Game in Kindergartens of Germany and Russia

Abstract

The article compares conditions for games and gaming activity status of preschool children in contemporary Russian and German kindergartens. It examines the organization of daily life activity of children in kindergartens in Germany. It shows that in a German kindergarten children are not strictly governed by adults and spend most of the time playing freely. It also presents the results of the comparative analysis of parental values concerning pre-school education in Russia and in Germany. The analysis of statements of the parents brought up in Soviet traditions, shows that they are dissatisfied with the lack of organized activities and the lack of care for a child in German kindergartens. German parents and teachers, on the contrary believe that caring for self-service, clothing, security is the child’s duty, and s/he should control his/her outer look, regulate sleeping, waking, eating, etc. Such autonomy of preschoolers represents itself in self-organization of free time, most part of which they spend playing. Preliminary comparative analysis of the state of play activities of children in tRussian and German kindergartens shows that the game of pre-school children in Germany is more independent, initiative and creative activity than in Russian children.

Keywords

• game
• play activity
• organization of daily life activity
• day order
• parental values
• state of play activity