Entertainment games: evolution and modern look
Authors: O.M. Zholdybayev 
Published: September 2022

Annotation. National games continue to play a certain role in people’s lives. The article is devoted to revealing the meaning of Kazakh national games in modern society. The relevance of the study is determined by the identification and generalization of the functions of entertaining games, starting from antiquity, when games prevented intertribal conflicts and resolved interstate disputes and disagreements. The atmosphere of jokes and fun relieved the current situation, helped to find common ground and come to a common opinion. Peoples found the opportunity to live in peace and harmony with each other.The author of the article revealed the multilateral connections of game elements and their manifestation and reflection in modern society. The publication considers the concepts “game is life” and “life is a game”. Entertaining games are aimed not only at the amusement of the child, they activate his mental activity, develop imaginative thinking, teach the perception of the world. In the course of the study, it was found that games develop observation and dexterity, increase motor activity, and contribute to physical and emotional development.Entertaining games play an important role in the cultural, social and daily life of mankind. Simple and simple at first glance, the games are important in terms of semantic, ideological and national value. In this regard, their role is unique, which is convincingly proved in the article. Entertaining games are considered on numerous specific examples and in the evolution of their development. Continuity is traced in the preservation of the main attributes of the game, the rituals with which it is sometimes accompanied. Each game has a certain meaning, specific and clear ideas are important for it. Players must comply with the rules and follow them, which is discussed in specific examples.The article studies the origin, rules of the game and distinctive features on the example of the entertaining games “White Poplar and Blue Poplar”, “Butterflies and Swallows”, “In the Middle” and others. The various aspects of the communication of game participants with each other are generalized, the connection with modern society is revealed.In the development of modern society, continuity is preserved to a certain extent, the experience of the past is taken into account, and important traditions are preserved. The culture of entertainment pursues the goal of preserving and continuing life, transferring the accumulated experience to the younger, rising generation. Jokes, laughter, fun are aimed at maintaining moral purity, developing the ability to overcome adversity, teach resistance to trouble, etc. People say: “He has no sense of humor - he wears gloves.” The instructive and educational function of games is conveyed by proverbs: “Even if you play, think and play.” Thus, entertaining and educational games accompany the development of mankind for a long time, from ancient times. Our ancestors perceived the game as life. At the same time, they were careful to use metaphors to illustrate their point. As a result, there is a saying: “There is no ax to sharpen.”The final part of the article contains conclusions about the past and present of the national games, about the changes that have occurred as a result of their evolutionary development in the folklore and ethnographic plans. The role and significance of games in modern society, their integrating role in society are revealed.