Psychological games for children (Tatiana Obraztsova)

Introduction

The book «Psychological Games for Children», which we offer to readers, is a kind of mini-encyclopedia of all kinds of games. The title of this book reflects its main meaning.

There are many different games for both large and small companies. The purpose of any game is not only to maintain children’s fun and interest, but also the development of a particular child physically, psychologically, intellectually, etc. Children, of course, do not think about the fact that games significantly contribute to their development and upbringing. They just play, getting real pleasure from it and enjoying the happy hours of childhood. All this is just wonderful and natural, but the attitude of adults to children’s games is completely different.

For parents, games are, first of all, the most effective way to increase the child’s intelligence, the ability to reveal hidden abilities and talents. Of course, with all this, adults cannot but be interested in games. On the contrary, they strive to find the most suitable for the child, so that the games are not just entertainment, but enjoyable exercises. That’s why so many games have been invented that they had to be classified into certain sections.

This book contains several such sections. Each of them is a set of specific games that have a specific purpose. It is no secret that in the process of playing, children not only learn about the world, but also get acquainted with human psychology, which happens through communication and interaction. And from this we can easily conclude that psychological games are extremely useful and, one might even say, simply necessary for the normal development of the child.

Parents know that with young children, various psychological problems often arise. Children, no less than adults, suffer from misunderstanding, fear or banal shyness. All such problems arise from inattention, and adults are to blame for this. However, they are able to help the child overcome the difficulties that have arisen. You just need to strive for this, try to suppress the shyness that is inherent to one degree or another in all children. However, one should not go too far, bringing up the “master of life” in the child. In everything, a measure is needed, and to an even greater extent this applies to psychological education.

Be that as it may, we hope that the proposed games will help parents in solving their problems. I would like to wish that this book will not become the only manual on this topic in your library, so that adults strive not only for the development of their child, but above all for themselves. Only in such interaction is it possible to achieve the desired goal, which is the education of a psychologically healthy person.

Chapter 1

Do one, do two

This game is intended mainly for schoolchildren. It helps to identify the leader in the group playing.

Before the start, it is agreed that the guys must perform all movements at the same time. At the leader’s command: “Do it once”, everyone should raise the chairs up. After that, the host announces that he will not say anything else. It is important to note the player who first gives the command to lower the chairs.

Then, at the leader’s command: “Do two”, everyone starts running around his chair, and at the command of one of the players, everyone must sit on the chairs at the same time. Those players who gave commands in the first and second cases (especially if it was the same person) have the makings of a leader.

Readers

Recommended game for older children and teenagers. It will help to reveal the leadership abilities of the players.

The players close their eyes, and the host invites them to count, for example, to ten (the number can be arbitrary). The conditions of the score are as follows: you can not say anything extraneous, except for numbers, and each of them must be pronounced by only one player. If any two children speak at the same time, the game starts over.

Since the players are sitting with their eyes closed, they cannot see who is about to speak, and they cannot give each other any signs. In the end, there will probably be a person who said the most numbers. He is the leader in this company.

«In the dark»

An interesting game for children of school age. Despite the name, it is absolutely not necessary to conduct it with the lights off, on the contrary, the presenter will have to observe the players, those who behave themselves. This name is given due to the fact that the players have to sit with their eyes closed during the entire action.

The facilitator proposes a specific topic in advance. The game is suitable for any theme evening at school, in which case it is easier to come up with a question for discussion, and the game will help not only to identify the leader, but also to talk about important issues.

Chairs for the players and for the leader are arranged in a circle. A topic is set, and the participants in the game express their opinions, so a discussion is gradually tied up. And then the host asks everyone to close their eyes and only then continue the conversation.

The need to talk with their eyes closed will initially confuse the players, and at first the conversation will move slowly or be interrupted. The task of the presenter is to keep the conversation going, to interest the interlocutors, to help them relax and thus create the prerequisites for bringing the conversation to its logical conclusion.

The features of the game «In the Dark» are as follows.

First, sitting with his eyes closed, the player does not see who is going to talk, so the decision «to enter or not to enter into a conversation» depends only on him.

Secondly, when a person’s eyes are closed, his facial expressions become more expressive. The facilitator can observe the expressions on the faces of the players, the change of mood and the reaction to certain phrases.

Those guys who speak confidently even with their eyes closed, calmly react to replies, do not stop if they start talking at the same time as someone else, are endowed with the most highly developed leadership abilities.

Those who are very sensitive to the remarks of others should be helped to develop self-confidence.

«Cops and Thieves»

The game is intended for older children. It is most interesting to organize it in a camp or holiday home where the children are together for a long time, since it can last several days.

The players gather, and the leader writes the names and surnames of all those present on small pieces of paper. They are folded, mixed and distributed randomly to the players.

Everyone gets a piece of paper with someone’s name on it. It is desirable (but not required) that the children know each other.

The peculiarity of this game is that each player is both a «cop» and a «thief» at the same time. The bottom line is that each player considers himself a policeman, but for the player who received a piece of paper with his name, he is a thief who must be caught. Naturally, the player does not know for sure who exactly is hunting him, this can only be found out by watching the rest of the participants in the game.

The task of each player is to meet with his «thief» one on one, show him a piece of paper with his name and say: «You are caught.» Then the «thief» gives the «cop» his sheet with someone’s name and leaves the game. Now another player becomes a «thief» for a lucky «cop».

The game continues until the end of the period, previously designated and known to all participants.

The leader must keep a list of detentions in order to know who caught how many “thieves”. Based on this list, one can draw conclusions about the presence of leadership qualities in a particular player: whoever made the most arrests is the most active and will most likely be able to be a leader in this group.

The game is useful for all players, as it contributes to the development of activity and contact of each participant. Naturally, the leader should be quite tactful and correct, summing up, and in no case say that someone made the least number of arrests, and therefore he will never be destined to become a leader. After all, no doubt, in this game, as in any other, chance plays a huge role.

«Cacti grow in the desert»

The game is intended for preschool children.

