What's a game?

There is so much fun in a game. Look at the happiness! Look at the joy!




In the above pictures, there's so much difference in age and size among these children. Some are faster while some are slower. In spite of being small, there are some who manage to beat their opponents.


Some are just too late to react. The bottle has been taken away long before this child could do anything about it.



Everyone has to be alert for action.


Look at how determined that child is!


Of course, knowledge of the game is just as important.


Intelligence comes into play too! Do you know why the kids in the two pictures above wait for their opponents? Children found it easier to get points from tagging when someone is taking the bottle. That's where understanding and intelligence beat trying to outdo an equally good opponent.

And below is the rest of the action.






The other day I watched some children play a game at The Art of Living. They were asked to form two rows of equal number of participants. One of the rows started their numbering of the participants from the front to the back while the other row gave themselves numbers from the back to the front. The row on the left was then told to move to the wall on the left and the row on the right moved to the right, leaving a wide space between the two rows. A plastic bottle was then placed in the centre of the space.

The game was then explained to the children. They were to run to take the plastic bottle back to their line without being tagged by the opposing participant when their numbers are called. The winner would be the one who managed to take the bottle back to his row or the one who tagged the person holding the bottle.

As I observed these children at play, I could see how similar the game was to so many things in life. Just as in life, every participant had advantages or disadvantages. They come from different backgrounds; some rich, some poor, some with more experience, some with less, some better endowed with qualities more suitable for the game.

So, there are some who are more prepared physically and mentally. Some are more alert and faster. They are prepared to rush out to grab the bottle just as those who are better prepared do not have to think twice when faced with an opportunity. The person merely reaches out and takes it as fast as he can.

Sometimes, when opportunity comes, you do face tough competition and both or more reach out for the opportunity just as quickly. Here’s where luck comes in. Here’s the element of uncertainty that keeps those who are alert on their feet, ready for life’s unpredictability.

In a game or life, when all competitors are excellent in one aspect, then another aspect of one’s ability has to be brought into play. In this game, for example, there are children who used intelligence to overcome other opponents. The use of intelligence is important not only when the opponent is equally good; it is also applicable when the opponent is stronger in certain aspects. Look and you see smaller children beating the bigger ones through intelligence. So, our children and us must not merely depend upon knowledge but also intelligence developed through situations encountered.

Games are therefore important as it gives us insight into ways to face those who were born with greater advantages in any sphere of life. It provides us with an understanding of problems we may have to face. It helps us to know our strength and weaknesses, our abilities, our potentials and the probabilities and the possibilities that the future has in store of us. Other than this, it is such joyful exercise.