Developing Social Skills, Teamwork, Balance, and Coordination in Children (Steiner / Waldorf Education)

Games Children Play II, a companion to the Waldorf Games Handbook for the Early Years (2020), is a thoroughly updated second edition of the classic, Games Children Play (1996). This compilation brings together a collection of 237 tried and tested games to play with children and groups of all ages, responding to popular demand with new additions.

The Waldorf and Spatial Dynamics® approach of authors Kim John Payne and Cory Waletzko is uniquely focused on how games can develop children's spatial awareness, social skills, confidence, and movement in age-appropriate ways. Each game is clearly and simply described, with diagrams and drawings showing how to play.

Included are games for 7- to 10-year-olds, aimed at improving graceful movement, cooperation, fairness, and equality. For 11- to 12-year-olds, the games focus on strengthening courage, accuracy, and teamwork, with gentle preparation for sports, as well as games for renewing playground culture and holding a DIY Olympic Games.

Ways to develop spatial awareness are described through sports, gymnastics, and outdoor games. The book also includes sections on child development, introducing game sessions, children's temperaments, the senses, tackling children's problems with play or sports, teaching movement to children, and cultivating the lost art of real-life play with digitally challenged children.

The authors offer tips for game leaders on meeting various social and emotional needs of the players in a group. Certain new games are highlighted "for children who may struggle to play this game."

Game variations depend on the age and number of players. The authors' Waldorf and Spatial Dynamics® approach ensures that the games develop children's spatial awareness, social skills, confidence, and movement in age-appropriate ways.

This updated second edition of the classic, Games Children Play, is a comprehensive resource for parents, educators, and anyone who works with children. With 237 engaging and enriching games, it provides a valuable tool for fostering children's holistic development through play.

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