Everyone stands in a circle, join hands, walk and say:

“Cacti grow in the desert, cacti grow in the desert …” The leader stands in the center of the circle, sometimes turns around. Suddenly, one of the players jumps out of the circle and shouts: “Oh!”. He must do this so that the leader does not see him at that moment, and the players adjacent to him immediately clasp their hands. If the host sees someone about to jump out, he touches his shoulder, and he remains in the general circle.

The host asks: «What’s wrong with you?»

The player comes up with any answer related to the cactus (for example: “I ate the cactus, but it is bitter” or “I stepped on the cactus”).

After that, the player returns to the circle, and others can jump out. The most important condition is not to repeat yourself when answering the presenter’s question.

Those children who most often find themselves outside the circle are the most active and have great leadership abilities.

«Robots»

Interested in the game of children about 10-12 years old.

All players line up along a line drawn on the floor with chalk, placing their feet shoulder-width apart so that the right foot of each is next to the left foot of the neighbor on the right, and the left foot is next to the right foot of the one standing on the left. Now you can tie the legs of the neighbors that are nearby.

In front of the line of participants at 4-5 m, another line is drawn in chalk, parallel to the first line. The goal of the players is to reach this line, and after each fall, everyone must return to the first line and start all over again.

The problem is that the guys’ legs are tied to the neighbors’ legs. The easiest way to reach the drawn line is to pay for the first — second and step under the count: the first numbers are on the right foot, and the second are on the left. But if the players do not know this, they will first have to work hard before they figure out what to do.

You need to pay attention to the person who will offer it and will count aloud.

You can complicate the task by forbidding the guys to communicate with each other. Then, after several attempts, one of the group will slowly go forward, and the rest will walk, adjusting to it. He is the leader of this company.

«Board of Directors»

The game is intended for older students.

Most guys imagine what a board of directors is from films. You can invite them to arrange something similar at home.

The facilitator must come up with in advance for each player playing a role, set out on separate sheets of paper the goals and capabilities of each character, and distribute the sheets to the players. To make the game exciting, it is necessary that some participants have opposing interests.

The rules of the game are as follows: it is allowed to enter into alliances with other players, it is forbidden to retreat from the goal, substitute other players and exceed the powers received at the beginning of the game.

Those who achieve their goal first win. It is these players who have the most developed leadership abilities.

The facilitator should pay attention to how the participants in the game talk in order to understand what qualities they need to develop in the first place.

Who in that much

This game is intended for children of primary school age. It will teach you to take the role of leader seriously and responsibly.

Everyone is invited to order the host to do something. After all the orders are spoken aloud, the players are told the rules of the game. They consist in the fact that each player himself must fulfill his order. If the child, inventing the task, did not take care of whether it was easy to complete, the next time he would be more serious.

«We are going to walk»

The game, designed for preschoolers and younger students, will teach children to convince others, and not to impose their own opinions.

The host says: “We are going for a walk in the forest. Let each tell his neighbor on the right what he needs to take with him, and explain why this particular thing will be needed on a forest walk.

Next, the leader calls each item to be taken. It is better if this thing is not suitable for a forest walk, so the game will turn out to be more interesting.

When the players take turns talking with a neighbor, the host announces who he will take for a walk and who not. He does it this way: if the player simply tells the neighbor what to take, but cannot explain in detail the reason, they don’t take him for a walk.

If the player tries to convince the neighbor of the need to capture this or that object and comes up with incredible reasons, gives various arguments, he must certainly be taken.

It is better if at the time when two people are talking, the rest will listen to them and draw conclusions for themselves. Then it is easier for those who were not taken for a walk to correct themselves later.

The facilitator then explains why he took some and not others. The «penalty boxes» are corrected, and everyone goes for a walk together.

Who is the boss?

School-age children during the game will learn to correctly and convincingly argue their words. The best results are obtained when guys who do not know each other play.

Arrange chairs according to the number of players in a circle, plus another chair for the host to explain all the rules and keep an eye on the players. In the center of the circle, put a small round table with several objects, there should be no less of them than those playing at the table. Everyone sits on chairs.

First you need to get to know each other. This is done as follows: the guys are divided into pairs and communicate in pairs for 5 minutes, trying to learn as much as possible about their neighbor. If there are an odd number of players, one of them communicates with the leader.

After 5 minutes, everyone talks about their neighbor on their own behalf, that is, not “my neighbor’s name is Masha”, but “my name is Masha”. This way of dating allows you to relax and feel calmer, in addition, the standard facts of the biography, presented in such a funny way, are much easier to remember.

With the help of some kind of counting rhyme, a leader is selected from among the players, who starts the game. For him, the game manager selects any item on the table and invites the player to choose the owner of this item among the rest of the guys, and this must be done based on the personal qualities of a person or on the events of his life. For example: “This handkerchief must belong to Masha, as she loves ironing very much, and this handkerchief is perfectly ironed.” In this case, you can give a different number of arguments.

After the owner is selected for the thing, it is removed from the table, and the next leader is selected from the remaining players, etc. At the end of the game, those things whose owners they are recognized as prizes are distributed to everyone.

This game is aimed primarily at overcoming shyness in children.

Critics

This game, intended for teenagers mainly aged 13-15, allows them to develop leadership qualities in them.

It can be played at school, during the corresponding lesson or in the classroom under the guidance of a teacher acting as a leader.

Teenagers are divided into two teams. The facilitator comes up with several problem situations in advance. One of them is reported to the teams. For 4-5 minutes, the players discuss possible solutions to the problem. Attention should be paid to the participant guiding and supporting the discussion.

Then the leader from each team calls one representative who offers his solution and explains how it arose. Most likely, this will be the same player who led the discussion for the entire 5 minutes.

After that, the team discusses someone else’s solution for 2-3 minutes, finds out its advantages and disadvantages, and imagines what will happen if it is put into practice.

After this time, the host again calls one player at a time (these should not be those who spoke for the first time). They represent a critique of the other team’s decision. It should be noted that criticism should note both negative and positive aspects of the decision.

At the request of the players, you can repeat the game by offering the teams a different situation.

