Play : a structured moment

A structured moment

Learning from defeat

Who says "game", also mean "winner" and "loser" and potentially "little frustration". In general, adults should not take care to encourage a competitive approach to the game. For the rest, Carine Chauvet advise to adopt the ruse. "To get round the issue of victory and defeat, it is good to emphasize cooperative game or to play in team. In this way, the joy of victory and the deception caused by the defeat is shared between several people. Same result with hasard games, such as « small horses ». When chance decides, defeat is easier to accept.

In addition, the toy librarian denounces the false good idea that is to always let the child win. The message sended is translated as: "You are not able to win, so I'll let you win. "To think that because he is younger, he is weaker in the game is wrong. Remember how many times you have lost a game of visual memory against a child. In addition, this attitude deprives the child of a true victory, much more rewarding for him.

The importance of explanation

Alexandra Latouche encourages to verbalize and to explain to the child before starting the game or activity. "Often, when starting a game or activity, the child does not understand its purpose or what is expected of him. That is why, in the case of making masks, for example, care is taken to place a finalized at the center of the table in order to identify the result of the activity mask.

Finally, to reduce tensions and cry, it is important to inform the child at least 5 minutes before the time of the end of the game. To Carine Chauvet and Alexandra Latouche, there's no doubt: when you explain to the child that he will soon be time to move on, he accept better to change.

Last point, the toy librarian recommend to not invite toys to table "we can introduce a little game at mealtime, but by using the fork as an airplane, for example. But do not mix everything and risking to confuse the message. When we eat, we eat. When it is the afternoon nap time, it is time to sleep, but not both...

Article written by Anne-Sophie Casal, trainer at FM2J, center of training for games and toys jobs, Lyon, Ludopole.