Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating.
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it — some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.
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Scrabble
Scrabble is a crossword game. There is a board, a bag full of letter tiles, and small racks (架子) to put the tiles on. Letters like Q, X and Z are not common in English words. They are worth more points than common letters like E, S and N. For example, “E” is worth only 1 point and there are many “E” tiles. The letter “Q” is worth 5 points and there are only two “Q” tiles.
The game begins with all the letter tiles in a bag. This way, the players can’t see the tiles. Each player takes seven tiles and puts them on the rack in front of him or her. The players can’t see each other’s tiles.
The Scrabble board has many squares. In turn, players try to make words with their tiles and put them on the squares. The words can only go up and down or left to right. The first player puts down a word, and it must cover the star in the centre of the board. The player must take new tiles to replace the ones used to make the word. The next player must make a word using the word that is on the board.
To find the score, players add up the value of each tile in a word. For example, the letters “S”, “T” and “A” are each worth 1 point. So the word “sat” is worth 3 points. The pink and blue squares have a special value, too. For example, if the “Q” tile is on a triple-letter square, then it would be 15 points, not just 5 points. If the word “sat’ is on the double=word square, then it is worth 6 points. The game continues until all the tiles have been used and no player can make any new words on the board. The highest score wins!
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Are Competitive Game Harmful to Children?
There is a cry of rage, and a tennis racket crashes to the ground. Jake, age 7, has just lost another match and is now in tears beside the court. His sister Sally, just one year older, looks at her mother and rolls her eyes: it is hard to enjoy when this keeps happening. It is not an unusual situation, and it is one reason why many people argue that competition is bad for children. However, the truth is that competitive games are a valuable preparation for life.
Games with winners and losers given children the chance to experience life’s ups and downs. Take Jake, for example: even though is unhappy now, he will probably be smiling and laughing with his sister in a few minutes, just like the last time this happened. Gradually, he will learn that the world does not end when you lose a game. Eventually, he may even be able to lose with a smile on his face. This is an important lesson. Not everything in life goes the way you would like, and it is important to know how to handle disappointment when it occurs.
Children who participate in competitive games develop qualities that will allow them to succeed in the complex world of adult life. For example, one of the missions of the Youth Olympic Games is to inspire young people to adopt the Olympic values, which include striving, determination, and optimism. Competition creates the desire to do better. Children have to learn to succeed in a competitive atmosphere in order to take advantage of opportunities in the future. Although it is possible to win by chance occasionally, people who win and keep winning work very hard to achieve their success.
Of course, there are parents who argue that children of Jake’s age are too young to handle the pain of losing. But whether we like it or not, adult life is very competitive, and keeping children away from competition does them more harm than good.
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