Onlooker play definition
Meaning, Age Range, Examples, and More
Your child is standing on the sidelines, watching the other kids play. Seems like they’re just looking on, right?
Wrong. Onlooker play is an important developmental stage. It’s not just child’s play — it’s serious business.
Sociologist Mildred Parten divided play into six stages. At each of these stages, your child develops cognitive and social skills that form the foundation for future successful interaction with others. And it happens even when they’re just watching.
Jean Piaget defined the different stages of play primarily by the cognitive developmental stages that a child reaches. Parten saw things a little differently. She emphasized that learning to play is very much about learning how to relate to others.
Here’s a quick look at Parten’s six stages of play:
- Unoccupied play. Your child isn’t playing yet — just watching or standing in one spot and sometimes making random movements.
- Solitary play. Your child is fully focused on their own activity and unaware of other children around them.
- Onlooker play. Your child watches and even comments on other kids playing but doesn’t join in.
- Parallel play. At this bridging stage, children play alongside each other, but remain in their separate worlds.
- Associative play. Children interact with each other, but the activities aren’t coordinated.
- Cooperative play. Around kindergarten age, playtime becomes well-organized and the children have assigned roles.
Don’t hold a stopwatch because we aren’t all programmed to run on the same timetable. But as a rule of thumb, you can expect onlooker play to begin when your toddler reaches between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 years of age.
If your heart breaks because you see your child standing on the edge, watching quietly as the other kids play, don’t reach for your tissues.
Celebrate — your toddler has reached another milestone. Remember those previous play dates when your child wasn’t even aware that there were other kids in the room.
Onlooker play is a big part of a child’s development. While your child may seem passive when they’re just watching, they’re actually pretty busy working on cognitive and social-emotional skills.
Cognitive skills
Observation sharpens perception, attention, memory, and thinking. By noticing how gestures and words are used, kids are laying the groundwork for the more complex symbols (writing and math) that they will learn in school.
Social-emotional skills
In his famous Bobo doll experiments, Albert Bandura, hailed as the father of the cognitive theory, showed that kids learn how to behave from observing others. It’s a one-way street: Watch, assimilate, and then imitate.
Need more convincing? Psychologist Lev Vygotsky says that observation “refines the natural state of behavior of the child and alters completely anew the whole course of his development.
” Observation teaches some important lessons including:
- The rules of engagement.Observation teaches kids how to cooperate with other kids, how to listen to the rules, and how to better rein in their own impulses. They realize that sticking to the structure of play is worth it — they get more pleasure from the game than from satisfying an immediate impulse.
- Different strokes for different folks. Some children are naturally more reserved. Researchers call these kids slow-to-warm-up. They gain the most from onlooker play. As they watch other kids at play, they learn. Armed with this knowledge, they gain the self-confidence needed to move on to the next stage of play.
Your toddler loves watching other children at play. But at this early stage, they’re more interested in watching quietly from the sidelines than in directly participating. Here’s what you’ll notice at the onlooker stage:
- Your toddler sits or stands near other children who are playing, but doesn’t get involved.
- They may stay within earshot so that they can keep tabs on what’s going on.
- They may talk to other kids, ask questions, and give suggestions, but no more.
- In Montessori classrooms, kids typically range from 2 1/2 to 6 years of age. It’s common to see the younger children watching the older children play from a safe distance.
- Remember that slower-to-warm-up child? This child feels safe watching from a distance but may throw in a suggestion when they get a chance.
- Sports’ spectators are also engaged in onlooker play — some good things never come to an end!
We all want to help our kids reach important milestones. And, to be totally honest, it hurts when you see your kid on the sidelines — even when you know that this developmental stage will soon pass. So, what can you do to nudge the onlookers onto the next stage? Here are some great ideas:
- Be on hand when your child plays to offer support and care. Researchers recommend switching off your phone when you’re with your child.
When you take part in the game, onlookers are more likely to take part as well. - Give your toddler the opportunity to role play. Build a collection of hats, scarves, purses, shoes, blankets, dishes, broken phones, keyboards, and anything else you’re tempted to toss out. Store the props on low shelves and in open tubs so that your child can pick and choose easily. When you play with your toddler, or invite a friend for a play date, the props give them a starting point for play.
- You can grease the wheels of successful play with open-ended questions like, “Is it time to feed the baby?” or “How can you build the farm?”
