Activity duration: 30-40 minutes.
Suitable for ages: 5-18
What You Will Need
Notes
Pens
A bowl
What are the game basics? In short:
The activity is a fun preferences game which will increase the acquaintance between the family members.
Bring the family to set the scene:
How well do you know yourselves and your family members? Let’s play a fun game to determine this. The number of points and the rating will confirm which one of you knows the rest of the family members the most.
Let's Play
Each one of the participants in the game will get a pen and some notes, and write down two personal preferences, a positive one and a negative one according to the following categories:
1. A name of a favorite movie and another of the least favorite movie
2. Names of tv shows you like and dislike
3. PC games
4. YouTube channels
5. Sports
6. Salty snacks
7. Sweet snacks
8. Family activities
9. School subjects
10. What you like and dislike during the time of the Covid-19
We will write all our preferences, positive and negative, in a confusing manner to make it harder for our family to find out what they are. After we finish writing, we will fold the note and write our name on it or make a mark so it can be identified as ours.
Out of a pile of notes, we will find out what our family members like and dislike.
In each round, a participant will pull out a note from the pile with their eyes closed, then open and read its content. The family members must try and guess which one is positive and which is negative while the person that wrote the note will not participate in the conversation. The family members will announce their official guess and only then the writer of the note will answer whether they were right or wrong.
If the family members were correct, all will receive a point, if they were mistaken the writer of the note will receive that point.
The game is over once all the notes have been read. We will then calculate the points and the one who received the highest score will be the winner.
Bring your deeper lessons
The game calls for a few important principals:
First, it increases the acquaintance and leads to a good experience due to the increased sense of belonging to a family setting where I am seen and known.
Second, it presents the family's variety, some of them like certain things and some don't and it is very much ok. It also involves aspects of non-judgment and acceptance, when I understand that there is a gap between my preferences and the preferences of others and that there is nothing wrong with that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, thoughts and preferences and that is legitimate.
When judgment reduces and acceptance increases it also leads to the strengthening of the family bond. These things also improve the home atmosphere and the family mood.
It's important to acknowledge these aspects and talk about them.
Conversation Starters
Extend the activity with a conversation using some of the following questions. It takes only a few minutes and any place is suitable. It will deepen the communication, and strengthen the family bond.
Did you enjoy remembering things you like?
How did you feel when you remembered things you dislike?
Out of the things the other family members wrote, what caught your attention? What do you think about it?
Did you notice if something you liked was written under the dislikes of another family member?
How do you feel about the fact that different people like and dislike different things?
How is it like for us to accept the idea that our family members like different things? Do you consider it a frustrating moment?
Do you feel like our differences make us come closer or drive us apart?
I think it's a great feeling to accept without anger a love that is different from ours. Do you think it is possible?
Did you ever tell yourself 'that is the way he is and I accept him as he is'? If you did, what was it like for you?
What do you think can be done to reduce criticism and judgment in our family?
Share your experience and insights on our Facebook group BeWithFamily