source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
only for private using
The Italian Evening
| Preparation time: | 5 Minutes |
| No. people: | 6+ |
| Duration: | 1 hour |
| Material cost: | medium - high |
| Age: | 6+ |
| Location: | indoors |
| Season: | any |
| Activity level: | medium |
| Materials: | Paper and nice pens, adverts from newspapers to cut out, puzzle, store receipts (for the four walls, approximately 8 food-related words), ‘squeeze-snatch-words’ with associated objects for snatching, bonbons, identities on sticky notes, syllables for the syllable game, blanket. |
| Aim: | Fun and games |
| Summary: | A games evening with an Italian theme –about the country, the people and the Italian mentality |
Description:
The Italian evening is suitable for before of after the holidays. To finish the evening a large family-pizza can be ordered. The helpers talk about their holidays and experiences in Italy.
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Packing Suitcases
Background: To get there we first have to pack.
Game: Packing suitcases
Children sit in a circle. One of the helpers starts and says “I am packing my suitcase and I am taking a tooth brush with me”. The person sitting on their right continues and says: “I am packing my suitcase and …”? another object is added as you go along in the circle. The list of objects has to be repeated by each person before adding a new object to the list.
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Beach
Background: You have to take care that the umbrella does not fly away otherwise it will land in the sea
Game: Zipp-Zapp
One child stands in the middle of the circle and approaches the ones who are sitting saying either Zipp or Zapp to them. If Zipp is said, the child has to say the name of the person sitting on their left, and if Zapp is said the child has to say the name of the person on their right. If someone is too slow in answering or gets the name wrong, he has to then go into the middle of the circle.
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Mafia and Beach-vendors
Background: One has to take care of their possessions; after each seaside visit, check to see if everything is still there.
Game: What has changed on whom?
One child is sent out in front of the door. In a circle, 5 children change something about their appearance, change positions, swap items of clothing etc. Then the child in front of the door returns to the room and has to find the 5 differences and is only allowed to make 3 wrong guesses.
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Menu
Who can create the nicest menu? Groups think of one-course menus and the group helpers judge according to creativity.
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Venice
Background: Gondoliers wink at all women and flirt with everyone.
Game: Winking
In a circle each pair of children stands in front of one another. There is one child in the middle of the circle. This child winks at one of the children in the innermost circle. Can the person standing behind hold onto the child in front before it escapes to the child in the middle? If yes then the child who was winked at stays put. If not, then the child escapes to the person winking in the middle of the circle. The person left behind now goes into the centre of the circle and begins to wink.
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Naples
Background: There are many thieves, much is stolen
Game: Guard-game
One child sits blindfolded on a chair in the middle of the circle. Under the chair is a key ring. One child creeps up and takes the key ring away. Can the child on the chair point to the direction in which the child is sneaking off to?
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Men
Are conscious of their clothes, are handsome, dark-haired…
Game: Jig-Saws
Jig-saws of men’s pictures have to be put together as quickly as possible. Which group is the quickest?
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Food
Background: Italian food is everywhere, one has one has to know where to buy what.
Game: Super-market game
In the four corners of the room, hang up sheets of paper with lots of Italian-themed phrases written on them. The group helper calls out a phrase. The children have to search for the piece of paper with this phrase on it and run to this corner of the room. The last to reach the corner is out.
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Food
Background: Food is a battle.
Game: Squeeze-Snatch-Game
The children sit behind one another in two rows. A chair is placed in front and at the back of these rows. All the children place one hand to the front and one hand to the back. One of the group helpers throws a coin onto the chair in-front. By number, the children have to pass on a signal via the hands. No head gestures are to be made. The last person in the row has to ‘snatch’ a bonbon if they receive a signal from their group. If not they have to leave the bonbon where it is. Alternative: Food-expressions are lifted up towards the back. Participants have to think of signals as to how they will convey which expression. At the front things such as spaghetti, cups etc. are snatched.
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Stories
Background: Italians are big story tellers
Game: Predator feeding
In the middle of the circle there are some bonbons. The group helper reads out a story. On hearing a pre-decided word/phrase e.g. Italy, all the children rush into the middle of the circle to grab a bonbon. More bonbons are then placed in the middle, and on hearing the specified word/phrase again all rush into grab them. Which group will end up with the most bonbons?
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Personalities
Background: Large personalities and artists come from Italy
Game: Guess the identity
Each child has a post-it note with a famous person’s name written on it, stuck onto their forehead. Then they have to walk around the room and ask the others ‘yes’/’’no’ questions. If the child receives a ‘no’ answer, they have to find a different person to ask questions to. Who will be the first to guess which personality they are?
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Fish Market
Background: Everything is thrown quickly to and fro
Game: Throwing Game
Throw large things to and fro, e.g. a blanket. The blanket is not to touch the floor – which group will manage to pass the blanket the most times without letting it fall?
Sent in by Carina W.
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