How can educational games contribute to improving motor development in children?

Our children's lives have become more complicated, especially with the increase in technology and the fast-paced life in everything. In fact, all of this has been accompanied by an increase in children's use of electronic devices, such as phones, televisions, tablets, computers, and PlayStations, as they and their parents think that this provides them with entertainment. Although these devices or electronic games can provide a little luxury for children, they deprive them of the advantages of traditional games and even educational games, which are a great way to improve motor development in children and even improve mental abilities and develop children's behavioral skills. Thus, this provides them with healthy growth. But before discussing the role of educational games in improving motor development in children, we must first recognize the importance of childhood and the benefits of play at that stage.

The importance of childhood:

Our children are the foundation of the future, and they are the building blocks that form society. The future is shaped by the way they are raised and educated. The first years of our children’s lives are the foundation for shaping their personality and highlighting their potential. At this stage, the features of the child’s personality that will appear in the future are drawn, as habits are formed, creative readiness and tendencies grow, abilities are formed, and skills begin to appear. Therefore, all advanced societies pay attention to children and develop their creative abilities and provide physical activities and educational games that contribute to improving motor development in children .

The role of educational games in improving motor development in children:

• Educational games help strengthen the child's muscles and release excess energy.

• Educational games also help achieve sensory-motor coordination in the child, which in turn helps the child learn many skills.

• Educational games relieve the child's body of muscle fatigue and physical tension, thus improving motor development in children .

There are other benefits of motor educational games in improving motor development in children:

When our children move randomly, such as jumping, running, or jogging, they understand their position according to the outside world, i.e. they develop spatial awareness, which in turn develops their spatial intelligence. This also contributes greatly to achieving balance and moving smoothly, easily, and flexibly, thus improving motor development in children.

The benefits of educational games are not limited to improving motor development in children only, but they have many other benefits, which are summarized as follows:

• Educational games train children to think critically and memorize.

• Educational games contribute to developing children's knowledge and experiences by activating thinking and stimulating memory when using educational games based on logic and thinking.

• Educational games enhance the child's personality, especially in the pre-school stage.

• Educational games help children improve their verbal and social communication skills, as children cooperate with each other in play and learn how to integrate into a group.

• Educational games encourage children to explore the environment around them and thus provide children with the opportunity to learn in an interesting and fun way.

• Educational games are a suitable teaching method for all learning styles.

• Educational games create an exciting atmosphere within the learning environment.

• It gives shy children the opportunity to participate, gain experience and learn.

• Educational games provide children with opportunities to try, experiment, and make mistakes in a suitable environment without fear of evaluation.

• Educational games transform abstract concepts into concrete experiences, helping children perceive and understand the meanings of things.
• Educational games give children the opportunity to move freely within the learning environment, which in turn eliminates the educational routine that may cause boredom for children, making the learning environment more enjoyable.
• Educational games help children develop a healthy social upbringing. They teach children to cooperate, communicate with others, give and take, and avoid selfishness.
• Educational games help children gain the concepts of competition and sportsmanship.
• Helps teachers and educators discover children's abilities, interests and talents.

The role of play in general in education in addition to improving motor development in children:

Play is the key to a child's development, growth and learning. Through play, a child explores and learns about the surrounding environment, and even explores himself and his abilities and learns from those around him. His various motor, mental and cognitive skills that he needs in his life also develop. Through play, a child acquires knowledge, information and experiences that are difficult to acquire from school books. Play is the first school in which a person learns, as play contributes to developing a child's social and mental skills, and enhances his innovation and creativity. Play also contributes to reducing stress and improving physical health, in addition to improving motor development in children .

Other benefits of playing:

• Play enhances communication, cooperation and relationship building skills among children. It also enhances communication and relationship building among individuals, and provides children with opportunities to learn and gain experiences in a fun way.

• In addition, it provides opportunities to learn and gain skills in a fun and inspiring way.

• Educators use play as a therapeutic tool to help children solve problems and disorders and modify wrong behaviors.
• Educators resort to it to help them solve some of the problems and disorders that some children suffer from.

But what are educational games?