It is very important to immediately set the players on a serious and calm tone of communication, otherwise the discussion of shortcomings may turn into a quarrel. The host must keep a close eye on everyone and prevent the appearance of scandals. The fact that the team not only listens to criticism, but also performs with it, will help the players learn how to perceive it correctly.

«Bears on a walk»

It is useful to involve children of preschool and primary school age in such a game. It can be played in kindergarten or at a party in elementary school.

First, the host says: “You are all little bear cubs, you walk in the meadow and pick sweet strawberries. One of you is the eldest, he watches over all the others.”

Cheerful music sounds, children walk around the room and pretend to be cubs — they roll over, pretend to pick berries, sing songs.

At this time, the host chooses one player and, when the music stops, announces that he is the older bear cub. His task (announced in advance) is to check as soon as possible whether all the cubs are in place, that is, to touch the shoulder of each player.

After he makes sure that no one is lost, the game resumes, and after a few minutes the host appoints another senior. The game goes on until everyone is in that role. The one who completes this task the fastest is declared the fastest and oldest. Naturally, this will only work for someone who will act calmer and more organized than the rest. At the end of the game, the facilitator explains why the winner was able to complete the task better than the others.

The game «Cubs for a walk» allows children to learn how to quickly respond to the task and organize their actions correctly. It can be done quite often, changing cubs to kittens, chickens, elephants, etc.

Elections

The game is suitable for children of preschool and school age, it is better for a large company.

The host informs that the players must choose a «president» who will lead them during the game. The rules are as follows: each candidate nominates himself, but does not vote for anyone.

It is necessary to pay attention to those who proposed their candidacy, in what order and how it was done. If the player was pushed and persuaded, then his abilities need to be developed, but if no help was needed, the child strives to be a leader.

After a few minutes, two groups are formed in the company: «candidates» and «voters». In the future, the leader should call them that way. The goal of each “candidate” is to get to the “president”, the goal of the “voters” is to elect a good “president” and not succumb to the persuasion of the rest.

The «candidate’s» election campaign should be a plan for the rest of the evening.

Children, especially preschoolers and younger schoolchildren, tend to exaggerate their abilities and miscalculate their strength, so the leader must warn that when the «president» is elected, he will have to actually fulfill all the promises.

From the one who chose which program, several conclusions can also be drawn. If what the player promises is beautiful and feasible, this child is a born leader, and if the program is unrealistic, then this child’s sense of responsibility is poorly developed, which is typical of most children.

And here comes the long-awaited moment — the elections! Each «voter» goes to the room where the leader is and tells him the name of one «candidate». After the end of the procedure, the host announces the elected «president».

This is where the game ends, then the holiday goes on as usual, and the “president” gradually implements his program.

The game develops a sense of responsibility, the ability to convince others, helps the facilitator determine how much the child seeks to prove himself.

“Far, far away, in a dense forest…”

The game is for preschoolers. At this age, leadership qualities are quite pronounced, usually they are directly related to mental or physical superiority. With age, these qualities can disappear if they are not developed.

The players sit on chairs, close their eyes, and the host explains the rules: the phrase “far, far away, in a dense forest … who?” One of the players answers, for example: “foxes”. If several answers are spoken at the same time, the host does not accept them and repeats the phrase again. Sometimes it can be difficult for the players to decide who should answer, but the leader should not interfere and let the guys figure it out for themselves.

When the only answer is received, the host says the following phrase: “Far, far away, in a dense forest, fox cubs … what are they doing?” Answers are accepted according to the same rules.

You can play this game for quite some time until you get bored. Or — when the first phrase becomes long enough, you can start over. The only condition: all phrases must begin the same way: «Far, far, in a dense forest …»

It usually happens that one or more players answer the most. It is worth paying attention to them — it is they who have the most developed leadership abilities.

«Shipwreck»

The game is for children of preschool and school age.

The host announces: “We were sailing on a big ship, and it ran aground. Then a strong wind arose, the ship refloated, but the engine broke down. There are enough boats, but the radio has deteriorated. What to do?»

The situation may be different, the main thing is that there are several ways out of it.

The children discuss the current situation and consider all possible ways out of it. Someone offers one way out, someone else. It is important to pay attention to the one who most actively participates in the discussion, defends his opinion.

As a result of the discussion, the players tell the leader their way out of the situation, and he tells them what came of it. Naturally, the result must be successful. The leader must not allow a «split» among the players, that is, that one half of the children will choose one option, and the other half — the other.

«Organizer»

The game is intended for children of primary and secondary school age. First, a judge is selected. He must carefully observe the course of the game in order to subsequently identify the best organizer. Then, in turn, everyone should try themselves as a leader. The facilitator comes up with a certain game scenario and explains to the others what they should do. The task of the judge is to carefully observe the scenarios invented by each of the players. After that, the judge chooses the best scenario. Accordingly, the player who invented and delivered it will be considered the winner. He is awarded the title of «best organizer».

Explain why…

The game is designed for children 10-12 years old.

The leader is selected. He must turn to all the participants in turn with various proposals. For example, suggest one of the players to go outside and ask the first person they meet for directions to the nearest sports club or something else. Send another to the kitchen to prepare something tasty there.

The task of the leader is to come up with a convincing explanation to get the players to follow orders. For example, offering to go to the kitchen and cook food, the host can explain that this is necessary, since it’s time for everyone to eat, treat neighbors, parents, etc. The host gives a task to each of the players, then he takes their place, and his place occupied by someone else.

The winner is the one who quickly and accurately makes all the participants in the game complete the proposed tasks. It is this child who has the most developed leadership qualities.

«King and Servant»

For children of middle school age.

At the beginning of the game, a judge is selected who carefully observes all the actions of the guys. The rest of the players are divided into pairs — one in the role of «king», the other — his «servant». The «king» must clearly and clearly give orders, and the «servant» must quickly and accurately carry them out.

Orders may vary; for example, the “servant” needs to cheer up the “king” in any way, then tell him a fairy tale, sing a song, etc. The judge carefully watches everyone. The winner will be the «king» who can make the «servant» carry out orders with particular diligence. Then the players switch places, «kings» become «servants» — and vice versa.

«Director»

The game is designed for children 10-12 years old.

