Children's play as a phenomenon
Game is one of the phenomena that accompanies a person throughout his life. As a multidimensional and complex phenomenon, play has always attracted the attention of researchers and remains an important topic to this day.
In the middle of the last century, the famous cultural historian J. Huizinga conducted a semantic analysis of the word “game” and showed that it does not have the same meaning in different languages and different cultures, but is associated with an intuitive awareness in a particular culture of the meaning and place of play in people’s lives . Such an analysis allows us to assess the complexity, ambiguity and diversity of the phenomenon being studied.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the psychological community was faced with the practical task of determining which types of children's activities can be called play and which cannot. This task is urgent because the Convention on the Rights of the Child enshrines in article 31 the child's right to play. But what is a game? In order to protect and support a child's right to play, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of what it is. Therefore, psychologists are faced with the task of finding (creating) a tool for describing and interpreting the game.
Analyzing the phenomenon of the game, modern science relies on historically established game-theoretic approaches of earlier eras, each of which is formed by its own ideas about the nature of the game. The works of M. Born, N. Vorobyov, G. Zhuravlev and others are devoted to the analysis of the game.
In this work, we relied on two theories that made the greatest contribution to the scientific understanding and interpretation of the game phenomenon - L.S. Vygotsky and D.B. Elkonin, as well as the theory of A.N. Leontyev.
L.S. Vygotsky speaks most extensively on the topic of play in his lectures. “In play, the child discovers: every thing has its own meaning, every word has its own meaning, which can replace the thing.” L.S. Vygotsky said that play arises not from a thing, but from a thought. The main criterion of the game is the presence of an imaginary situation. Vygotsky argued that the main feature of gaming activity is the player’s ability to occupy two positions at the same time. For L.S. For Vygotsky, play refers primarily to the sphere of consciousness, to the sphere of constructing meanings and contexts of meaning.
In Soviet and then in Russian psychology, the view of D.B. dominated. Elkonin for the game. The theory of children's play he developed became fundamental and formed the basis of many studies. In collaboration with the “Kharkov group” (A.N. Leontyev, L.I. Bozhovich, P.Ya. Galperin, A.V. Zaporozhets, etc.), he presented the results of his research. The main problem is understanding the nature of the game. From his point of view, a child can do in a game what he cannot do in reality.
The main questions that interested D.B. Elkonin: a critical analysis of existing theories of play, the historical origin and understanding of play as a leading type of activity and the disclosure of its social content, the problem of symbolism and the relationship of object, word and action in the game. The research was carried out in a team, with constant contact with A. Leontyev, P. Galperin, A. Zaporozhets.
In the scientific literature devoted to the upbringing and development of a preschool child, role-playing play is considered as a leading activity. A.N. Leontyev shows that it is in the process of this activity that the child develops new relationships with the social environment, a new type of knowledge and ways of obtaining it, which changes the cognitive sphere and psychological culture of the individual, i.e. promotes the development of neoplasms characteristic of a given age.
The works of D. Elkonin and A. Leontiev provide a detailed analysis of the genesis of role-playing play, its structure, highlight the main patterns of development of play in the preschool period, and show the importance of play for the formation of basic mental transformations of preschool age.
Activities
Throughout a person’s life path, there are three main types of activities that replace each other. This is play, learning and work. They differ in the characteristics of motivation, organization and final results.
Labor is the main human activity, the end result of which is the creation of a product that is significant to the public. As a result of gaming activity, the production of a product does not occur, but it acts as the initial stage in the formation of personality as a subject of activity. Education is the direct preparation of a person for work, developing mental, physical and aesthetic skills and forming cultural and material values.
Children's play activities contribute to their mental development and prepare them for the adult world. Here the child himself acts as a subject and adapts to the simulated reality. The peculiarity of gaming activity is its freedom and unregulated nature. No one can force a child to play differently than he wants. The game proposed by an adult should be interesting and entertaining for the child. Study and work must have an organizational form. The work begins and ends at a set time, within which a person must submit its results. Classes for pupils and students also have a clear schedule and plan, which everyone strictly adheres to.
Role-playing in the mental development of preschool children
Preschool age is a special period of child development. At this age, the inner life of the soul and internal regulation of behavior develop. This inner life is manifested in the ability to act within the framework of general ideas, in the child’s imagination, in volitional behavior, in meaningful communication with adults and peers.
