Imagination Gaming

The Pantiles Games Day, Tunbridge Wells

2011-10-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Following discussions with The Pantiles Books Crafts & Games store in Tunbridge Wells Imagination Gaming yesterday ran a Games Day in the Corn Exchange where members of the public could come along and play a wide variety of games for free. In addition there was a bouncy castle, jugglers and a slide show.

This first games event run on the Pantiles was a great success attracting nearly a 100 people. The feedback could be summed up by one of the attendees “Really friendly it was good fun” . With nearly 30 games to play, the most popular games of the day were the award winning Villa Paletti from Zoch and Hey! That’s My Fish from Fantasy Flight.

More photo's from the day can be seen here

Qwirkle – An Award Winning Game

2011-06-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

Winner of the 2011 Spiel des Jahres prize

Qwirkle is a brilliantly simple game we have been using for years that received the ultimate gaming accolade, the German award Spiel des Jahres (an award for excellently designed family games) on the 27th June 2011. In many respects this is a surprise award as it is not a German and is an abstract game. This is unusual although not unheard but is a very different game to those more popular with gamers such as Dominion, El Grande etc but is arguably much more of a family game that will appeal to a wide audience, just not necessarily gamers! It has perhaps more in common with the little known tactile winner Villa Palletti (another game we use at times) from 2002.

At Imagination Gaming we use Qwirkle because:

1. It is popular with everybody we use it with and very versatile.

2. The rules can be taught and understood in a minute, maybe two.

3. Its ability to support maths through basic mental arithmetic, as the scores are built up, as well as colour and pattern recognition makes it a good tool in primary schools.

4. Its tactile nature and colourful patterns (although the blue & purple could be more clearly differentiated) on stark black somehow give it a relaxing and calming feel as the game progresses building into an attractive mosaic.

5. It offers simple tactical decisions that ensure each game develops very differently, so giving it a lot of re-playability.

6. It has some similarities to Dominoes and so is assessable to those nervous of modern games particularly the older generations, whilst the qualities already mentioned means it also appeals to those of younger years, grandchildren in particular; so it works well with intergenerational groups.

7. It comes in a cloth bag that together with the wooden pieces makes it a good game to throw in the car and play with kids whilst waiting at tables or out for the day rather than turning to the more common technology distractions.

Having already won a number of accolades the Spiel des Jahres rosette can only ensure that its visibility is raised globally and maybe even in the UK!

UK Games Expo 2011 – The Family Zone

2011-06-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Fun for everybody what ever your age!

Last year’s UK Games Expo had seen Imagination Gaming, run a number of really successful game’s competitions with a focus very much on the younger audience; this year the focus was on the family and what a brilliant idea this turned out to be. We had been allocated more space and at times were so busy (with between 200 and 300 people over the two days) we had people literally burrowing their way under tables to get into the zone, so they could play our games, and this wasn't just the kids!

This year our area was called the ‘Family Zone’ and when you think about it we are all part of a family whatever our gender or age. Over the weekend we saw games being played by groups of children, parents, parents and children, and most wonderfully of all families who had never previously met playing together. We were also supported by a group of teachers, parents and children from Westborough High School Dewsbury, one of the schools we are already working with.

With over 40 games to choose from, age and varying levels of gaming experience could be accommodated so the Imagination Gaming team of volunteers were in constant action on the Saturday, at times as
players, guides, facilitators, coaches and teachers. Sunday was a little quieter and so allowed us more time to talk with those who had come to play games in our area. Our youngest visitor was probably an 18 month old baby sitting on Dad’s lap playing with the pieces from Katamino and as regards the oldest – well it would be rude of me to guess her age!

Wherever you looked there were smiling faces and the sound created by people having fun.

One family of five had enjoyed themselves so much last year that they travelled up from Plymouth specifically to join us (for both days) this year; the eldest of the children telling us (with a beaming smile) how since last year’s show their games collection had increased from 3 to 51! This was just one of many stories we heard - it was clear that many had come to the UK Games Expo in large part because of the Family Zone.

Another couple with their young son, Jamie, commented on how impressed they were with the range of games and the depth in many of them. Although they were one of the many families who had great fun playing the Korean snap based game, Rabbit and Carrot, where you had to ring the bell in the middle of the table before the other players – I think Jamie won that game. This game was played by many, many people of every age over the weekend.

Yet another Dad brought his 4 year old son along specifically because he saw we had a games that would work with his son, including Jurassic Wars.

Children were not a prerequisite – we saw groups of friends, singles, couples – as already said we are all part of a family in some form; many people commented on how particular games might work within their respective families.

One long suffering mother and wife of a gamer spent a couple of hours trying out a wide variety of games and whilst not in raptures felt that in Villa Paletti she had found a game that she would be willing to play.

