Childhood Games
Children's games are recreational
and spontaneous activities enjoyed by kids, based mostly on fantasy and
imagination, or organized with set rules. Many games are derived from everyday
life and reflect the culture from which they developed. Children learn
to play primarily from their parents, teachers or other adults, starting
with a simple infant amusement "Peekaboo". Play often provides a training
ground from which a child learns to develop skills that will be useful
later in life.
The games represent a main
aspect of culture. Their origin it is difficult to be determined because
they have been around a long time. The ancient tomb painting depicted game
playing and stones of ancient game equipment do not give us information
about when or where a game was invented or from which culture it was borrowed.
Some children's games have been played for centuries. Swings existed on
the Island of Crete in 1600 BC, while Hopscotch Game was played in ancient
Greece. Blindman's Buff, Marbles and a Chase Game date from 2,000 years
ago. Other games have a singular origin and they were spread out to other
cultures by travelers and soldiers.
Children and adults play
many games together, primarily guessing games, quizzes, and games that
test physical coordination. Manufactured games were originally used as
a method of instruction beginning in the 17th century. The later development
of geographic games, in which countries were cut out of maps and children
attempted to put them back correctly, led to the creation of the jigsaw
puzzle, and other entertainment forms shortly followed. Monopoly, developed
in 1933, has become one of the most popular board games of all time.
The history of children's
games has been greatly influenced by technological innovations. The discovery
of rubber, for example, led to the creation of new types of balls, which
in turn increased the number and frequency of ball games played. New cultural
and trade ties accompanied these changes with other societies and, as a
result, different toys as kite were introduced from China.
As social attitudes changed,
some games became less popular, while others, especially those that involved
violence toward animals, eventually disappeared. A few children's games
became more structured and often lost their entertainment value.
It is recognized nowadays
that generally a game is used for leisure or recreative purpose. Speaking
in physical terms, there are two categories of games. The first one requiring
special equipment or settings and the second one that doesn't. Most of
games have been preserved by civilization for amusement or entertainment
while other games are used for education or treatment of illness.
By playing a game the child
reflects his inner connections with the world, the people and the events
coming from outside. The game is an imitation of adult life and it is also
a learning process for adapting or copying life's situations.
Petru Dumitru
<[email protected]>
Project Facilitator
"Duiliu Zamfirescu" School,
Focsani, Romania
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