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Is there more to games than just having fun?
By Janice | March 28, 2008
 There is something about the word “game†that motivates children and adults alike. When you say “lets do some work now†how does that compare to “lets play a game now†– I’m sure you’ll agree the differences in enthusiasm are enormous.
If you’ve ever wondered:
- Why your child is playing games in their music class instead of learning their instrument
- what benefit a game may have on your child
- If there is more to a game than just having fun
- How to make and use your own games
- How you can get your child practicing without playing
Then I have found an excellent article called ” Come Play” which explains step by step how and why games can help your child to learn and retain more. The article is written for educators and business leaders in inspiring them to make their events more meaningful to their participants and explains that games are not just “time Fillers”, but can play a more meaningful role in helping to motivate and to problem solve.
The article also tells us that games are not just about fun despite what they look like from the outside. To a parent sitting on the sideline watching their child playing a game instead of playing their instrument this may be hard to believe, but games are actually linked to positive emotions and that is why games  are so impactive. ÂÂ
 ”Students who are having fun generate positive emotions, exhibit reduced stress levels and are more willing to pay attention and participate”.
The article also states:
“Games challenge our curiosity, invention and creativity and often bring intense enjoyment and laughter. Laughter is tied to strong positive emotions that allow the brain to make better perceptual maps”
So there you have it – next time you see your child having fun playing games instead of playing their instrument, instead of saying to yourself why am I paying all this money to see my child play games perhaps ask how can I get my child to play games like this in their home practice. Perhaps practice will become less of a chore and will become much more meaningful!
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Topics: General Advice, games, motivation, practice, questions | No Comments »