With a little bit of space opening up at one point on Sunday a couple of young guys sat down to break out their newly purchased KingBrick. However, when offered the opportunity to play our games they quickly agreed and were soon brought together with a family looking to have a game of Incan Gold. As the afternoon progressed the family left but the two guys joined others lured in by Nigel and his enthusiasm to play The Great Dalmuti and had a blast as they had to constantly change their hats and seat positions as their place in the court of the Great Dalmuti rose or fell. This would be a game well worth videoing next year if time and technology allowed.

The last game of the day was Cloud 9, a balloon race a game that had been played by dozens of people over the weekend. With the playing tables empty, bar one couple and their two children a passing father and his son asked if they could join in for one last game. Being the social hobby that it is the answer was of course yes and so as everybody else packed up and made their way out of the venue one last game was played by 6 people / two families / three adults and three children who had never spoken to each other before that moment. It had happened many times over the weekend in the Family Zone but seemed particularly fitting that this was the way we finished the 2011 UK Games Expo.

There were so many little stories like this from the weekend that I thought it might be worth letting our visitors say what they thought in their own words:

“Thanks so much for running a Family Zone. Without it we wouldn’t have enjoyed the Expo nearly as much. Kids loved Hey, That’s My Fish and Take It Easy.”

“Oldest son liked Rorschach as there were no right or wrong answers. Apples to Apples caused us to debate. Cloud 9 was popular with our mum and it was simplified for our youngest son and Katamino was very good and suited all levels.”

“Straw was great fun, learned it quickly and I’d play it again with my friends. I think the family area is a great idea, lovely to see so many kids enjoying games.”

“We really enjoyed Cloud 9. Easy rules that my 6 year old picked quickly, nicely presented with just the right amount of risk. Nice ‘service’ too, the gentlemen we played with were good with the kids.”

“Thanks for taking the time to introduce us to some new games. Both Lee and Nigel are lovely and I’ve now got some good ideas of games to play with my 6, 5 and 4 year old nieces and nephews. Mum and Dad enjoyed it too.”

“We enjoyed learning Gem Dealer (must look for it) and Straw. The games were well taught and fun to play with a quick turnaround.”

“The Great Dalmuti played as a group of seven had a great time. We shall be buying that one for our Friday night. Many thanks.”

“Fantastic, lots of fun and friendly informed staff and volunteers. Hey That’s My Fish was brilliant, simple but with enough strategy for repeat play.”

The UK Expo organisers are indicating we might have even more space next year and the Imagination Gaming team are again heading to Essen later this year so we hope to have many new games from around the world to for families to play next year.

If you would like to see more images from the Family Zone then click here and should you be tempted to buy any of the games mentioned then check out our on-line store here.

The information above does not include the kids Dungeons and Dragons that was squashed into one corner of the Family Zone and busy throughout the weekend.

Why Games Work In Some Families And Not Others?

2011-05-29T03:50:00.000-07:00

This is an article written for the February 2011 addition of thru-the-portal an ezine for Social Gamers which sadly due to work pressures has not yet been produced. We hope you like it.

Is it just chance or are there common factors that affect or indeed afflict those families where the mention of playing a board game will illicit groans or worse people making for the nearest door; meanwhile in other families peoples’ eyes light up and as one person on Boardgamegeek (BGG) put it “my girls are already making a beeline to the game closet”?

I suggest that there are three broad areas within families that result in a negative response to the question ‘anyone fancy a game?’

A. Playing The Wrong Games

There are thousands of games available but for those who have not discovered modern / designer / Euro games when asked ‘what games they have played’ they will likely reel off a series of games whose names will likely include 2 or 3 of the following Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, and Cluedo. The games will typically have been bought around the holiday season, arguably from retail outlets who sales staff who know little about the games themselves, they just know what sells. Worse yet there maybe the games around a popular TV series or films where the key factor in the purchase is recognition of the images on the box or whether the intended recipient like the program / film in question, if so it must be the right game for them.

Sadly the games mechanisms are often weak, heavily luck or knowledge based, or overly confrontational often with an exclusion dynamic and with a playing time that one commentator suggested leads to “the slow strangulation of the weaker players” or as another person put it

“At our house Monopoly ruled and there was plenty of conflict, I'm afraid. It went on for hours and it was rare we got to bed without there having been anger, tears and somebody, usually me, tipping the board up in exasperation!”.

Even if it is not as bad as this the game is likely to be uninspiring with little re-playability leaving the players with a sense of ‘well it was OK but....’ Essentially non gamers frequently buy games not because they are good but because they look familiar or are in a gift type stores, or as one games retailer put it because they have asked ‘What’s the best selling game?’ Ergo sales of the best selling game are boosted as a result of topping the best seller list rather than because they are the best game. With most retailers knowing very little about games generally it is not surprising that the games that sell the most are the ones on which the most marketing dollars are spent.

