Abstract:

The purpose of the research is to identify the common cultural children’s games known and played in the Balkans and to reveal the heritage of the common cultural children’s games. A visual study was conducted using observation and conversation methods. The sample of the study was identified as 10 countries located in the Balkans (Romania, Moldova-Gagauz, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia-Yenipazar, Bosnia and Herzegovina) according to the easy-to-access sample method. In these countries, children were asked to show by playing cultural games and the data was collected by camera recording. Each of the games has been drawn into the coding table by watching video footage. In the area survey conducted by visiting 18 provinces and 22 villages in 10 countries, 330 video games covered the repetition of the same game were taken. The 59 games played in the area are defined as joint cultural games. In other words, it is determined that children’s games in the Balkans are similar about 91% within themselves. Except for these games, the 6 games recorded were not repeated in the Balkans, although they were among the cultural games known in Anatolia. It is believed that the remaining of these games outside the common games may also be caused by the limitations of field research.

Abstract:

The purpose of the study is to identify common cultural children's games known and played in Balkans and to reveal the heritage of common cultural children's games. A descriptive study was conducted by using observation and interview methods. The sample of the study was determined according to easily accessible sampling method, as the following 10 countries located in the Balkans (Romania, Moldavia-Gagauz, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia-Yenipazar, Bosnia and Herzegovina). Each game was recorded into the coding table by watching the video footage. In the field study conducted in 10 countries, by visiting 18 provinces and 22 villages, 330 videos consisting of the repetition of the same games were recorded. 59 games played in the region were designated as common cultural games. In other words, it was found that 91% of the children's games in Balkans have similarities. However, the remaining 6 games recorded besides these games were not repeated in the Balkans countries. It was seen that they are among the cultural games known in Anatolia. It is thought that the exclusion of these games from common games may be due to the limitations of field research. 

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