Construction Games

Description

Construction games have a particular characteristic in that the main focus of play is to build something, such as houses, machines or entire worlds.

The components of the game are at least the parts that make up the item being built. There may also be tools and supporting materials from plans to glue.

Success may be defined by various criteria such as:

Making items which are to design or original and interesting.

Completing the challenge within a certain timescale.

Using as many or as few components as possible.

Making things that will withstand usage such as carrying loads.

Construction games may be played by an individual person, with others (collaboratively) or, perhaps less often, against others (competitively).

Some constructions may take a significant amount of time, lasting hours, days, weeks or more.

Discussion

There is a visceral pleasure in making things that boys in particular seem to enjoy (although girls may like this too) and many successful children's games and toys are based on putting things together. Even jigsaw puzzles may be considered a form of construction.

During construction there is a process of emergence, as the item being built appears. There can easily be period of frustration as things do not seem to fit or you run out of particular components.

Computers have made construction both easy and also more varied as the laws of physics can be used and changed (for example by doing construction in 'space'). It is also easier to offer a wider range of components and tools.

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Construction Games

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Quick links

Disciplines

Techniques

Principles

Explanations

Theories

And