GAMES

VALUES OF PLAY
“We don’t have time to play right now.”
“Why are you playing with that?”
“There are more important things to do than play.”
“You can’t just play all day.”
“It’s not time to play.”
“Stop playing and eat your dinner/pick up your
toys/get ready for bed”.
“We’re too busy to play right now.”
-Countless studies have proven that children playing together
is critical for the development of their social skills. Ensuring
children develop core skills such as empathy, trust and respect
for others help them to grow into happy, healthy and well-
rounded adults.

Values through play -Children can develop many different

values through play:
• Honesty
• Fairness
• Respect
• Empathy
• Cooperation
• Trust
• Compromise
 
Two types of play:

Free play is voluntary, unstructured, intrinsically motivated, and

initiated by the child.  It is the spontaneous, joyous play that arises
from a child’s natural wonder and curiosity.  Examples include play
with open-ended toys and loose parts (i.e. blocks, dress up), outdoor
play in nature, process art experiences, sensory play, etc.

Guided play has more specific learning goals and can be led by
the child or the adult.  The adult helps to extend the learning goals
naturally associated with the play by asking open-ended questions,
prompting problem-solving, and engaging with the child in their play.
Tips on Teaching the Game
Before starting, the most important thing to
remember is playing games is meant to be fun. So if
tempers do start rising, take a moment to work out what
is going on. Are you tired or hungry? Are you feeling
overwhelmed due to the number of components? Don’t
push yourself to play when you’re not in the mood, focus
on building a feeling of enthusiasm and curiosity.
 Game literacy

-Much of what we talk about when teaching games is better understanding the player’s experiences,
background, and knowledge. All of which informs the player’s game literacy. Game literacy is a player’s
ability to demonstrate their understanding of a game’s structures in order to implement their agency
and control in the game.

Player types, tastes, and experience

-Teaching someone how to play a game has much to do with their game literacy. Likewise, it is also
highly dependent on the host (you) catering to their player experience.

Game theme
-Teaching someone play a game often starts best when you begin with the “hook” or what the game’s theme is. Who is
the player in this game? Why are they important? Why do they matter? How are they going to accomplish the game’s
objectives through their actions?  This often means explaining to the player where this game takes “place.” Explaining
the theme helps players’ with their immersion in the game.
 Game objective

-The game objective is what players’ are aiming to accomplish in the game. This
could be straightforward with all players attempting to accomplish the same thing.

Game structure and rules

-The game structure and rules is very much the “how” of players engagement with
the game.  Here, players learns how the game is structured, setup, and how they
engage with it according to the game.

Game interface & mechanics

-Now it’s time to cover how players can actually interact with the game after they
have the basic structure and rules of the game down.  It often makes the most sense
to start with the end in mind: specifically how taking this action or doing this thing
will help players win and succeed at the game.
Choosing the “IT” or Taya
Selecting the "it" or "taya" who will be in charge of finding
every other participant is the first step in the game. The
"maiba taya," or display of hands, which can be done with the
palms facing up or down, initiates the game. The "it" of the
game is established through this. The "it" then starts counting
down, giving the other players plenty of time to hide. The first
person discovered in the previous round or the last person to
arrive at the base might be the "it" for the following round.
Why therefore is this game ideal for all age groups? It's not
common practice to hide. Before you realize it, you are using
your brains to identify the most effective hiding areas.
Choosing the Mano
A filipino gesture that means giving/showing
sportsmanship to give your respect as a player to your
opponent/co-player.

 Handshake
 Eye contact
 Bow
References:
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/your-guide-to-filipino-gestures/

https://www.importanceofplay.eu/benefits-of-play/play-4-values/?fbclid=IwAR1e3vnwHwOQz73zvbXRG8gTFN5qSE
3rSmGK3DMhq4E897yciWKAHZyKEZQ
https://www.citrineland.com/4-filipino-games-family-can-enjoy/#:~:text=Hide%2Dand%2Dseek%20or%20Taguan,
%E2%80%9Cit%E2%80%9D%20of%20the%20game
.