The passersby of a Dukuh Atas sidewalk in Central Jakarta have shown that they are not too old for a bit of engklek (hopscotch).

A hopscotch court was drawn on the sidewalk recently by the Pedestrian Coalition as part of an experiment. “The idea actually came about when thinking about traditional games of the past that are seldom played. We would like to remind people [about these games],” coalition head Alfred Sitorus said on Monday.

The experiment, which was monitored using an elevated camera, saw many pedestrians play hopscotch, as opposed to just walking by, according to the coalition’s Instagram account @koalisipejalankaki.

Alfred said those who were born in the 1980s or 1990s were often too busy with their electronic devices and forgot about the true spirit of walking.

“Do Jakartans still remember this game, which was played without a care in the world?” he said.

The experiment lasted for three hours starting at 3 p.m. on Friday.

After the experiment was over, many asked about where they could play the game or if it was possible to draw hopscotch courts on more sidewalks, he said.

“We cannot use permanent paint because that would be categorized as vandalism," Alfred said.

"I would say we should encourage the city administration to make it permanent on each sidewalk. People need simple entertainment that can make them happy, make them cheerful and encourages them to walk."

The coalition plans to run a similar experience at the Gelora Bung Karno pedestrian bridge next Friday. (sau)

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