Abstrakt
The very first work with the topic of Rough-and-Tumble play which is necessary to define is the term used in Czech language which is "fighting play". To define the term more precisely, I will begin by enumerating what the fighting play, in the sense of all my research, and therefore of this post, is not. These are not martial arts (Aikido, Karate, Boxing...), nor the so-called fighting games from summer camps, computer fighting games are also a completely different area than the one I want to dedicate to the above-mentioned topic of Rough-and-Tumble play as a natural space for children to acquire social skills.
So, what is the content of the mentioned "fighting plays"? Rough and tumble play is a term used in English-speaking countries for children's and adolescents' play activities, it is also defined as a subcategory of so-called "rough game".
Rough games are elaborated into characteristic types of game:
R&T (rough and tumble play) - a game in which the strength of opponents is measured and with the risk of minor injuries, it is often specific between intimate and good friends. According to "The Cambridge Handboook of Play", children start the game around the age of three and reach the peak in playing these games between the ages of five and eight.
Big Body Play - another type of a play falling into rough games is especially popular among very young children up to preschool age. These are mainly jumping, rolling, falling; when playing with an adult, it is about throwing up, falling into your arms, playing hobbies. The game is characterized by the typical requirement of "yet, yet, yet!"
Risky Play - very risky games in which individuals try to break some imaginary record or limit, most often their own. These are games with high speed, dangerous tools, close to dangerous places and things, but also R&T with a willingness to go to riskier fights and games where it is possible to get lost. For example, these are games: jumping from the highest possible height, riding the bike downhill as fast as possible, playing with a knife... These games are specific, also that children often do not play in the presence of an adult.
Czech language work with the term combative games but it does not cover the entire breadth of the content of the Rough-and-Tumble play.
The basis of combatives are physical exercises and combat movement activities in order to overcome the opponent. Popularly speaking, it's about "who with whom?" The publication of the same title, Who with Whom by the author Vladimír Roubíček, defines combat as follows:"Combats in the current conception include physical exercises and combat movement activities, in which efforts are made to overcome resistance, hit or haste to overcome the opponent." (Roubíček 1984, p.7)
In addition, the Rough-and-Tumble play needs to be set at the beginning in two completely different levels in which it is used, although it may still be the same type of played Rough-and-Tumble play. It is the creation, respectively the beginning and termination of the fighting play. This can arise spontaneously, or it can be a controlled activity, started, guided and terminated from the outside, which nevertheless does not lose the basic meaning of the game, namely free activity.
Spontaneous Rough-and-Tumble play often resemble combative games. The physical overcoming a partner in a game is a clear example of this. However, spontaneous play may lack a referee. Sometimes it is spontaneously the surroundings in which it takes place. It is born randomly and just as so it disappears. It is fully directed by its participants.
Guided Rough-and-Tumble play often also draw on combat games, where the definition of its participants is worked with in the sense that opponents are not enemies, but opponents, especially honest. Each such game has its own rules and their observance is unconditional for the play itself. This is overseen by an adult who defines the controlled game, both in time, space and in the presentation of the rules of the game.
A big topic for children to play Rough-and-Tumble play is the perception of these activities by adults. Physical activities associated with their playing cause adults fear of violence and unreasonable aggressiveness, as well as fear of possible injuries or material damage.
The contribution and in fact my entire research on the topic of "Children's Rough-and-Tumble play" aims to bring children's Rough-and-Tumble play closer to the teachers and pedagogical guides, but also to the public, as an area that, despite its risks, has an irreplaceable role not only in the psychomotor development of the individual, but above all in the acquisition of social skills.
After introducing the topic, deeper study and research will be devoted to:
Define the role of Rough-and-tumble play in the development of the individual
Understand the importance of the Rough-and-Tumble play in upbringing and education in the development of social skills of children and pupils
Identify specific areas of social skills that are demonstrably impacted by playing children/pupils' Rough-and-Tumble play
Find out if, or what, are the differences in playing Rough-and-Tumble play girls and boys
Learn the factors that make it easier to distinguish a Rough-and-Tumble play from a real conflict
Research proposal and methodology:
The design of the research is conceived in a qualitative form. The research is conducted primarily by observing the presence of rough-and-tumble plays in preschool children collective and the space of an educational institution, the selected kindergarten. Due to the frequent presence of this type of plays, both in spontaneous and controlled form, this will be done in an alternative kindergarten of the forest kindergarten type.
Observations will be made in an uninvolved, non-standardized form and quite obviously. The observation will take place in the normal daily regime of the forest kindergarten and children will be observed in situations where spontaneous rough-and-tumble plays could occur. If the situation arises, it will be monitored and the reaction of individual participants. When observing, emphasis will be placed on situations that bring children into such social interactions in which their reaction is clearly noticeable. For example, to show whether he likes / dislikes the situation. Possible manifestations of joy from the game, the need to leave the game ... and so on.
When observing, the observed phenomena will be recorded in writing.