Play, games as edutainment tools for children

THE phrase ‘Play is the work of children’ is relevant in the arts sector, where those artists that are interested in development must focus on children’s rights activism.

It is through play and games that children interact with their world and learn more about themselves and each other. When it comes to play and games, children need time and space, and there is also need for supervision from the parents.

Most people grew up in the era when “Amatope” or “Mahumbwe” were of centrality in defining the aspect of childhood play. Children would play house, mimicking the roles of husband, wife and children.

How many people remember the moments when they would build wire cars and play with used tyres, or make a plastic soccer ball called “umphepha” and play “sqobhingo” using soft drink lids in the dusty streets of the townships?

Girls would create dolls using cut offs from their mother’s old dresses and then make an image of a baby. They would then play the role of a nursing mother. I also remember how the girls would play “umamtshayana” and a game called “Ara Huru” where they would throw a stone and jump on a set of boxes.

Every person that grew up in the townships of Bulawayo would enjoy these games as a child. These games were important to child development as children are born wired to learn language, which they build through play and other interactions. Babies and toddlers learn new words when adults describe what they see, hear and do.

Songs and poems connect syllables to beats which also stimulates the development of artistic potential. This helps children develop listening skills and learn about the sounds in words. Through play, kids learn about the communication structure as they get to practice back and forth conversation, even if they can't speak.

Playing using small toys helps children to build the small muscles in their hands. It would assist them later to learn to write. Child games like “Hide and Seek” or “Umacatshelana” are pivotal in developing abilities for observation and maintaining attention in children.

These skills support reading comprehension by helping children understand and apply what they're reading. Unfortunately most of the kids now spend most of their time glued to their phones and computers, which pre-exposes them to explicit content which can impact on their growth and socialisation later in life.

In our current retrospect, the concept of play and game is viewed as something shrouded in obscurity. Most people now think games and play are out of date and out of touch with the reality we live in.

However, these aspects of socialisation remain very critical tools in the facilitation of edutainment and the actualization of development and growth of children. An important aspect about play and games is their critical role in the facilitation of the socialisation process.

Socialisation refers to the process when children learn the norms and values of society.

They also learn to be socially astute individuals. The good socialisation of children creates and moulds the children into a model law abiding citizen; where through play and games they ascribe to their specific gender roles and build good interaction mechanisms with their peers. Using play and games as a tool of edutainment can help increase participation, foster social and emotional learning, and motivate both children and adults to take risks.

For example, games such as soccer, double ditch (skipping rope), tag (ingqobe) and “Nhodo” stretch children’s imagination and potential, which is very important for their development and growth as they create make-believe games or get lost in pretend worlds.

Children act out different solutions while boosting their confidence. They make their own rules and learn how to follow or adapt to those rules, which then prepares them for adulthood where they need to be law-abiding citizens.

These are also helpful skills for navigating life and developing relationships with others. Symbolic play is the ability to imagine one object as being another.

When I was growing up, I used cooking sticks and old tins and imagined that I was playing drums. My uncle Miguel noticed that I loved imitating playing music and then bought me some toy musical instruments. That was the start of my musical journey.

I will also refer to the Olivine advert which featured the late Oliver Mutukudzi, where he is seen playing a guitar made of a used cooking oil container. It clearly shows that many artists started from humble beginnings, where they used to practice using homemade childhood instruments, which developed them into a useful role in adulthood.

Symbolic play is an important part of a person’s development and hence it can stimulate artistic development of the child. It builds skills that children need for future learning and problem solving. It also improves creativity, which contributes to success throughout a person’s life.

Children also engage in unstructured play which is the time when kids direct their own play. They are not bound by schedules or an activity directed by adults. It helps a child’s brain to develop in positive ways as it strengthens and increases neural connections in the brain. These are the paths in the brain that we use for thinking.

Unstructured play also helps build and strengthen the prefrontal cortex of the brain area, which influences the way a child learns, solves problems and gains knowledge about their environment.

For example, when adults are stressed up, they retreat into activities that soothe them such as going to the gym, singing karaoke with friends, walking around the neighborhood, weeding the garden or playing a board game.

These activities are more than a distraction as they are a way of bringing play back into their lives and connecting to the things in life that help ground the individual.

Children are the same, although they need a lot more playtime frequently and daily play can help reduce their anxiety, stress and irritability. It also helps boost joy and self-esteem.

Child protection for adults means the ability to understand that a child is able to communicate their emotions and feelings, and that these are very important. We have to protect our children form the risk of sexual abuse and other forms of manipulation that children are exposed to. It is our duty to play a role in the protection of children.