"Gg" is for Games

   

     If you have been following this blog for awhile than it is not too surprising that we are working with the letter G. When double checking myself about  about what I remembered learning about for the importance of structured game playing I found not as much info out there as everything else I have refreshed my memory on. Structured games in 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 year olds looks pretty different in a lot of ways than how we should approach structured games for older kids. Structured games are basically any game that has set rules of play. The most popular type of sttuctured gamed are active and allow lots of body movement. Also there are some sit-down games and these are not always baord games so much. Honestly, I would not recommend board games yet for this age group, but because each child is different and are more ready than others than I would definitely wait until age three. You as the parent would know if your child is ready for all the things board games entail.
     So what makes games so important for little ones? The fact that through game playing children learn how to take turns. They learn to have self-control because they have to follow the rules. Depending on the type of game being played it will work gross and/or fine motor skills. Games help with social cues. They help children strengthen cognitive skills. Another important reason games are helpful  is how they can strengthen math and verbal cues. Playing games also can help with literacy skills. These are just some ways playing games is work for kids and not mindless timewasters.
     Structured games, as I said earlier all have a set of rules that need to be followed. Games should be modified at this age to where winning and losing is not what matters, so should actually be downplayed during the game. What should be cheered on the most is watching them as they follow along and cheer for listening, and following the rules of the game as that is what will be hardest for this age group. For me, I tend to take out winning and losing from my vocabulary when a game is being done. I also tend to eliminate a position of winner loser. I would not recommend that as the child gets closer to four, but the concept of winning actually can be detrimental for kids so young.
      Here are a few examples of how I modify active games for this age group. For musical chairs I do not take chairs out like I would for older kids. Instead I make sure they fully are understanding of how to stop and find a chair between rounds of having them do different movements... one round will be them acting like airplanes until the music stops. The next round might be ok now crawl like a baby, etc. For red light green light I just let kids run around in a circle and randomly say red light and see them stop. Taking turns and letting my kid be the light. I take the basic ideas of a game a modify it for my kid's readiness.
     When doing sit-down games I make sure winning is not really big deal. For picture bingo, for example, I cheer on big if a child this young finds the matching picture on his card on his own mors than I do about who gets their card covered first or last. Or if it is a game like doggy doggy where's your bone we cheer on the child after he/she figures out who has the bone and allow the finder to pick out who they want to be the dog next, as long as the child they want has not had a turn yet.
     These are what I have found to be most age appropriate ways games are important. Did you think of something to add that I missed? Please let me know!