As a Language of Expression: Game

When it comes to play, the first definition that comes to mind is that play is the expression of an activity specific to children. In this article, I will discuss the game from two different points; The first is play as a way of expressing a child's world of meaning, and the second is the role of play and playfulness in expanding the boundaries of the adult's self.

In order to understand the world of children, we first need to understand how abstract the concepts in the world of adults actually are for children. For children, the social boundaries of life, rules and things to know are so complex and need to be learned that children need to internalize them by reconstructing them. As they internalize it, they comprehend it, and as they comprehend it, they become involved. The child finds meaning through play; without play, he remains away from the skills that can complement his life experiences. In the game, she gets ready like her mother, puts on make-up or plays a musical instrument like her father, goes to the market to shop, feeds herself, fights, falls, and wins. He discovers life while bringing everything he observes in life into the game. Play is one of the most important parts of a child's development. While games and game needs of each age change, children develop their motor skills, emotional, cognitive and social skills through games, reinforce what they have learned, and tell us things they cannot yet express with words. Vyogotsky says that the main advantage of play is that it gives children an organic platform to develop their skills and allows them to make progress without even realizing it. Moreover, since their only purpose is to have fun while playing, they do not make any extra effort for development and can spend all their time playing and dedicate themselves to the game. This dedication determines, transforms and develops children's psychological structure, which determines their relationship with reality. Therefore, play is a tool of emotional regulation for the child, it comforts the child in the face of situations he cannot cope with and offers him a safe space to achieve emotional stabilization.

When we think that children search for and understand the meaning of life through games, we can also say that the cornerstone of the relationship established with children is playing games. Many studies argue that the permanence of learning, attention span and processing are much faster and more permanent in curriculum studies where games can be included as an educational tool (Whitebread et al., 2012 ). However, many researchers have touched upon the importance of the unifying and transformative function of play in the relationship between parent and child (Rincon et al., 2012). Observing a child's play opens the doors to getting to know his or her world and representations of life.

So, what kind of space does play occupy in an adult's world? Or containers? The strict laws in the adult world make us forget that everyone was once a child and played games. Thus, play is accepted as a concept only related to children and childhood. However, play takes up a lot of space in an adult's life, it plays a fundamental role in expanding the boundaries of ourselves, but now its style has changed a little. Many different things can replace toys; Each hobby, planning a new travel route, and engaging in enjoyable communication can actually be adult games. Positive emotions increase with the inclusion of creativity. Just as children need play to regulate their emotions, adults also need their own playground for their own emotional regulation. While they live around rules and laws, they rest, produce, have fun and regulate themselves in these areas where they can renew themselves with their own creativity. So, what happens if we forget these playgrounds? Although it is not possible to have a single answer to this, the playful, creative and passionate part of adults who forget the playground stops realizing itself. And with that comes a lot of different questions or problems that follow.

Children create the game. They are excited, creative, full of discovery and passionate every time, as if they were playing the game for the first time. British psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott says, "It is pleasure to hide, but it is a disaster not to be found." Dealing with our realities, which are hidden within us but waiting to be found and may not always be pleasant, with the same seriousness as a child handles play, and integrating our creativity and playfulness with ourselves is perhaps the key to making the individual more alive at the borders of adulthood.

References

Whitebread, D., Basilio, M., Kuvalja, M., & Verma, M. (2012). The importance of playing. Brussels: Toy Industries of Europe .

Runcan, Patricia & Petracovschi (Ionescu), Simona & Borca, Claudia Vasilica. (2012). The Importance of Play in the Parent-Child Interaction. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 46. 795-799. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.05.201.