Word Race
Resources you will need:
A roll of plain wall paper (or other long paper)
2 marker pens
Aim:
To get young people to begin to engage with the language of mental health.
Overview:
This game is a word race between two teams. Each team member has to write a word down, pass the pen to the next person who then also writes a word, until everyone has written something and the pen has travelled down the whole line.
Instructions:
Grab a roll of plain wallpaper or paper table cloth and stretch it out the length of the room you are in.
Split the group into 2 and ask them to line up on either side of the paper.
Give a marker pen to each team member standing at the front of the line.
For the first race, start with a simple task, ask each team member to write down their first name on the paper and then pass the pen down the line.
After everyone is clear on how the game works, introduce a category, like ‘animals’. Clarify that each team can only write down an animal once. They will have to work together to make sure that no words are repeated.
For the last round, ask the team to write down words that describe emotions. Again clarify that each team can only write down a particular word once. They will have to work together to make sure that no words are repeated.
After this final round use the words written as a starting point to introduce openness and conversation around the subject and its connection to health and wellbeing in a gentle way.