The leader is selected. He will be the «director» and everyone else will be the «actors». The «director» must tell some fairy tale or plot of the film and then give each of the «actors» a role. For example, one participant in the game gets the role of Little Red Riding Hood, the other — the Gray Wolf. The task of the facilitator is to explain why this particular role is best suited to one or another participant in the game.

In turn, the players should, if possible, refuse the roles offered to them, so the leader must bring a lot of arguments to prove his case. After that, each of the players gives their assessment to the leader, it is possible on a five-point scale. Then the leader becomes another, and the game continues. When all participants try themselves in the role of «director», you can take stock. The winner will be the player whom all participants rate the most highly. It is he who will be considered the owner of leadership qualities.

Who will talk to whom

For children of middle school age.

At the beginning of the game, a leader is chosen. He turns to all the guys in turn, asking them various, rather tricky questions, which are not so easy to answer right away. Everyone must give their own answer to these questions. If the player cannot answer, the facilitator asks leading questions until he gets an answer.

Questions can be very different, the main thing is to get an answer from the player. After a conversation with each of the participants, someone else becomes the leader. The winner is the one who, being the leader, was able to get the most accurate answers from the players to their tricky questions. He, accordingly, is the owner of leadership qualities of a fairly high level.

«War activities»

The game is designed for children of primary school age.

The guys are divided into two teams. Each should have a «commander», the rest — «warriors». The “commander” develops a plan of “military operations”, and the rest must obey him. The task of the “commander” is to try to organize his “army” in such a way that all members of the team clearly follow his orders. He must come up with various ways to «attack» the other team, interesting enough, and organize the game itself in a fun and exciting way. If the «commander» cannot lead the «warriors», he is immediately re-elected. The owner of the best leadership qualities at the end of the game can be recognized as the «commander» whose team won.

«The narrator»

For children of middle school age.

The leader is selected. He must tell the audience something interesting. At the same time, he can either come up with a story himself, or retell something he has read or seen. His task is to try to interest all the participants in the game.

If one of the players interferes with him, the narrator must take some action. For example, he may ask him to help, that is, to portray one of the heroes of his story, or to find some other task. And if the narrator manages to carry out all his plans, he gets a few points. Each of the players must give their assessment of the behavior of the narrator on a five-point scale.

The game continues until all the guys are in the lead role. The winner is the player who scores the most points. He has the most pronounced qualities of a leader.

«Fire brigade»

For preschool children.

At the beginning of the game, a leader is chosen. The rest of the players are the «fire brigade». The leader must send their «fire» to extinguish. Players have to run around, hustle and do some stupid things. The leader’s task is to be able to «collect» them and force them to «put out the fire.» As a result, each player gives his own assessment of the behavior of the leader on a five-point scale.

Then the players change places — someone else becomes the leader. The game is repeated. Then each of the players again gives his assessment of the leader’s behavior. The game continues until each of the players is in the place of the leader. The winner will be the one with the most points.

«Director of the firm»

Game for children 10-13 years old.

A «director» is chosen. The rest will be his «subordinates». The «Director» must come up with a case for each of the players. Then the game itself begins. Everyone performs his role, and the «director» controls the «subordinates». Some kind of trouble must constantly occur in the “work”: for example, the “firm” is on the verge of ruin or it is attacked by “racketeers”, or “equipment” breaks down, etc. The “Director” will have to solve all the problems that arise. Then each of the players gives his assessment of the actions of the «director» on a five-point scale.

The game continues with another «director». After each participant in the game has been in this role, the results should be summed up. The winner is the player with the most points. As a rule, it is this child who has the most developed leadership qualities.

«Captain»

Game for children of primary school age.

At the beginning of the game, a leader is chosen — the “captain”. The rest of the players are divided into two teams. The first team is “sailors”, and the second is “pirates”. The «captain» gives various orders, and the «sailors» must carry them out, but only if the orders are clear and precise. When the «sailors» are attacked by «pirates», the «captain» must think over a «battle» plan. At the end of the game, each of the players gives his assessment of the actions of the «captain» on a five-point system.

The game continues, but with a different «captain». When everyone tries himself in the role of «captain», the results are summed up. The winner will be the participant with the most points.

«Investigator»

For children of middle school age.

At the beginning of the game, a leader is selected — an “investigator”. Further, all players jointly come up with a situation that the “investigator” must unravel. For example, a neighbor has just left the house. The “investigator” must guess where she is going. To do this, he should first interview players who know her well. Players can say where the neighbor usually goes at this time — to the store, to visit or to work. Sometimes the «investigator» may ask one of the players to help him. He gives him a precise task, for example, he offers to go to the neighbor’s daughter to find out where her mother has gone.

The main task of the leader is to come up with precise tasks for the participants in the game. After that, each player gives his assessment of the actions of the «investigator». Then the game will continue, but the leader is already different. The winner is the one who scores more points. In this game, you can take the plot of a movie or book as a basis.

«Photographer»

Game for preschoolers.

At the beginning of the game, a leader is selected — a “photographer”. The host must take interesting “photos”, which means he needs to seat the rest of the guys at his own discretion. The «photographer» will have to act quickly and accurately. He can offer the role of a teacher to one of the participants in the game — therefore, he needs to take the appropriate pose. Someone can become a “cop”, someone an “actress”, someone a “magician”.

Each of the players gives their assessment of the actions of the «photographer» on a five-point scale. Then the players change, the “photographer” becomes another. The game continues until all the guys are in the role of «photographer». And to make the game even more interesting, you can take a Polaroid and take snapshots. The best “photographer”, respectively, will get better pictures, which means that he is better than others able to ensure that others fulfill his requirements, and is a leader.

Execute the command

For children of primary school age.

At the beginning of the game, a leader is chosen. His task is to come up with various movements that all participants in the game must repeat. The host does not show the movements, but tells in detail what the players need to do. Of course, if his explanations are clear and precise, all the children will easily fulfill his requirements.

At the end of the game, each of the guys gives his assessment of the leader’s actions according to a five-point system. Then someone else becomes the leader. The game should continue until everyone tries to be the leader. The winner is the one who performed in the best way. It is his explanations that are the most clear and clear, thanks to which the guys highly appreciate his actions.

