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By
Catherine M. Pruissen
Duck,
Duck Goose, Ring Around the Rosie, tag. Nothing more
than mere child's play, right?
The
truth is, games provide valuable learning experiences
for children. They help reinforce social skills, language
skills, physical skills. Look beyond the actual games
themselves and you'll find hidden lessons that provide
children of all ages with opportunities for enahncing
their skills in participating, interacting with others,
and enjoying a sense of mastery.
Take
Duck, Duck, Goose, for example. Besides chanting and
running around a child-made circle, children are actually
working on their listening and memory skills as they
learn the words of the songs. They are increasing
their physical abilities as they jump up and run around
the circle in an effort to not get caught. And they
are enhancing their social skills as they engage in
an activity that requires getting along with a group,
waiting patiently for their turn to chase or be chased,
cheering on their friends who are making the mad dash
home.
Of
course there's a lot of learning happening when children
play games like ABC Hopscotch. By filling the sidewalk
squares with letters or letter tiles instead of numbers,
the children are learning their alphabet, learning
to balance their body as they hop around on one foot,
and to play fiar with others.
As
Evelyn Petersen, parenting columnist and child and
family advocate points out in her article, Fun
and Games: Its Not Whether You Win or Lose Games,
"games teach children many good things, from
educational skills to real-life skills such as:
Honesty (following the rules);
Cooperation (sharing and taking turns);
Patience (waiting);
Persistence (not giving up/completing the task/seeing
the game
through tothe end);
Concentration (attention span); and
Making choices and being responsible for those choices."
One of the biggest benfits children reap from playing
games is a sense of belonging to a group. " It
is a bond that is the foundation for the child's future
interactions with others, when their friendships extend
beyond family to peer groups," says Petersen.
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