Home made Toy - Luthang (pronounced LOOT-HANG)

The sun is out and the neighborhood children have no classes.  Kids playing everywhere - I hear giggles, yelling, feet scampering on our driveway - all those happy noises.  What a welcome change!  Pretty soon it got quite.  I thought maybe they all went somewhere else to play.  So I went out to investigate - JJ normally asks permission first before going somewhere but he didn't this time.  As I looked toward my neighbor's house to the west of us I noticed the kids sitting side by side on a fallen log busy with something.  JJ had something in his hand and was running around with it with two other kids.  It looks like they're playing shooting game or something.

Ah, so this is what they were busy about.  The kids were making "luthang" - you cannot be called a true Filipino unless you know what I'm talking about.  We used to make luthang when I was about JJ's age and we play against the boys too.

First you have a young bamboo that you cut from section to section - about 8-10 inches in length with opening on both ends (this is now your Piece A).  Then you cut another piece - about 2 inches from the bamboo's rib.  Using a machete, (little kids use them here which is frowned upon in the Western world, I'm sure) you make a skewer-like stick using a mature bamboo making sure that the stick fits snugly in the shorter piece (this is now your Piece B).  After smoothing the stick to your liking you then insert Piece B to Piece A.  The stick on Piece B must not jut out of Piece A.  It should be just a tad shorter.  Now you have a luthang.

Mommies get involved in the process too because even two year olds want one, hehehe.

Little Lorenz and Inday patiently waiting for their luthang:

For the "bullet" you soak a wad of newspaper in water.  Once it softened you make a ball out of it and squeeze the water out. You then take a small portion of the wet paper and, using Piece B, pound it gently into the hole of Piece A.  You then shove it in using Piece B with a force.  The first or two bullets won't do much but the third and on you will start to hear a "ping" sound and that's when the fun begins.  Most kids make several in advance because these don't last long.  Either the stick on Piece B breaks or Piece A will start to split.  So to keep going in a "shooting" battle you have to have some reserves.  Someone gave JJ a couple more luthang so he was able to play longer like everyone else.

I kept thinking of when I was little girl growing up here.  We had so much fun making our own toys and playing with the neighbors until dusk.  Then I think of when we will be back in the States, JJ won't be able to do the things he's doing now....not anymore.  So in the meantime while we are still here we encourage him to spend as much time as he can with his friends outside specially now that school is officially out.

Until next time, thanks for following.  Love y'all!