source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
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FANTASY GAME: Christmas is cancelled!

This game was sent in to youthwork-practice in January 2005 by Marc from the DJK Eintracht Stadtlohn Hildren and youth’s holiday camp in Höningen a.d.Ahr (www.djk-stadtlohn.de/ferienlager/ferienlager.htm). It is the second fantasy game which has been provided to us. Many thanks! This game also includes skill, thinking/combination capabilities, speed and luck. For the staff, it is important that the roles are well prepared and most importantly, “lived/played”. The game can only gather speed with the relevant clothing for dressing up ....

HAVE FUN....

You will have to alter the names and locations according to your own situation or develop a similar story.

The aim of the game

What a shock... the radio and television stations have not been talking about anything else for days now. The whole world is holding it’s breath. What has happened? Father Christmas has turned to the press with an explanation. He has said that the Christmas festivities will have to be cancelled this year. He left many a journalist in the dark as to the reasons for this.

You job is to save Christmas.

How you manage this difficult task, which is important to the whole world, is your own choice.

Now for a few game tips…

You should help who really need help! (Even if they don’t tell you directly).
Listen very carefully to what you are told! If necessary, write it down!
Do not give any objects away! They might help you at some point!
Always ask questions! Ask everything you can think of! But do not be disappointed if you do not get an answer!
The people are spread out in the playing area. You will not always find the person you are seeking straight away! You will need some people more than once in the game so make a plan of where they can be found!
Do not lose your faith – things will be become clearer after a while!
For this game you will need speed, skill and combination skills!

Have fun!

Director’s instruction for the characters

The information which is listed below is only intended for the people named (group leader/station leader) as responsible for the station. These people know about the tasks, characteristics and relevance to the other stations and cannot therefore give out any information or tips. Then there is also some excitement for the members of staff and people involved.

Father Christmas
- Walks around in the tent area
- Complains that the groups are a sorry lot...
- ... Christmas has to be cancelled this year
- The reindeer are poorly
- There is no snow
- The larger gifts are not ready
- And there is no more Christmas spirit among the people anyway
- Asks the group to save Christmas….but how? He cannot tell them!!!
- If a group comes along with……
  1. Certificate of health
  2. Snow
  3. A large gift
  4. Decorations for the tree
  5. and is singing a Christmas carol...
The group has fulfilled all of the tasks and Christmas is saved !!!

Material:
- A tree to decorate!!!
The vet
- Give the group a clue about an amazing new sleeping tablet. The special thing is that it has to be dissolved in water.
- If a group asks, tell them that the reindeer are totally under nourished.
- Give a group the missing horse shoe and the food needed for the reindeer together with a certificate of health.
Material:
- Certificate of health
Blacksmith
- Likes to tell everyone what Mrs Holle cannot make any snow because someone has stolen all of her pillows.
- Needs iron from the market so he asks the group to get it for him and gives them a little gift in exchange for the errand.
- Once the iron is brought he gives them a horse shoe!
- Does not tell them why they need it ... TO BRING YOU LUCK!
- If a group comes to repair the elves tools he says that he needs wood and matches because his fire has gone out.
- If a group comes to him with wood, matches and tools to repair he repairs them (discuss the features with the elves!)
Material:
- One little gift per group (€), horse shoe, feature with repaired tools
Elves
- Complain that the large gifts will never be finished before Christmas
- The materials (wood) are missing and the tools are broken
- Give the tools to the group and ask them to repair them
- Explain that the witch never sleeps and is always alert. She must force herself to sleep
- Swap wood & repaired tools (discuss the features with the blacksmith!!) and 5 little gifts make a large gift
Material:
- Broken tools and one large gift per group
Market place (2 persons if necessary)
- Sells iron for the blacksmith (price is 1 small gift)
- Sells sleeping tablets (price is 2 small gifts)
- (Notice sign: New tablets for sale here!!)
- The words of Christmas carols are available as free hand outs
- Tell the kids that the witch likes to drink beer
- There is possibility of earning little gifts in exchange for tasks
Material:
- Iron, sleeping tablets (as a sticker!!!), notice for sale of sleeping tablets, small gifts (€), Christmas carols and small tasks for the groups
Mrs Holle
- Complains that her husband has stolen her pillow.
- Tells them that she found a horse shoe a while ago ...
- It must belong to one of the reindeer
- If a group gives her a pillow and the magic formula for making snow they receive a bag of snow.
Material:
- Bag of snow
Magician
- Has lost his book of spells in the woods
- If a group brings him the book he presents them with a magic spell (does not however tell the group what it is used for ... „it is sure to be helpful to you!!“)
- Tells the group that the right Christmas mood cannot come about without a Christmas tree
Material:
- Book of magic spells, spell (sealed envelope for example).
Witch
- Proudly tells everyone that she has stolen all of the pillows
- Must be sent to sleep by the group
- This can only be done with a mix of beer and sleeping tablets (agree on the feature (stickers) with the market place!!)
- Allows (when asleep) a pillow to be stolen
Material:
- Pillows
Landlord
- Tells everyone that Mrs Holle needs a magic spell to make snow
- Only hands out matches if groups ask for them
- The group can win a bottle of beer in a „bar test“ (Water and tray relay).
Material:
- Matches, „bar test“, empty beer bottles
Farmer
- There is possibility of earning small gifts in exchange for tasks
- If requested the groups can also earn food for the reindeer in exchange for work. However the group must ask for this themselves!!!!
Material:
- Little jobs (with reference to farming/gardening if possible), small gifts and reindeer food
Lumberjacks (2 persons if required)
- Tell the players that Father Christmas likes to hear Christmas carols to get in the right mood
- There is possibility to earn small gifts or wood in exchange for little jobs. He asks the group which reward they would like
Material:
- jobs, small gifts (€) and wood