“游戲培養兒童的歸屬感，鼓勵兒童互相合作。”
-- 美國近代精神學家 Stuart Brown
兒很多人都記得自己小時候，或者在自己孩子身上看到過那種與其它小朋友一起在游樂場上玩耍的渴望。兒童經常盼望能有機會和朋友一起去校外玩耍，認識新朋友，一起進行那些自己在家無法玩的集體游戲。
不過，兒童在游樂場上的交流決不僅限于眼神。研究發現，游樂場是一個濃縮的小社會網絡，兒童在游戲中獲得非常重要的與人交往技能的同時，也學習到了團隊之間的交流和溝通。
在游樂場上，兒童隨時都會處于團隊之中，或離開集體單獨游戲。
獨自游戲時，兒童通過自娛自樂來鍛煉自己的創造性，消除無聊感。獨自游戲時，兒童也可以通過觀察其他小朋友之間的交流合作學習到社交技巧。
集體游戲時，兒童可以更深地理解不同的社會角色和文化規則，鍛煉團隊合作技能，并學會與同齡人分享共同的交流符合系統，包括語言和肢體動作。兒童在培養和測試相互之間的關系中學會自我控制、讓步及談判技巧。集體游戲中，兒童還可以學會逃生技能、獨立性以及什么樣的集體活動是自己可以接受的。
特定的游樂設施可以培養兒童的社交能力。給兒童提供可以聚集和交流的空間對于幫助兒童進行社會交流和交往非常重要。例如，研究證實平臺給兒童提供了聚集的場所，而過橋和斜坡則給兒童提供了游戲的機會。秋千和滑梯鼓勵兒童學會與小朋友輪流游戲，而管子和頂子則鼓勵兒童進行角色扮演游戲。
在兒童成年的過程中，社交能力的發展起著重要的作用。在游樂場學到的寶貴經驗為兒童成年之后能夠很好地適應社會打下堅實的基礎。
“兒童進行的游戲不是簡單的玩，而應該被認為是他們最嚴肅認真的活動。”
在游樂場上游戲時，兒童也會更好的了解他們的伙伴。建設所有兒童都可以玩的游樂設施和安全地墊是從小培養兒童包容品質的重要途徑。研究發現兒童對于可以一起游戲的同伴會賦予一定的價值。而那些不能與自己一起游戲的伙伴，則認為沒有價值。從兒童的角度出發，可以一起游戲的兒童是“貢獻者”，而不游戲的孩子則不是。因此，因為游樂設施和游樂場地點不具備“無障礙”特性而被剝奪在游樂場上游戲的權利的孩子，本身已經被其同伴歧視而處于劣勢。不幸的是，這種“貢獻者”的價值觀常常會伴隨人一輩子。建設無障礙的游樂場，讓所有孩子都可以參與游戲，是確保所有兒童的社會能力都能得到健康發展，并在同伴嚴重獲得同等價值的重要途徑。
“Play fosters belonging and encourages cooperation.” Stuart Brown, M.D. Contemporary American psychiatrist
Many people remember, or have experienced through their children, the anticipation of playing with friends at the playground. Kids often look forward to the opportunity to visit with friends outside of school, meet new people and play group games they can’t play at home alone.
But there is much more to these playground interactions than meets the eye. Research has shown that the playground is a complex social network where kids learn valuable lessons about group interaction and social norms while gaining important relationship-building skills.
Kids have many opportunities to move in and out of group play while on playgrounds. Solitary play helps kids socially, as it promotes creativity and alleviates boredom when children devise their own entertainment. While playing alone, kids can also learn social cues by observing group interactions without being a part of them.
When playing in groups, kids learn social roles and cultural rules, develop appropriate cooperation skills, and learn a shared system of symbols, including verbal and body language. When children develop and test relationships, they learn self-control, compromise and negotiation skills. Kids also learn survival skills, independence and acceptable group activities to build on as they grow up.
Specific playground equipment can foster social development in kids. Providing space for kids to congregate and communicate are important keys in helping social interaction on playgrounds. For example, research has shown that platforms and decks provide children with places to congregate. Bridges and ramps provide kids with opportunities to play games. Swings and slides encourage kids to learn to take turns, and tunnels and roof-covered areas encourage group games and pretend play.
The development of social skills plays an important role in a child’s maturation process. The valuable lessons they learn on the playground will provide a foundation to grow into socially-adjusted, well-adapted adults.
“Children at play are not playing about. Their games should be seen as their most serious minded activity.” Michel de Montaigne French essayist 1533-1592.
Children also learn important lessons about their peers when playing on the playground. Making sure playground equipment and surfacing is accessible for all kids is one way to begin leading kids to the early adoption of inclusiveness as a life value. Research has shown that children assign value to those they can play with and those they cannot. Their perception is that those who play are contributors and those who don't play are not. Therefore, children with disabilities who are prevented from playing on playgrounds because of non-inclusive equipment or surfacing are already facing a disadvantage of being perceived by their peers as having less value than the children who are playing. This "contributor status" perception unfortunately often carries on through life. Working to make playgrounds accessible to all is one way to make sure all children develop social skills and achieve critical peer status on equal ground.
轉自美國IPEMA Voice of Play官方網站 翻譯：Cathy Xu
