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Game Name: the Adverb Game
Game Type: Problem-solving, acting, grammar
# of Players: 4+
HOW the game is played:
One person (the guesser) goes outside, while the others pick an adverb. When the guesser comes back in, she/he/they tell one or several people in the group to do something specific (e.g. "eat this sandwich", "have a conversation", "open the door", "tidy up" etc) - they must do it according to the adverb. The guesser keeps asking people to perform the adverb until he/she/they guess it correctly.
Variation: The guesser can select a difficulty level (1-3) before going out of the room.
Tips: This game sounds hard but even young kids seem to really enjoy it.
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Game Name: Mysterious Enchantment (modified from the game "psychiatrist")
Game Type: Problem-solving, acting
# of Players: 4+
HOW the game is played:
One person chooses a magical identity (Sorceress/Sorcerer/Wizard/Witch/Mage/Fairy/Demon/Elf/Magical Nerd... etc; I will use the gender-neutral-ish "Fairy" here) and goes outside, while the others pick decide what Mysterious Enchantment they have all fallen under. When the Fairy comes back in, they try to determine what the Mysterious Enchantment is— once they can name it, they can cast a counter-spell and free all their friends from the Enchantment. The Fairy figures it out by asking people questions.
Examples of Enchantments: The classic example is "everyone has been transformed into the person two spots to their right" (if people are in a circle). Then when the Fairy asks you what you did that day, you try to answer as that other person would. Another example is "everyone has been transformed into the body of a dog with the vocal chords of an elephant" or "everyone has been transported under the water"— these kinds tend to work better with kids.
One more important rule: If one of the players says or does something inconsistent with the Enchantment they are under, another player MUST yell "GLITCH!" At this time, everyone who can move around easily switches spots with each other. Sometimes such answers are given accidentally, but they can also be given intentionally to throw off the Fairy, especially if responding correctly would give away the Mysterious Enchantment too easily. (Ex., if everyone is pretending to be one specific person, and the Fairy asks "What's your name?", a truthful answer would make for an awfully short round.)
Variation: The Fairy can select a difficulty level (1-3) before going out of the room.
Tips: Try starting simple and increasing the complexity of the enchantment as the group gets the hang of it.
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Game Name: A - B - C
Game Type: Calm, co-operative, tuning in to eachother
# of Players: 3+
HOW the game is played:
The challenge is to get all the way through the alphabet as a group, abiding by the following restrictions:
1) you can only say one letter at a time (not 2 consecutive letters)
2) only 1 person can talk at a time. If 2 people begin speaking at once, the whole group starts again at "A"
3) Players can't go around in a circle.
Variations: Can be done counting to 10.
Facilitator tips: Encourage non verbal communication, eye contact. Let the group figure out a way that works for them.
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Game Name: Two Truths and a Lie
Game Type: Getting to know each other, telling stories
# of Players: small group 2-8
Ideal Setting: a cozy place indoors with a bit of time.
HOW the game is played:
Each player takes turns telling three short stories or facts about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. The other players try to figure out which is the lie by asking questions. After a round or two of questioning, players vote on which story they believe to be the lie, and the storyteller reveals which was really the false one.
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Game Name: Sense Memory
Game Type: Relaxer, body awareness, mind power.
# of Players: any
Ideal Setting: carpeted inside quiet area.
HOW the game is played:
Participants lay on floor, making sure to not be touching anybody next to them (pillows can be used but is best if body is flat). A facilitator guides all participants through:
-close eyes
-breathing
-relaxation: toes all the way up to crown of head.
-imagery: start by guiding participants to a beach, using descriptive words to create environment (feel of sand, sound of waves, warmth of sun...)
-Power of sense: when the room feels mentally invested change the environment. The sand turns to snow (be descriptive).
-Power of emotion: add a presence to the environment, "some one you love touches you on the shoulder."
-Trick of the Mind: add taste, "that person you love reaches in there pocket and hands you a lemon." Be detailed in describing how they hold, feel, the lemon, "is it smooth, bumpy. Put it up to your cheek, is it cold?" Take the participants on a journey of tasting the lemon, first the peel then the inside.
Variations: if beginning steps of relaxation and breathing are successful there are many many variations.
Tips: take your time, turn off lights, speak soft.
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Game Name: Restricted Conversation
Game Type: Speaking, conversational
# of Players: 2 or 3
HOW the game is played:
Players have a normal conversation, but create limits and restrictions on the conversation. For example, "No using the letter M." or "Every second word has to start with B." or "Can only speak in questions."