«New Russian»

For children of middle school age.

The leader is selected. He will play the role of the «new Russian». He will have to talk with all the participants in the game. In the process of conversations, the «new Russian» must explain to the players what great opportunities he has. But all the rest should object to him, bring their refutation. For example, the «new Russian» claims that he is able to build a wonderful house. The rest may object to him, declaring that he will build a completely ordinary house, he will still not be able to come up with anything original.

The task of the presenter is to convincingly and in detail tell about the features of his house. The task of the other players is to give their assessment of the leader’s actions on a five-point scale. Then the players change places. When all the participants in the game have been in the place of the leader, you can sum up. The winner will be the player with the most points. Accordingly, it is this player who has good leadership qualities, he is self-confident and can influence the opinions of others, make others believe in this or that fact.

Truth or lie?

For children of middle school age.

The leader is selected. He will have to tell the rest of the guys some interesting facts and events. Some of the facts are indisputable, while others are not. For example, the facilitator says: «Scientists have proven that some types of bacteria can only live at very high temperatures.» The task of the participants is to determine whether this or that fact is true or not. If the guys think that the fact is wrong, they should justifiably object. The leader, in turn, is obliged to provide strong evidence in favor of what was said. As a result, each participant in the game evaluates the behavior of the leader according to a five-point system.

Then the guys change places. When all of them have been in the lead role, the results are summed up. The winner is the one who scores more points. Accordingly, he can be considered the owner of leadership qualities, since he is able to defend his point of view, no matter if it is true or erroneous.

«Shall we fly to Jupiter?»

Game for children 10-12 years old.

At the beginning of the game, a referee is chosen. He gives the players certain tasks, and he observes the behavior of the participants. This game should be played with those who do not know on what grounds the judge will evaluate their actions.

So the judge might say, “Imagine you have to go into space. What items will you take with you? Make a list, in it, under the numbers, indicate what you will need. The rest of the guys should discuss and make a list of things. It may contain, for example, matches, salt, weapons, food, water, etc. The judge must carefully observe the behavior of the guys. Some will behave more actively, they will try to prove the correctness of this or that choice. It is precisely on these grounds that one can draw a conclusion regarding the possession of leadership qualities. The participants in the game, who more actively explain and prove the need to take certain items, have leadership qualities.

«I don’t agree with you»

Game for children of preschool and primary school age.

The kids are divided into two teams. Members of one team ask questions, and the children from the second answer them. Questions relate to the personal preferences of the players. For example, some of them are asked: “What book did you read recently?” He may answer: «A. Lindgren. «Three stories about Malysh and Carlson» To this he is told: «This is a bad book, it is hardly necessary to read it.» The player’s task is to prove that the book is good, so it is very interesting to read it. The evidence must be convincing, and the player himself must behave confidently.

In short, questions can be very different. The range of answers is also very wide. And here the main thing is to observe the reaction of the participants in the game. As a result, the players of the first team, that is, those who asked questions, evaluate each player of the other team on a ten-point scale. Then the players change places, and at the end of the game the results are calculated.

Possessors of the best leadership qualities get higher scores, as they are self-confident, they are not embarrassed by the need to defend their point of view, they can prove to others the correctness of their chosen position. It is these children who are able to lead others around them, to interest them, to inspire them with the need to perform certain actions.

Chapter 2

Edible — inedible

Game for children from 3 to 10 years old.

The children sit on the bench, and the leader stands opposite them and holds the ball in his hands. The task is immediately formulated: if the leader pronounces a word that names an edible object, then the players must catch the ball, if it is something inedible, then they need to push it away from themselves. Every child who commits «wrong» actions is automatically eliminated from the game. It is better if the leader is an older child, since a variety of words should be guessed to make it more interesting to play, and the kids may not immediately orient themselves.

Crisscross

Game for children from 10 to 15 years old.

At least three people are required, but the return increases if the number of players is greater (there is no limit to their number). The guys sit on the bench and put their hands on their knees so that they are arranged crosswise.

The first person sitting on the right, with a sharp movement, raises his left palm up and lowers it almost immediately, then raises his right palm and quickly lowers it again. As soon as the first player has “completed his task”, the next one, sitting on the left, takes over. The player who started the relay must ensure that it continues in time.

The main thing here is a quick response.

The game can be made more difficult when children can easily cope with the task. For example, the left hand of the player sitting on the right is placed on the right knee of the neighbor on the left, while the right hand remains on his left knee. Only two extreme players find themselves in this position (the one sitting on the left has his right hand on his left knee, and his left on his neighbor’s right knee).

Ball game

For children 7-10 years old, although teenagers can also play it. The number of players is not limited, but it is better to have as many as possible.

Everyone who wants to play becomes in a circle, the diameter of which must be at least 3 m. One of the players holds the ball in his hands. The game consists in throwing the ball to each other, but this must be done very quickly. Anyone who does not catch the ball is out of the circle and, accordingly, out of the game.

The game can be complicated as follows: the one who has the ball in his hands specifically looks at the wrong person to whom he is going to throw the ball, he can say some kind of joke to divert attention, and then throw the ball sharply. In order not to be eliminated from the game, everyone must be ready to catch him at any moment.

«Buy a cow!»

They play on the ice in winter. Children from 5 to 15 years old can participate. The number of players is not limited.

You will need a small ice cube to play. All the guys stand in a circle with a radius of 2 m. The “owner” is selected. His task is to «sell the cow». This is done as follows: the «owner» jumps on one leg and tries to push the ice so that it hits someone’s leg, uttering the following words: «Buy a cow!» The rest of the players try, of course, to dodge the «cow» and not become its new owner. If someone did not have time to dodge, then the “cow” changes the “owner”, and the game starts all over again. Not everyone manages to quickly get rid of the role of «owner». No luck — you can sell the «cow» all day. True, the rules of the game allow you to change your foot.

«Hot potato»

For children from 10 to 17 years old. The number of players is not limited, but not less than 5.

Everyone stands in a circle, the diameter of which is 3 m. One of the players must have a ball in their hands.