- Play dates can stretch your nerves, because playing with others is a learning curve. Expect squabbles and, when they occur, referee calmly — the kids are doing what kids do.
- Have you recently installed an air conditioner or a bought a new appliance? Keep the box they come in and make a house. Go ahead and crawl inside, and your toddler will likely do the same.
When your toddler reaches 3 1/2 to 4 years of age, they’ll probably move on to the next stage of developmental play — parallel play. At this stage, you’ll see your child actually playing next to other kids, but not yet playing together. The kids will probably share their resources, but they won’t have a common goal.
You may notice that your child and their friend are playing with blocks, but they’ll each build their own tower. Stay on hand in case they start to squabble over the blocks! The kids might have a blast with your costume box, but they likely won’t assign roles.
What happens when you notice that your child hasn’t moved on to the onlooker play stage? Maybe they’re still fully engaged in the solitary play stage and don’t show any interest in what the other kids around them are doing.
Breathe easy… it happens. The guidelines for the age ranges of the play stages are simply guidelines. Up to 15 percent of kids are slower to warm up. These kids may be shy or super-cautious.
And a heads up: Sometimes even though a child has mastered parallel or associative play, they may still slip back to the onlooker stage. That’s perfectly normal. Don’t you also have days when you’re perfectly happy to sit back and watch the world pass by?
That said, if you have any concerns about your child’s development, reach out to your pediatrician.
Your child is growing up. As their cognitive, communication, and social-emotional skills come together, you’ll notice that the onlooker play has morphed into parallel and then associative play. Watch out, because soon they’ll be asking for the car keys!
Age, Benefits, Examples & How To Encourage It
Onlooker play helps your child mature into a well-rounded individual.
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Onlooker play is one of the six different stages of children’s participation in play, as Dr. Mildred Parten Newhall described. Onlooker play is characterized by the child being more engrossed in watching others play instead of participating themselves. You may encourage your child to play with others, but they refuse to participate and prefer only to watch. They have fun observing others play, It is not unusual for parents to worry about their child losing interest in interacting with peers as they do not show interest in joining them for the play. Read this post to learn what onlooker play is and how it impacts children’s development as we explain in more depth with the help of some examples.
Does this scenario seem familiar to you?
If yes, you may have just witnessed an episode of onlooker play. You might worry that your child is losing interest in social interactions because they are not actively involved in the play.
However, this may not be the case.
In this post, we talk about what onlooker play is, discuss some onlooker play examples, and tell you how it impacts your child’s development.
Related: 9 Useful Tips To Enhance Social-Emotional Development In Babies
What Is Onlooker Play?
In 1932, sociologist Dr. Mildred Parten Newhall conducted a series of studies for her dissertation and developed a system for classifying the stages of a child’s play that are crucial for your child’s social development.
According to Parten, there are six stages of social play that a child goes through, starting right from birth. As they experience each stage, they develop the social skills required to play with other children (1).
Onlooker play is one of the six stages. It is when a child watches and observes other children playing but does not participate in the play. This stage is essential as the child observes and learns from their surroundings. It is generally considered a preparatory phase for children to learn social interaction skills.
Let us now understand in brief what the six stages of social play are (2):
- Unoccupied play:This stage takes place from birth to three months of age. The baby moves their arms and legs and finds out how each part of their body moves.
- Independent play: This type of play begins from birth and lasts for two years. The child prefers playing alone and is not interested in playing with other children yet.
- Onlooker play: Also called spectator play, during this stage, the child observes other children playing but does not join them.
- Parallel play: This stage happens after the child turns two. In this stage, the child plays alongside others but does not participate in their play.
- Associative play: This stage happens at around three years of age and continues till the child is four. In this stage, the child interacts with others during play but without the aim of achieving a common goal.
You will also notice very little interaction and a lack of organization.
- Cooperative play: This stage occurs after the child turns four. The child develops an active interest in the activities of other children and participates in them. You will also notice cooperation, organization, and teamwork.
It is important to note that although the stages are described for children in the age group of 0–5, each child grows at their own pace, and they may not necessarily align strictly with the ages mentioned above.
Examples Of Onlooker Play Activities
Image: Shutterstock
Onlooker play doesn’t require any special set-up. It is an ongoing process that happens organically when your child is in the vicinity of same-aged or older children. If your child likes what they see, they will stop what they are doing and watch what others are doing. They will soak in new experiences by observing the activities of others around them.
