News

The “From the Streets to the Campus: Traditional Children’s Games” event, designed and coordinated by Dr. Elif Ermağan, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Educational Sciences at Istanbul Medeniyet University, brought together hundreds of visitors over two days on June 16–17, bringing traditional children’s games to the campus setting. In addition to games developed by students from various departments of the Faculty of Education, the event featured international students from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Balkans, Latin America, and the Turkic World introducing games from their home countries, highlighting cross-cultural interaction and shared childhood experiences.

In the exhibition area set up on the first floor of Building B at the North Campus, visitors had the opportunity not only to experience traditional games but also to explore books on children’s games compiled from various cities in Turkey, works introducing children’s games from around the world, and resources focusing on the games played by the Prophet Muhammad with children. Nostalgic foods and childhood objects displayed in a red suitcase, along with photographs reflecting the play and childhood culture of the 1980s, transported visitors back in time, while interactive areas created for children and a family games table brought different generations together in the same play environment, adding a special touch to the event. Additionally, adults wrote down the games they loved to play in their childhood—such as “ ”—in the “Games of My Childhood” corner and hung them in the exhibition area; this created a lively participatory space where visitors shared their memories and interacted with one another. The fun photo corner set up as part of the event offered visitors the opportunity to capture moments reflecting their childlike spirit, while the distribution of various gifts to children at the conclusion of the games and activities further heightened the excitement of the event.

The event, which was also attended by students from Kadıköy Zühtüpaşa Elementary School and Yıldırım Beyazıt Middle School, served as a meaningful platform for interaction between the university and the schools.

The event was held with the participation of Istanbul Medeniyet University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bülbül, Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Eyüp Sevimli, and Associate Deans Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hatice Fakioğlu Bağcı and Dr. Mutlu Aksoy. It also drew significant interest, with the participation of numerous academic and administrative staff, led by Prof. Dr. İbrahim Hakan Karataş.

Filmed on-site by A Haber and broadcast on television, the event was reported by Anadolu Agency and distributed to the national press, receiving extensive coverage on numerous online news sites and digital media platforms.

Refreshments provided with the support of numerous sponsors, most notably the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), created a warm and welcoming atmosphere at the event venue. The administration of Istanbul Medeniyet University, Secretary General Ali Ramazan Tak, Deputy Secretary General Yıldırım Tilaver, school administrators, teachers, sponsors, and all stakeholders were among the key supporters of the event, contributing to its successful execution.

Bringing together the past and the present, the local and the universal under one roof, “From the Street to the Campus: Traditional Children’s Games” garnered widespread acclaim as an exemplary educational and cultural event that highlighted the unifying power of play and contributed to the transmission of cultural heritage to future generations.