The task of each player is to catch the ball. But there is one condition: the ball must move quickly from one player to another, since everyone remembers that they have a “hot potato” in their hands, and if you hold the ball in your hands, you will burn them. Participants in the game who violate the rules (the ball touches the floor, slips out of the hands, the player could not catch the ball, held it in his hands for more than one second) are automatically out of the game, but they have a chance to return.

All «violators» squat in a circle and pull their hands up, trying to touch the ball. Therefore, the rest of the players strive to throw the ball as high as possible so that the “young potato” does not take their place: the player whose ball was touched by the “offending” players sits in their place (in the middle of the circle), and the dexterous ones take his place.

«Turnip»

For children from 5 to 15 years old. The maximum number of players is not limited, the minimum is 8 people.

First, a leader is selected — a «storyteller». All the rest stand in a circle with a diameter of 5 m. The «storyteller» stands in the center and distributes roles in accordance with the text of the fairy tale (the roles can also be chosen at will by the players themselves): turnip, grandfather, grandmother, granddaughter, Bug, cat and mouse . Each player, having received or chosen a role, remembers it. The leading «storyteller» begins to read the text by heart (he does not have the opportunity to be distracted by reading — he needs to watch the players) and quite quickly.

When the leader says a name, the player to whom it belongs jumps forward. For example, if it says: “Grandfather planted a turnip”, first “grandfather” should jump to the center of the circle, and then “turnip”. If the name is pronounced several times, the person to whom this name belongs makes the same number of jumps. Provided that the player did not have time to react and did not immediately jump, he is out of the game. When the «storyteller» pronounces the last words of the text («And they pulled out a turnip»), everyone quickly runs to their place. The one who comes running last becomes the leader — «storyteller».

You can choose (invent) any fairy tale (story), in accordance with the interest and number of players.

Jump rope game

For children from 8 to 15 years old. The maximum number of players is not limited, but they must be at least 5.

Everyone stands in a circle, the radius of which is 3/4 of the length of the rope. The leader is chosen, he becomes the center of the circle.

The leader picks up the rope and spins it, and then lowers it down so that the rope is 8-10 cm above the ground (floor) surface. The task of each player is to jump up when the rope “flies” under his feet, otherwise it will hit his. The rope «spins» very quickly, so everyone must react quickly and jump in time.

«Offensive»

Game for teenagers. The number of players must exceed 11 people.

The leader is selected, the remaining players are divided into two equal teams (for example, by simple calculation for the first — second). Each team is given a name. For example, «fish» and «crayfish».

A long line is drawn, parallel to which two teams line up at a distance of 3 m. The leader is on the line. At his command, one group advances on another. For example, the host says: “Crayfish!”, Here the team of “crayfish” comes forward and goes towards the “fish”. When the advancing team is at a distance of 2 m from the attacked, the leader says: «Attack!», And the team that first attacked quickly runs away. The task of the attacking team is to catch the fleeing or touch them.

The leader must ensure that the attackers do not run away ahead of time (only on command). Commands should be spoken quickly, clearly and loudly.

«Chickens and Foxes»

For older children and teenagers. The maximum number of players is not limited, but must not be less than 11 people.

The leader is selected, the players are divided into two equal teams, they give each of them a name: “hens” and “foxes”. A long line is drawn, parallel to which two teams line up at a distance of 1 m. The leader is on the line. When he pronounces the command: “Chickens!”, the “hens” begin to run away, and the “foxes” catch up with them. The team that is catching up must catch the fleeing or touch them. The more chickens the attacking team catches, the better.

The host can also make the “chickens” team attackers so that the players do not get used to the fact that they always run away, and the “foxes” attack, and therefore be on the alert.

«There are only two of us»

Children from 8 to 15 years old play. The number of players is not limited, but must be at least 8 people.

Two leaders are chosen. The remaining players (there must be an even number) stand in a circle with a radius of 4 m. The leaders disperse in opposite directions and stand opposite each other. To the music, everyone begins to move in a circle, holding each other’s hand. After a while, one of the leaders joins one pair, taking one of the participants by the arm. As soon as the «invasion» occurs, the player who is on the edge runs away, and the leader begins to catch him.

Both facilitators and players must react quickly to catch or not be caught.

As soon as the leader catches someone, the caught one becomes the leader, and the leader becomes the player.

«The smartest»

For children of primary and secondary school age.

The leader is selected. The rest stand in a circle around him. The leader in turn approaches each of the guys, touches him and quickly says: “Bird!” The player touched by the presenter must name some bird, for example, a golden eagle, within a few seconds. If he does not have time to name the bird immediately, he leaves the game.

Game continues. The facilitator goes to the next player and touches him, saying, for example, «animal» or «fish» or «plant». Accordingly, within a few seconds, the player must name either an animal, or a plant, or a fish. Those who cannot immediately orient themselves and give the correct answer should leave the game.

Riddle

For children of middle school age.

The leader is selected. The rest of the players stand next to him, forming a circle. The host holds the ball in his hands, alternately throwing it to one or the other player. At the same time, he comes up with a riddle. Riddles can be very different, from the simplest to the more complex.

The player who received the ball must immediately guess the riddle and throw the ball back to the leader. If he does not have time to orient himself and solve the riddle in time — or guess it, but leaves the ball in his hands, he will have to leave the game. The game continues until most of the players have exited. The last player is considered the winner.

What is it?

For children of primary and secondary school age.

The leader is selected. He turns to each of the players in turn and names some object — from dishes to household appliances. The player addressed by the facilitator must quickly come up with several definitions for this item.

For example, the host says: «Scissors.» The player can say: «Sharp, shiny, small (or large), iron.» Etc. The player’s task is to quickly navigate and say a few definitions for a particular subject. If the player does not have time to immediately give an answer, he leaves the game. The winner is the one with the fastest reaction: that is, the one who stays in the game longer than the others.

«Tell a joke»

For children of senior school age.

The leader is selected. He takes the ball and the others stand in a circle. The leader throws the ball to each of the players, while naming some keyword. For example, he throws the ball and says: «American.» The player who received the ball must quickly find their bearings and tell some anecdote about the American. After that, the player throws the ball back to the leader, and the game continues.

