In my house, there is a place for technological fun but it will always exist along side traditional games.

I was one of six children and we played games together a great deal both out and indoors. We played all the usual things like cricket and other ball games including Tin Can Tommy which was a rather elaborate variety of hide and seek. I was a pretty mean skipper and to see me with a hula-hoop was a sight to behold! We were all brought up playing cards and board games too from the earliest possible age.

When I had my own children, two sons and a daughter, we played many of the same games but by then technology had reached us, so I guess they grew up with the best of both worlds. They loved to play out in the garden be it hopscotch, ball game, making camps or anything else that came into their imaginations! When we bought our first Spectrum they loved that as well and we all got pretty good at that too.

Now they are grown up and we have three young foster children and they are very much a part of the technological world. If they didn’t have access to computer games I think social services would place them some where else! There is no way though that they will miss out on what I see as traditional games.

Does there really have to be a choice? Does it have to be either or? I do not see any reason why as with other things in life what is wrong with variety?

I have such fantastic memories of times spent playing games in my childhood and even more of times with my own children. How many children when they grow up will have memories of sitting in front of a computer or sitting with their Game Boy? They may remember being good at it and certainly at the time may feel a sense of achievement as they progress from level to level. That in itself may be of value and certainly they are fun otherwise there would be no appeal.

Playing the sort of outside games I’ve mentioned did provide exercise even thou
gh we didn’t think about that at the time! I don’t think anyone needs to worry that computer games will take over entirely though as long as football exists.

I feel there is so much to be gained by playing board games together that cannot be replaced by solitary computer games. Still now when my grown up children come round we very often end up playing a game together. It’s the fun of spending time sitting together, laughing and on occasions squabbling! There may be lengthy debates before we even begin for example if we are playing Trivial Pursuit, which teams would be the fairest and as a child I remember the debates over who would be the hat or boot when we played Monopoly!

Card games and dice are really useful, cheap entertainment that can be enjoyed by any number of people. We have games for any number of players including patience, I still remember my Grandma playing in her eighties. Children can learn so much playing with dice or cards without noticing it! Tiny ones learn red from black then gradually numbers too, next there are sets and sequences to grapple with. It surprises me when I meet children that have never played cards and have no ides what suits are even.

Children (and some adults) learn to take turns, to share, to try their best, to listen to each other, to win or to lose and so much more. We played with our children but they also played together without us and I’m sure that was just one of the things that has helped them to grow up as friends. Our young foster children love playing board or similar games and it certainly helps their development. It can also be a good time to talk about issues that are on their minds as to many children it can be far less intimidating than sitting down specially to talk. The five-year-old is heavily into Connect Four although she has yet to grasp the finer points of the game! We have games that are ideal to play with the deaf member of our household, although it
has surprised me how many newer games do involve a level of listening.

Now I know that many computer games can be played by more than one player but I suspect most children spend the majority of the time they play, playing alone. Even if you do play with an opponent you are both focused on a screen not looking at each other or generally stopping to chat along the way. Mind you I would much rather think a child was playing a computer game with a parent than sharing no time to play together at all.

I can think of many reasons to play traditional games but not any to abandon them. I’m not knocking computer games (I rather enjoy them myself) but make use of both, gain a variety of skills and you will retain many of them for years.

After all flat batteries never stopped anyone skipping did they? Although now a days I might do better with an electronic skipping rope!

Why the title?

Well I’m posting this op on Grinchgirl’s birthday and as we have shared many a game together and still do, I thought I’d dedicate it to her, so happy birthday Grinchgirl.