However, even gamers can get out the wrong game, as an enthusiast there is a temptation (one I recognise in myself) to believe that the game everybody else will enjoy is the one 'I' wanted to play. When in reality this has often not been the case with my close families and friends. A degree of selflessness is called for as well as an appreciation that what gamers call gateway games may still be too heavy for many and that what is more likely to work is the style of game that gamers call fillers. Games that are light hearted, quick to explain and quick to play.

An encounter with the wrong game(s) inevitably leads to large numbers of people having an unsatisfying games experience because they play a game unsuited to the time available, the mood of the group, its interests or the experiences of the players.

B. People Can Be Too Competitive

It is widely accepted by those of us who play regularly that to have the best gaming experience the Reiner Knizia philosophy should be applied “When playing a game, the goal is to win, but it is the goal that is important, not the winning”. There are however many people who take the competitive dimension of a game to the point that their efforts to win lead to tension and arguments over the rules at the expense (normally unwittingly) of the enjoyment of the other players.

Reading the rules is not something many enjoy and often falls to one person to read and therefore lead the game. However woe betides them if some element is overlooked, they are likely to hear the cry ‘but you didn’t explain the rules properly’. Yet few people undertake to share the task of reading the rules other than when they feel aggrieved when the cry of ‘give the rules here’ is followed by the aforementioned ‘but you didn’t ……….’!

The issues around rules can be exacerbated further as we all learn at our own pace, so some will 'get' a new game immediately whilst others need more time, meaning they are slower when taking their turn. This can cause huge frustration amongst those who know what they want to do and want to ‘just get on with it’ which then leads to an equal measure of frustration amongst those who are enjoying the game but need a little more time; and so the downward spiral can begin.

The upshot of this is that even with a good game players can have a highly unsatisfactory gaming experience where some players are competitive bordering on a must win mentality, whilst to others ‘it’s just a game’ so they are happy to enjoy the journey at their own pace, winning is just a happy bonus and if there is some anomaly in the rules explanation it is nothing worth having words about..

C. Not Everybody Finds Humour In Ridicule

The combination of a poor choice of game and the overly competitive nature of some people leads to the third factor. The reason to play games is to have fun and ideally this will lead to humorous exchanges as situations in the game and between the players leads to imaginative interpretations. However, if this humour is aggressive and targeted at another player or players it can lead to either offence being taken or an argument or worse still an unspoken sense of inferiority. This behaviour, which recipients might go so far as to call bullying, can lead to the strongest anti reaction to playing games.

The sad thing is that for people who do not see themselves as gamers the baggage they carry from previous gaming experiences, frequently within the family setting, can lead to anything from ambivalence to a much stronger view that they don’t like playing games or a refusal to ever play another game.

So Why Do Some Families Love Playing Games?

Having discussed a number of reasons why games don’t work in some families, the question then is why do some families have so much fun with games? Maybe because they have a game, or selection of games, suited to the people playing; maybe because the level of competitiveness between the players is broadly equal or because the humour surrounding the game is a shared humour which leaves no one feeling targeted; maybe all three? However in truth I do not think it is just chance.

I believe those families who really enjoy games are those who pro-actively place greater emphasis on the following:

1. Making The Experience Fun

Playing games should be a relaxing, amusing, and for those that want that kind of game a challenging experience, but never stressful. Whilst the focus is the game, enjoying the whole experience adds immeasurably to the game, this might stretch to the food before, after or during, the music playing in the background, the theme, the humour in the game, getting into character, even the educational dimension. If everything is right then you loose yourself in the game, have fun and wonder where the time has gone.

2. Making Time To Play Games

Turn the TV off and suddenly there is more time to play games. It is often stated that there is not enough time to play games yet according to a recent report parents in the UK believe their children spend 13.9 hours per week "watching TV and using games consoles and other electronic equipment" and yet according to the same report 73% of children would rather play with their parents than watch TV. When the technology goes off there is suddenly a lot more time to do things together as a family, like play games.

3. Play What Others Want

Everybody reading this article will have their own personal favourite games but these do not necessarily excite everybody else within the family. To ignite the flame of enthusiasm for playing games might require that your personal favourite doesn’t make it to the table as often as you might like. Certainly this is the case with me, but seeing the delight and enjoyment others get from playing games at our house is more than ample compensation.

4. Introduce Games To Children Early

Having read many articles on BGG it is arguably never too early to introduce children to the delights of modern games with their wonderful components and themes. The rules come second or even third. Ultimately pretty much any game supports the learning process and if you can create an enthusiasm to play games then even if at times they hate school they cannot help but be developing their intellect as they play games and have fun.

