In my thesis, I will present social games as a tool for getting to know each other or for encouraging cooperation between children. In the theoretical part, I present the social development of children from 1 to 6 years and the development of social skills important for the child’s socialization. I defined the role of the adult in the preparation of the environment and the actual implementation of social games, the social development of the child and how social games can help this. In the empirical work, I wanted to find out whether we can use social games to encourage children to establish a new social contact with children who only see them at a one-time event. With various social games I have created a pleasant and socially stimulating environment and thus offer children the opportunity to establish a new social bond at a one-time event that is limited in time. The results confirmed that children get to know each other more easily and play together if they are invited in a stimulating environment with social play. Also, the active role of adults in the implementation of social games has a significant impact on the positive social climate, which leads to an increased sense of security and acceptance among children. During the implementation of social games, children successfully formed new friendships and established contacts. The games also reduced the restraint of children when meeting strangers and encouraged communication and collaboration. In addition, research has shown that children understand the value of social games and recognize their purpose. This means that social games serve not only as a fun activity, but also as an important tool for developing key social skills such as teamwork, communication and empathy. Based on all the findings, I can say that social games can improve a child’s social interaction, friendship development and sense of belonging to a group, which has longterm positive effects on a child’s development. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly include social games in educational activities, especially in the situation.
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