Why should we play?

Playing and playfulness are fundamental human traits, playfulness is an evolutionary heritage for us. Children spend most of their time playing, or would spend, if they could choose so. Playing is a safe way to form and maintain social relationships, and it is an opportunity for learning, and trying out new situations and roles. Numerous experiments proved that the process of learning is much more effective when coupled with positive experiences. If we are playing good games in a proper way, we will feel good and learn by playing at the same time.

How should we play?

The most important is to provide a trusting and supportive environment. This is absolutely necessary for players to join with all their heart and attention. Naturally it is also important that we tell the rules in great detail and precision every time. Always make sure that every player understands the rules and feels comfortable playing. Usually it is worth warming up the group with a quick game, so as to move them from the usual atmosphere of the school or other everyday activities to the world of playing. Our website presents a couple of such warm up games too. We also suggest to discuss the personal experiences and observations after each game. What was surprising or challenging in the game? What was the best strategy? What would you do differently if we played the game again? Following this, you can discuss the biological background of the game in detail.