刊首語

游戲是孩子們的天性

我的孩子4歲多時曾經(jīng)在巴黎的拉·維萊特公園旁住了兩個月，幾乎每天都去公園玩耍游戲。后來我曾問他，在他去過的所有地方中最喜歡哪里，他幾乎未做思考就說出了拉·維萊特公園，再問他為什么喜歡那里，他說因為公園里到處都是玩的。

在孩子的心中，玩是最重要的。玩就是孩子的天性，所以孩子們應該都會喜歡拉·維萊特公園，它不僅僅是城市中充滿活力的公共空間，更是孩子們的樂園。公園中到處都是孩子們游戲的空間，草地就是一個大球場，龍園、風沙之園、鏡園等小花園是孩子們游戲的天地，奧登伯格的自行車雕塑也允許孩子攀爬，一個園藝花園讓孩子們更好地接觸自然，了解各種作物和花卉的生長。公園北部還有科學與工業(yè)館，里面大多是互動性的展覽，參觀者可通過游戲的方式來了解各種現(xiàn)代科學和技術的發(fā)展，非常有創(chuàng)意，難怪公園中每天都匯集了眾多的孩子。

不同時代的孩子們玩的內(nèi)容可不一樣，快樂也各不相同。我們這個年齡段的人小時候沒有兒童游戲場，所以每當我看到好的兒童游戲環(huán)境時都會有些許沖動，真想和孩子們一起在充滿誘惑的游樂場里玩耍。不過我們小時候也不缺少游戲，那時候我們可比現(xiàn)在的孩子們有更多的課外時間，大家都有兄弟姐妹，一呼百應，匯集起來就是一群，場面頗為壯觀。當年我們的游戲并不需要復雜的器具，沙子、碎石、黏土、磚頭、水、煙盒、糖紙、冰棍棒、杏仁、羊拐都可以成為道具，玩具是自己制作的，場地也是自己創(chuàng)造的。我們童年的大量時間是在戶外度過的，除非夜幕降臨，否則小伙伴們都不會回家。我們從來不知道什么叫孤單，也在這些自然簡單的游戲中練就了豐富的想象力和創(chuàng)造力，激發(fā)了冒險精神。

現(xiàn)在孩子們的生活環(huán)境和生活狀態(tài)都改變了，物質(zhì)生活優(yōu)越很多，幾乎要什么都能得到滿足，各種玩具琳瑯滿目，幼兒園、居住區(qū)和公園中也多建有兒童游戲場，幼兒的游戲活動豐富多彩。只是當孩子們一到學齡年齡，精力就要花在了課堂、補習班和各種作業(yè)上，很難有時間享用這些游戲設施，再加上放學后也沒有鄰里伙伴，許多孩子只能在家長規(guī)定的時間內(nèi)，匆匆忙忙通過電腦、手機和平板電腦玩一會兒游戲。當然我們不能說這些電子游戲就沒有樂趣，只是在這樣的游戲中，孩子們失去了與大自然親密交流、與小伙伴合作分享的機會，自我制作和搭建幾乎沒有可能，想象的空間受限，這不能不說是一個遺憾。

每個人都僅有一個童年，孩子們是社會的未來，具有幸福快樂的童年對人的健康成長和社會的和諧發(fā)展至關重要。游戲是孩子最大的樂趣，也是孩子們提高綜合能力的重要途徑。我們應該認識到，只要是為大眾使用的公共空間，首先應該滿足孩子的使用，為孩子提供游戲的可能，給孩子帶去快樂。我們要盡可能多地為孩子們創(chuàng)造出優(yōu)質(zhì)的活動空間，在這里孩子們通過游戲可以更好地認識和探索世界，學習與別人合作相處的方式，獲得自信和勇氣，激發(fā)想象力和創(chuàng)造力，培養(yǎng)組織、策劃和決策的能力，練就自己的個性。

兒童游戲場都是由成年人設計建造的，然而孩子們的心理、喜好和行為方式與成年人有很大差異，成年人未必了解孩子的所思所想，成年人創(chuàng)造的環(huán)境也未必能獲得孩子們的喜愛。記得幾年前參加一個碩士研究生的畢業(yè)論文答辯，論文題目就是有關兒童游戲場的研究。在評價他的研究成果前，我最想問的問題是，“你有孩子嗎？你和孩子在一起生活過嗎？你仔細觀察過孩子嗎？你了解孩子嗎？你知道孩子的喜好與需要嗎？”

