LET’S HAVE FUN

LET’S HAVE FUN

A short while ago, we were at a school demonstrating our games. In the course of conversation with various parents I was pointing out the learnings and lessons we could draw from each game. One parent was very animated and kept asking us questions. A short while later I was demonstrating the hoop stick – a wonderful game we have.

“Why do you play this game?” she asked

I misunderstood the question and thought she was asking me what I liked best abut the game.

“Its fun!” I said with a big smile.

“Then I don’t want it,” she said. “I only want games that teach something.”

When did it become wrong to have fun? When did it become wrong for children to have fun? When did fun become a waste of time?

It was not long after, at another event, a group of young children came by and spent almost an hour playing our games. The laughed and giggled and argued and altogether had a great time. When it was time to leave, they asked us for prizes. When we told them that there were no prizes and the games were just for fun they were upset.

“If we had known, we would not have played,” they said.

I was puzzled. They seemed to enjoy the games. Is not fun important in itself? And a game or play important just so we can have fun?

In the year 1266, King Alphonso X of Castille in his Book of Games says,

Because God wanted that man have every manner of happiness, in himself naturally, so that he could suffer the cares and troubles when they came to them, therefore men sought out many ways that they could have this happiness completely. Wherefore they found and made many types of play and pieces with which to delight themselves.

And yet almost 800 years later we question the need for fun.

But at the same time, we talk of stress and mental health on a daily basis. We talk about our emotional quotient and resilience. Is the answer not staring us in the face?

The best moments in Kreeda have been the fun people have had playing our games. And the smiles – excited, wondrous, innocent, wicked, happy…. So many smiles.

Come, let us Kreeda today!

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