Dominica is often referred to as the ‘Nature Island of the Caribbean’, as we boast of our mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, canyons, gorges, black and coral sand beaches and, of course, our rich flora and fauna.
Among that wide variety of plants are many that children played – or still play – with, either the entire plant, or parts of the plant such as the fruits, seeds, seedpods, leaves, sap, etc. And as children, we must have had our fair share of fun playing with various plant-toys. Back in 1986, the Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division published a booklet titled, ‘Cabrits Plants &Their Uses’ which documented several of the plants found growing at the Cabrits and the ways that children played with such plants. Then in 2011, the Division published a 104-page book entitled, ‘Playing With Plants In The Nature Isle’; that publication went on to be reviewed in the ‘International Journal of Play’ the following year.
The practice of children playing with plants/plant parts in Dominica has declined over the years, but some of that activity still exists to a certain extent today. So, let us take a look back at this aspect of our heritage.
One of the most popular uses of a part of the coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is the use of one half of the coconut husk as a toy boat. The sail would be a seaside grape leaf, which is kept in place with a piece of ‘kokoyé’ or ‘pointer’ (rib of coconut leaflet). This toy would be ‘launched’ on the open water.
A whistle or ‘souflèt’ was made from a piece of the leaflet of a coconut ‘branch’; that material was also used to make a toy windmill (moulen van). And, of course, the frame for locally-made kites (‘salvolan’) was made using ‘kokoyés’. An entire coconut frond or ‘branch’ became a sled, while the portion of a frond that is closest to the tree’s stem would be shaped into a cricket bat or ‘bat koko’. There are several toys made from the undeveloped fruits (e.g. used as a cricket ball), the coconut shell (e.g. for making walkie-talkies), the ribs of the leaflet (arrows, swords), etc. And it must be noted too that coconut candy (‘jem koko’ or ‘tjè koko‘), is a popular snack among rural children.
Three parts of the banana plant [‘tree’] (Musa paradisaca) were used to create playthings by Dominica’s children. A short length of the stalk (pseudostem) of the banana plant would be split longitudinally into two and these would be used to hold the stumps in place in cricket games played on hard surfaces.
At Layou, children used pieces of the stalk of the banana plant to build a fishing raft or ‘pwipwi’ and casually paddle up and down or fish in the stretch of the Layou River between the village and the Hillsborough Bridge.
The inflorescence of the banana, which develops into the banana bunch, had several uses, either in whole or in part. The inflorescence is known in Kwéyòl as ‘pòpòt fig’ and as ‘kòyòt fig’. Girls would dress up the inflorescence as a doll, with eyes (‘jumbie beads’), lips, nose, and even a head tie. This practice appears to be the origin of the Kwéyòl name for the inflorescence, i.e. ‘popot fig’. In Castle Bruce, young boys also used the inflorescence to play American football.
Over in Laudat, the inflorescence would represent livestock, such as a pig, sheep, goat or cow. This item would be tied with a piece of ‘kapi’ vine and dragged, enacting bringing the animal to the market for sale.
The purple-and-red parts of the inflorescence which curls up as the bunch develops would represent ‘djèl kochon’ (pig’s snout) in children’s house (‘mama’) games; this item would also be used as a boat on the water. Over in St. Joseph young girls even made little dolls from the stalk of the banana leaf. And, interestingly, the banana flowers which
do not develop into fingers/bananas are whitish in colour, and these would represent French fries in ‘mama’ games.
Hopscotch is a very popular game among both boys and girls, and in rural areas in particular, the hopscotch squares were marked on the street or other hard surface using a mature green banana, and that mark would remain on the street or sidewalk for several weeks.
And children used their creativity with the banana plant in many other uses. The male inflorescence of the breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis), i.e. the one that does not develop into a breadfruit, is known locally as ‘pòpòt penpen’, and that item also has multiple uses. Firstly, a piece of ‘kapi’ vine would be tied to an entire inflorescence with stalk, and this would represent a microphone. Four short pieces, cut across, would represent the wheels for a toy car made from a matchbox (See first photo). Further, larger pieces of this item would represent chunks of meat in ‘mama’ games.
Over in Portsmouth, young girls took a breadfruit leaf, cut it into a circular shape and this would represent a shaped pizza dough, and on top of this they would place wet red Hibiscus petals to represent pepperoni. And, as the saying goes, ‘Boys will always be boys’. This expression extends to catching birds using the latex or sap (‘lagli’) from the breadfruit tree to trap small birds that rest on the tree stem. And those who were more sportive played football (soccer) with a small, round breadfruit with the stalk removed.
The fourth set of toys/games that we will present are some cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale) games. The majority of cashew nut games are played outdoors, sometimes on a concrete surface and other times on an area with dirt. However, ‘Poynt-o-Kabèch’ is an indoor guessing nut game played by two persons. First, Player A holds a nut in his
clenched fist, and Player B has to guess which way he is holding the nut after ‘A’ says, “Poynt-o-kabèch”. If player B guesses right, then he/she receives the nut. If he/she guesses wrong, then he/she gives a nut to player A.
In some communities that game is known as ‘Man in the Bush’ or ‘Go or Stay’, while another guessing game, this time using the roasted cashews, is called ‘Ship Sail… Sail Fast.’
Some of the nut games played outdoors were, ‘sètin & bounzin’, ‘zig-zòg-zabat’, ‘tokes’ or touks’, ‘small ring’, ‘big ring’, ‘kach-ka-jou’, ‘closest to the wall’, ‘3-holes’, etc.
And, of course, the young boys in the neighbourhood would eagerly look forward to coming together, close to the reopening of school, for the big roast-up of the nuts that they had individually amassed while playing the various nut games during the school vacation.
REMARKS: The above is a just a small sample of how, before the advent of computers, cell phones and tablets into the Nature Isle, Dominican children played with various parts of plants. You, my dear reader, must have played with some plant or part of a plant while growing up. From playing ‘mèzè mawi’ with the sensitive plant; to enjoying a delicious mango salad prepared from unripe but mature mangoes; to creating an airplane from a green banana and pieces of ‘kokoyé’; to using the tiny leaves of the moss rose (‘kavalyè wonzè’) plant to represent rice in house games; to creating your own ink or ‘cooking oil’ from certain plants, etc, etc, etc.
The Appendix of Playing With Plants… (James, 2011) lists almost 200 species of plants with which Dominican children played, and the author is well aware that that list (of plants and games) is incomplete. Two games and associated plants that came to the fore immediately following the book’s launching in 2011 and are not included in the book’s contents are (a) use of a cleaned-up clump of ‘pyé poul’ weed grass to represent a doll at Soufriere, and (b) use of the curled-up, unopened leaves of the ‘jenjanm doulè’ plant to represent ‘balaw’ (balao fish) in ‘mama’ games at Laudat.
It may be of interest to note that the practice of Dominican children playing with plants was featured on the ‘L’Habitille: Habits That Count’ programme presented on DBS Radio, on September 29, 2024; that Sunday afternoon programme is hosted by Dominican Dr. Martha Joseph.
You may wish to purchase your copy of ‘Playing With Plants…’ at the Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division in order to learn more about how Dominican children played – or still play – with plants that grow in the forest, the bushes near our homes, on the roadside, or in the flower or food garden. I trust that you enjoyed the article, and will enjoy the book.