All these necessary qualities and skills are formed and developed not in conversations with adults or in classes with specialists, but in role-playing games. This is a game in which children take on the roles of adults and, in imaginary conditions specially created by them, reproduce (model) the activities of adults and the relationships between them.
Preschool age is considered the classic age of play. During this period, the most developed form of a special type of children's play arises and develops, which in psychology and pedagogy is called role-playing play. In such a game, all the mental qualities and personality traits of the child are most intensively formed.
Play is the main activity of a preschool child. As the child develops, the nature of the game changes and it also goes through phases. And from the age of three to seven years, children's games go through a fairly significant development path: games with objects, individual object games of a constructive type, collective role-playing games, individual and group creativity, competitive games, communication games. In pedagogy and psychology, the problem of the influence of play activities on the development of children was studied by D.B. Elkonin, D.V. Mendzheritskaya, R.I. Zhukovskaya, S.L. Rubinstein, L.S. Vygotsky, A.P. Usova, as well as modern authors - N.Ya. Galperin, V.V. Mikhailenko, N.A. Korotkova, V.A. Nedospasova, S.A. Kozlova and others.
In older preschool age, you can find almost all types of games that children have before entering school.
The gaming arsenal of a preschooler includes various types of games, both creative ones, where the child himself chooses the theme of the game, its means and content, and games with rules that have a certain structure and are subject to rules, writes Ugaste. Of course, children love to play all these games. However, role-playing game is the most interesting type of children's game. It relies on a child's idea of adulthood, which develops with age.
A game is a form of activity in conditional situations, aimed at relaxation and assimilation of social experience, in socially conditioned ways of carrying out objective actions, in objects of science and culture, emphasizes B.S. Volkov.
Uruntaeva G. A. notes that play is the most free activity of a preschool child. The random nature of the game is expressed not only in the fact that the child freely chooses the action of the game, but also in the fact that he acts with objects in the game. They differ from the usual use of objects in that they are essentially independent of the specific meaning of these objects and are determined by the meanings that the child himself associates with them in the game.
The essence of play as a leading activity is that in play children comprehend various aspects of life, features of the activities and relationships of adults, acquire and clarify their knowledge about the surrounding reality. Role play acts as an activity in which the child is oriented in the most general, in the most basic meanings of human activity. On this basis, the child’s desire for socially significant and socially valued activities is formed, which is the main indicator of school maturity. This is his guiding function, notes Elkonin. In play, a child acquires new knowledge and skills, reflects feelings and desires, learns to communicate, masters experience and rules of behavior.
Features of play activities of preschool children article
Features of play activities of preschool children
When accepting children into a group, you must immediately think about the organization of the subject-development environment so that the period of adaptation to kindergarten passes as painlessly as possible. After all, newly admitted children do not yet have experience communicating with their peers, do not know how to play “together” or share toys.
Children need to be taught to play. And, as you know, a game is a specific, objectively developing abilities, an activity that is used by adults to educate preschoolers, teach them various actions, methods and means of communication.
Problems will inevitably arise during the work process:
- children play on their own;
- do not want and do not know how to share toys;
- they don’t know how to play with the toy they like;
— children do not have mutual understanding with each other in the game.
The reason for this is that in the home environment the child is isolated from his peers. He is used to the fact that all the toys belong to him alone, he is allowed everything, no one at home takes anything away from him. And, having come to kindergarten, where there are many children who also want to play with the same toy as his, conflicts with peers begin, whims, and reluctance to go to kindergarten.
For a painless transition from home to kindergarten, to organize a calm, friendly atmosphere in a children's group, it is necessary to help children unite, using play as a form of organizing children's life, and also to develop children's independence in choosing a game and in implementing their plans.
Much has been said and written about the fact that play is necessary for the full development of a child. Children must play. The game captivates children, makes their life more diverse and richer.
All aspects of a child’s personality are formed in the game. Especially in those games that are created by the children themselves - creative or role-playing. Children reproduce in roles everything that they see around them in the lives and activities of adults.
Participation in games makes it easier for children to bond with each other, helps them find a common language, facilitates learning in kindergarten classes, and prepares them for the mental work required for school.
It has long been known that in preschool age, the acquisition of new knowledge in games is much more successful than in classrooms. A child, attracted by the game plan, does not seem to notice that he is learning.
