Typology of Folk Games

Researchers and teachers dealing with folk games sooner or later face the que stion of classifying the games.Researchers need such a system for their comparative work and for publication of the material, while teachers need it for use in pra ctice.Classification can be made on the basis of all elements of the game.A system can be created on the basis of the text of the games, their melody, spatial form or the age of the children playing them.Each of these has its justification: the musicologist and the singing teacher are interested mainly in melody, the folklorist and literature teacher in the text, and the physical education teacher in spatial form.It is also i mportant for teachers to know what games to teach children of which age.However, none of the elements mentioned is able to serve as a basis for a system that contains all kinds of games.Classification on the basis of text, melody and spatial form can be applied to only some games: many games have no text, even fewer have a melody, and fewer still a specified spatial form.The basic forms of tag or making floral wreathes, for example, are played without text, melody or spatial form; most forms of counting out have a rhythmic text but no melody; most games for infants have a text and melody but no spatial form.Classification by age raises different problems.Firstly: the material collected does not always contain information on the ages of the children who played the di fferent games.Secondly: the age limits can be very broad for certain games.Squatting ring games, for example, are generally designated as games of children aged 3 -5 or 4 -6 years, while ring games choosing pairs are played by girls 8 -12 years old, so that these can be regarded as acceptable age groups.But what would be the classif ication of games of tag which are played from the age of 5 -6 years right up to 12 -14 years (some kinds even later)?Thirdly: the age groups may change for some games.Games asking for a girl's hand, for example, were traditionally played by girls aged 12 -14 years, approaching the age of marriage, but nowadays in the towns they are taught to children of kindergarten age.Since they enjoy these games (not only the girls, but the boys as well), it would be foolish to say that they shouldn't play them, particularly since children aged 12 -14 years now consider themselves too old for these games.It is useful, then, to keep age in sight when teaching, changes

Sociology · Typology · Anthropology · Digital Games and Media · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · History · Physical education and sports games research