2014) point out that traditional game is “a
game which has been handed down from generation
to generation; it has good, positive, valuable, and
desirable values. Local wisdom can be understood as
human attempt to use his common sense
(cognition)to act and to behave toward something,
object, or event which occurs in a certain space. This
understanding is arranged etymologically in which
wisdom can be understood as one’s capacity, using
his reasoning, to act or behave according to his
evaluation on an object of an event.
PetakUmpet (Hide and Seek) is a traditional
game culture which contains educational values
because the game provides happiness, gladness, and
cheerfulness for children who play the game.
Besides that, his traditional game establishes the
aspects of development, behavior, and reflection
which include social, emotional, dependency, norms
and religion, language development, cognitive, art,
and motoric physic (Setiawan, 2018:2. These aspects
will develop as there is the influence of the
environment where the children live. In this age of
achild, human basic capacity is developed and
becomes the foundation for the next growth and
development, including moral and behavioral
development which becomes the foundation for
character building.
One of the efforts to develop a child to have
character is by instilling character values in his life
through various kinds of activity. Consciously or
unconsciously, many character values are integrated
in it which is beneficial for instilling character
values in children. Yunus (1981:27) points out that a
traditional game which is often called the game of
common people grew and developed in rural areas in
the old days. It grew and developed based on the
need of the local people.
A traditional game is full of high cultural values
so that it is appropriate to be taught to children. Its
specific characteristics are as follows: (1) a
traditional game isusually played by two opponents
face to face, (2) It need a lot of movements, and (3)
it is done in group. Since it is played in group, it is
played by two opponents face to face which creates
social interaction among the players. From this
interaction, children can develop their capacity to
socialize with their peers or environment, to
traintheir creativity, to develop their motoric
capacity, to train their sportsmanship, and to tighten
friendship.
2 FORMULA OF THE
PROBLEMS
Based on the background above, the formula of the
problems was what factors which establish the
traditional game, PetakUmpet as character building.
3 METHODOLOGY
3.1 Previous studies
Hapidin,et al,. (2016) "Development of Traditional
Folk Game Models in building Early Childhood
Character". This research aims to develop various
types of traditional games into traditional
educational models in early childhood
Betty Yulia Wulansari (2017) "Preservation of
Cultural Arts and Traditional Games Through Local
Wisdom Themes in the Early Childhood Education
Curriculum" This research preserves traditional
games through early childhood education (PAUD).
PAUD is an institution that supports the existence of
a social system of friendship to play traditional
guarantees. Local wisdom can be applied to all
PAUD institutions throughout Indonesia so that our
country does not experience the crisis of the
extinction of traditional games.
Haerani Nur., at al,. (2013) "Building
Children's Characters Through Traditional
ICELS 2019 - International Conference on Education, Language, and Society
176
Children's Games". This paper aims to illustrate the
benefits of traditional children's games in building
children's character. This is motivated by the
phenomenon of children's play activities today,
namely playing modern games using technology,
such as online games. This paper compares the
effect of modern games with traditional games on
the character of children's characters. Returning the
Madison game as an alternative to creating a
superior generation of character
3.2 Representation of the Process of
Character Building
According to Prasetyo (2001:38),representation
of traditional games can be understood as the
meaning product through language with three
principles: first, they act as the constructive ideology
of meaning product through language because they
can be understood with an imagination by placing
the same thought of the presentation of traditional
games (ground); secondly, they explain symbolic
ideological construction which communicates the
meaning of an object through language to other
people so that they can be understood by language
convention (Lull, 1998:83; Geuss, 2004:47) thirdly,
various ideological association of cultural
construction can be understood by using semiotic
method.
According to Susilo (2006:15), the concept of
references can be understood and explained as
follows: first, knowledge of traditional games is
placed by students or adolescents in the cognitive
identity presentation which is behaved affectively;
secondly, traditional games represents the
knowledge of good mental health by helping
children communicate their feelings effectively;
thirdly, the knowledge of the two components will
influence the component of volition as the
commitment to present the psychomotor of good and
bad behavior.
Misbach (2006:7) points out that a game is a
playing situation which has some rules or a certain
objective which yields activities in the form of
intentional action. Therefore, it can be understood
that in the game there are some activities which are
bound by rules in order o achieve a certain objective.
His research shows that a traditional game can
stimulate various aspects of a child development
which include (1) motoric aspect by training
resistance, pliancy, sensory-motoric, rough motoric,
and smooth motoric;
3.3 Representation of Character
Building Values
Setiawan (2016:5) points out that cultural values
embodied in traditional games as follows: (1)
training independency, (2) determined to make
decision, (3) full of responsibility, (4) honest, (5)
controlled opponents, (6) cooperative, (7) helping
and guarding to each other, (8) protecting the
interest of groups, (9) democratic, (10) adhering
torules, (11) full of consideration, (12) accurate in
thinking and acting, (13) not mushy, (14)
courageous, (15) polite, and (16) inflexible.