We must remember that the game always has two aspects - educational and cognitive. In both cases, the goal of the game is formed not as the transfer of specific knowledge, skills and abilities, but as the development of certain mental processes or abilities of the child.
In order for the game to really captivate the children and personally touch each of them, the teacher must become a direct participant in it. Through his actions and emotional communication with children, the teacher involves the children in joint activities, makes it important and meaningful for them, and becomes the center of attraction in the game, which is especially important in the first stages of getting to know a new game.
All games are designed to help children:
- they bring joy from communication;
- they teach to express their attitude towards toys and people with gestures and words;
- encourage you to act independently;
- notice and support the proactive actions of other children.
In play, a child’s psyche is formed, on which it depends how much he will subsequently succeed in school, work, and how his relationships with other people will develop.
The game is a fairly effective means of developing such qualities as organization, self-control, and attention. Its rules, mandatory for everyone, regulate the behavior of children and limit their impulsiveness.
The role of play, unfortunately, is underestimated by some parents. They think that playing games takes a lot of time. It is better to let the child sit in front of the TV or computer screen, listening to recorded fairy tales. Moreover, in the game he can break something, tear it, get it dirty, then clean up after him. Playing is a waste of time.
And for a child, play is a way of self-realization. In the game he can become what he dreams of being in real life: a doctor, driver, pilot, etc. In the game, he acquires new knowledge and refines his existing knowledge, activates his vocabulary, develops curiosity, inquisitiveness, as well as moral qualities: will, courage, endurance, and the ability to yield. The game develops an attitude towards people and life. The positive attitude of games helps to maintain a cheerful mood.
A child’s play usually arises on the basis and under the influence of received impressions. Games do not always have positive content; children often reflect negative ideas about life in the game. This is a plot-based game where the child reflects familiar plots and conveys semantic connections between objects. At such moments, the teacher needs to intervene in the game unobtrusively, encourage him to act according to a certain plot, play with the child with his toy, reproducing a series of actions.
In the fourth year of life, children master methods of play activity - play actions with toys and substitute objects, and acquire role-playing behavior skills.
One of the effective methods for developing gaming skills is joint games between adults and children. Such games should be played at least three times a week in the afternoon. The teacher records in the calendar the purpose and plot of the game, the names of its participants.
The teacher must know what stories are appropriate to select for students’ games. It is necessary that the plots be simple, accessible to the child’s understanding, so that they reflect the phenomena of life around them that are close and familiar to children: cooking, cleaning the room, washing, treatment in a clinic, traveling by transport, etc.
The game may have two or three active roles. For example, the plot of the game “Train Ride” includes two active roles - the driver and an adult passenger - and the passive role of a child (doll). There may be several passengers, but the content of the role is the same for everyone.
The teacher can take themes for games from fairy tales and literary works known to children (“The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats”, “Doctor Aibolit” by K.I. Chukovsky, etc.), and also invent them himself, using real facts and events (“Doctor and Patients children", "Seller and buyers").
As a rule, the teacher first plays the main role himself, then entrusts it to one of the children, helping the child in difficult cases. At the same time, the teacher continues to participate in the game, taking on a secondary role.
An effective technique is also for the teacher to play with toys in front of the students. However, you should not turn the display of game actions into a special activity. For example, the teacher says, as if to himself: “Oh, what a cute doll is sitting alone!” Addresses the doll: “What is your name? Lena? Come on, you will be my daughter, and I will be your mother.” He takes the doll in his arms and walks around the room with it. “Where will our home be? Here. Here is your bed, you will sleep later, and now I will feed you. My daughter, Lenochka, do you want to eat? I’ll go cook dinner.” Depicts cooking dinner, etc.
It is important that the teacher shows interest in the game, emotionally expresses his attitude towards the partners and the actions being performed. After finishing the game, the teacher can say: “I played well! Now let whoever wants to play the same way. We have a lot of dolls, bears, kittens.” There is no need to insist that children immediately show activity and independence.
The described methodological technique allows children to see the holistic play activity of an adult, adopt it and transfer it into independent activity. At the same time, the kids expand the plot proposed by the teacher through new toys and new activities. This is how children switch to active play behavior. The child’s desire not only to move and rearrange the object, but also to reproduce a certain emotional atmosphere, indicates his understanding of the meaning of the game. Gradually, the baby develops an appropriate attitude towards what he is doing. This allows him to develop the plot himself, to bring into it what he saw and heard. The game becomes varied and interesting. The child moves from activities based on a ready-made plot to activities based on his own ideas.
