Preschool Games That Teach Life Skills培养生活技能的学前游戏

萨拉·米德/文　李苹/译

Remember the last time you were greeted with laughter when you arrived at preschool to pick up your child？ They were racing around with their friends and playing a game that you recognized from your own childhood. Best of all， they were having a wonderful time—and learning more than you know.

还记得上次你去幼儿园接孩子时，欢声笑语一片吗？孩子和小伙伴们四处撒欢，玩着你小时候就熟悉的游戏。最重要的是，孩子乐在其中，而且學到的东西超乎想象。

Believe it or not， classic preschool games are much more than just fun for children. They’re actually an essential part of the learning process， helping kids bond with their friends， burn off excess energy and teaching kids skills that will help them later in life.

不管你相信与否，经典学前游戏对孩子来说远不止是娱乐，它们其实是学习过程中必不可少的部分，能帮助孩子与朋友们建立感情，消耗多余的精力，并教授孩子们一些对其日后生活有助益的技能。

To help you see the learning potential in the games that just seem fun， we’ve gathered together seven well-loved American preschool games. Read on to discover how each game secretly models real-world situations and helps kids learn how to live and act.

为了让你看清这些看似只是娱乐的游戏如何激发学习潜力，我们收集了七个备受喜爱的美国学前游戏。往下读，你会弄清每个游戏如何无形中模拟现实情境，帮助孩子们学习如何生活与行事。

1. Duck， Duck， Goose

1. 鸭鸭鹅

This kid-favorite is an excellent game for teaching strategic thinking. Participants sit in a circle， and one child walks around the outside tapping each head in turn and saying “duck.” When they tap the child they wish to select， they yell “Goose.”  That child then has to get up and chase the child who selected them （the “tapper”） around the circle. The tapper tries to get back to the spot vacated by the Goose before the Goose catches and tags them.  The Goose becomes the tapper for the second round.

这个游戏最受孩子们欢迎，是培养战略思维的绝佳游戏。参与者围坐一圈，一人绕圈外走动，依次轻拍每个人的头，并说“鸭子”。选中一人，轻拍他的头，喊出“鹅”。然后被叫“鹅”的这个孩子得起身绕着圈追那个拍他的孩子，后者试图跑回“鹅”空出的那个位子上，不让“鹅”抓到并标记自己。“鹅”在下一轮成为拍人的那个。

As kids play this game more， they start thinking about how to pick a “goose” （such as someone who isn’t paying attention） who will give them a better chance of getting back to their seats without getting tagged. Duck， Duck， Goose teaches children to plan ahead and gives them immediate feedback on the quality of their decisions.

孩子们玩得多了，就会开始思考如何选择“鹅”（比如那些注意力不集中的孩子），才更有可能不被标记，顺利回到座位。“鸭鸭鹅”教会孩子提前规划，且对决策好坏能即时反馈。

2. Musical Chairs

2. 音乐椅

This game helps teach kids to resolve arguments peacefully， deal with disappointment and practice patience. Set chairs in a circle， one fewer than the number of children in the game， and then play music as kids walk around the circle. Every time the music stops， children must try to sit on a chair. Kids who don’t get a chair are out. Then remove a chair and begin again.

这个游戏教孩子们如何和平解决争论、应对失望、磨练耐心。将椅子摆成圈，数量上椅子比参与游戏的孩子少一个，然后播放音乐，孩子们绕圈走动。每次音乐停止，孩子们必须找椅子坐下。没有椅子坐的孩子就被淘汰。然后拿掉一把椅子，重新开始下一局。

As a game of Musical Chairs progresses， children must learn to deal with the frustration of being out of the game， therefore practicing patience and waiting graciously. They must also learn to use their words to work out arguments about whose chair is whose or who got there “first.” Be sure to have an adult on hand specifically to ensure conflicts are settled peacefully and to help kids who are no longer in the game stay cheerful.

随着“音乐椅”游戏进行，孩子们必须学会处理被淘汰时的沮丧情绪，磨练耐性并平和地等游戏结束。他们也必须学些用言语去解决“椅子是谁的”或“谁先坐上去的”这样的争论。一定要有一位成年人在场，确保冲突和平解决，并帮那些淘汰出局的孩子们保持心情愉快。

3. Simon Says

3. 西蒙说

Simon Says is an excellent game for helping kids learn to pay close attention to instructions， while also giving them a taste of leadership. In Simon Says， one kid asks their peers to do silly actions by saying “Simon says tap your head” or “Simon says jump like monkeys.” Then the other kids will do the action—but only as long as the leader adds “Simon says” to their instructions.

