The game is essential for babies and children, since they are able to interact. When children from two years of age are acquiring major linguistic skills, we can talk about two types of games or ways of playing, free play ("play" in English) and structured play ("game").
Free play It has no rules, predominates the fantasy of children who imagine freely and also has no goals. It is usually played alone, although we can give them the base, and that they play to be others stimulates their imagination: now you are a magician, now these dolls are your babies ...
On the other hand the structured game if it has external rules and if it has a goal, usually "win", they are competitive games. Competing is an action that serves to prove one's worth and its etymology derives from the Latin cum, petere, 'rush with'.
If we understand and understand that competing against oneself to overcome, to prove their own ability, we eliminate the negative values of competition. To this must be added the healthy know how to lose that parents also have to prestige.
Knowing how to lose sports, implies understanding that a defeat is another step towards victory that can come the next time they play.
It is also recommended and fair reward the effort of children in the game and in sport, as much or more than success. This protects the self-esteem of children and encourages them to continue playing.
There is the key to continue enjoying their games, to enjoy and not to win, to recognize defeat and know how to accept, to play fairly, to accept and follow the rules of the game.
If we accompany our children in their first games, the basis for that all the ways of playing are satisfactory, nice and enriching.
