Transcript Play in different Generations

PLAY IN DIFFERENT
GENERATIONS
Play
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Children have been
playing since the
beginning of time.
The toys they have played
with have changed
through the generations.
In past generations play
was often inspired by the
changing seasons, and
different games were
played at different times
of the year, e.g. Conkers.
Play
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The manner in which children play has also changed
over the years.
How has the way they play changed since you were
a child?
Do you think the changes are beneficial?
Play Today
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Many people believe that the ways children play
now are not always beneficial for children, and that
children are not allowed or encouraged to run and
play and use their imagination as much as they
should.
Play now and then
Play in the past
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Children played in groups
Few organised activities
Different age groups
socialised together
Younger children learned
games from the older ones
Many of the games were
outdoors
Many of the games were
physical
Friends were close to home
Play today
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Smaller families, less groups
of children
Children have scheduled
activities
Less contact between children
of different ages
Children are inside more
Friends can live a distance
away
Organised Playdates.
Play and Technology
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DVDs, video games, robotic toys – they are mostly
designed for indoor use.
The games are attractive and almost addictive to
children.
These toys are expensive, but do children need
them?
The Cardboard Box
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A cardboard box can be a
car, an ark, a plane, a castle,
limited only by the
imagination of the child. A
few markers and some
imagination help to make it
whatever the child wants.
In the past children had more
opportunity to play like this as
they had to make their own
amusement without the help of
technology and toy
superstores.
Play Now and Then
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Swings, slides.
Hopscotch.
Skipping.
Riding a bike.
Playing Tag.
Playing Football.
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Today’s children are
more interested in
getting to the next
level on their computer
game. Play is very
often isolated and
indoors.
Finding the Balance
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There is nothing inherently wrong with today’s toys,
but adults should remember to also look for toys
that allow children to use their imaginations, to use
their physical skills, and toys that are designed for
outdoor play.
Ages of Friends
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Children today tend to be in clubs, groups and
societies. Clubs tend to organise children into
groups according to their ages. This means that
children today spend less time with older children
than their parents did when they were young.
Research into Modern Play
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Postmann (1984) believes that the media have
drawn children away from playing outside with
friends.
Kline (1993) believes that interactive games are
detrimental to children’s imagination.
Lindstrom (2003) agrees with Kline and suggests
that they stifle children’s creativity.
Interactive Media
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Interactive media are an important part of children’s everyday life
in much of the Western World.
This is a reflection of how cultural and social changes effect how
children play.
A study conducted by the LEGO Learning Institute in Denmark
suggested that it is not just the marketing of new gadgets that make
children want to play with them, but it is the fact that they fill a gap
that has been left by the changes in our world.
Children no longer have the group of friends in the village to play
with, but by going online they have access to many friends.
The study suggested that new media and toys are a replacement
“for the cultural heritage that was previously supplied by older
children”.