Susilo (2018: 56) explains in detail the character
building as follows: (1) relationship between man
and God: religious values, (2) relationship between
man and nature: the value of care for environment,
(3) relationship between man and society: a) the
value of tolerance, b) the value of love for a country,
c) the value of caring for social affairs, d) the value
of love peace, e) the value of togetherness, f) the
value of mutual assistance, g) the value of
consanguinity, and h) the value of demonstration, (4)
the value of human culture with other people: a) the
value of honesty, b) the value of respectful, c) the
value of social control, d) the value of ethics, and (5)
relationship between man and himself: a) the value
of discipline, b) the value of hard working, c) the
value of creativity, d) the value of independency, e)
the value of curiosity, f) the value of nationality, g)
the value of appreciating achievement, h) the value
of friendship, i) the value of being fond of reading, j)
the value of responsibility, k) the value of loyalty,
and l) the value of being ready to sacrifice.
4 METHOD
This research uses data analysis method according
toSugiyono (2017: 35 7) consisting of primary and
secondary data. Primary data of traditional game of
Hide and Seek, and secondary data including
information obtained from several sources such as
books, documents, photos, research results and other
written material Primary data collection is based on
observations by implementing Petak Umpet, then the
data obtained in the game are analyzed by applying
traditional game research instrument technology as
Child Character Building.
Implementation of the Traditional Game "Petakumpet" as Representation of Child Character Building
177
5 RESULT AND DISCUSSION
5.1 Discussion
The data in the research location were gathered by
conducting observation, and recording, analyzed as
follows:
5.1.1 Applying the Recording of Traditional
Game, Petak Umpet
Figure 1 : Traditional Game, Petak Umpet
PetakUmpet a traditional game in Central Java;
in Javanese it is called, Dhelikan.This term is
derived from a basic word, ndelik which means in
Indonesian “to hide.” Therefore, there will be no
problem if the word is translated into Indonesian as
PetakUmpet in which the players attempt to hide
while one of them tries to seek and to find them.
This is a joyful game which is played by more than
one child, and it does not need any financial cost. It
only needs a tree, a wall, or a support in any form
for one player to close his eyes with his hands, and
the other players hurriedly ngumpet (hide) according
to a certain count. Historically, it is difficult to find
out since when this game existed.
If we trace from Encyclopedia Britannica,it is
said that this game has existed since the second
century. The written evidence is digested by a
Greek writer, Julius Pollux, who says that there was
the same type of game, Apodidraskinda, in Greece.
In the modern Greekk era, this type of game is
called, Kryfto. It is assumed that there are the same
types of game throughout the world with different
names. In Spain, it is called Escondite, in France it
is called Jeu de Cache-Cache, in Israel it is called
Machboim, in Korea it is called Sumbagoggil, in
Rumania it is called de-av-atiAscunselea, in Bolivia
it is called Tuja, in Honduras and El Salvador it is
called cucumbe, and in England and the United
States it is called Hide and Seek. Onethingfor sure
is that this typeof game has a lot of benefits or
advantages.
5.1.2 Procedure of Playing the Game
Some method of playing this game is as follows:
1. Before the traditional game "PetakUmpet"
participants first recited the Prayer
2. Focus group discussions instill the rules of the
game and what media are used in the game to
participants of the traditional game
"PetakUmpet”
3. First, it is determined who will be the first
“seeker”; it can be done by some different ways.
It can be the youngest player or the boy who is
in his anniversary or birthday, or by using a
word game such as “one potato, two potatoes,”
or any other similar games, or by tossing a coin
or drawing lots. If an older player becomes the
seeker, he will be a natural seeker. The younger
the seeker is, the more upset he is since the other
seekers are more experienced to hide than him.
4. Starting to play. After one of the players
becomes the seeker, he will stay in the home
base, close his eyes and begin to count loudly
from one until the agreed number. The seeker
can also reads a pantun or sing a song until
finishes so that the other players have time to
hide. Make sure that all players, except the
seeker, know the duration of hiding, and make
sure that all hiders are not cheating. The seeker
should close his eyes with his palms and face
awall or a tree or a pole. He is not allowed to
peep.
5. Go hiding. All players, except the seeker, will
run to the place where they can hide while the
seeker is counting: one, two, three, four...He is
forbidden to peep the other players who are
looking for the places to hide. They all keep
silent and not moving while they are hiding or
the seeker can use his ears to listen to the other
players’ steps so that he can guess their direction.
The hiders try hard not to make themunknown by
the seeker; therefore, they have to keep silent in
their hiding places.