Here are a few examples of onlooker play activities:
- Younger children in kindergarten watching the activities of older children
- Children who are slightly shy throwing in sudden suggestions in an activity they weren’t involved in
- A toddler observing the use of various pieces of play equipment in a play area
- Your child watching other children pretend play or dress-up
- Your child watching a children’s choir or play attentively
Related: 22 Learning Activities And Games For Your 7-Month-Old Baby
When Does Onlooker Play Begin?
Onlooker play usually occurs around two years of age and continues for up to six months or one year. Usually, independent play and onlooker play happen simultaneously.
During this stage, it might seem that your child is missing out on social interactions and physical play. However, onlooker play is a milestone in terms of your child’s social development. Even if your child does not participate in the play, they are observing and taking mental notes.
They notice not only how games are played, but also how different people interact with each other.
Why Is Onlooker Play Important?
Onlooker play is a crucial and beneficial stage in a child’s development. Even if the child seems passive and inactive when watching others play, their various brain functions are busily employed. It also helps develop their cognitive and social-emotional skills.
Cognitive skills
Watching others improves a child’s observation, perception, attention, and memory skills. They are also learning new words and more complex behaviors, such as gestures, which establish order in the play.
Social-emotional skills
Children learn by observing others. In the initial years, it is the primary caregiver, usually the mother. As they grow, their social circle increases, and they start observing other children to imbibe their characteristics. They try to imitate the mannerisms of the people they like and later try them out.
For children who are shy and reserved, onlooker play is a way to gain more experience without actually engaging with them. These children may benefit the most from onlooker play.
Positives Of Onlooker Play
Image: Shutterstock
There are many positives of onlooker play. It could help your child
- Gain knowledge
- Observe interactions among other children
- Develop self-confidence
- Learn to cooperate with other children
- Develop their cognitive and social skills
- Develop their memory and deductive skills
Related: 10 Cognitive Activities For Infants To Boost Development
How To Encourage Your Child During Onlooker Play?
Image: Shutterstock
Parents always want their children to achieve the right milestones successfully. When you see your child watching others and not engaging with them, you might feel uneasy and emotional. But you have to remember that onlooker play is a crucial developmental stage, and your baby will soon transition to the next stage.
There are a few things that you can do to make the transition of your child to the next stage easy and smooth:
- Offer support to your child: When at the play area, switch off your phone and keenly observe what the child is doing. In some cases, if you participate in an activity or a game, it is more likely that your child will participate in it too.
- Encourage role play: Assemble a collection of old towels, toys, etc., in a place where your toddler can get their hands on whenever they want. Role play can help improve the imaginative and cognitive skills of your
- Arrange playdates: Playing with children of a similar age could be a great learning experience for your They can also see adults (parents or babysitters) interacting with each other and learn social skills.
- Offer open-ended toys: Instead of giving them specific toys, give them open-ended toys, such as empty cartons or wooden blocks to play with.
These toys can help them develop their imaginative and deductive skills, encourage freethinking, and improve their motor skills.
When Does Onlooker Play End?
Image: Shutterstock
When your child reaches 3–3 ½ years, they will move on to the next stage of play, that is, parallel play. In the parallel play stage, you will notice your child playing with other children. They might still not actively engage in play, but they will prefer playing alongside other children. They might probably share their toys, but they will play independently and won’t play to achieve a common goal.
When Should You Worry About Your Child’s Development?
Image: Shutterstock
If you feel your child hasn’t reached the onlooker play stage despite having reached an adequate age, there is no need to panic. They might be engaged in solitary play and may not notice what is happening around them. Some children can be quite reserved at a young age and slow in achieving their developmental milestones.
These children might take some time to move on to the onlooker play stage (3).
If you have any concerns about your child’s development, do not hesitate to contact your pediatrician.
Related: 16 Important Developmental Milestones In Baby’s First Year
What Can You Expect Next?
As your child’s cognitive and social-emotional skills develop, they will slowly transition into parallel play and then move on to associative play. Each stage comes with its own set of knowledge and learning, so be prepared to handle your child’s independence.
Every child has to achieve several developmental milestones while growing up. These milestones are important for your child’s mental, physical, social, and emotional development.
Onlooker play is beneficial for children in multiple ways. However, you must know the right age to introduce it as it involves certain skills to be put to use. This play encourages motor development and allows the child to learn more about their social behavior.
Thus, they must have the exposure and knowledge required so that they seek all the benefits that it has to offer. Once they understand the play, they can have fun around with their friends.
