The Importance of Play in Childhood - 4 Types of Games and Their Corresponding ‘Mr. Men Little Miss’ Characters

I recently read about the classification of games by French psychological anthropologist Roger Caillois in the book ‘Flow’ by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and it was both enlightening and inspiring.

Recognising ‘game’ in its broadest sense to include every form of pleasurable activity, Roger identified four game categories based on the types of experiences they offer.

To make them easier to understand, I’m attempting to match each one with a character from the ‘Mr. Men Little Miss’ series, and we can also discuss the benefits and cautions for each game type, too. Here we go!

Agon refers to games that mainly involve competition, such as sports and athletic events. These activities are all about testing skills and realising potential, and the author recognised that moving away from extrinsic desires (such as beating opponents and trying to impress) and focusing on the activity itself brings us the greatest joy.

Matching character: Mr Strong

According to his Fandom page, Mr Strong is “active, engaging, physical, energetic, well-built, muscular, robust, brawny, sturdy, tough, a bodybuilder, and powerful.” But underneath all that strength, he has a friendly, sunny attitude that we love!

He might get a little competitive at times, but most of the time he uses his incredible strength to support his friends.

Argon - Mr Strong

Alea includes all kinds of games of chance, like dice and bingo, making it a fun and diverse category to explore. These aleatory games are enjoyable because they give us a sense of control over the mysterious future.

However, when the excitement of breaking free from the present and glimpsing what might happen becomes irresistible, it can turn into a form of gambling that might not be good for our overall well-being.

Matching character: Mr Clever

While there's no exact character whose main trait is aleatory, Mr Clever, who calls himself the ‘Cleverest Person In The World,’ is probably the closest match.

He's not just a brilliant inventor with amazing gadgets like an alarm clock that brews tea and a toothbrush that dispenses toothpaste, but he also firmly believes that no one can outsmart him!

However, when it comes to telling Mr. Happy the funniest joke or helping Mr. Forgetful remember his name, Mr Clever was taken aback. He realised there’s a good chance he doesn't know (or have control over) everything after all.

Alea - Mr Clever

Ilinx, also known as vertigo, includes activities that change how we perceive the world around us, like riding a merry-go-round, skydiving, or kids spinning in circles until they feel dizzy.

These activities are a direct way to shift consciousness through their content. What's really important is that we keep our sense of self-control during these experiences, rather than losing it completely in vertigo-type games. This helps ensure we enjoy the thrill while staying safe and in control.

Matching character: Little Miss Fun

Don’t we all know a little girl who’s super energetic all day long?

True to her name, Little Miss Fun loves to have a good time—and maybe a little too much sometimes—making it a bit tricky for her friends to keep pace. While she’s amusing and spirited, it’s also lovely to remember the importance of finding a good balance between fun and rest for every Little Miss (and Mr) Fun out there.

Vertigo - Little Miss Fun

Mimicry is a collection of activities where alternative realities are created, such as dance, theatre, artistic experiences, and more recently, through technological advances, to build a virtual identity and life in the metaverse or Mindcraft.

We have all engaged in mimicry-type play during childhood, dressing up in adults’ clothing to pretend to be a cowboy, film star, or princess, or playing parents to our dolls. Through these acts, we momentarily forget our true selves and become someone or something different. 

Matching character: Mr Copycat

Mr Copycat made a memorable appearance in the Mr Men 50th Anniversary Tribute Film in 2022, where his nonstop mimicking truly left a lasting impression!

His personality is all about copying others—whether it’s how they speak, dress, or act. By the end of the film, Mr. Copycat discovers the importance of being himself. This also shows that while a bit of mimicry can be fun and exciting, it's important to stay grounded in reality as life goes on!

Mimicry - Mr Copycat

Whether it’s a game of competition, chance, merry-go-round, or role play, the essence of a game is all about providing a sense of discovery, a creative feeling of transforming into a new reality, while constantly striving for higher performance and discovering new landings. As the author of ‘Flow’ wrote, it ‘transformed the self by making it more complex’, and that, is perhaps, the deep meaning of growth. 

I hope you find this short read enjoyable and somewhat enriching, and that it encourages some rethinking about the significance of play in childhood. Play, when guided appropriately, fosters curiosity, creativity, and greater self-consciousness in our little ones, as well as in the adults who facilitate them. This is what we at The Sustainable School endeavour to achieve. Stay tuned for more edutainment-based STEAM learning coming your way!