Games that arise on the initiative of the children themselves reflect the skills acquired by preschoolers in joint games with adults, in the process of observing the teacher’s play. The teacher helps students develop the game, using advice, reminders, introducing a new toy, showing an unfamiliar action. If this is not done, independent play either quickly stops or lingers on monotonous actions with the same toy.-
Children, when playing independently, love to use toys that an adult has played with. So, if the teacher treated Buratino, then the children also treated Buratino. In such cases, connecting to children's independent activities, the teacher draws the pupils' attention to other toys, for example, comes to a doctor's appointment with a sick bear or hare.
In the development of independent play in younger preschoolers, the correct selection and arrangement of toys plays an important role. For role-playing games, kids need dolls, bears, hares, dishes and furniture for them. It’s good to have toy bathtubs, irons, stoves, and paraphernalia for playing at the hairdressing salon or in the hospital in groups. In addition, we need large and medium-sized cars (preferably wooden), strollers for dolls, etc.
Sets of toys should be placed in different places in the room so that children have the opportunity to play in small groups. It is not advisable to place the doll's room and kitchen, building materials and cars far from each other. At first, the teacher creates a play environment for children, then he replaces the complete organization of the environment with a partial one, for example, he “forgets” to put a spoon or a plate on the table and invites the kids to choose the right item on their own. Over time, such “forgotten” things become more and more numerous. First, you should tell the children which toy is missing and where they can get it.
When organizing games in younger groups, one of the most important program tasks is to develop the child’s ability to play with peers. At this age stage, there are two types of games: “side by side” play and the simplest forms of joint play, based mainly on the children’s interest in the actions of their peers with toys, as well as on personal sympathies. During the game, the teacher teaches students to treat each other kindly, not to take away toys, and not to destroy buildings. To prevent the emergence of negative forms of relationships, the teacher must be extremely attentive to children’s joint games, actively guide and regulate the relationships of students, which at this age stage are just beginning to take shape.
A child’s inability to explain his actions to a playmate and come to an agreement with him often leads to conflicts that children are unable to resolve on their own. Therefore, at first it is necessary for the teacher to participate in the children’s joint games. The teacher tells the children how to come to an agreement, how to play together with the same toy, how to distribute roles, encourages good deeds and condemns bad ones.
The program confronts educators with the task of teaching children basic construction methods in special classes. To this end, it is important to encourage children to use the skills and knowledge acquired in classes in independent games to create simple buildings (garage, dollhouse, bridge, etc.), and to stimulate the development of role-playing games. When guiding the constructive activities of students, the teacher should remember that it must be associated with a role-playing game. For example, on the advice of a teacher, two or three children build a house for a dog out of cubes, then he suggests a simple plot for the game.
When developing in children the ability to create a play environment, the teacher must use large building material (in this group it is replenished with bars and plates). It is better to place sets of large building materials near the corner for role-playing games. You also need to have small tabletop building material. It is advisable for the parts of the sets to be the same color (it is better if they are made of unpainted wood), since this makes the shape of the building stand out more prominently. It is better to place tables with small cubes and bricks separately from other playing corners. As a rule, children play with small sets in ones or twos. This kind of activity gives the child the opportunity to be alone and take a break from peers. The teacher must ensure that children do not sit at the tables for a long time. But you need to carefully transfer a child from playing with small building materials to other, more active activities, without causing negative emotions. In this case, gaming techniques are appropriate.
In modern pedagogical theory, play is considered as the leading activity of a child - a preschooler. The leading position of the game is determined not by the amount of time that the child devotes to it, but by the fact that:
- it satisfies his basic needs;
— in the depths of the game other types of activities arise and develop;
— the game contributes to the mental development of the child to the greatest extent.
Games differ in content, characteristic features, and the place they occupy in children’s lives, in their upbringing and education.
Role-playing games.
Role-playing games are created by the children themselves, with some guidance from the teacher. They are based on children's amateur activities. Sometimes such games are called creative role-playing games, emphasizing that children do not simply copy certain actions, but creatively comprehend them and reproduce them in created images and play actions.
There are several groups of games that develop a child’s intelligence and cognitive activity.