Key Pointers
- The onlooker play is one of the six stages of play and prepares children for social interaction.
- Although it may seem concerning to a parent, the onlooker play is an important stage in development.
- The transition from onlooker play to the next stage happens gradually. Arranging playdates or encouraging role play could assist this progress.
References:
MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.
1. How Kids Learn to Play: 6 Stages of Play Development; Pathways
2.
The Power of Play – Part 1: Stages of Play; Michigan State University
3. Importance of Play in Children’s Development; Pathways
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Joke games, mass games (games with the hall), funny games-competitions
Joke games:
1. Kangaroo
Number of players: any
A volunteer is selected. One leader takes him away and explains that he will have to portray a kangaroo with gestures, facial expressions, etc., but without making a sound, and everyone else must guess what kind of animal he is showing.
2. "Who likes chocolate?"
Leader. “Now let’s see how attentive you guys are! I will ask you questions, and you answer: "I am." But be careful, sometimes it's better to remain silent.
– So, who likes chocolate?
- Me!
- Who loves marmalade?
- Me!
- Who likes pears?
- Me!
Who doesn't wash their ears? - the answer of the inattentive: "I am!"
General laughter. The host is exaggeratedly surprised: “Are there really such children who do not wash their ears? You must be joking! Listen and be careful!"
– Who was walking along the street?
– Who fell into a puddle? - the answer of the inattentive: "I am!" But the majority is already silent, listening to questions.
The facilitator praises the children and continues:
– Who helped mom?!
– Who swept the floor?
– Who washed the dishes?
– Who broke the cup? - in response - laughter. There are almost no more inattentive. This game delights children from 6 to 11 years old.
3. Phrase in a circle
Some simple phrase is chosen, for example: "Apples fell in the garden." Now, starting with the first player, this phrase is pronounced by everyone in turn. Each participant in the game must say a phrase with a new intonation (interrogative, exclamatory, surprised, indifferent, etc.). If the participant cannot come up with anything new, then he is eliminated from the game, and this continues until there are several (3-4) winners left.
4. Telephone operator competition
Two groups of players (10-12 people) sit in two parallel rows. The host selects an unpronounceable tongue twister and reports it (in the ear) to the first in each team. At the signal of the leader, the first in the row begin to transfer it to the ear of the second, the second - to the third, and so on until the last.
5. Get a fax
Two teams (not less than 4 people each) line up behind each other. A blank sheet of paper and a pen are placed in front of the first in the columns. Then the leader approaches the last players in the columns one by one and shows them a simple picture prepared in advance. The goal of each player is to draw what he saw on the back of the person in front of him.
6. Five steps to happiness
A chair with a prize is placed in the center of the room. The volunteer stands in front of him, turns around and walks 5-6 steps forward. There, they blindfold him, turn around his axis 1-2 times and offer to go back to the chair the same number of steps and take the prize.
The participant who takes the prize wins.
Mass games (games with the hall):
For juniors:
1. "Hedgehogs, hedgehogs"
The facilitator asks the participants of the game: “Who is friendlier: girls or boys? do you want to know? this game will help you.
we repeat the words and movements all together:
- two claps (clap),
two stomp (stomp),
hedgehogs - hedgehogs (perform a movement resembling screwing in light bulbs) ...
forged - forged (one fist knocks on another) ,
scissors - scissors (perform the movements of cutting scissors),
running in place, running in place (imitate running),
bunnies - bunnies (they imitate bunnies flapping their ears)…
come on, together, come on, together…”
After these words the girls shout loudly: “girls!!!”, - the boys: “boys! !!” and then they all shout together. the presenter, summing up the results of the game, says that it turned out the most amicably when everyone shouted together.
2. “Elephant sneeze”
The facilitator asks the children if they have heard an elephant sneeze and invites them to listen to its sneeze. To do this, he divides all players into three groups. at the signal of the leader, the first group begins to shout: “boxes!”; the second: "cartilage!"; the third: "dragged!".
the host conducts several rehearsals. First, the groups take turns saying the words. then the start of the game is announced. at the signal of the leader of the group, they simultaneously begin to shout loudly. after that, the host says: "Be healthy!".
3. “Fish”
The leader represents a wave with one hand and a fish with the other. as soon as the "fish" appears from the water, the participants need to catch it with cotton. Laughter and fun are guaranteed!
