Probably, there are few people who would not remember with affection the long past childhood, the time of carefree games, undisturbed fun. But are children's games really so light and simple? Do they not contain a certain meaning, are they not important for the normal formation and development of the child?
This question has been asked by many child psychologists. Just as the games of animals (both young and adult) simulate their "serious" behavior: a kitten catches a piece of paper on a string, puppies squabble, so the games of human children can be called a rehearsal of the activities that lie ahead for them in the future. What are the main types of games that imitate adult activity can be considered in children's behavior?
For a child from one to three years old, perhaps, the main interest in play, in manipulating toys, is research. A rattle, a car on wheels, a teddy bear, a doll are not only a means of entertainment and fun pastime for him. A toy for a kid is, first of all, an object of research. The child discovers the world; he will do the same in the future, growing up and becoming an adult. The new toy undergoes a thorough examination, feeling; children often even taste it. Then they discover the functional properties of the toy: you can rattle with a rattle, you can roll a car, a bear can be cuddled and slept with, a doll can be rocked and laid in a crib. Often a child goes further in his thirst for knowledge: breaks a toy to see what is inside.
Isn't it true that the process of mastering a toy by a child is very reminiscent of the research process in general, so inherent in humans? First, the study of the external properties of the subject; then - what you can do with it, for what adapt. Of course, an object that is not good for anything will not be used by man; so the child will quickly lose interest in a toy that does not meet his needs: if you cannot run with it, make sounds with it, somehow imitate the behavior of adults; in one word - play. And even breaking toys is a model of the exploratory behavior of a person who wondered about the cause-and-effect relationships of objects and phenomena.
Therefore, the preference that a child gives to toys at an early age is no coincidence. It was then that his cognitive skills were formed, thanks to which a person became intelligent. From a baby, all whose interests are reduced to food, the child, having learned how to operate with toys, becomes a researcher who actively learns the world around him.
The child grows up, contacts with other children, interacts with them. And in the period from 5 to 6 years, other functions of the game - social - come to the fore. Fifteen, tag, hide and seek, blind man's buff - in all these joint games, children not only give out their energy, but also acquire those qualities that are necessary for a person's existence in society, for the joint and purposeful activity of a group of people.
In such games, roles are clearly assigned: a "driver" is selected who will look for, catch, and catch up with other participants. Elections are held, in the children's understanding, honestly: with the help of a counting rhyme. The ritual is strictly observed: if a participant for some reason needs to leave the game for a while, he shouts: "Churiki!" Anyone who offers to play hide and seek, tag and other games has the right to immediately say: "Chur, not water!". Seen in "zhuhvaniya", breaking the rules, is censured. This is how the norms of social activity are formed: readiness to obey the rules; recognition of an exception to the rule in some cases, but it is obligatory in compliance with the necessary formalities; fairness and equality of participants in the game.
So, the games of children - for each age their own, more and more complicated, - an important, if not the main factor in preparing a child for adult life and the normal functioning of a person in society.
