Through the television news, social institutions and our own families, we often learn the lesson not to trust other people. Initiative games for children help them to find success through togetherness, team effort and interactivity. Cooperation is the goal. In the "Line Up Game" for children, the significant prop is the blindfold. Children wear blindfolds and work together to line up in age order, from youngest in front to oldest in the back. Doing this cooperatively and peacefully teaches a lesson in trust. Children can also line up in alphabetical order by first or last names or by height.
Some initiative games for children help children to develop one-to-one cooperation skills where dependence on a partner is necessary for success. This is a valuable lesson for children, where mastering the art of forming one-to-one relationships is a skill that can help a child to develop in an emotionally positive direction. In one game, children balance on one foot and put their palms in front of their chest, facing their partner. They lock hands with their partners in front of them and raise their hands over their heads. The goal is to maintain balance for 10 to 20 seconds, rather than to push their partners over. After completing the exercise, children can switch legs and repeat.
After the team has played one or more fun initiative games, it is important to take time for closure. This can encourage children to understand how fun relates to serious lessons, as well as emphasize aspects of cooperation and unity between the participants. After finishing an initiative game session, ask children to give input into what lessons they learned and share their experiences and ideas with the group. The children can then write about their experiences and ideas in their journals.
Facilitators for children's initiative games, whether they be teachers or other educators, counselors or parents should be well prepared, knowing exactly how they are going to direct the children, including what games they will play, how they will close the session and how they will help children to reflect on what they learned. A facilitator needs to be gentle and kindly encourage reticent members of the group rather than scold or try to force participation. The facilitator should be enthusiastic but concise in giving directions to children and games should be age-appropriate. Many games can be tailored to particular age groups. Facilitators should be positive, especially in the closure stage of the games when children are expressing their opinions.