“西蒙说”是教孩子们认真听指令的绝佳游戏，同时也让他们尝试担任领导者。在“西蒙说”中，一个孩子发出“西蒙说拍拍你的头”或“西蒙说像猴子一样跳”等指令，让其他孩子做滑稽的动作。其他孩子会做相应动作，前提是领导者指令中必须要有“西蒙说”。

Kids who don’t pay attention quickly discover that if they don’t listen， they’ll be the only one doing the silly action. That gives them extra motivation to listen closely to the entire set of instructions before getting started.

不注意聽指令的孩子很快就会发现，如果不仔细听，自己会是唯一做滑稽动作的人。这会让他们更有动力去认真听完整套指令，然后再执行。

4. Row Your Boat

4. 划船游戏

Self-awareness is an important skill for children to develop as part of the learning process. When children are small， this can start with physical self-awareness. Knowing how to moderate one’s body is a very useful skill that prepares kids for later life. The game here is simple： pair children up facing one another with knees bent up in front of them and holding hands. Instruct them to rock back and forth in time to the song “Row， Row， Row Your Boat.” They’ll need to work together and keep an eye on their own movements at all times. It works best to play this game with a CD or a song on YouTube， so you can incorporate a “freeze” element by stopping music abruptly. This helps children focus on auditory cues and match their physical movements to them.

自我意识是学习中的一环，是儿童成长中的重要技能。孩子还小时，可以先培养身体自我意识。了解如何控制自己的身体是一项非常有用的技能，让孩子能适应以后的生活。游戏很简单：孩子们两人一组相对而坐，双膝向前弯曲，手拉着手。指导他们随着歌曲“划呀，划呀，划小船”前后摇晃。他们需要共同努力，始终关注自己的动作。玩这个游戏时最好同时播放一首CD或优兔上的歌曲，这样你可以突然停止音乐，在游戏中增加“冻结”元素。这能让孩子们关注听觉线索，让身体动作跟上音乐。

5. Hide and Seek

5. 捉迷藏

Hide and Seek is a great game for teaching problem solving. In order to stay hidden for the longest possible amount of time， children have to assess their options so they can pick the best possible hiding spot. This builds spatial awareness， because kids must consider factors such as which hiding places will offer the most cover from the most vantage points. As they gain experience with the game， kids will take an even more in-depth assessment approach， thinking about which spots are frequently used during free play and therefore most likely to be checked first.

捉迷藏是一个教孩子们如何解决问题的好游戏。为了藏得尽可能地久，孩子们必须评估自己的选择，选出最好的藏身处。这培养了空间意识，因为孩子们必须考虑多种因素，如哪个藏身处位置最有利，能提供最大的掩护。随着游戏经验增加，孩子们会做更深入的评估，会考虑在自由活动中哪些位置经常被使用，因此最有可能最先被查看。

6. Parachute Games

6. 降落伞游戏

Playing with a parachute is a fun way for kids to learn teamwork. Kids stand around a circle， holding a parachute （or large sheet） between them. When a ball or some other object is placed on the parachute， kids toss the ball up and down. Kids must move in sync or the ball will fall off the side of the parachute. If playing with a big parachute， kids have to work together to keep multiple balls in play at the same time， or learn how to throw the parachute up so one child can run underneath before the parachute falls.

玩降落伞是孩子学习团队合作的一种有趣方式。孩子们站成一圈，手拉着降落伞（或大床单）。将球或其他物体放在降落伞上，孩子们一起将球抛上抛下。孩子们必须同步移动，否则球就会从降落伞一侧掉下。如果使用大降落伞，孩子们必须一起努力，让多个球同时运动，或学会如何把降落伞抛起来，让一个孩子能在降落伞落下之前跑到伞下面。

7. Sleeping Lions

7. 睡狮游戏

It’s important for kids to learn how to stay focused despite distractions. During this preschool game， all the children lie down and pretend to be asleep. Then one person walks among the group （without touching anyone）， trying to convince kids into reacting and opening their eyes. The last kid to still look like they’re “sleeping” is the winner.

让孩子学会即使受到干扰也能保持专注很重要。在这个学前游戏中，所有孩子都躺下，假装睡着。然后一人在他们中间走动（不碰到任何人），试图说服孩子们做出回应，并睁开眼睛。最后一个仍能假装“睡着”的孩子就是赢家。

Sleeping Lions encourages kids to be silly as they try to wake up their peers. To stay “asleep，” kids have to keep themselves focused on not moving a muscle—no matter how their peers try to distract them. That’s extremely hard for young children to do， and the focusing they practice during Sleeping Lions will help a child later on when they’re trying to learn in boisterous environments.

“睡獅游戏”鼓励孩子们在努力叫醒伙伴时玩花样搞怪。为了保持“睡着”的状态，不管同伴如何打扰，孩子们都必须集中注意力，一动不动。这对于年幼的孩子来说非常难。他们在“睡狮游戏”中锻炼的专注力将有助于他们日后在喧闹的环境中学习。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）