Approximately 10 Thousand Children Met Topaç this Year at the Game and Toy Museum

In the "Topaç Workshop" opened in the Game and Toy Museum of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, children learn the top toy, the popular toy of the old generations, and establish intergenerational bonds.

With the restoration of the 3-storey historical building in the Bey Mahallesi of Şahinbey district, approximately 9 thousand children learned to play with a spinning top this year at the Game and Toy Museum, where various trainings have been given to keep traditional games alive for 10 years.

The students, who start their education by painting the spinning tops distributed in the workshop inside the museum, then learn the details of the spinning top from their trainers and practice in the museum garden. Everyone from 10.00 to 12.00 can benefit from the workshop trainings held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 14.00, 7 and 70 free of charge.

YAKICI: WE WANT TO TRANSFER THIS TRADITIONAL GAME TO THE FUTURE GENERATIONS

Aslıhan Yıkıcı, Head of the Game and Toy Museum Unit, said that the spinning top trainings, which are known by many names from region to region such as eveleme, rooting, koçek, pinwheel, gatır, mici, were the scene of colorful images and said:

“The Game and Toy Museum is in its 10th year. Our goal was to be not only a museum but also a living museum. Rather than being a place where visitors come and visit the shop windows, we have activated the game part in the name of the museum. Topaç is one of our traditional toys. The current generation does not know this game. We want to teach children this game and transfer this traditional game to future generations.”

Stating that the children learned how to play the spinning top at the Topaç workshop, Yıkıcı said, “For 9 years, we have been training children and visitors about the traditional top game and giving them practice on how this game is played. We do not have an age range for these trainings. Everyone can participate and benefit from these trainings,” he said.

WITH TRADITIONAL TOY TOP, CHILDREN CAN STAY AWAY FROM TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR A LITTLE

Zeynep Geçer, who teaches at Naima Durdu Doğmuş Kindergarten, stated that she and her students received spinning top training today and said, “This education will help our children gain self-confidence in learning new things by improving their creativity skills. I think it was a very useful and productive workshop for us.”

Another kindergarten teacher, Emine Doğan, stated that they participated in the training at the spinning top workshop in order to encourage children to experience the old street culture by keeping them away from technological tools and said, “We are here today for my students to see the top game, which is one of the traditional games, closely and learn how to play it. ” she used the phrase.