I recently served as an extra pair of hands for a children’s activity. There was a puppet show, a craft project, and cupcakes to decorate. The amount of time spent in planning this event was impressive.
During a moment’s lag in activities, a smart leader suggested a game of “Duck, Duck, Goose.” You remember that old standby involving children seated in a circle as one of them walks around the circle patting heads saying “Duck” each time, until finally shouting “GOOSE” and running around the circle hoping to beat the “Goose” back to the open seat.
Sure enough, the children sat poised in expectation as the first child circled the seated group. They all cringed as she walked by tapping their heads, wondering if they needed to be ready to leap up and give chase.
As expected, each turn resulted in gales of laughter as kids watched to see who would win the race around the circle. Then the next turn would begin as a new child took his turn to circle the group.
After a few rounds, the adults had the next activity ready to go and the children willingly responded to those plans, moving obediently as the adults asked them to.
But at the end of the carefully executed event, an adult asked the children which part of the event was best. Their reply? Playing Duck, Duck, Goose.
This may have been tough news for those who’d labored over excellent preparations. But in this response, I heard that children haven’t changed much in the years since I was one of their number on the playground.
After all, Duck, Duck, Goose is one those traditional games—like Simon Says and Red Rover—that a group of children can play anywhere, anytime, with no equipment and no planning ahead. These playground games require no explanation of rules and very little adult supervision.
Childhood has become more complicated in lots of ways. Kids often only have social experiences with others when their parents arrange play dates or sign them up for organized sports. But children’s basic needs don’t change much from age to age, and today’s kids still benefit from play that they plan and negotiate themselves. Our thoughtful preparations aside, kids still love simple play.
