Traditional games provide a culturally situated means of transmitting local knowledge, social values, and community practices across generations. However, digitalization and changing patterns of children's social interaction increasingly challenge their continuity and cultural functions. This study aims to identify ethnoliteracy practices in traditional games practiced within the Madurese community in Bangkalan and interpret their cultural and philosophical meanings. The study employed a qualitative approach with an ethnographic design. Data were collected through observations at 10 elementary schools and in-depth interviews with 14 informants, comprising Madurese language teachers, community elders, and cultural practitioners. Data were analyzed through data condensation, data display, conclusion drawing and verification, followed by philosophical interpretation. The findings identified eight traditional games: Pesapean, Gempuran, Penteng, Rem-erremman, Bhisek, Bentengan, Congkooncong konce, and Larkolarjhang. The games embody diverse cultural dimensions, including spirituality, communal participation, cooperation, sportsmanship, discipline, strategic thinking, physical coordination, communication, and social responsibility. These dimensions are embedded in game rules, symbolic elements, bodily practices, and player interactions. The findings demonstrate that traditional games function as ethnoliteracy practices through which cultural knowledge is learned and transmitted through participation rather than solely through written or verbal texts. This study conceptualizes traditional games as living cultural texts, extending ethnoliteracy toward embodied, participatory, and socially situated cultural practices.
Copyrights © 2026