The host throws the ball to another player and says the next word, such as «athlete», «girl», «dog», «husband», «daughter», «homeless», «new Russian», etc. Players receiving the ball must tell a joke about those named by the presenter. If the player fails to orient himself and immediately remember the anecdote, he must leave the game. The winner or winners are those who have held out for the longest time.

Musical competition

For children of senior school age.

This game is best played by those who are well versed in music. The leader is chosen, he takes the ball for himself and stands in a circle, then throws the ball to one of the players and calls some composer. The player must throw the ball back to the leader and name some piece of music by this composer. For example, the leader throws the ball and says: «Mozart.» The player replies: «Turkish March». Then the leader throws the ball to another player and says: «Mendelssohn.» The player replies, «Wedding March.» Game continues.

If the player cannot quickly find their bearings, they are out of the game. This game can be played in a different way. The presenter may name not composers, but modern singers, both Russian and foreign. And the players remember the songs that they perform.

Another variation of the game — the presenter calls a piece of music or a song. And the player must name the composer or performer of this song. The rest of the game runs in the same way.

Films and actors

For children of senior school age.

The leader is selected. He takes the ball, the others enclose it in a circle. The host throws the ball to one of the players and calls any film — Russian or foreign. The player who received the ball must quickly name any actor who is busy in it and give the ball back to the leader. If the player fails to find his bearings in time and name the actor, he leaves the game. The same thing happens if the player called the actor, but did not manage to give the ball in time.

You can also play differently. For example, the host calls the actor, and the player names the film in which this actor starred. The game continues until the last player remains — the winner.

Storytellers

For children of middle school age.

The leader is selected. The rest of the players are seated in a room or on the street in their places. The host addresses one of the players and names some animal or bird. The player addressed by the host must quickly recall a fairy tale where the main character is the named animal. If the player could not quickly call her, he leaves the game. In some cases, the host may ask the player to tell everyone this or that fairy tale, for example, if no one knows it. The game continues until the last player remains — the most resourceful. He will be the winner.

What color is summer?

For children of primary and secondary school age.

The leader is selected. He takes the ball and the others stand in a circle. The leader throws the ball to some player and calls any color. The player who received the ball must quickly find their bearings and name any object of the specified color and quickly throw the ball back to the leader. If the player did not have time to orient himself and give the ball away or did not have time to answer the question within a few seconds, he is out of the game. Meanwhile, the game continues. The winner will be the one who lasted the longest in the game.

«Tell Your Secret»

For children of middle school age.

Each person has his own secrets, they can be both big and small. This game just consists in telling everyone about some secrets. The leader is selected. He takes the ball and the players stand in a circle. The leader throws the ball to one of the players. He must quickly tell some secret — both real, for example, his own, and invented, for example, one that is possible in principle.

But it should be agreed that it is impossible to give out other people’s secrets, because it is ugly and dishonorable.

Secrets can be simple, such as: «The boy got a deuce and corrected it in his diary for a five»; “The girl skipped the control, now she hides it from her parents”; “The cat stole a piece of meat from the owner, and no one knows about it.”

If a player fails to come up with a secret quickly or does not give the ball away quickly, he is out of the game. The winner is the one who lasts the longest in the game. This will be the player with the best reaction.

Compliments

For children of senior school age.

The leader is selected. The rest stand in a circle. The leader throws the ball to one of the players. This player should quickly give him some kind of compliment, then throw the ball back to him. If the player could not quickly orient himself and say some kind of compliment or did not manage to give the ball in time, he must leave the game.

Compliments can vary. If the host is a boy, you can say such things to him: “You are very strong, smart, elegant, athletic, honest, resourceful, cheerful,” etc. If the host is a girl, you can say such words to her: “You are very beautiful, tender , cute, charming, smart, etc. The winner is the one who lasts the longest in the game. This means that he has the fastest reaction, besides, he knows more compliments.

Laughter, and only …

For children of middle school age.

The leader is selected. The rest of the players form a circle. The host alternately throws the ball to one or the other player, naming some object. The player’s task is to quickly give this item a funny name. The host says: «Pot», and the player answers: «Cooker», the host says: «Cat», the player answers: «Fluffy». The player must quickly throw the ball back. If he hesitates and does not have time to give a funny name or throw the ball back, he must leave the game. The winner is the one who stays in the game the longest.

«What is your name?»

For children of primary school age.

The leader is selected. The rest of the players form a circle. The leader takes turns throwing the ball to the players, and they must quickly answer a very simple question: “What is your name?” The difficulty is that you need to give not your name, which everyone knows, but some kind of nickname. For example, a boy who loves math might answer the question «What’s your name?» Answer: Mathematician. He can also answer: “Knight”, “Hero”, “Musician”, etc. The main condition is that the nickname corresponds to the qualities of character. The girl can answer: “Goldilocks”, “Poetess”, “Blue-eyed”, “Gymnast”, etc. If the player could not answer in time or did not have time to quickly throw the ball, then he must leave the game. The winner is the one who lasts the longest.

Funny questions — funny answers

For children of middle school age.

The leader is selected. Players stand around him. The leader throws the ball to one of the players and asks any funny question. The player who received the ball must quickly respond to it and immediately throw the ball back. If he did not have time to answer in time and immediately throw the ball, he is out of the game. The game continues until the last participant remains — the winner. It is he who has the fastest reaction, besides, he has a superbly developed intellect and imagination.

Funny questions can be very different. For example, the facilitator asks: “Why does a dog have four legs?” The player can answer, «Because she wouldn’t be able to run fast in two.» Or the host asks, «Why don’t flowers grow at the North Pole?» The player can answer: «Because no one puts them there.» Answers and questions, as you can see, are very different, the main thing is that everyone should find it funny and interesting.

Who knows more

For middle and high school children.

The leader is selected. He holds the ball in his hands, and the rest form a circle. The leader throws the ball to the players in turn, calling any letter. The player who received the ball must quickly name the city, river, plant, animal, as well as the name of the girl or boy with this letter. You can call in any order, but quickly, without hesitation. The ball must be thrown back immediately. If the player hesitated, did not have time to name something, he leaves the game. The same thing happens if he did not manage to give the ball in time. The winner will be the one who lasts the longest in the game.

