A Call for Ideas – New Children’s Games
I would like to invite you all to share your ideas on creating new games for children!
The games should be aimed at showing children how we triumph when we connect with others, and as such, they should act as live examples of the greatness that lies in achieving the goal that Nature is urging us toward.
As well as showing children how we triumph when we connect with others, the games should also show how without such a connection, we fail. In short, the main principle that should be put across is that
- if you connect with others, you succeed, and
- if you don’t connect with others, you fail.
Moreover, in order to create such a connection, you need to slightly let go of yourself.
The critical point in the games should be when the child realizes that “I really don’t want to let go of myself, but if I can do it, then I win with everyone else.” Winning can only be together with everyone, and not alone. This is where the main artistry in creating these games lies.
I recommend that you watch the video clip below (from yesterday’s lesson) before sending your ideas, where I provide a broader explanation of this proposal.
(Note: Send your ideas in the comment form below.)
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Treasure Hunt
Players are divided in color-coded groups.
Each group is given a piece of paper with a map; They are told that by following this map, they will arrive at The Final Destination and earn Great Prizes.
Pictures of the Great Prizes should be included in the pieces of paper, and those pictures should also be displayed as advertisement everywhere the children go. Each group follows a specific path and can’t have contact with other groups; each group can, optionally, be constantly told that they are far behind the others.
The maps should lead to other papers with other maps; those papers are hidden in secret locations the groups must find based on the hints of the previous maps. The number of map-pieces should be equal to the number of children in each group, and each group has their own sequence of maps.
Also, each piece of paper contains a part of a “Secret Code” (a number, a keyword, a letter, etc) that should look irrelevant during the game. Groups are advised to keep those Secret Code-Parts: but each child can carry only 1 piece of paper, otherwise the group will be disqualified.
By following the maps, the groups arrive at The Final Destination: the Treasure Vault Room. As they arrive, they are told that the Treasure Vault will only open with the Secret Code, bestowing Great Prizes to the wise one among them who can open it. But each child has only 1 chance! If the child fails to guess the Secret Code, the child is immediately disqualified and their Secret Code-Piece is burned into a fire.
They are prompted to try to guess the Secret Code by themselves, but, at the same time, they are constantly discouraged and offered an alternative to the individual attempt: share their secret code with the others, and share the Great Prizes with them. If all the children choose to share the codes, they have 100% chance of opening the Treasure Vault. However, if only 1 child chooses not to share, all the others will still have a big chance of failure (something like 90%) and the child that chooses not to share the Secret Code-Piece will have an immense chance of failure (99.99%).
Before any attempt, all types of arguments should be given to the children that they all should share; under any circumstance should an attempt to open the Treasure Vault be made without all the children involved. They should be scared to try alone, threatened with disqualification to receive the Great Prizes, and reminded that they cannot loose if they all share – But at the same time, reminded that they will have to share the Great Prizes with all the others, and that they will receive just a little bit if they share.
Finally, when all the children have been convinced to share the Secret Code-Pieces, and easily figure out the combination of the Treasure Vault, the Vault opens and reveals that the Great Prizes are much more than what was advertised, and that even having to share it with the others, each child still receives much more than what they expected, even if they tried alone!
The whole point of the game is to make each group have a great desire to receive the Great Prizes only by themselves and make them compete fiercely at the start; when arriving at The Final Destination, each child is given the opportunity to betray their group members and receive all by themselves. By fear, arguments, and promises of certain success, they are convinced to let go of their individual desires and accept to share and unite beyond the different colors of the groups.
To their surprise, they get even more than what they expected, and realize that wanting all the Great Prizes just for themselves was very foolish. Also, risking their prize and the prize of the others on an individual attempt would have been extremely foolish.
Inspired by “Together Forever”, a companion game for children. Using the book illustrations create a playing board with the high tower filled with treasure in the middle surrounded by and a wall and 124 step ladders. A world surrounds the tower with a walkway of separate spaces that are a pebble, a flower, a dog, a tree, etc. while various spaces on the walk are the good magicians stick, only these spaces lead to the center of the board, the tower. The object of the game is to climb the wall and reach the good magician’s tower. Using two dice (in a popper to represent the magician whispering into the friend’s heart) friends move around the board; when landing on a world square they collect a trading card with the same picture on it, when landing on good magician’s stick square they have a choice: to draw a “Ladder” card that may allow them to climb the wall to enter the tower filled with treasure or to draw a “Love your neighbor as yourself” card. A love your neighbor as yourself card allows you to move to a friends square and travel together with them around the board for the remainder of the game, but you will no longer get to pop the dice and collect your own trading cards, only when your friend lands on a good magician’s stick do you decide together to receive one “ladder” card each or one “Love your neighbor” card together. Friends eventually conclude that the only way to climb the wall to enter the tower is together. (NOTE: For 2 or 4 players -Each game should include incremental “ladder” cards to set up the game based on the number of players i.e. for 2 players each ladder cards indicate 62 steps, for four players each ladder indicates 31 steps, the first step is of course realizing that you can only do it together!)
J Sorry Moderator, I had typos etc in first comment and when mocking up this game for my own children I decided 124 steps is too confusing for the younger ones so changed to 36 steps instead. Suggested Ages for this games families and children ages 6 – 10 years
Inspired by “Together Forever”, a companion game for children. Using the book illustrations create a playing board with the high tower filled with treasure in the middle surrounded by wall with 36 steps leading over the wall. A world surrounds the tower with a walkway of separate spaces that are a pebble, a flower, a dog, a tree, etc. while various spaces on the walk are the good magicians stick, each of these spaces lead to the steps at center of the board and the tower. The object of the game is to climb the wall using a ladder and reach the good magician’s tower. Using two dice (spinner or dice popper to represent the magician whispering into the friend’s heart) friends move around the board; when landing on a world square they collect a trading card with the same picture on it, when landing on good magician’s stick square they have a choice: to draw a “Ladder” card that may allow the friend to climb the wall to enter the tower filled with treasure OR to draw a “Love your friend as yourself” card. A love your friend as yourself card allows you to move to your friend’s square and travel together with them around the board for the remainder of the game, but you will no longer get to spin or pop the dice and collect your own trading cards, only when your friend lands on a good magician’s stick do you decide together whether to receive one “Ladder” card each or one “Love your friend” card. Friends eventually conclude that the only way to win, to climb the wall to enter the tower is by climbing together. (NOTE: For 2, 4 or 6 players – Each game should include “ladder” cards to set up the game based on the number of players i.e. for 2 players each ladder card is good for 18 steps, for four players each ladder card is 9 steps, for 6 player each ladder card is 6 steps)
How can one help a child mature if the child resists? I understand “Mosif daat mosif mahov” (“increase knowledge, increase pain”) but it’s still difficult to observe a normal boy, 13 years of age who wants to be like an 8 year old.