Group I – object games, such as manipulations with toys and objects. Through toys - objects - children learn shape, color, volume, material, the animal world, the human world, etc.
Group II - creative, plot-based role-playing games, in which the plot is a form of intellectual activity.
Didactic games.
There are two types of games: games that are organized and conducted by the teacher in the classroom (“What’s in the bag?”, “Let’s treat the bear with tea,” etc.), and games with autodidactic toys, as well as folk and board-printed games that children play on one's own. However, before the kids learn to play independently, the teacher must explain and show the methods of action. This is done both in the process of frontal training sessions with all children, and in joint games of the teacher with small subgroups of two or three people. The teacher must have a good idea of what capabilities are inherent in this or that toy, and know the methods of teaching the child how to perform various actions with it.
Let us give an example of the sequence of teaching children how to operate with a pyramid. In the second younger group, the child is given pyramids of six to ten rings to play with. To collect them correctly, the baby must master two methods of action: a) according to the rule; b) according to the sample. The sequence of training is very important. Actions based on the model (“Assemble the same pyramid”) require complex skills from the child: you need to choose a ring of a certain size and color and correlate it with the model, determine the match, and establish a sequence. If the child is first taught the ability to act according to the rule: “Of the rings that are here, you must first string the largest one onto the rod, then again choose the largest of the remaining ones,” then, having mastered the necessary skills, the child at the second stage of training can easily cope and with modeled activities.
Mastering, under the guidance of an adult, various ways of operating with didactic toys provides the child with independence in play. It is important that the toys that children have learned to operate with are always in the group and that the kids can take them themselves. Didactic toys must be changed as children lose interest in them.
Theatrical games.
Often the games of younger preschoolers contain scenes from familiar fairy tales, stories, songs, nursery rhymes, jokes, and literary characters. In this case, the child either directly acts on behalf of the character, or uses a toy or object. In this regard, children’s play actions are close to the artistic and figurative reflection of impressions, that is, to theatricalization. The teacher’s task is to develop in students the ability to expressively imitate the characteristic actions of characters (birds fly, a kid jumps), and perform them in detail (for example, at the direction of a mother goat, a child goat can take a basket of vegetables from her and give it to his brothers and sisters). With the help of such specific actions, children gradually become accustomed to communicating with each other on behalf of the characters of fairy tales (stories), and to consciously and voluntarily reproducing a literary plot.
The teacher must reveal the game environment in detail to the children, set them in the right tone, and direct the course of the game. Thus, when participating in a game based on the fairy tale “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats,” the teacher suggests the sequence of events, helps the students get into the role—to feel like defenseless little goats, and prepares the children for the emotional perception of the images.
In a role-playing game with theatrical elements, it is especially important to use game attributes. They help the child to better feel the gaming environment and arouse interest in what is happening. Imaginative toys can stimulate children's play actions in accordance with the plots they know. For example, a teacher gives the child a toy representing a bull, places it on a board with an angle and, reciting the poem “Bull” by A. Barto, leads it along the board. Subsequent short improvisations on this simple plot will help bring children closer to the simplest theatrical action.
Musical and didactic games.
In musical didactic games, children master the ability to distinguish and reproduce different properties of musical sound. This contributes to the development of musical and sensory abilities. The tasks are given in a figurative and playful form. They are based on a comparison of two contrasting sounds. So, in the game “Whose House?” E. Tilicheeva, children must show how a cat meows (low sound), a kitten (high sound). In the game “Bird and Chicks”, when the melodid is sung on “do\”, the kids fly like adult birds, on “do2” - like chicks.
With the help of musical toys and children's musical instruments, games are played to distinguish timbre (“Guess what they are playing”) and dynamics (“Quiet and loud bells”).
Musical didactic games are learned in music classes. The teacher immediately draws the pupils’ attention to the contrast of sound, highlights it, gives them the opportunity to listen carefully, distinguish, compare and reproduce what is given. Then the game is transferred to extracurricular activities.
Outdoor games.
Three-year-old children cannot yet organize a game on their own. Therefore, it is necessary to systematically guide it on the part of the teacher.
For independent motor play activities of children, games with objects are recommended: gurneys, reins, balls, hoops, hoops. These games are used to develop the skills of both individual and elementary joint play. For example, a teacher gives two children a ball and tells them how to roll it from one to the other.
