Coconut-shell walking

Coconut-shell walking is a traditional children's folk game found across Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands, built around a simple homemade pair of stilts made from two halved coconut shells. Each shell has a length of rope threaded through it, and a player stands on the domed side of the two shells with the rope running up between the first and second toes of each foot. Balance is kept by pulling upward on the ropes to hold the shells pressed flat against the soles of the feet while walking, so that the shells do not slip out from underfoot with each step. Unlike stilts on poles, the shells keep the player's feet close to the ground, so the challenge lies less in height than in coordinating the pull of the ropes with the rhythm of walking to keep both shells gripped and level. The game is typically played by children, often informally and without fixed rules beyond the basic aim of walking, running or racing on the shells without losing balance or letting a shell come loose.