Lato Lato, the Toy That Has Taken Philippines by Storm

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, your ears have probably been assaulted with the constant clacking sound of the trending lato-lato toy. It’s the latest obsession that has taken the country by storm after fidget spinners, slimes, bey blades, and kisses. But what the heck is it?

What on earth is lato-lato?

Lato-lato is a toy made up of two plastic balls connected with a string. Players swing the balls around until they make a loud clacking sound and whoever maintains the rhythm (and the noise) the longest earns bragging rights. In some places, players earn more than that. In Cainta, Rizal, for example, the tourism office held a local lato-lato competition where kids try to be the player with the longest streak.

NOW: Lato Lato competition at the Tourism office in Cainta Rizal. | via @ZyannAmbrosio pic.twitter.com/hMvH3lKbvq

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) June 9, 2023

Pinoys aren’t the only ones obsessed with it

Hahahaha! Sehun ang ingay maglaro ng lato-lato, mapapagalitan ka ng kapitbahay. pic.twitter.com/HfPswnxA38

— 🌸 (@junmyeonxsuho) June 10, 2023

It’s not just kids that are itching to get their hands on the toy, you’ll find adults bragging on social media about their playing streaks too. In the West, actors like Paul Rudd and Jonathan Majors were asked to play it during the red-carpet premiere of Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania. Even South Korean K-pop idol Sehun from EXO and actor Kim Seon Ho tried to learn the ropes of the game too.

Where did it even start?

The toy has been around for a long time, even our parents have memories of playing with it when they were kids, albeit with slightly different versions. Lato-lato originated in the United States around the 1960s, but there, it’s named “clackers” after the noise it makes.

So where did the lato-lato name come from? It’s said to come from the Indonesian (specifically Bugis) word “latto-latto”, which means “making clacking sounds”.

Recently, the toy made a resurgence via Indonesian TikToks and Pinoys, being a chronically online bunch, caught the trend.

Some Filipinos are glad that kids have a physical toy to enjoy with their friends. Cainta LGU Admin Head and Former Mayor Kit Nieto even said that the lato-lato craze has helped divert their kids from exposure to too many video games.

Wala akong nakikitang mali dito. In fact, nakakatuwa pa nga to eh

From a psychological standpoint, nakakatuwa na kids are starting to regain aspects of socialization with other kids after the lockdown.

Toys are an integral part of their development. https://t.co/9MT9qE3mft

— Anthony (@anthonytrovela) June 12, 2023

“Wala akong nakikitang mali dito. In fact, nakakatuwa pa nga to eh,” said one netizen. “From a psychological standpoint, nakakatuwa na kids are starting to regain aspects of socialization with other kids after the lockdown.”

Lato lato is cool and all, but now we just want silence

Watch on TikTok

Fun fact: Lato lato is banned in four countries: in the US, the UK, Canada, and Egypt. This was after officials deemed the toy to be dangerous to children and could be a potential weapon. In the Philippines, it hasn’t been used as a weapon so far but irritated adults are this close to having the toy banned.

However, if you want to buy one to add to the noise pollution (or you just really need to connect with your inner child), you can purchase the toy from street vendors for around P20. You could even order them from Shopee.

Netizens are so done with the toy

Like we said, Pinoys are chronically online. After hearing the clacking sound so many times in streets, schools, public spaces, and even workplaces, they can’t help but express how tired they are of it. Check out the funniest tweets: