유아놀이문화 확산을 위한 전통놀이 활용방안 연구

Abstract

Dissemination of young children's play culture is only possible when all generations share the value and importance of play. In this study, we noted that traditional games are used as priming water to diversify play resources and as a medium for sharing the value and fun of play across generations. As the objective of this study, we collected and built the list of traditional games to provide fundamental data for future studies and to suggest ways to utilize traditional Korean games in local communities, early childhood education and childcare institutions, and homes for the near future policymaking. In this study, young children's play culture refers to a culture developed by several young children playing with others, such as peers, families, and community members, and enjoying together. Traditional games refer to different playthings played between young children or older children over two generations and have the wisdom of our ancestors. Through the literature review and operation of the council, we collected and enlisted existing traditional Korean games. In addition, we conducted surveys, case studies, focus group interviews, took polls, and held play seminars and expert advisory meetings to obtain plans for ways to utilize the data in the local community, early childhood education and childcare institutions, and homes. As a result of collecting the traditional games by regions, we identified 145, 262, 165, 159, 43 different games from Seoul and Gyeonggi, Gangwon and Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Jeju, respectively. Many of these traditional games from various regions were similar nationwide due to the nature of the games enjoyed by children, and they mainly consisted of group and outdoor games. Furthermore, we investigated and assessed how traditional Korea games are being played, focusing on the local cultural infrastructure/facilities where people usually experience them. In the infrastructure, excluding a space designated for these games and rural theme parks, people tended to use them in one-time events and festivals around holidays. Also, the traditional games played in museums, folk villages, and hanok villages often used the traditional Korean playthings and reenacted these games according to the methods written in the literature. We surveyed 528 directors of kindergartens and preschools to find out the current state of the usage of traditional games in early childhood education and childcare institutions. They mostly responded that hours spent playing traditional Korean games accounted for 1~10% of the total playtime per year in early childhood education and childcare institutions. As regards the time when children play the traditional games, many responded that it was during a special occasion like holidays and special seasons. They reported that they usually play these games in places like auditoriums and playrooms. They indicated utilizing traditional play-related books as references when then play the games. As for the difficulties of playing the games, they rated teachers' lack of experiencing these games the highest. Many reported implementing the games in connection with play in the Nuri Curriculum to be the most appropriate way to conduct them. They rated the need for an introduction to traditional Korean games and the provision of age-appropriate activity materials to the institutions as the foremost necessary supports in promoting the use of child traditional play activities in the institutions. According to the findings of a previous study of 350 mothers with young children, the use of traditional games in families was somewhat low. When comparing the mother's own childhood play experiences with those of her child, mothers perceived that their children currently have more diverse and more toys, but the rate of playing outside has decreased, and the number of friends they can play with has decreased. This study summarized the current practice of traditional games in three realms: local communities, early childhood education and childcare institutions, and homes. By visiting local community facilities, the cases showing real practices of the games in the local community were collected. Among the winners of the public contest, the application cases of these games in early childhood education and childcare institutions were identified. Based on the content of in-depth interviews with mothers of young children, the cases of these games played at home were organized. Through case studies, it was found that the perceptions of traditional games need to be changed, and various opportunities to experience these games need to be given in the local community to improve their play experience. The core tasks selected to meet the demands of practicing traditional games were as follows. At the community level, these tasks included (1) setting up a central office base, where information and human exchanges mainly occur (e.g., responsible for developing and supporting continuous Korean-traditional play content); (2) supporting training for teaching personnel who can integrate traditional play, traditional tunes, or children songs, and folk tales and apply them into regular curricula; (3) adopting the traditional play activities to community places like children's parks, apartment community facilities, and village communities, etc. At the level of early childhood education and childcare institutions, they involved (1) providing learning opportunities so that teachers encounter various traditional games; (2) introducing and distributing activity materials (e.g., booklets/tools) for young children. At the home level, they contained (1) introducing the traditional games and their applications; (2) providing campaigns and promotion resources like media programs, short videos, SNS, etc. to increase parents' awareness about traditional Korean games; (3) supporting activities to link the institutions and homes, involving traditional games as a part of various parent education. This study entitled its vision and goal of spreading young children's play culture through traditional Korean games as "Creating and Spreading Young Children's Play Culture that Harmonizes All through Sustainable Traditional Games in Everyday Life." As strategies to achieve the vision and goal, "improving awareness" and "accumulating and expanding play experiences" were proposed. To this end, it emphasized that more works are needed to advocate the idea that, through various means, these games may spread more widely. In this study, 37 categories of traditional games were selected and presented as good games which diversify the play method. As a part of the action plan to promote the practice of traditional games in local communities, it proposes to set up an office base, which focuses on information and human exchanges in the community. Then, it recommends locating idle spaces and developing qualified personnel to create a young children's play culture, centering around the office base. As for the action plan in early childhood education and childcare institutions, it proposes to publish and distribute case materials (case study data) titled "Traditional Korean Games: Following One after Another." Also, it suggests providing training and services to empower teachers' play capabilities and provide environments for young children to enjoy these games. As for the action plan at homes, it suggests a survey on the play preferences of young children and parents in the present era, familiarization of traditional games using media, development and sharing of institutional-family linkage models, and finding its use in parent education.