Educational games can be defined as an educational tool and an important medium that works to improve motor development in children , in addition to other skills such as cognitive and social. They are also an important tool for satisfying the child’s needs, as they provide him with a rich environment that helps him grow, stimulates his curiosity and encourages him to explore.

Educational games can be defined as an activity and a teaching and learning strategy based on directed play that the child performs alone or with other children within the framework of a set of studied principles that control the course of play and at the same time do not reduce the children’s freedom.

Educational games can also be defined as a type of activity governed by a set of principles, rules and laws that organize and control the course of the game under the supervision of the teacher or educator, and in which children participate to reach a previously determined educational goal. The educational game ends with a winner and a non-winner, and winning here depends on skills or luck or both together.

However, educational games must meet several educational conditions and standards in order to achieve the desired goals and help improve motor development in children. What are those standards?

Educational standards required for educational games:

• Simplicity of educational games, which means that the colors of the tools used in the game do not overshadow the main ideas of the educational game or the goals to be achieved.

• Educational games tools should be appropriate for the child’s age and physical, mental, social, motor and emotional maturity.

• Educational games must have a safety and security element.

• The size and shape of the tools used in educational games should be appropriate to the child’s growth.

• The tools used in educational games should be multi-purpose and address many ideas, to stimulate the child’s motivation to explore, be independent and play, and then unleash his imagination, ideas and creativity.

• Educational games should be consistent with the desired educational goals and work to achieve them in the best possible way.

• Educational games must be attractive and interesting, attracting the child aesthetically, and arousing his interest, curiosity and eagerness to play with them.

• Educational games should be appropriate to the cultural level and traditions of the environment in which the child lives.

• Educational games should be of diverse use, used for more than one purpose and in more than one way, and be compatible with the individual differences of children.

• Educational games contribute to the development and coordination of children's muscles.

• Educational games help children develop key skills.

• Educational games develop independence and self-reliance in children.

• Educational games allow children to participate and interact socially while at the same time giving them the opportunity for individual practice.

• To be available to the child in a safe place that is easy for him to obtain, and to be available to all children.

• Ensure that educational toys are completely free of small parts that can be swallowed, and that the tools are safe.

• Educational toys should be strong and durable, especially in kindergartens, where many children use them.

Components of educational games that contribute to improving motor development in children:

Educational motor games consist of several elements as follows:

• Educational objectives to be achieved: These objectives are related to the lesson topic and its main ideas or motor skills to be achieved.

• Players: They are chosen according to their suitability for the game.
• Principles, rules and steps of the educational game: These are studied principles that the teacher or educator sets and teaches to the children.
• Time element: It is the time specified for the educational game.
• Place element: It is the environment in which children play the educational game.
• Competitive activity: This is represented by the movement of competing children during the educational game.

• Outcome: This represents the conclusion of the educational game.

What goals do educational motor games seek to achieve?

• Educational games should be an exploration tool: Educational games should help children explore the world and the people around them, and thus gain experiences and knowledge.

• Educational games should develop cognitive aspects: Educational games must help children to compose, think and focus by understanding, memorizing and applying the rules of educational games.
• Educational games contribute to improving motor development in children, in addition to improving social and emotional aspects, in addition to improving children’s physical development.
• Educational games should be a compensation tool: that is, they should be a way to relieve the pressures and stress present in the surrounding environment, by making educational games an interesting and attractive alternative to books and the exhausting school routine.

Types of educational games:

• Educational games designed to help children learn, the most popular of which are educational cards with letters and numbers, which require ordering, for example, or forming sentences or words, as well as cubes with letters and numbers written on them.

• Educational games in the form of imaginative games, activities and imaginative plays, such as children playing different roles.

• Educational motor games that are represented by various physical activities, such as matches based on competition between children, and are based on principles and rules that the children agree upon together, and in which the winner and loser are determined.

Examples of educational motor games that contribute to improving motor development in children:

Do you remember, dear educator, how we used to entertain ourselves by running and jumping? Do you remember running in parks? Do you remember your feelings at that time and our hearts that were beating with joy and enjoyment with those movement games? We did not realize at the time that these movements are useful for our learning and for the growth of our minds and our physical and motor development, as movement has a significant impact on improving motor development in children . In fact, children actually start moving while they are still in their mothers' wombs through the movements they make back and forth inside the mother's womb, so never deprive your children of movement. These movements can be controlled and studied and have a benefit if they are applied through educational movement games, so here are many examples of educational movement games.

