Bienvenue sur le site des Enfants de Lude
The association
Its goal is to favor, develop and encourage all the activities based upon play and the toys.
We would like
¤ the families, schools, towns and public powers to take account of playing as an activity.
¤ to favor the game and give it back its importance.
¤ to re-create PLAYING AREAS, genuine places of life that allow children, teenager
¤ to develop the introduction of a play activity to complete the teaching skills.
¤ to open a dialogue with the people concerned by the child and play, the adult and play.
Presented project
As far as we are concerned, games and toys are objects of mediation that make easier the meeting of 2 ages, of different cultures or societies, they give an experience similarity which bring people closer.
From that noting, we are creating game libraries, a privileged place of socialisation and prevention. It can be adapted to all kinds of childhood and public, from the most destitute to the most privileged. This structure has also a social function that allows it to take part smoothly in the life of districts and towns.
It can help to diminish exclusion or loneliness and allow to some parents to meet. It became a bridge between the habitants as it puts the stress on responsibility and the positive feeling of belonging to a community.
It is a transitional area between the families and school where the separation mother-child is prepared. It is a structure really attentive to reception. It is also a place that competes with the street.
Few institutions organized a simultaneous reception for all ages. A game library is an inter-age, an inter-cultural and a solidarity area.
Form of intervention
A/ during leisure:
In the towns or interested structures, we propose a game library on Wednesday and the holidays. For everybody, without limitation of age, with a simple rule so that everybody can meet and play with a minimum of restraints. We can intervene on different levels:
¤A game library ready for immediate use: with the municipalities or private partners that wish to test the viability of a play structure, we can fit out premises, which they can lend us. They should be equipped with tables, chairs and shelves. We bring complete play material, ready to be used.
It would be convenient if a member of the municipality or of the structure helped the salaried employee of the association Les enfants Du Lude so that families will know someone.
¤An assistance to create a game library: we can provide a technical help to the municipalities or the structures that already have a project either by setting up play areas or by training people on the stock management, the reception of the families, the school work…
We are as well a training center.
Techniques of intervention
There are 5 postulates to create successfully a game library:
¤ Family implication
¤ Financial contribution
¤ Freedom and responsibility
¤ Active education
¤ Quality of the equipment
¤A safe administration of the stock.
¤The child can evolve freely and gradually.
¤The child is aware of his responsibilities by his involvement in the smooth running of the game library.
¤One single rule for everybody: each person must take a card and verify his game after playing; each one can play freely and safely.
¤The fact that all ages can meet allows a mutual aid and enables parents to have their children in one single structure.
¤It also enables parents to take part in the functioning of the game library.
We want to encourage adults’ meeting, that is why we think it is important to welcome parents as well as we can to make them feel at ease, without cultural or social distinction.
¤Play interventions
We propose play activities during some afternoons or evenings. It can be based upon a précised subject or be defined by the several partners.
B/ during school time:
To learn with play activities means to understand or complement knowledge.
The game library does not act as a substitute for school but it is a complement. It creates a relaxed atmosphere to learn. Because of the child’s interests when he plays, he builds himself up with habits of curiosity and open-mindedness. He forms himself progressively with positive attitudes towards learning.
So, we are convinced that a game library can encourage the understanding of schoolwork. We propose to teachers an additional teaching aid by putting our play and human means to the service of a project built together.
Techniques of intervention
We come frequently in nursery schools, primary schools and middle schools, as decided with the teachers. The best is to come once a week (as a maximum) or a month (as a minimum) in one class. We talk with the teacher to know what he wants and to adapt the games to the children’ needs. We can also work with a half class. It allows the teacher to work better with a few numbers of children.
Our interventions enable teachers:
¤To make some kind of learning possible
¤To observe children in a new situation
¤To have a privileged relation towards play with the children
We propose to realise the teacher’s project by using games that already exist or by creating them with the class (it would be then offered to the class). They are complete, with rules and the way they have been made so that other pupils can use them.
We can also adapt the play activity to the schoolwork.
The games (bought or made by the pupils) can appeal:
Cognitive conducts
¤To dimensional differentiation, temporal differentiation, counting, deductive reasoning…
Functional abilities
¤To visual discrimination, rules application, auditory attentiveness, visual memory, logical memory…
Linguistic skills
¤To phonetic, semantic and lexical memory, letters discrimination, grammatical memory…
Functioning
With schools, we always work around 3 basic axes:
Encouraging school learning thanks to play activities
For example, if the teacher wants us to work on a reading project we can intervene:
¤In choosing games which need reading reflection as spatial relation, visual memory…
¤In inviting children to play on a specific ground where the reading project is made interesting by the complementarities of the games we use. For example: a game with hieroglyphs is always accompanied by an Egyptian history.
The continuation, in class, of the work done in the game library
¤We propose games which can be easily used during school
¤We regularly lend games to the class at the end of the session. The teacher can carry on the project with the pupils.
¤It is also in this way that we offer the games built during the session to the class.
The partnership teacher/game librarian
As play professionals, our role is to help the teachers technically and analytically with the game corresponding to the work they want to do.
C/ during extra scholar time
We can also propose a play activity during meal break. It functions as in the game library.
Techniques of intervention
We can work with a group of 20 children, as it will have been defined with each school official.
D/ specific publics
We can also work in specific institutions such as centres or welcome the children of the wage earners of the Pyrénées Orientales and make animations in hospitals.
Techniques of intervention
It can be the opening of a game library. The mobile game library can come a day or half a day or welcome a small group in the fix game libraries during the holidays.
E/ day nurseries
We can come into nurseries to work with the supervising staff. It enables the paediatric nurse assistants to observe their groups in a different context and the children to evolve in a different structure. Our regular coming is made to progress with the games. From that on we think about the games that would be good for the nurseries in the mobile game library.
Techniques of intervention
We want to put in place a back and go system. We would be able to lend the games each week. We are trying to carry on that exchange by the way of the system ESAR (classification). We work with the nursery staff on play and teaching skills.
F/ small and medium industries, maternal assistance
The work there is made with a care for coherence and complementarily. It functions as in the nurseries, with the back and go card system.
G/ senior citizens
It seems important to us to propose animations to this kind of establishment. We can play with an adapted material, in big or small groups.
Techniques of intervention
We suggest a regular and personalized coming, depending on each establishment.
H/ leisure centre
At first, it will be a game library activity
Techniques of intervention
It is a good way for the organizers to see new games and other making techniques.
I/ other publics
¤We organize, with the different partners, play activities opened to everybody
¤We introduce games before Christmas
¤We have over dimensioned games; we can play in the street, during the day or the evening
¤We possess a special saw to make games with children and adults
J/ our trainings
We intervene with all kinds of public on:
¤Play
¤Play and children
¤The creation of playing areas
¤The creation of game library
¤The administration of a game library
¤The use of a play activity in the teaching skills
K/ the lending of toys and games
The concept of a mobile game library is opposed to the one of a self-service lending centre that hides, with the numerous games, the destitution of social action. When the mobile game library becomes a place of lending and passing by, the children are always left on their own. You have to play in the game library to be able to borrow.
L/ material means
We have to choose what would be the best for our publics among many games. We have learnt the ESAR classification system of Mme Denise Garon. We own 2 equipped vans and over 1000 games:
Exercises ones (rattles, tops…)
Symbolic ones (dolls…)
Assembling ones (LEGO, KAPLA…)
Rules ones (draughts…)
M/ human’s means
Experimented and qualified librarians organize sessions and encouraged schools’ projects.
