The OTG Daily #53 Childhood Games

 In a recent season of The Squid Games, marble play became the determiner of life or death. This show is a brutal social commentary about ruthless competition in a society that traditionally also prizes community and cooperation.  

Marbles and jax are childhood games traditionally associated with social learning and friendly competition. In our ratings-driven media culture the element of death makes this apparently more appealing.  Ugh.

But what was appealing to me yesterday and today was finding a beautiful blue marble on my walk this morning and a single jack in a bucket of blocks yesterday while helping a child with a project in the studio.

I am so appreciative of this simple toys and games like marbles, jax and block building which promote communication, connection, tactile engagement, cognitive planning, sensory stimulation and sheer pleasure of fun.  When many people are playing Candy Crush on their phones and locked into online spaces, I have gratitude for my own childhood and the basic elements of play that form my earliest memories and still affect the children and adults whom I work with encourage to find "play" in their lives.

What are you grateful for today?