Educational motor games that can be done at home:

We often wonder, how can we make room for our children to practice useful physical games at home? Of course, we cannot deny that the safety of our children always comes first, and this means that we provide a safe environment for the child inside the home to practice physical games . This will only be achieved by providing a place free of furniture so as not to hinder the child's movement, while using safety tools for the child, such as plastic protectors that are installed on the edges of tables and other home furniture. Now, here are some examples of physical games that can be practiced at home, for example:

• Light scarves can be used for throwing and catching the ball.

• Ropes can also be fixed in the designated place for playing to serve as a swing, but with a foam mattress placed under the swing to provide a safety factor.
• A basketball stand can also be installed for the child to practice his shooting skills.
• Inflatable pools can also be used for children to enjoy in the summer.

But not all physical games should be limited to the home. Always try to spend time with your children outside the home, by going to parks, running, and jumping rope.

Educational motor games that children can perform at school contribute to improving motor development in children:

When children jump or dance, they use their bodies to explore movements, and develop body awareness of where they are. Therefore, movement games develop the foundations and skills needed to enhance learning in children. Therefore, when applied through school, this will have a beneficial effect on their ability to focus, pay attention and learn in an exciting environment.

Here are examples of educational motor games that children can do at the age of four years:

• Jumping for fifteen minutes on a jumping jack is enough to release excess energy and stimulate the body and mind. Also, children using the words up, down, low and high while playing can help them relate to where they are in the environment, and thus understand how things are related.

• Educational motor games to teach children numbers: This is a game in which children jump on numbers written with chalk on the ground, noting that children are urged to mention the number they are jumping on.
• Children use colored balls to throw them into the basket and have children mention the color of the ball when throwing it into the basket, so that they develop concepts and experiences and learn the names of colors with movement, while dividing the children into groups and identifying the winning team.
• Playing bowling teaches children order and counting, by arranging the bottles and counting the bottles that the children knock down to find out who the winners are.
• Children play a game of skipping rope and the one who can jump higher than the other children the most times wins.

How does the Madrasa.com platform contribute to supporting learning through play and the use of educational games?

Children of that era are children who grew up on competition, incentives and programming. Their motto in life became to receive knowledge through fun and play. This is where the role of the Madrasa.com platform comes in. The Madrasa.com platform provides digital educational content that suits their interests. The classes on the Madrasa.com platform are characterized by flexibility, fun and the use of various educational games in order to deliver information to children in a simple, fun and interesting way. Madrasa.com platform teachers use many educational means, games and various interactive activities in order to create a distinct and enjoyable educational atmosphere that children do not get bored of.

The Madrasa.com platform also provides various educational materials such as educational videos, articles, interactive exercises, and virtual simulations, which cover all academic fields, which students can use and access easily.

How can a teacher make motor educational games more fun and contribute to improving motor development in children?

• The teacher or educator should create fun and safe movement games that are appropriate for the children’s physical development .

• Providing the necessary and appropriate tools for motor games.

• Be sure to explain the idea of ​​the motor game to children and simplify it for them.
• Encourage all children to participate in the movement game to encourage cooperation and team play.
• The teacher should use motivating words for the children and not use comparisons between them, and monitor them to ensure their safety.
• Use variety in educational motor games and add songs and stories to them to add an element of fun, excitement and enjoyment.

• The time for physical games should be consistent with the children’s psychological readiness.

Is there a difference between random play and educational games?

Yes, of course, there are many differences between educational games and traditional games, which are as follows:

First: Traditional random play has no rules or controls, but educational games have clear and specific rules, steps, and laws.

Second: Traditional games are always for entertainment and fun, while educational games depend mainly on achieving specific goals, skills and abilities, such as improving motor development in children and other skills according to the type of educational game.

Third: Traditional play does not have specific goals, while educational games have clear and specific behavioral goals.

At the end of this article, we can say that when play is set with clear controls, steps and goals, it does not become just for fun, entertainment or amusement, but rather goes beyond that to have a great impact on the educational process in addition to improving motor development in children and developing their various skills.