6. Starting to seek. After the seeker finishes
counting, he will shout: “Are you ready? I’ll find
you!” At this moment, the seeker begins to find
the hiders. He will use his eyes and ears
attentively. Once he finds hiders, he has to touch
them. On the other hand, the hiders try to move
silently to the other places if they see that the
seeker approaches them in order to avoid being
caught. They usually do it by creeping or
ICELS 2019 - International Conference on Education, Language, and Society
178
crawling. But, if it is too late to move away, sit
still and don’t move! The seeker might pass them
and move away. It is a good idea to move to the
places where the seeker has been there. This is
called a strategy. If some hiders do not come
back to the home base in agreed time or they are
not found, the seeker should give universal sign
that allis clear. He then yells, “All of you are free
now!” It means that all of them are safe to go
back to the home base.
7. The change of one of the hiders to be the seeker.
The first hider who is found by the seeker will
change his position to be the new seeker in the
next cycle of the game. However, it depends on
the agreement among the players the next cycle
of the game will begin if one of the hiders is
found or all of the hiders are found. All players
can also determine the duration of a game if a
seeker is not able to find the hiders in certain
time (3 time, for example), his position has to be
changed so that every player is given the
opportunity to hide.
5.1.3 Analysis on the Data of Character-
Building Values
Table 1 applied data analysis of traditional game research
instrument technology "Petak Umpet" as Child Character
Building
No
Technique of the Game
Character
Building
1.
Saying a prayer before
playing
Religious
2.
Explaining the rules of the
game (FGD)
Curiosity
3.
Determining who will the
seeker is done with some
different ways
Democracy
4
The seeker is forbidden to
peep and to countincorrectly
Honest
5.
The hiders should run and
find safe places to hide
Hard
working
6
Hiders can move away to the
other places or stay still
Disciplined
7.
Thinking hard to avoidbeing
found or caught and trying to
get fast to the home base
Creative
8.
Si Players who can first reach the
home base are the winners
and can hide again
Achievement
9
Te game is in open space so
that the children can learn
how to maintain and conserve
natural environment where
they can play games any time
Care for
environment
5 RESULT
Based on the explanation in the analysis, character
building in the traditional game, PetakUmpet,
represents as follows:
1. Traditional game, PetakUmpet, represents (a)
religious, (b) curious (c) democratic, (d) honest,
(e) hard working, (f) disciplined, (g) creative, (h)
achievement, and (i) care for environment.
2. The values of character building in the traditional
game, PetakUmpet, should be understood that
integrating the development of individual
character building includes the establishment of
cognitive, affective, volition, and behavioral
components.
3. Traditional games for the formation of children's
characters can be assessed through applied
instrument rating scale characters
4. As in school, this game consists of critical
importance, all payers lead themselves to large
“value add” on noncognitive skills, in terms of
producing desirable long terms outcome like
course taking and graduation as much as other
players who are good at adding value to the
(much more easily measured) skills. And that
means that, at present, we risk failing to find,
study, reward, and replicate half of what matters
for life success, and can be learned from the
game, and other players who are on paths to a
life time of success. (A. Sokatch, 2017:1238)
5. Children traditional games (also called folk
games) are those that are passed from child o
child, generation to generation, informally by
word of mouth,” and most childrem games
include at least two of the following six features
in different proportion physical skill, strategy,
chance, repetition of patterns, creativity and
vertigo (Sierra et al,. 1995: 3)
6 CONCLUSION AND
SUGGESTION
6.1 Conclusion
It could be concluded fromthe discussion on the
representation of character building that the
traditional game, PetakUmpet, contained (a)
religious, (b) curious, (c) democratic, (d) honest, (e)
hard working, (f) disciplined, (g) creative, (h)
achievement, and (i) care for environment.
Cognitive aspect of traditional games teaches us
to understand character values about good and bad
Implementation of the Traditional Game "Petakumpet" as Representation of Child Character Building
179
with rational basis which will process creatively
moral decision to develop imagination and
creativity, and problem solving develops skills in
children’s growth and development. The stored
knowledge will influence the establishment which
has been instilled in the affective component to yield
morals and ethics. Good value of mental health can
help children communicate their feelings effectively
and naturally, reduce their anxiety, their self-control,
and train their concentration. These two components
will influence volition, commitment to present the
psychomotor of good and bad behavior.
6.2 Suggestion
It is recommended that parents teach traditional
games to their children as early as possible so that
they will be able to represent the representative
behavior of character-building values and to know
what is good and what is bad. Teachers should teach
traditional games at school and provide character
education to their students in classes or in extra-
curricular activities. School management should
provide facilities for traditional games.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The implementation of this research was based on
the Directive of the Rector the University of
Sumatera Utara No. 1515/UN5.1.R/SK/SDM/2016
on August 5, 2016, The fund for the research was
from DRPM Kemenristekdikti, the applied research
scheme of Higher Education Priority in the fiscal
year of 2018 with the Agreement Number:
204/UN.2.3.1/PPM/KP-DRPM/2018 on February 5,
2018 Phase I; the next research fund from DRPM
Kemenristekdikti for phase 2 of 2019.
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