«Travelers»

For children of middle school age.

The leader is selected. He takes the ball, the others stand around him. The leader throws the ball to the players one by one, naming some country, city, village or any other locality. The player’s task is to quickly say what he personally would do in this country, city or village. For example, the host says: «Africa.» The player replies, «There I would sunbathe and eat bananas.» If the facilitator calls Switzerland, the player can answer that he would ski there. the host calls America, and the player replies that he would do business there, learn English, etc.

The player must answer the question quickly and immediately throw the ball back. If he hesitated to answer or did not have time to quickly give the ball away, he leaves the game. The winner is the one who lasted the longest in the game.

Chapter 3. Playing and Communicating — Communication Games

«Confession»

For children of primary and secondary school age.

The number of participants is from 3-4 people, they are seated in a semicircle. It is important to create a comfortable environment.

The facilitator suggests recalling a sad or tragic incident that shook one or another player to the core. You can use cases both from your own life and from the life of your friends and acquaintances. When the guys cope with the task, the host offers to start telling funny, funny stories, while it is allowed to fantasize.

The host should be loyal to the players, not forcing them, but at the same time reminding them to follow the rules of the game. It is not necessary to determine the winner here, you can simply mark one or several of the brightest and most interesting players.

This game will help children open up emotionally, teach them to feel and understand others better.

«Glass Wall»

For children from 10 to 16 years.

The number of players must be even as the game will be played in pairs. Children stand facing each other and mentally imagine that there is a transparent glass between them that separates them, that is, the interlocutors are in a situation where they see each other perfectly, but do not hear.

The task of the players is to try to communicate any information to their partners without resorting to voice, but using only non-verbal communication components: gestures, facial expressions, pantomime, etc. in such a way and in such a form that it becomes understandable to the interlocutor behind an imaginary glass. When the players understand each other, they switch roles.

This game contributes to the development of students’ ability to understand the so-called hidden information, which is transmitted during communication through non-verbal.

«Thread of Ariadne»

For children 8-12 years old.

The game will help children get to know each other better, have fun and enjoy talking. All of them will feel more friendly and united during the game. To play, you only need a ball of thread and as many characters as possible.

Have the children sit in one big circle. One of them is invited to pick up a ball of thread and start telling about himself everything that comes to his mind. For example, what is his name, what does he like to do most of all, whom does he love, what does he do best. The time for the story is 1 minute. When this participant talks about himself, he holds the end of the thread in his hand and throws the ball to the one who sits opposite him. If someone does not want to tell anything, he simply takes the thread in his hand, and throws the ball to the next.

So the ball is passed from one to another, and all the guys become tangled. The next task is to unravel the web. To do this, you need to return the ball to the previous participant, calling him by name and retelling his story about himself. The game can be considered finished when the ball returns to the one who started it.

«Quieter, quieter, silence…»

For children of middle school age.

This game in an easy and fun way will help children get closer to each other and overcome the barrier of shyness and shyness. It attracts many children because it can only be spoken in a whisper, and they love it very much.

The playing area should be as free as possible. Choose a leader — and let him, slowly, come up to the children and whisper his name in their ear, in response, the children should tell him theirs. After a while, the leader should stop, then start approaching the children again, now calling not his own, but their names.

To complicate the game, you can use the following options. Invite the facilitator to whisper in his ear the most beautiful of all memories in life, whisper about his favorite pastime, the name of his favorite book …

«My name is Avas, what’s yours?»

For children of middle school age.

The game will help children get to know each other through the development of partnerships. One participant introduces the other to everyone, trying to do it in the most unusual way.

The guys are divided into pairs and learn about each other as much information as possible that needs to be remembered, and then turned into a short but original story for the whole company. This story should contain interesting and entertaining information. Everyone takes turns taking part, no one should feel left out and left out. The result is a pleasant feeling of care and attention.

So, each child must choose a partner with whom he is least familiar, and conduct a short interview with him, which should contain quite a lot of questions: where do you live, what do you like, who are you friends with, what is your character, your favorite pastime …

Then the roles in pairs change, and the one who listened begins to ask. As a result, all the guys sit in one big circle and each represents a large and friendly company of his partner. He stands behind him, puts his hands on his shoulders and tells him as interestingly as possible about everything that he managed to remember.

“And we have gas in our apartment, and what about you?”

For elementary school age.

The game is aimed at identifying similarities and differences among children. In the end, they should be reassured by the thought that they are not alone.

Everyone should have paper and a pencil.

Divide the children into fours or threes, and have each group make a list of qualities or things that they all have in common. Maybe this list will contain information that everyone has an older brother, or the same eye color, or favorite pastime, favorite food … The team that manages to write down more of these signs in a certain time wins.

“You are a brick, I am a brick, and all together — a common house!”

For preschool children.

In this game, children are not supposed to talk. The body is mainly involved, and with its help, children should feel their own significance and originality, feel a sense of belonging to a group.

Free up as much space as possible for play and give each child one match. One of them starts the game and puts a match in the middle of the room, the second one places his match nearby so that they are in contact. Then continue in the same way until all the matches are laid out on the floor. Matches can be laid out according to a pre-thought-out plot so that a picture or image of something is obtained.

The matches laid out on the floor represent a kind of sketch, and now all the children must lay out a similar picture of their bodies on the floor, and each must touch someone.

When everyone on the floor is located in the way that suits them, you need to remember and fix the position of the bodies in memory. Then they all get up together, walk around the room for a couple of minutes, and at the signal of the leader, they again take the same position that they occupied a few minutes ago.

This game helps to reveal the structure of the company, that is, hidden attachments and sympathies, because most often children try to take a position next to those with whom they are more pleased to communicate. Here you can also identify an informal leader — someone who will be surrounded by a large number of guys. Shy children will be on the edge, and more decisive ones closer to the middle.

You can complicate the game by giving a specific task: for example, by offering to compose an image of a specific object from the total number of bodies — a car, a house, etc.