4. "Lavata"
The host invites the children to learn the words of the song:
We dance together,
Tra-ta-ta, tra-ta-ta,
Our cheerful dance -
This is "Lavata".
Are our hands good?
All: Good!
Moderator: What about the neighbour's?
All: Better! (join hands and sing the song first).
The facilitator then asks, “Are our ears good?”
All: Good!
Moderator: What about the neighbour's?
All: Better! (they take each other by the ears and sing the song first).
The facilitator may ask questions like: "Are our heads good?" "Are our knees good?" etc.
5. “The deer has a big house”
The facilitator learns the words with the children and explains that each word is played with appropriate hand movements. The tempo gradually increases as the song is played repeatedly.
The deer has a big house.
He looks out his window.
A hare is running through the forest,
There is a knock on the door.
Chorus:
“Knock-knock,
Open the door.
There in the forest
An evil hunter!
Quickly open the doors,
Give me a paw.”
with hands above the head represent the roof of the house;
show a square window with hands in front of the face;
represent running in place;
represent knocking on the door with a fist;
knock with the right foot on the floor;
open the door;
point backwards with the right hand with protruding thumb;
represent a gun with their hands;
imitate an invitation to the house with the right hand;
arms outstretched with palms forward
Teenagers:
0005
In the rules of the game, the presenter informs: “at the word “wound up”, you need to hug yourself, and with the word “unwound” - spread your arms to the sides.
” the words of the host may be as follows: “wound up - unwound. wound on a neighbor on the left - unwound. rolled on a neighbor in front - unwound.
2. “You and I are one family!”
the facilitator offers to repeat the text and movements to it together.
- you and I are one family:
you, we, you, me.
touch the neighbor's nose on the right,
touch the neighbor's nose on the left,
we are friends!
you and I are one family:
you, we, you, me.
hug the neighbor on the right,
hug the neighbor on the left,
you and I are friends!
you and I are one family:
you, we, you, me.
pinch the neighbor on the right,
pinch the neighbor on the left,
you and I are friends!
we are one family:
you, we, you, me.
kiss of the neighbor on the right,
kiss of the neighbor on the left,
you and I are friends!
3. Game "Captains".
Rules. When the leader addresses the captains sitting in the hall and asks them to perform this or that action, the participants must perform it. If there was no corresponding appeal, and the actions are indicated, this command should be ignored, and the one who makes a mistake is out of the game.
Example. The host says: “Captains, hands up. Captains, rise. Turn right"; From the examples given, team members should raise their hands up, stand up, but not turn to the right, as they were not addressed as captains.
At the end of the game, all the applause goes to the most attentive captains.
4. The game "Giants and dwarfs".
Rules. If the facilitator says "Giants", the participants should stand up, if "dwarfs" - squat down. At the same time, the leader performs actions with the participants - sits down and gets up, confusing them (i.e., performs actions in reverse). Children often, looking at the leader, do not hear what he says, but repeat the movements after him.
Therefore, it is easy to confuse participants.
5. "hee-hee, ha-ha"
Leader suggests repeating the words and movements to them with him:
times (raise the right hand up to the right),
two (raise the left hand up to the left),
three (lower the right hand down to the right),
four (lower the left hand down to the left),
five (raise the right hand up to the right).
hee-hee (leaning forward slightly),
ha-ha (leaning back).
times (raising the right hand up to the right),
two (raising the left hand up to the left),
three (lowering the right hand down to the right),
four (lowering the left hand down to the left).
hee-hee (leaning forward slightly),
ha-ha (leaning back).
times (raise the right hand up to the right),
two times (raise the left hand up to the left),
three times (lower the right hand down to the right).
hee hee (lean forward slightly),
haha (lean back).
times (raise the right hand up to the right),
two times (raise the left hand up to the left).
hee-hee (leaning forward slightly),
ha-ha (leaning back).
times (raise the right hand up to the right).
hee-hee (leaning forward slightly),
ha-ha (leaning back).
all together shout "ha!"
the tempo of pronunciation must be increased from verse to verse.
Fun competition games:
For younger children:
Many animals move by jumping. Try to jump just like they do...
sparrows; kangaroo; hares; frogs; grasshoppers.
2. UNUSUAL SINGING
Everyone knows how to sing correctly. But sometimes singing “in the right way” is not interesting. Try to perform the song “Little Country” (from the repertoire of Natasha Koroleva), but at the same time...
pinch your nose with your fingers; take water in your mouth; pull inside the cheeks; bite your lower lip put a match between your teeth.
