Batu seremban is a traditional Malaysian game played on playgrounds and at home. The game can be played by individuals or with a group of friends. Batu seremban is similar to the game of jacks, where an object is tossed into the air, items are gathered on the ground, and the tossed item is caught. Unlike jacks, there is no ball, and traditionally players use 5 stones they have collected. Other natural objects like seeds, bits of wood, or dried clay can be used. Today in Malaysia, little cloth sacks, which contained seeds or beans, are often used in place of the stones. The most popular shape for the cloth stones are little pyramids. There are many versions of the game. We are sharing one version. If your family enjoys the game, research various rules online to find a version your family enjoys most. Every site we went to had different rules! If you would like to make your own batu seremban cloth stones, check out our tutorial for making the little pyramids.

Batu Seremban Materials

• 5 stones (found or made)
• 1 or more players

NOTE: Visit Wee Folk Art’s Homeschool Companion blog to learn How to Make the Pyramid Game Pieces.

One Variation of Batu Seremban Rules

Sit on a hard, clean, level floor. Note: Concrete is not a good choice. It is easy to scrape your knuckles on the surface!

Level One

Throw all five stones into the air. Catch one of the stones before it hits the ground. This is your tossing stone. From this point on, throw the tossing stone into the air, and pick up 1 ground stone, then catch the tossing stone before it hits the ground. Do the same with the rest of the ground stones. Unless otherwise stated, the caught ground stones can be set aside before picking up more stones.

Level Two

Throw all five stones into the air, catching a tossing stone. Do the same as Level One but this time pick up 2 ground stones at a time.

Level Three

Throw all five stones into the air, catching a tossing stone. Do the same as Level One but pick up 3 stones on your first toss and 1 stone on your second toss.

Level Four

Throw all five stones into the air, catching a tossing stone. Do the same as level one but pick up all 4 of the ground stones at one time.

Level Five

Keep the five stones in your hand from Level 4. Throw one stone from this group into the air, place the remaining 4 stones on the ground, then catch the tossing stone before it hits the ground.

Level Six

Throw all 5 stones on the ground. After they have landed, pick up 2 stones. Throw one of those stones, the tossing stone, into the air. While it is in the air, exchange the second stone in your hand for one of the stones on the ground. Catch the tossing stone before it hits the ground. Continue this until you have exchanged all the stones on the ground.

Level Seven

Throw the two stones that you are holding from the end of Level Six. The other stones remain on the ground. While the stones are in the air, pick up 1 ground stone, then catch both of the tossing stones, one in each hand. You now have 2 stones in one hand and 1 stone in another. Throw up the two stones that are in one hand, and again pick up one stone from the ground with the hand that is not holding a stone, then catch both of the tossing stones, one in each hand. You now have 2 stones in each hand. Toss up two stones from one hand, and pick up the final ground stone in your hand that is not holding a stone. Catch both of the tossing stones, one in each hand. You now have 2 stones in one hand and 3 stones in the other. Throw the 2 stones from one hand into the air, then catching the tossing stones, one in each hand. You now have 1 stone in one hand and 4 stones in the other. Finally, throw the one lone stone into the air catch it in the hand that has 4 stones. You now are holding all 5 stones in one hand.

Level Eight

Throw all five stones on the ground. Your opponent looks at the stones and picks one stone to be her tossing stone. She has to pick up that stone without touching any other stone. The play now throws the tossing stone into the air and must pick up the remaining 4 ground stones and catch the tossing stone before it hits the ground. If the player is successful, she now begins on Level One. If she is not successful, the play passes on to the next opponent.

Losing Turns

If at any point in time a player fails to complete a level, his turn ends and the stones are passed on to the next opponent. When it is this players turn again, he can start at the beginning of the level that they did not complete.

Winning the Game

If you wish to play the game competitively, the first person to complete all Eight Levels wins. It is the next opponent’s turn, and everyone starts back at Level One. If one wishes to play for fun, the game continues without a winner being declared, and everyone simply tries to improve their skills. If you are not playing competitively, whenever anyone completes Level Eight, the play passes on to the next opponent and the player that finished the game, will begin again on Level One on his next turn.