Traditional games and plays of Wielkopolska
‘Traditional games and plays of Wielkopolska’ is already the 3rd Piotr Kulka’s paper in the folklore field. The paper together with a CD is devoted to traditional Wielkopolska games and plays. Undoubtedly, they belong to cultural heritage of the region which should be cherished by being conveyed to the young generation. Getting familiar with those games is an extremely important element of every young person’s life as they hold educational and pedagogic values. Having a strong impact on personality, games and plays prepare children to function in adult social life. The paper was not only inspired by the author’s personal experience in working with children, cooperating with folk groups within Wielkopolska region but also by numerous requests from pre- and primary school teachers. The book contains 98 games, plays, rimes and counting rhymes followed by their detailed description. The presented games are suitable for both: children and the adults. Moreover, they greatly influnce psychomotor development and physical fitness of a child. They are i.a. manipulative, dexterity, didactic and derivative&creative games which enable children to release their individual features and make use of their inexhaustible energy, especially in the open air. What’s more, they teach discipline and friendly rivalry, improve coordination and motor skills. Among games presented in the book, one may find those derived from crafts (Ceglorz, Szewc) in which participants first imitate artisans’ work and then dance for example: polka, walcerek, równy or okrągły depending on a region or even a subregion. The book also describes other games for instance Dupnik, Mietlorz or Lusterkowy. The attached CD is a great help for teachers and folk dance instructors when it comes to practise. The material from the paper (lyrics, melodies) dates back to 19th and 20th century but probably even before this time different versions were known.