Making a Sipa
Get a small metal washer about the size of a bottle cap. A washer is a small, flat piece of metal with a hole in the middle. Grab a washer that’s about the size and thickness of a quarter. Traditionally, sipas are made with lead washers, but any metal washer will work.
Cut about twenty 6 in (15 cm) strips of cloth or yarn. Any old cloth you have laying around will work or you can use regular craft yarn. Yarn is already thin enough, but if you’re using cloth, be sure to cut it into thin strips. The color doesn't matter and you can even use multiple colors if you want.
Tie the first strip of cloth or yarn to the washer with a single knot. Poke the end of a strip through the middle of the washer about halfway. Then, tie a single knot so it stays in place and the 2 loose ends are dangling from the washer.
Continue adding more yarn or strips to cover the washer. Keep knotting strips around the washer, one after the other. You can stop once the washer is halfway covered, or cover the whole washer with strips for a thicker, more colorful sipa. If you’re using multiple colors, be sure to alternate them.
Secure the strips with additional knots to make the sipa extra strong. This is optional, but if you want to make an extra durable sipa, take 2 strips that are next to each other on the washer and tie them into a knot. These knots are exactly like the original knots you made—you're just using different strips to make them. For example, if you have a green strip and a red strip tied next to each other on the washer, grab 1 of the green strips and 1 of the red strips and tie them together in a single knot.
Playing the Game
Stand across from 1 player or gather a group in a circle. You can play sipa all by yourself, but it’s a lot more fun with friends! You can play against 1 other person by standing across from them. For bigger groups, create 2 teams and gather together in a circle. There should be enough room in between players for everyone to move freely.
Toss the sipa up and kick it with the top, side, or heel of your shoe. Sipa is very similar to hackey sack. The object of the game is to kick it repeatedly as many times as you can and never allow the sipa to hit the ground. To use the top of your shoe, let the sipa land on it and gently bounce it in the air with your foot. Turn your leg to the side (like you’re sitting cross legged) and bounce the sipa off the side of your shoe. If the sipa goes behind you, bend your knee and kick the sipa with the bottom of your shoe. This is a tough move!
Give yourself 1 point each time you successfully kick the sipa. Try to keep the sipa going with as many consecutive kicks as you can, just like in hackey sack. Each time the sipa hits your shoe and doesn’t hit the ground, give yourself a point. Hitting the sipa as many times as you can in a row is the most traditional way to play the game. The player that can keep the sipa in the air the longest and get the most kicks is the winner.
Use your palms and elbows to make the game a little easier. Kicking is hard and takes practice! If you’re a beginner, feel free to hit the sipa with your foot, the palm of your hand, or even your elbow to keep it in the air. Give yourself a point each time you hit the sipa with your hand or elbow, as well.
Kick or give the sipa to another player to keep the game going. Your turn is over if the sipa hits the ground, so hand it to the next player when that happens. You can also kick the sipa over to one of your teammates if you get tired or start losing your momentum.
Put up a net and kick the sipa back and forth over it for a variation. Get into 2 teams and put a net in between you so there’s 1 team on each side of the net (like how you would set up for a volleyball game). Vault the sipa back and forth over the net and try to keep it going as long as possible. If a team lets the sipa hit the ground, the opposing team gets a point. In this version of the game, hit the sipa back and forth over the net rather than trying to keep it for consecutive kicks.
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