INFANT GAMES

The Pre-school child enjoys simple expressive games. There are many games through which they learn the alphabets and numbers. The games at the pre-school level teach the child to accept and be accepted.

There are also a variety of games for the school-going children, which they can play while at the school or at their houses and their surroundings. These games have definite rules and should be played accordingly. Many of them build the spirit of cooperation.

The team games are also very interesting and there are many national games with specific rules and definite measurements of the courts. Regular matches are played between different teams for different games throughout our country. But the players need considerable time and practice to play these games. The Girls and women games are also popular in most of the states of our country and they need sufficient energy and enthusiasm. Lots of skill is also required.

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GAMES FOR INFANTS

During the first three months, the infant transforms itself from an unsettled bundle into a person. With talking and and playing, the baby starts babbling and cooing back. Slowly smiling to external events starts to pick up, like teasing, tickling, patting, touching the sensitive parts, stroking etc. Babies like rhythm, movements, sounds and conversation with its family members. They learn and acquire language through social games, which mostly consists of small rhythmic songs, which are sung by the parents or near ones in their local dialect.

The role of play in infant development is important, as it is the foundation for the physical, mental, social, emotional and creative skills that are to be acquired later. Mother-infant games played during the first two to three years of age are of paramount importance, as they are responsible for the all-round development of the child. The child touches and plays with soft toys and plays with its parents and thus gains valuable experience in speech development which in turn leads to intellectual development. Infants use play to reproduce and master anxiety stimuli and they use laughter to develop social behavior and it also gives them pleasure and enjoyment. Children who are deprived of play and social contacts in their early years have emotional dwarfism and stunted growth.

Given below are some songs for infant games, which are sung in different states of India.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH

Yali Yamu (dog), akung two kuch kuch (repeat)

Mother takes the fingers of the child's hand, one by one and says dog-dog come together.

She says this for each finger, then in the middle of the palm, goes round and round. This tickles the child and makes it laugh.

ASSAMESE

A kuli, tho kuli, kay kuli kanhee Hak doi, doi,aamar daahi
Aam pataysaam ja yi
Padum pathayhoo hoo reeaai Kee kee sorair, kee kee naam Hunoar sorair, kotha koam Majee moothi kothal paat, Ekhan eri, ekham kaat.

The mother holds the baby and sings to her with action, pointing to birds, their chirping, the wind blowing through the leaves and flowers, in general, the surrounding nature.

BENGALI

Haat time tim tim
Taramathey padeydeem
Ta thayre ma thai do toeshing Tara haat tima tim tim.

Taking the baby's palm, the mother says, "There is bhaat dal, mach deem". She closes the palm and holding the fist says "The cat has come to eat, Mau, mau- mau" and goes up the hand and tickles in his under arm.

ENGLISH

How baby grows (child lying down and mother sits and recites)
Five fingers on this hand (hold up one hand)
Five fingers on that hand (hold up the other hand)
A dear little nose (point and touch the nose)
A mouth like a nose (Point to the mouth and touch it)
Two cheeks too tiny and fat (with both the hands touching the cheeks) With two ears and two eyes (with both the hands touch both the ears and eyes)
And ten little toes (point at the toes)
That is the way my baby (name of the child) grows.

MALAYALAM

Valia ila vachu, mamam velambi,
Uppui velambi, Kalan Velambi,
Olan velambi, sambhar velambi,
Unnon irunn appa uppilla.

On the open palm of the toddler's hand, the mother makes the gesture of serving food, she says the above rhyme in which different items of food are mentioned, i.e., big banana leaf is spread, rice is served with vegetables and different curry, sit down to eat, but there is no salt.

MARATHI

Eethay eethay ba ees ray mora
Dana kha pani pee
Balchya dokya varun
Bhur kan ja udoon.

Take the child's palm, fingers together on it, say, "Peacock you sit here eat some grains, drink some water and fly above the head".

TELUGU

Iddi Pappu, idicharu, idi annam,
Idi neyye, appadam, vadiyam,
Ivanni ka katta katti, katta ninda neyye posi
Ammayeni atta garintiki yettlapampali ante.

Mother holds the hand of the child and says by fingers on her palm, " this is rice, this is dhal, this is papad, this is ghee and all. These are all mixed together" and then she tickles the child in the armpit and makes it laugh and when the child opens the mouth, she puts the food into the mouth.