兒童游戲場是成年人給孩子們的禮物，只有具備長期與孩子們生活在一起的經(jīng)歷，才能真正懂得孩子，只有懂得孩子，才能更好地研究孩子，只有在對孩子進行全方位研究的基礎上，才能設計和建設好兒童游戲環(huán)境。

主編：王向榮教授

2017年3 月17 日

Playing Is the Nature of Children

My kid once lived aside La Villette Park in Paris for two months when he was four years old. Almost every day he went to play in the park. Later I asked him which place he liked most among where he had been, and he said it was La Villette Park without hesitation. He told me that he could play everywhere in the park when I asked why.

Playing is the foremost in children's world. Satisfying the children's nature, the park La Villette is their favorite. It is not only the vigorous public space in the city, but also children's paradise where they can play all around. Grass is a big court, small gardens such as the dragon garden, sand dune garden, mirror garden and the like are children's kingdoms. Children are even entitled to climbing up and down the sculpture 'Buried Bicycle' designed by Oldenburg. In the horticultural garden children are exposed to nature, having access to the growth of various crops and flowers. The museum 'City of Science and Industry' in the northern part of the park mostly displays interactive exhibitions. Visitors can get to know the development of modern science and technology by participating the creative games. No wonder a large number of children gather in the park every day.

Children of different times vary in playing games and contentment. People of our age rarely have exclusive space to play. So impulsive I was whenever finding a well-designed children's playing environment that I desire to join them in the alluring playground. Yet we never lacked games in our childhood, we owned much more extracurricular time shared with siblings than children today. Crowds of children would gather together by a call, the scene is quite spectacular. No complex facility is needed at that time. Sand, gravel, clay, bricks, water, cigarette cases, sweet wrappers, ice cream sticks, almonds, jacks made by goat knucklebone were all props. Toys could be handmade and the site could be created. Most time of our childhood was spent outdoor. Children are unwilling to go back home unless the night fell. Loneliness is far away for us, and the imagination, creativity were developed and adventurous spirit was inspired in these natural and simple games.

Nowadays, children's living environment and condition have transformed greatly, with the improvement of the material life. Almost all they need can be satisfied ranging from a variety of toys to well-equipped children's playground in almost all kindergartens, residential areas and parks, as well as colorful games. But they no longer have much time enjoying the playing facilities once they reach the school age, with most time occupied by school, cram schools and homework. Many children can only play games for a while through the computer, cell phone or tablet computer within the given time by parents. Few peers can be found in the neighborhood after school as well. We cannot deny the recreational function of these video games, but it is regretful that children is losing the opportunity to intimately communicate with nature, to share and cooperate with friends, and to manufacture and construct by their own hands with wild imagination.

Childhood turns up only once for everyone. Children are the future of our society, a happy childhood is vital for their healthy growth and social harmony as well. Playing is of the greatest fun for children, in the meantime an essential way to improve their comprehensive ability. It should be recognized that spaces for public use are supposed to satisfy the needs of children initially, give them access to a range of activities and bring them joy. We should create first-class spaces for children activities as much as possible, where children can better understand and explore the world, learn how to get along with others, gain self-confidence and courage, develop their imagination and creativity, and then cultivate the abilities of organizing, planning and decision-making hereby polish their own personality accordingly.

Children's playgrounds are designed and built by adults, but the children differ substantially in psychology, preferences and behavior from us. Adults may hardly understand children, thus the environment created by adults may hardly be favored by children. I still remember, a student presented his thesis research upon graduation on children's playground few years ago. Before commenting on his thesis, questions occur to me strongly: "Do you have a child? Have you ever lived with a child? Have you observed children carefully? Do you know children well? Do you know children's preferences and demands?"

Children's playgrounds are the gifts from adults. Only with a long-term experience living with children can we really understand them. Only by knowing them well, can we better study on them. Only on a basis of the comprehensive study of children can we design and create the favorable children's playing environment.

Translator: WANG Xi-yue

Chief Editor: Prof. WANG Xiang-rong

March 17th, 2017