Children's first outdoor games are imitative in nature. They are associated with some images familiar to children, for example, hens and chicks in the game “Hen and Chicks.” This game consists of one or two imitative actions: chickens run, peck grains, and when the hen calls “ko-ko-ko!” they run to their mother and sit around.
In this kind of games there are two noteworthy points: 1) all participants must act simultaneously with each other and perform the same actions; 2) according to a signal (it acts as a rule), actions should be changed. These moments are preparatory to actions according to the rules.
In the first half of the year, the teacher, organizing outdoor games with the children, introduces the rule directly during the game: “You are all my birds. I'm your mother. Little birds are flying and having fun. The mother bird flapped her wings - all the little chicks are flying towards me. Well, let's fly, let's fly! Clap! I’ve already slammed and everyone is flying towards me. These are how good my chicks are, they all arrived!”
In outdoor games, it is desirable to use attributes that make it possible to highlight the roles played by children and the teacher.
Outdoor games with rules in the younger group are organized and conducted by the teacher during physical education classes, as well as daily on morning and evening walks. It is not necessary to play with all the children at the same time during a walk. It is better to involve different subgroups alternately in participation in outdoor games.
Play, the most important type of children’s activity, plays a huge role in the development and upbringing of a child. It is an effective means of shaping the personality of a preschooler, his moral and volitional qualities; the game realizes the need to influence the world. Soviet teacher V.A. Sukhomlinsky emphasized that “game is a huge bright window through which a life-giving stream of ideas and concepts about the world around us flows into the child’s spiritual world. Play is the spark that ignites the flame of inquisitiveness and curiosity.”
Literature:
1. Raising children through play: A manual for child educators. garden / Comp. A.K. Bondarenko, A.I. Matusik. – 2nd ed., revised. and additional – M.: Education, 1983.
2. Together with the family: a guide to interaction between preschools. education institutions and parents / T.N. Doronova, G.V. Glushkova, T.I. Grizik and others - 2nd ed. – M.: Education, 2006.
3. “Preschool education.” – 2005
4. “Preschool education.” – 2009
5. L.N.Galiguzova, T.N.Doronova, L.G.Golubeva, T.I.Grizik and others - M.: Education, 2007.
6. L.S. Vygotsky Game and its role in the psychological development of a child // Questions of psychology: - 1966. - No. 6
7. O.A. Stepanova Development of a child’s play activity: Review of preschool education programs. – M.: TC Sfera, 2009.
8. Growing by playing: avg. and Art. doshk. age: A manual for educators and parents / V.A. Nekrasova. – 3rd ed. – M.: Education, 2004.
Trends in the development of play activities of preschoolers in the modern world
Today, the requirements for a child in society have changed, there is a tendency to increase his independence and at the same time to recognize the special rights of the child, says Friedman. In addition, under the influence of rapidly developing life, significant changes have occurred in relationships between people and in the living conditions of children, which could not but affect the play of preschoolers.
Unfortunately, in our time, role-playing games are becoming more and more monotonous and are reduced mainly to family issues. If children's play does not reach the required level, it gradually disappears from their lives, according to N. Mikhailenko and N. Korotkov. In addition, playing games on topics related to the work activities of adults is significantly reduced in six-year-old children.
Recently, teachers and psychologists have noticed a decrease in role-playing games among preschool children. Children play less than 20-30 years ago, and their role-playing games are more primitive and monotonous. This is apparently due to the fact that children are increasingly moving away from adults, do not see or understand the activities of adults, and are poorly acquainted with their work and personal relationships. As a result, despite the abundance of toys, they have nothing to play with. At the same time, it is noted that modern preschoolers prefer to reproduce in their games actions borrowed from television series and take on the roles of television characters. This suggests that our preschoolers, who spend too much time in front of television, are more familiar with the lives and behavior of strange movie characters than with the real adults who surround them. But this does not change the essence of the game: with all the variety of plots, they hide basically the same content - the activities of people, their actions and relationships.
In recent decades, the sociocultural conditions of a child’s life have changed significantly. Recently, there has been a gap between the generations of children and parents (A.L. Venger, V.I. Slobodchikov, B.D. Elkonin). Increased employment of parents reduces their participation in raising children, which leads to alienation of children and adults. There is a clear deficit of emotionally significant relationships with parents and positive contacts with peers (G.G. Kravtsov, E.E. Kravtsova).
