Games, Children's

Background

“Play” has been defined in various ways. Most definitions, however, indicate that it is an activity that is engaged in both for its own sake and for the purpose of participating in the process of the play. While “winning” is often highly desired, in and of itself it offers few if any benefits to the child other than the ability to say one has bested one's peers. Such a definition contrasts play with exploration, which may occur when a child receives a new toy or other plaything.

Play is sometimes categorized into various types, including exercise play, object play, physical play, pretend play, and sociodramatic play. Exercise play begins when children are toddlers, peaks at the early elementary school grades, and then decreases. This type of play involves periods when a child is running around and being active; exercise play is posited to assist with the physical training of muscles while also encouraging breaks from cognitive tasks. Object play begins in infancy and is thought to assist children in developing problem-solving skills, as studies have demonstrated that allowing children the opportunity to play with an object has as much impact as instruction when the same children are later asked to solve a problem. Physical play involves gross motor activity, such as those movements that include climbing, jumping, running, or other large muscle movement, including play fighting and chasing. Pretend play begins in children as young as 15 months old, often entails such behaviors as putting a stuffed toy “to bed” or feigning sleep, and is often first modeled to children by adults. Sociodramatic play involves social interaction with others and can often involve sustained role-playing along a narrative line. Sociodramatic play is often engaged in by children 3 years of age and older. Each type of play is important and sometimes evolves into games, which are essentially play with rules.

Children's games are those in which children play with some sort of goal or objective in mind. Although games are often taught to children by [Page 402]their parents or other older individuals, sometimes children create the games on their own. Some games are unstructured, involving natural play and few rules, and are based chiefly upon imagination and fantasy. Other games are highly structured and are organized with set rules and definite goals and objectives. In ancient Greece children are known to have played a primitive form of jacks, with children tossing and catching five or more jackstones. Games such as swings, blindman's bluff, and a chase game in which teams of children would take turns chasing the other depending upon the toss of a coin, all existed 2,000 or more years ago. Games evolve to represent the cultures in which they are played. Certain games that were once popular, such as those that involved violence toward animals, have disappeared and been replaced by other, more socially acceptable alternatives.

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