"Ball of Mean Words" is a game designed to raise participants’ awareness of how they interact with one another. In particular, it addresses the sensitive issue of bullying and exclusion, and the roles people play in such situations.
Material
- Paper
- Pen or pens
- Sticky tape
Educational objective
- Participants will be made aware of bullying and conflicts.
- Participants will become aware of the power of words.
- Participants will become aware of their role and what it means for others.
Procedure
- Participants should list various ‘bad words’ that are used, for example, at their school or at home, or that they are otherwise familiar with. Each one is written down on a piece of paper (by the leader or the participants).
- The individual pieces of paper are crumpled up and stuck together with tape to form a ball.
- The participants stand in a circle. Two participants are in the middle. One participant plays the ‘victim’ and the other has the task of protecting the victim. The other participants then try to hit the victim. Passing and throwing are allowed. Do not throw at head height!
Questions for reflection
- What was it like for the participants: the throwers, the victims and the protectors?
- Which of you is still thinking about the ‘nasty words’ in this game?
- What might the game mean when you think about school, for example?
- Perhaps some of you have already experienced bullying – what role did you play in those situations? Were you more of a ‘victim’, a ‘protector’ or a ‘bully/follower’?
Biblical reference
- Matthew 5:21–26
- James 3:1–12
Sources
- Cover image: René Graf – Waldmann Youth Group