3. AN OLD FAIRY TALE WITH A NEW END
A fairy tale can have a good ending (like "Turnip"), or a bad ending (like "Teremok"). But the end of a fairy tale is always the same, no matter how many times this fairy tale is told. And is it right? Try to come up with a new ending to such well-known folk tales as...
“Ryaba the Hen”; "Kolobok"; "Turnip"; "Teremok"; "The wolf and the seven Young goats".
4. SILENT ACTIONS
As a rule, all human actions are accompanied by noise. When a person writes, the paper rustles and the pen fastens. When a person reads, the pages rustle and the book cover creaks. Especially a lot of sounds are heard when a person picks up kitchen utensils. Try to refute the fixed expression “rattling dishes”, try completely silently...
put the spoon into the glass; put the fork on the plate; put the cup on the saucer; close the pot with a lid; remove the lid from the kettle. When performing the task, it is allowed to use not only hands, but also additional devices.
5. FUN SQUAT
All physically strong people know how to squat. Squatting is considered a very useful exercise that strengthens the muscles. True, sometimes squatting is boring. In this case, the exercise can be a little more complicated, make it more fun. Try to do 10 squats, but with a prerequisite:
stand only on your toes, without touching the floor with your heels; hold an unfolded newspaper in outstretched hands; hold a tennis ball between your knees; hold one dumbbell behind your back with both hands;
For teenagers:
1. Guinness show
The most important thing in this competition is to come up with many unusual and completely frivolous competitions to determine the very best. It is necessary to prepare all the necessary equipment, explain how to the presenter what the Guinness Book of Records is, introduce the secretariat, which will be responsible for registering records, report on the glory that awaits the winners.
In advance, the guys can prepare for competitions. You can call everyone to any competition, the main thing is to make sure that all the guys in your squad take part in at least one. Competitions can be the following:
1. Who will sit on a stool longer, lifting it off the floor and not holding on to anything with their hands.
2. Who will eat a piece of black bread faster and then hang down.
3. Who will tie five knots on one big long hair faster.
4. Who can put a newspaper into an empty bottle faster without tearing it.
5. Who can roll out the longest "sausage" from a piece of plasticine in one minute.
6. Who will drink a glass of water through a plastic straw faster.
7. Who can tear a sheet of A4 into more pieces in one minute without folding it?
8. Who will be able to shout the sound “I” for longer without taking in air
9. Who will be able to throw a cotton swab, etc.
As a reward, you can assign a title to everyone, prepare sets of “business cards” for each nominee.
2. Fate connecting thread
Ten participants must unravel the bundle of ribbons, holding on to their ends. The players help each other with advice, at first not knowing who the ribbons paired with whom. The winner is the pair that gets out of silk captivity faster than the rest.
3. Mysterious Chest
Each of the two players has their own chest or suitcase containing various items of clothing. The players are blindfolded, and at the command of the leader, they begin to put on things from the chest. The task of the players is to dress up as quickly as possible.
4. Burglar
Players are given a bunch of keys, a closed padlock. It is necessary to pick up the key from the bunch as soon as possible and open the lock.
5. Chained
Cheerful company and logical thinking are the main things you need to succeed in this game. The driver must unwind the thread entangled in a strange ball. In the role of a naughty thread - the rest of the participants in the game, holding hands.
Jokes, mass games, competition games
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For future leaders. Part 2.3 (Games to identify the leader) - MU "City health-improving center for children and youth "Eaglet"
GAMES TO REVEAL THE LEADER
Three changes of clothes
One person comes out and stands in front of the others so that they can carefully examine him. Time for inspection from one to five minutes. Then he leaves the room and makes any three subtle changes in his clothes: he unbuttons a button, unties the laces, slightly wraps the sleeve of his shirt, sticks out a corner of the handkerchief from his pocket, turns over the belt of his trousers. After making three changes, he returns to the others. Everyone has to say what changes have taken place.
Rock
The team lines up on a bench or chairs in a row close to each other. Calculated in numerical order. Then he is invited to change places one at a time.
That is - number 1 becomes the last, carefully moving and holding on to the guys. Then number 2 and so on. Moving chairs and jumping to the floor is prohibited. If someone is not kept, then everything starts all over again. There is a ban on talking for everyone, except for the person who will take on the role of coordinator. The counselor chooses this person himself or at will from potential guys - leaders. Another variation of this game is that the coordinator is asked to build a squad according to height, color of socks, shoe size, hair length, and so on.
