source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
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Standard contents for a general case for staff members in work with children and youth work

Standard contents for a general games case

A practical and unavoidable help for workers in youth work: the games case. Whether you run a boy’s brigade or a teenager’s club or whether you are always taking part in camps – the games case will save you a lot of time and trouble.

games case
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Why? It’s quite simple.

It contains the basic objects which you will need for practical with groups. Ok, you can buy yourself a fantastically equipped entertainment box for 175 Euros or more but you will still reach your limits at some point. Apart from this, what use is such a nice case when you just need some simple matches or ribbons or ping pong balls? Even the best entertainment materials are no use.

However it is important that you put such a case together using your own experience. Some things must be thought about in advance.

1) The use of the case

Think about where you need the case. This is dependant on where you are voluntarily involved. Are you mainly in a youth club doing group sessions? Then you won’t need too many materials in the case because you probably have material in the youth club. However if you are travelling to a camp, then it becomes more complicated.

Whether you need the case just for entertainment or if you want to play a games evening also plays a role. Whether you want to do youth or children work is also decisive.

2) The size of the case

This is dependant on the contents and how often it is used. There are youth leaders who have a massive tool kit and have it filled with paper and pens and other little games. There are tennis balls and tennis bats, sponges and tin cans. Those who prefer more practical and organised cases, a little case is recommended.

Tool boxes made from plastic with lots of little sections are most suitable. There are different sizes available in all DIY stores. They can be flipped open and all of the sections can be seen. An entertainment case can also be made from a metal case with a lid and movable universal sections. The best thing is to make a list of everything you want to store. Do not plan the space too tightly because lots of things are remembered when the case has been used a few times.

3) Contents and care of the case

Attached is a list of different things which, in our experience, are needed again and again. These are items which are generally needed for seminars, games evenings or group evenings.

Helpful: Make a contents list where the contents of the case are written down. Why?

Have you experienced someone who knocks the case off the table? Then the collecting of the little pieces can start and the chaos is perfect. A contents list helps you to tidy everything up again. The important thing is to replace any items which are used up as soon as possible. Nothing is worst than finding out that a tennis ball which is usually always in the box is missing.

Even broken pens or a missing pair of scissors can steal your nerves in the deciding moment.

4) The cost of the case

You will get quite far with 50 Euros if you have to buy everything new. It can be a bit cheaper if you use the offers in the discount markets or become a bargain hunter. Different office materials can be found in your Pfarramt or you can cover the costs from your club budget. Take the time to do this work once e.g. before a camp or a weekend with the boy’s group and you profit from it for the rest of your life. With a well equipped games and material case you can organise a games evening quite spontaneously for example, when a program goes to ground and an alternative program must be thought up. It is a good idea to have some utensils for a few quick games at hand.

5) Material list for a simple material case

Paper, little stickers
Pens
- Thick permanent marker
- A range of pens (12 – 15)
- Pencils
- A pack of normal felt pens
Scissors / normal paper scissors and multi-use scissors
Hole punch
Signs
Cotton thread
Sturdy, strong string
Pliers
Universal screw driver with several bits
A little hammer
Matches
A lighter
A pencil sharpener
Paper clips
Sewing kit
Measuring stick or tape
Drawing pins
Tacks
Large sticky tape
Sticky bands
A stick of glue
A tube of glue
Pins
A range of screws and nails
Corks
Table tennis balls
Rubbers
Safety pins
Pegs
Key rings
Knife / pocket knife or Stanley knife
Clothes line
Plasters
Bandages

6) The ideal games suitcase (for 20 people)

Lots of games can be played with a few items. The following items fit in an aluminium tool case or in 2 plastic storage boxes.

10 Matchboxes (see match games)
100 balloons (see balloon games)
4-8 candles (see candle games)
Bag of cotton wool (see games with cotton wool)
Clothes pegs (see games with pegs)
100-200 beer mats (see beer mat games)
Draughts pieces (see games with playing coins)
2 egg cups + 2 ping pong balls (see variety evening)
2-4 bottle teats (=Baby bottle teats) (see variety evening)
4 safety pins with a long thread and corks (see variety evening)
4-8 blindfolds (for lots of different games)
2 ropes at least 1m long
4 spoons
4 sharp knives
20 pipes
1 wool balls
String or ribbons
4 pens or pencils
4 needles and thread and buttons
Little rings (coasters)
Whistle
Dice
Paper clips
4x sticky tape
1 pair of scissors
Black film cases [with contents to smell or for smuggling games]
Playing cards, snap, pick up 6 [for rainy group sessions]
Chalk [for treasure hunts, quiz, game results]
Stamp pad, 3 different letter stamps (A, S, H)
A little notepad [for results, games, news, smuggling]

7) The extended games box…

For those who often play stations game or organise game evenings, or those who often take part in camps, it is worth having an extended games box and games transporting box. If necessary you can also separate the box with 2-3 plastic sorting boxes and everything is more organised and found quicker.

Newspapers (see newspaper games)
Toilet paper: this is also often in a material list so buy 4 rolls for the stocks
2 helmets with thorns
1 parachute (see parachute games)
1 ball (can be used for lots of games.)
1 Frisbee
4 sacks
3 tennis balls (for lots of types of games)
1 water pistol
10 paper beakers
2 sponges
2 funnels
2 helmets with beakers screwed on/stuck on
A dartboard and 10 darts
1 rugby (for fighting and scuffling games)
6 tin cans (for shooting cans and other games)
1 tape / cordon tape
4 skittles or cones (for lawn games etc.)
2 measuring beakers (for all games where water must be measured).

8) Social games

These social have always been useful on camps in the tents, on a bus journey or in the group rooms. They can be played when it rains or simply to fill in a few spare minutes. Instead of carrying 10 boxes around with you, they playing pieces can be stored in 1-2 storage cases (found in all DIY stores) to save space.

The following games are very popular:

Risk
Stock exchange game
Draughts (copy the playing boards and then several players can play at once)
Playing cards
Monopoly
Battleships
Connect 4
Scotland-Yard