CHILDREN'S FOLK ART AND MOVEMENT RHYTHMIC GAMES AS A REGIONAL FEATURE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM POTENTIAL
Authors: Planjanin-Simic Kristina , Lazovic Mihaela 
Published: September 2021

Children's traditional creativity as an inexhaustible inspiration, but also an alternative form of musical education, represents the biological human need. It is also an "extraordinary means of stimulating intelligence and a way of connecting and bonding people of the world" (Habermeyer, 2001). Our region features a large number of songs for pre-school children, as well as a large number of rhythmic games, which also belong to the field of physical and musical education, as well as domains of learning traditional games. More and more research suggests that children "possess the least knowledge of rhythmic games in general" (Dopudja, 1977). Although there has always existed a tradition of nurturing traditional games / dances that have been transferred to younger generations, both within families and in institutions for pre-school children, it can also be transferred through a well-organized and planned regional tourist offer if its contents are adapted and presented in one of the world languages. Every country in which tourism is one of the most important branches of the economy, naturally turns to its own traditional values and potentials. Furthermore, folklore heritage has proven to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration for both artists and lay people. One should bear in mind the important fact that tourism can be defined as "a correlation of services and other benefits used by tourists created from the need for temporary displacement of people. Having in mind the distinctiveness of tourism from the aspect of its heterogeneity, where the tourist aggregate is constituted of important elements" (Cuervo S. 1967) which also include folklore art as well as various forms of entertainment and leisure time (Stavric, Baros, 2005). If we are familiar with the fact that children primarily learn by listening, watching, doing or their combination, then it is clear that children's folk art and movement rhythmic games, music and art combine these three ways of learning, and at the same time, enhance the development of intelligence in children. All the elements, as well as the inevitable factors that accompany children's folk art, influence the psychophysical, intellectual and emotional development of a child (Planjanin-Simic, 2016). Such potentially offered cultural and educational content certainly leads to better understanding among people from different countries and regions. On the other hand, today, the English language has indubitably become the language of world communication, a contemporary “lingua franca”. What is more, the English language entered almost all spheres of life: music, entertainment, mass media, traveling, tourism... To that note, with the intention of bringing people who speak different languages closer together, this paper will offer the English translation of famous children folk songs, games and dances from our region, especially Montenegrin traditional rhythmic games, with the aim to present regional culture to foreigners and transcendent the language barrier.