Magic Cloak
Everyone knows the magic cloak of the sorcerer, with which he covered any hero, making him invisible to others. Once such an incident occurred at the court of the Northern King. The sons played merrily in the palace garden. Suddenly one of the boys disappeared. But there were many princes, and no one noticed what had happened. It was only at dinner that the disappearance of one of the princes was discovered.
Everyone immediately guessed that it was not without charms ... The leader gives the command to scatter across the field and circle with closed eyes. On command, they stop, squat down, and put their heads on their knees. The leader covers one of the players with a cloak and gives permission to the others to stand up and open their eyes. The winner is the one who first guessed who was kidnapped by the wizard.
Ride Gypsies
The leader offers the children to build a gypsy wagon, consisting of a cart, three horses, cart walls, roof, wheels, a cab, passengers, a colt on a leash. Time to prepare the task 3 - 5 minutes. Interpretation: the coachman is currently the main leader - the organizer in the detachment of the walls and the roof - those who can be relied upon, good performers. Wheels, a cart, horses - those on whom everyone strives to “ride”, and who is able to carry, that is, leaders of a lower rank. The foal is “dropped out”, but with claims to leadership.
Passengers - the bulk.
At the end of the game, it is necessary to ask the guys whether everyone agrees with this distribution of roles and what place they are applying for.
Rope
To play this game, take a rope and tie its ends so that a ring is formed. (The length of the rope depends on the number of guys participating in the game.)
The guys stand in a circle and take the rope inside the circle with both hands. Assignment: "Now everyone needs to close their eyes and, without opening their eyes, without letting go of the rope, build a triangle." First, there is a pause and complete inactivity of the guys, then one of the participants offers some kind of solution: for example, to pay off and then build a triangle by serial numbers, and then directs the actions.
The practice of this game shows that the leaders usually take on these functions.
The game can be continued, complicating the task, and invite the guys to build a square, a star, a hexagon.
Step Forward
The guys become wider in width, on command they take a step forward, while the leader limits the number of people walking: “10 people - a step forward! 5 people - step forward! Leaders - organizers are immediately visible.
Who is Faster
2 teams participate. By cotton, the leader should line up according to:
- hair color (from light to dark or vice versa),
- according to shoe sizes (from smallest to largest),
- alphabet;
- hair length,
- eye color (from light to dark or vice versa).
Leadership is assumed by leaders.
Four Sides of the World
The team lines up, not close to each other. As you know, there are 4 cardinal directions. Participants close their eyes, they are also not allowed to talk and negotiate. On cotton, the guys need to jump in place so as to turn around and be looking in one direction.
Three attempts are given. [authoring]
Put Your Hand
The guys are invited to put their right hand on the shoulder of the person in the squad that they like the most (the soul of the squad), and the left on the shoulder of the one they would like to see as a commander. The leader determines who is who by counting hands. As a rule, there are not too many leaders if this game is played at the end of the organizational period.
Joystick
Everyone stands opposite each other, and each takes the hand of a neighbor by the thumb. The neighbor's thumb will be the joystick. The first in the chain extends his hand forward over the table. A small object (coin, earring, etc.) is placed on the table. Everyone closes their eyes, except for the last member of the team. He controls the "joystick", passing the first command through the rest of the participants. The goal of the first is to place your finger exactly on the object on the table.
The game can be played in the form of a competition. If you decide to make a competition out of this game, do not forget to define independent judges so that no one cheats.
Endless Ring
The group stands in a circle and holds hands. In the hand of the first and last ends of the ropes. It is necessary, without releasing your hands, to make a ring and pass the whole team through it and return back.
"Do one, do two"
The players stand behind the chairs.
At the command of the facilitator: “Do it once”, everyone must simultaneously raise their chairs. On command: “Do two,” all players must run around the chairs and sit on them. All actions must be performed simultaneously. The game helps to identify the leader - the organizer, it is he who must guess first to give the command to lower the chairs in the first case, and sit down in the second.
" Sculpture"
The leader invites the teams to build a sculpture exposition "Our squad" within 5 minutes.
Leaders are judged by the one who takes on the role of foreman.
