(2) the degree and kind of mental activity required;
(3) the moral and social traits cultivated.
Each of these groups would be subdivided according to age, although some games seem of interest at any age.
With little children in the home it is convenient to have at hand a classified list. This list should begin with the standard games, and be lengthened as new ones are found or, better still, are devised by the children.
Any game tried should be interesting, “fun”, that is,
(a) suited to the physical powers and mental development of the child;
(b) expressive of his spontaneous interests.[33]
Certain activities have play interest at every stage but could be played only in a very simple, brief game under four years, and for a longer time and more complexly after that age. These most common activities, or motifs, include surprise, imitation, observation, guessing, hiding, seeking, catching, chasing, running, ball play. The worker with young children should be able to invent many little games based on these motifs. Simple little songs, invented, spontaneously improvised, or gathered from kindergarten songbooks, add joyousness to the game, cultivate a love and expression of music, and teach the utilizing of art in everyday life.
Games may be analyzed by the following scheme, to discover their values.
| Active: | Quiet: | ||
| Outdoor | Outdoor | ||
| Indoor | Indoor | ||
| Sensory Training: | Motor Training: | ||
| Sight, hearing, touch | Bodily control | ||
| Taste, smell, weight | Neatness | ||
| Form, color | Alertness of response | ||
| Alertness | Accuracy of movement | ||
| Accuracy | Coördination of different muscles | ||
| Discrimination | Skill | ||
| Grace | |||
| Mental Training: | |||
| Observation | Moral Training: | ||
| Concentration | Perseverance | ||
| Alertness | Courtesy | ||
| Imitation | Gentleness | ||
| Perception | Generosity | ||
| Imagination | Courage | ||
| Judgment | Patience | ||
| Accuracy | Independence | ||
| Initiative | Justice | ||
| Invention | Sense of law | ||
| Leadership | Coöperation | ||
| Individuality | |||
| Inhibition | |||
| Relaxation | |||
| Humor | |||