source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
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Awareness games
Sight | Hearing | Touch | Smell
Awareness games are suitable for open air games and games in the woods incorporated with a nature rally. Awareness games can be used as a playful way to:
- Sharpen the senses
- Collect impressions
- Consciously experience nature
- Consciously experience the environment
- Consciously experience people.
The important thing in these games is to be aware of the environment, of other people and to experience self-awareness. The players will be encouraged to think about their own normal behaviour (up until this point) and the behaviour of others.
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Scent memory
In 2 tins or 2 yoghurt pots, two of the same materials are placed inside. Then the pots/tins are sealed and mixed up. Using small holes in the lids, the two pots with the same contents must be found. It makes sense to number the pots beforehand and the number pairs jotted down.
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Bare foot park
A path is completed barefoot and blindfolded (the path should not be shown to the players beforehand). On this patch, there are many objects which have to be felt with the bare feet: corks, wool, towelling, fur, hay, straw, grass, pine cones, cane, flour, wire, artificial grass, moss, stones, sand, grit, sandpaper, polystyrene, foam, corrugated cardboard, leather and at the end: water, jelly and/or goo.
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Feeling game
The same game as the last one with the difference that the object are not felt with the feet. They are all in a sack. After one minute all of the items in the sack are listed.
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Being connected to each other
In this game of skill, each member of the group chooses a partner. Both partners hold an object between them. This might be a balloon, a pen or a beer mat held between foreheads, the back of the hand, the stomach or the knees etc. Both now try to move without dropping the object (move to music, perform set movements, perform a task or are blindfolded etc.).
Sense: movement co-ordination, pair work and reaction. -
Blind bearings
The group is shown a terrain with a starting point, a finishing point and possibly 1-2 stations in between. The group members now have 10-20 minutes to remember the points and the path leading between them. From different starting points on the path, the group members must find each other and then find the stations together, following the path until they reach the finishing line. A group leader observes the proceedings and makes sure that no one injures themselves on an obstacle and that the "blind" people do not run around in all directions. This is not a race against the clock.
Sense: Awareness
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Morse
Everyone in the group receives a Morse code letter. Two players (or 3 if necessary) have the same Morse letter without knowing who else has the same one. The players must spread out in the area and find their own partners. The Morse code can also be done with a torch, or by knocking two bits of wood together (do not knock on the trees).
Sense: Awareness -
Production line
The members of the group all lie close next to each other on the ground. One person lies horizontally across the group. The production line is started by all group members rolling in one direction and therefore moving the person on top along the line.
Sense: Physical awareness -
Scent marks
In this game you will need 5-10 different deodorants. A different deo is sprayed onto 5-10 hands. The other members of the group must guess which deo is which.
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Stalking in the woods
Various animals made from cardboard are placed along a path in the woods (fox, hare, deer, different types of birds, squirrel, wild boar etc.) Each child now walks along the path (if necessary, within a set time) and tries to remember the animals. There are extra points for the naming the animals in the correct order.
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Forest noises
Each member of the group spreads themselves out at a distance of 50m from the other group members. Each child must now write down each noise which they can hear and recognise. Afterwards, the noises which were heard are compared to see if any of the players have heard the same things.
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