Guys
line up in a column one by one at the back of each other's head, with their hands on their shoulders. The leader explains the rules: The ban on talking. Everyone except the one standing last has their eyes closed. The last one is the train driver. Clap on the left (right) shoulder - turn left (right) ). Clap on both shoulders - forward. Clap on both shoulders double - back. Clap on both shoulders with a shot - stop. The driver's task is to drive the engine a few turns. After that, the last one to become - ahead of everyone and repeat. Leaders are judged by the ability to manage.“Magic Ball”
The counselor has a ball in his hand (made from one sheet of A4 paper). Calling his name, he throws the ball to any child from the circle, the child to another. The ball must pass all the guys. Then the counselor gives the following task: "Now the ball should pass all of you in the same order in 1 minute.
" After they have succeeded, you cut the time: 30 seconds, 3 seconds, and 1. Know that this is possible. First, the guys can move. Secondly, the ball must pass all hands. Thirdly, it cannot be taken by one child and held on the handles of the rest. It is necessary to ensure that the guys, by their own reflections and trials, come to the following decision: By joining the hands of all the participants, they built a well. There may be other options.
Carriage
All the guys are divided into two teams. And you give each team the same task in your ear - to build a carriage of people. Preparation time 2 minutes. It is very important to follow the whole process that takes place in teams: who leads, who invents, who does not care, who builds all team members. During the preparation, you can clearly see most of the children, choose leaders.
Photographer
It is proposed that the guys imagine that they are all a big family and everyone needs to be photographed together for a family album.
You must select a "photographer". He should arrange the whole family for photographing. The “grandfather” is chosen first from the family; he can also participate in the arrangement of the members of the “family”. No more settings are given for children, they must decide for themselves who to be and where to stand. And you wait and watch this entertaining picture. The role of "photographer" and "grandfathers" is usually taken by guys striving for leadership. But, however, elements of leadership and other "family members" are not excluded. It will be very interesting for you to observe the distribution of roles, activity-passivity in choosing a location.
This game, played in the middle of the shift, can open up new leaders for you and reveal the like-dislike system in groups. After the distribution of roles and arrangement of "family members", the "photographer" counts up to three. On the count of three! everyone together and very loudly shout "cheese" and make a simultaneous clap of their hands.
"Kaleidoscope"
Here is another way to highlight the leaders, consisting of several games. To do this, the guys are divided into two teams equal in number of participants. Each team chooses a name for itself. The leader offers conditions: “Now the commands will be executed after I command: “Start!”. The team that completes the task faster and more accurately will be considered the winner. In this way you will create a spirit of competition, which is very important for the guys.
So, the first task. Now each team should say a single word in unison. "Started!". In order to complete this task, it is necessary for all team members to somehow agree. It is these functions that a person who aspires to leadership takes on.
The second task. Here it is necessary that, without agreeing on anything, half the team quickly got up. "Started!" The interpretation of this game is similar to the interpretation of the Karabas game: the most active members of the group stand up, including the leader.
Third task. Now all the teams are flying on a spaceship to Mars, but in order to fly, we need to organize the crews as quickly as possible. The crew includes: captain, navigator, passengers and "hare". So who's faster?! Usually, the leader takes over the functions of the organizer, but the leader chooses the role of a “hare”. This can be explained by his desire to shift the responsibility of the commander onto the shoulders of someone else.
"Rope"
To play this game, take a rope and tie its ends so that a ring is formed. (The length of the rope depends on the number of children participating in the game.)
The guys stand in a circle and grab the rope inside the circle with both hands. Assignment: "Now everyone needs to close their eyes and, without opening their eyes, without letting go of the rope, build a triangle."
First, there is a pause and complete inactivity of the guys, then one of the participants offers some kind of solution, or he says who needs to disperse, who needs to stand still, or offers to pay off and then build a triangle by serial numbers, again leading actions.
The practice of this game shows that the leaders usually take on these functions.
The game can be continued, complicating the task, and invite the guys to build a square, a star, a hexagon.
"Karabas"
The next similar game will be the game "Karabas". To conduct the game, children are seated in a circle, a counselor sits with them, who offers the conditions for the game: “Guys, you all know the tale of Pinocchio and remember the bearded Karabas-Barabas, who had a theater. Now you are all puppets. I will say the word "KA-RA-BAS" and show a certain number of fingers on outstretched hands. And you will have to, without agreeing, get up from the chairs, and as many people as I show my fingers. This game develops attention and speed of reaction.
Two counselors are required for this play test. The task of one is to conduct the game, the second is to carefully observe the behavior of the guys.
Most often, the guys who get up are more sociable, striving for leadership.