On the other hand, new professions are appearing, the essence of which is closed to the child (programmer, manager, designer, stylist, etc.). The nature of adult behavior in such cases cannot be modeled in a game. The world of adults has become even more closed to the understanding of children, and the scope of possible participation of children in the work of adults has narrowed even further. (G.G. and E.E. Kravtsov). In this context, the idea of an ideal image of adulthood is lost; living together with an adult does not provide content for the child’s play activities (B.D. Elkonin).
In modern conditions, the real possibility of including a preschooler in joint activities and communication with older children is also decreasing. Children of different ages are separated, courtyard and neighborly communication becomes rare (N.Ya. Mikhailenko, N.A. Korotkova). All this complicates the natural transfer of play activity from one generation of children to another. On the other hand, new information technologies are being actively introduced into modern childhood. According to UNESCO, 93% of children spend more than three hours a day watching television. A modern child aged 3 to 5 watches TV on average 28 hours a week. Television, videos and computer games have become a common form of leisure and the main source of impressions for children.
What can serve as a source of content for a preschooler’s role-playing game? There are different points of view on this issue.
Play activities in infancy and early childhood
Games will differ, depending on the age of the child, in their organization, form, and functionality. The main element of play at a young age is a toy. Its versatility allows it to influence mental development and the formation of a system of social relations. The toy is for entertainment and fun.
Babies manipulate a toy, their perception develops, preferences are formed, new orientations appear, and colors and shapes are imprinted in memory. In infancy, parents play an important role in creating a child's worldview. They must play with their children, try to speak their language, and show them unfamiliar objects.
In early childhood, games for a child are almost all of his free time. He ate, slept, played, and so on all day. Here it is already recommended to use games not only with an entertaining, but also with an educational component. The role of toys is increasing, they become small models of the real world (cars, dolls, houses, animals). Thanks to them, the baby learns to perceive the world, distinguish colors, shapes and sizes. It is important to give your child only those toys that cannot harm him, because the baby will definitely pull them to his mouth to try them on his teeth. At this age, children cannot be left unattended for a long time; toys are not as important to them as the attention of a loved one.
Game activities in preschool educational institutions
Games accompany the child throughout his entire childhood. The organization of play activities in preschool institutions plays an important role in the development of children. The game occupies a prominent place in the system of aesthetic, labor, moral, physical and intellectual education of preschool children. It satisfies his social needs and personal interests, increases the child’s vitality, and activates his work.
In kindergartens, play activities should comprise a complex of games that are aimed at the physical and intellectual development of children. These games include creative ones, which allow children to independently determine the goal, rules and content. They reflect a person's activities in adulthood. The category of creative games includes role-playing games, theatrical games, dramatization games, and construction games. In addition to creative ones, didactic, active, sports, and folk games influence the formation of a child’s play activity.
An important place in the game is occupied by toys, which should be simple, bright, attractive, interesting, and safe. They are divided into three types: ready-made (dolls, airplanes, cars), semi-finished (construction sets, pictures, cubes) and materials for creating toys. The latter allow the child to fully unleash his imagination and demonstrate his skills by creating toys on his own.
The influence of play activities on the mental development of a child
The development of play activity in preschoolers is directly related to the development of their mental state. The game helps to shape the personality characteristics and mental qualities of the child. It is from the game that other types of activities that take place in a person’s later life emerge over time. A game, like nothing else, promotes the development of attention and memory, because it requires the child to concentrate on objects in order to successfully enter a gaming situation. Role-playing games influence the development of imagination. The child learns to take on different roles, replace some objects with others, and create new situations.
Play activities also influence the development of a child’s personality. He learns to establish contact with peers, acquires communication skills, and becomes familiar with the relationships and behavior of adults. Activities such as designing and drawing are closely integrated with play. They are already preparing the baby for work. He does something himself, with his own hands, while trying and worrying about the result. In such cases, the child must be praised, and this will become an incentive for him to improve.
Play in a child’s life is just as important as studying for a schoolchild or work for an adult. This needs to be understood by both parents and educators. It is necessary to develop the interests of children in every possible way, to encourage their desire to win, for a better result. As your baby grows, you need to provide him with toys that affect mental development. Don’t forget to play with your child yourself, because at these moments he feels the importance of what he is doing.
