The objective of the article is to show the importance of motor games as content to work on in physical education.
What are motor games in physical education?
The term motor games encompasses multiple definitions. But in general, according to the dictionary of education, it has been understood as “Pleasurable activity carried out for its own sake, without reference to a later purpose or future satisfaction.
On the other hand, the dictionary of psychology has understood that “it is the physical or mental activity without useful purpose, to which they give themselves for the pleasure it provides”.
To finish understanding the concept of motor games, the famous definition of the author Huizinga (2012) has been sought, where he wrote a book called Homo Ludens and manifested the sociological concept of the term:
“Play is a voluntary activity or occupation that is performed within certain established limits of space and time, attending to freely accepted rules, followed, which has an aim in itself and is accompanied by a feeling”.
Moreover, according to the psychological concept of Jacquin (1958) and Russel (1985) emphasize that “It is a spontaneous activity, without any interest, which requires rules to be followed or an obstacle to be overcome and which generates pleasure for its own sake and not for any purpose external to it”.
In addition, we can use motor games for different purposes. For example, they can be used in leisure and free time programs, in physical education, in sports programs, in the health area, in different jobs related to physical exercise.
Brief historical contextualization about motor games.
Games are a very important part of all cultures and one of the oldest forms of human interaction. Consequently, motor games have been understood differently depending on the culture and the evolution throughout history.
Consequently, right now, since 1976, with the political change that took place in Spain, in which there was a change from a centralist state to a decentralized one, which has generated a new interest in motor games and the games that are applied in sports, especially on the part of the autonomous institutions that have found a clear sign of cultural identity.
It must be taken into account that in Spain in the first third of the 20th century, when the industrialization process took place, the population was distributed by means of migratory movements through different regions, where new sports and different forms of exercise entered, so that it meant an abandonment of the practice of motor games.
Characteristics of motor games in physical education
There are multiple classifications to characterize the game in physical education,
But in this case we are going to refer to the basic characteristics of the practice of motor games in physical education. Therefore:
- Pure activity: which does not require any external purpose, that is to say, it is carried out in a disinterested way.
- Spontaneous activity: it is carried out immediately in a specific place without any kind of previous preparation.
- Pleasurable activity: due to the pleasure generated by motor games in the field of behavior to achieve a goal or reach an agreed end.
- Existence of uncertainty: due to the fact that it is not known what will happen and different things are continuously happening, which keeps the players eager to know what will happen without knowing what is going to happen.
- Space-time: The game is always played under space and time limitations, since it is a dangerous practice.
- Expressiveness: the game favors socialization and the sharing of feelings and emotions.
- Socializing character: which means that interpersonal skills are favored.
Benefits of motor games in physical education
The benefits of motor games in physical education include the following:
- They should provide the student with a sense of satisfaction, since they are spontaneous and generate pleasure.
- They should provide the integral development of the student, which favors the student’s growth.
- Cooperative work should be encouraged, thus promoting positive interdependence.
- Active roles are encouraged so that there are no students who are doing nothing, everyone has to collaborate.
- It helps the student to know their own possibilities and limitations, which helps students to learn that there are limits and can not be exceeded.
- It must collaborate in developing the physical condition of the students, thus improving their health.
- Every game must have a challenge, so that it can be achieved and increase self-esteem.
Motor games in physical education as a didactic resource
In this section we are not going to focus so much in the methodology, but in understanding that the motor games in physical education we are going to use it as a didactic resource for:
- To favor the child’s growth
- To develop the physical qualities of the child: To value procedural, attitudinal and conceptual aspects.
- To achieve specific objectives of a concrete part of the physical education session.
Practical examples for the proposal of motor games in physical education.
In order to design the practical proposal of motor games, it is necessary to follow the programming and work on different types of motor games throughout the programming.
But, to propose a practical proposal it is possible to modify a game and add different variants to achieve different learning situations.
First practical example to develop a task of motor games in physical education: The spider.
It consists of two groups, one student is placed in the middle and the students have to move from one side to the other without being caught by the one in the middle.
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Second practical example to develop a motor games task in physical education: the chain.
It consists of the whole group having to run freely through a delimited space, but there are several students who are the ones who act as a chain and are selected and have to go and catch the other students.
As each student catches other students, the chains get bigger and bigger until all the students are caught.
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Third practical example to develop a motor games task in physical education: the dodge ball.
It consists of a motor game in which two teams are made, each team is placed in a field.
The team is composed of players and these players individually have to throw the ball to a teammate of the opposing team.
So that if they throw the ball and the teammate who has to receive it does not catch it, it will go to the field of the dead. To get out of the field of the dead, they have to throw the ball to a teammate of the opposing team and that teammate does not catch the ball. The team that has all the players in the field of the dead loses.
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Fourth practical example to develop a motor games task in physical education: bowling.
It consists of making several teams and each team has to destroy the largest number of skittles in different moves. Therefore, the team that has knocked down the most pins in different moves wins.
Fifth practical example to develop a motor games task in physical education: the 10 passes.
It consists of two teams and each team has to make 10 passes. If the ball is knocked down, the game starts again.
To make the passes they cannot move from the place, only the players who have to receive the pass can move. The opposing team will be responsible for intercepting the pass to change the possession of the pass.
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Bibliographic references
- Huizinga, J. (2012). Homo Ludens.
- Jacquin, G.(1958). Education by motor games. Athens education society.
- Rüssel. A.(1985). Children’s play: foundations of a psychological theory. Herder
- Garaigordobil, M. (2007). Psychoeducational intervention for the development of children’s personality: The GAME programs (Closing Conference). International Congress on Educational and Vocational Guidance. New educational approaches and their impact on school guidance. Castellón. Organized by the Universitat Jaume I.
- Orlick, T. (1988). Cooperative motor games. In Cuadernos de Pedagogía, nº 163.
- Velázquez, C. (1995). Motor games with parachutes in Physical Education classes. La Comba. Valladolid.