Variations: Endless, let your imagination go free.
Instructor tips: Don't be hard on anyone who has trouble with it, everyone is destined to make lots of mistakes, the key is to be aware of your speech and words.
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Game Name: Bear Nose
Game Type: Learning
# of Players: 2+
Ideal Setting: Somewhere that doesn't have strong smells
Supplies needed: aromatic forest objects
HOW the game is played:
Sing "The bear went over the mountain, To see what he could see". Then explain that bears are near-sighted & actually navigate mostly by their sense of smell. "More likely, the bear went over the mountain to see what he could smell from many miles away."
Have participants take turns covering eachothers' eyes from behind while instructor holds a forest object under someone's nose for sniffing. Once the sniffer has the scent etched in their mind, the sniffer's eyes are uncovered and s/he must find that scent in the area & bring back a small sample. If they can't find it, keep giving them the smell clue until they succeed.
Facilitator tips: Crush objects before presenting them for sniffing to release their full aroma. Be careful to keep your hands free of other scents, and not to touch participant's face with the object or s/he will obtain a non-scent clue.
Source: Rediscovery 192
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Game Name: Exquisite Corpse
Game Type: Drawing/Story creation
# of Players: small group 2-6
Ideal Setting: around a table
Supplies needed: Lots of markers and pens and paper.
HOW the game is played: All players take a piece of paper and fold it in thirds like folding a letter. All players draw the top third of a creature primarily in the top third of the paper, allowing a few lines to drift below the fold line into the middle third. After a designated time limit is reached, or until everyone feels their drawing is complete, they fold the paper so what they have drawn is hidden, and only the middle section is visible. Players then all pass their drawing along to the person sitting to their right, and receive the drawing of the person on their left, they continue the drawing they are given, drawing the middle section of the creature. After the drawing is complete, it's folded, and passed again around the circle and all players draw the bottom thirds of their creatures. After the bottom third is complete, the players unfold their drawings one by one and look at the 3 exquisite corpses they have created.
Variations: 3 part creature bodies work very well, but the drawings can be of anything really, spaceships, trees, towers.
Facilitator tips: don't spend too long on each turn, give a warning when it's "30 seconds till switch" time, laugh a lot at the creatures created, emphasize the suspense and the sillyness. After the creature is revealed, can lead into 'what is this creatures name?' or 'what would this creature sound like?'
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Game Name: Group Story
Game Type: Storytelling
# of Players: 2-6ish
Ideal Setting: a place where everyone can be heard
HOW the game is played:
A story is made up and told by a group on the spot. There are various ways of doing this. Each person can contribute a word at a time, or 3 words, or a sentence. The speaker can be delegated by having a talking object, like a stick or a ball that is passed, or a facilitator can 'conduct' the story by pointing to the person to speak.
Variations: The story can start with a topic, or a sentence or title to help guide it.
Tips: encourage listening, and picking up the story at the exact spot that the last person left it at.
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Game Name: Group Story II
Game Type: Storytelling, listening, leading and following
# of Players: small group, 2-5
Ideal Setting: in a close intimate setting, works best if players put their heads close together
HOW the game is played: Players are to make up a story while speaking all in unison. The emphasis here isn't on a good story, or funny lines, but on all players tuning in to each other and listening closely, giving and taking the lead and eventually losing any sense of who is leading at all, and it feeling truly in unison.
Variations: 2 headed guru/professor: a scene is played out between a student and a guru/professor. The professor has 2 heads which speak in unison. The student asks the guru an important life question that is picked by others watching the scene.
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Game Name: Squiggle Share
Game Type: Drawing Activity
# of Players: 1-infinite
Ideal Setting: indoors
Supplies: paper, pens (or markers, crayons, colored pencils)
HOW the game is played:One person draws a squiggle on a piece of blank paper (could be you the first round, and then could alternate amongst the kids). Then, you tell everyone to copy the squiggle and turn it into an object or creature or anything of their choice. For example, you could tell everyone to turn the squiggle into a robot or a dinosaur or a house. After everyone is done, everyone shares their drawing! You can then open it up for anyone to draw a squiggle and determine what everybody will turn it in to!
Variations:
Tips: Good for rainy days when you have to spend a lot of time indoors. Can play multiple rounds! Also, its fun to play with grown-ups too!
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