The game is a fundamental right in childhood, and as important as the food itself. But do children play enough, how do they play, who do they play with and what spaces do they use to play? The answer to all these questions is found in a study on children's play carried out by the Civic Cultural Research Group and Educational Policies of the Complutense University, and also promoted by IKEA, the Ashoka and Unicef Foundation.
The study is titled 'The contribution of children's play to the development of skills for active social change' and to do it, 1,242 children between 3 and 12 years old have been interviewed who have given their perception of the game. Following its results, it has been prepared a children's play pyramid and the necessary skills when playing ideal to have a balanced playful diet.
Conclusions about children's play
The study has revealed important data about children's habits when playing, such as:
- Only the 10.3% of children He mentions his parents as regular playmates.
- He home is the usual play space for 44.7% of children.
- Only the 18.3% mention outdoor spaces as a usual playground Like streets and parks.
- After home, the most common play spaces are educational centers (35%).
- More than 80% of Spanish children are satisfied with the amount of play time, although all claim to want more.
- They do not play daily; only when the activities scheduled during the week allow it. Abuse of extracurriculars is perceived.
- One is detected progressive loss of spaces and free time for the game.
Without a doubt, these are data on which parents should reflect. Gonzalo Jover Olmeda, co-author of the study notes:
"We should gain greater sensitivity towards the right of children to play and the value of the game as a space of initiation to the values of coexistence."
In Babies and more Some children spend less time outdoors than prisoners: why play is important in their educationGame pyramid and 'changemaker' skills
In the style of the food pyramid, the children's game pyramid has been presented to promote a balanced playful diet based on a correct distribution of times, habits and types of games so that children can put into practice skills that will allow them to be protagonists of a social change, the skills changemaker.
At the base of the pyramid is located empathy as a fundamental skill Empathy can be developed through mask games, mimicry, inclusive games with children with different abilities, etc.)
In the second step we group skills such as creativity (to be developed through painting, writing, reading, free play, crafts, material reuse, music or dance games), cooperation (through garden games in the garden, family cooking, team sports, etc.), conflict resolution (through theater games, negotiation games, board games, team sports, etc.) and lateral thinking (puzzles, construction games, puzzles, skill games, logic games).
The next step is "changemaking": empathy in action that makes it easier for the boy or girl to put these skills into practice, creating changes with positive transformation of your environment. Experiences through which he learns and becomes aware of his power to transform the world around him. Transform or sensitize your classmates, your school, your families, your neighborhood, etc.
In Babies and more Why is it good for children to play in the streetAna Sáenz de Miera, director of Ashoka Spain makes a reflection on the importance of empathy as a driver of change:
"When a boy or a girl puts their empathy into practice, they learn to cooperate and implement solutions to improve their environment, they have become changemakers. And being a changemaker is like learning to ride a bike. Once you learn, you know for a lifetime. And a changemaker is not only a more responsible and active citizen, but a person with more chances of professional success. That is why learning to be a changemaker should be a childhood right. "