5. Have A Variety Of Games

We do not always want a three course meal and in the same way we do not always want to sit down and play Settlers of Catan or what ever is your favourite game. With so many games available arguably there is never a time when you would say we haven’t got time to play a game. My "road to Damascus" moment came last year when following the encouragement of friends I discovered the wealth of games available out there just beyond my narrow field of focus. This resulted in a family with 2 seven year old boys coming to stay and playing, at their request, more than 12 different games during their 4 day stay with us, historically only one of these would have interested me. The Playstation and its ilk was never asked for once and the TV only went on a couple of times to watch a specific DVD.

By the nature of what we do we have played games with hundreds of people and almost without exception the people we meet love playing these games and walk away saying ‘I have never seen games like that before’ or ‘how come you cannot buy games like that on the high street?’ These comments cannot but reflect on the family gaming experiences they have had to date.

Getting games to work in families is not just about having good games (although that helps) but also making time and bringing the right attitude. When done well it can lead to some great gaming experiences and a positive response to the question ‘do you fancy playing a game?’

The title photo and photo with the baby are used in this article with the kind permission of Mike Hulsebus of http://dicearenice.com

Sheffield: Innovation & Imagination

2011-05-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

As more of a casual and light hearted look at some of our work, I have decided to have a quick recap at the city of Sheffield and the organisations within it and look back at some of what we have done there.

Sheffield, along with Huddersfield, was one of the first areas that brought Imagination Gaming in to work with them, helping with engagement and providing challenging activities, in and out of school hours.

For the first twelve months I did a great deal of promoting to get the word out there and a number of people from these areas got back to me, really understanding what I envisioned for their area and worked closely with me to make the events a big success and really helped get Imagination gaming off the ground so to speak.

To date we have worked with several organisations within Sheffield and with some incredibly enthusiastic and energetic people. These include:

The Children's University - Penny Rea, Extended Schools
Sheffield Childrens Libraries - Paul Walker, Project Manager
The Learning Year - Joseph Leech, Extended Schools
City Events - Richard Johnson, Project Manager

We have also worked in several school there which included initially: -

Abbey Lane, Athelston Primary, Bents Green, Dobcroft, Emmaus, Fir Vale
Firth Park, Foxhill, King Ecgberts, Limpsfield, Loxley Primary, Malin Bridge
Meadowhead, Rivelin Primary, Spring Lane, St Catherines, St Josephs, St Theresas
Wharncliffe Side & Yewlands.

These events have held many different goals and we have worked with children as young as five to many elderly people at some of the city events, who were just as interested in their younger colleagues in the games we had available to try.

Whenever we were approached we looked at each one as a unique opportunity to do something different with either the school, the children or the organisation. We tried to make the events as stress free as possible for the organisers and to ensure their workload was kept to a minimum. We were lucky that those people commisioning the work were as open minded to the possibilities as we were and this resulted in some fantastic days learning across the city. Here are a couple of examples of what we did: -

The Learning Year - Maths focused days aimed at improving both a perception of maths and attainment within it.
This project looked at 13 schools, 2 High schools and 11 Primaries. In each of these we spent a full day at the school, from breakfast club until after school clubs where possible, running a series of exciting maths lessons where games became the method of delivery. Each of the schools would be left a pack of games that we had used throughout the day, so that they could be continued to be used after we had gone and giving the school a sustainable resource. Each child taking part also had to provide information that we could use to measure the success of the project. After the project had finished the data was compiled and the results sent to the Learning Year to assess. The games made the teraching of basic maths skills an exciting and highly enjoyable experience that the kids loved. The results were fantastic and we will be putting more information on this up on the blog and the website soon.

Children's Libraries - Literacy based work in a school with library event.
Our Zombie diary scheme is about encouraging ceative writing using a series of activities that draw out the creative ideas within everyone. Over the course of the sessions we play zombie themed games in which the children become the heroes. During the game they document what happens on their adventures and will later use this as a source of inspriation for their stories. We also spend time redesigning the game with the children designing their own boards and cards. From here we go on to the most important aspect; writing their own story. We work with the children and the teachers to examine what a story is all about and how they are going to make theirs something special. We look at the characters they might use, where it is set, what problems might be faced and where it all ends up. Is it a comedy, a romantic story and just a scary horror yarn? Finally, the last exercise has the children designing a comic based upon their own short story. They look at the important points and work out the frames they need for their comic. The children loved it. For a big finish we have their local library display the work where the children and their parents can all come down and see the work they have done. It was so popular that the library left it up for a month!

The Children's University - A challenging, social activity.
The Childrens University work involved bringing together a cluster of schools for an out of school hours activity in which we ran a games tournament over a six week period. Each of the games used were challenging in a different way and invovled a variety of skills. Each school brought several team members who spent the afternoon playing games with others from different schools. Over the course of the events they accumulated points which at the end led to a winning school for whom we bought trophies and medals, which everyone went home with. The focus here was having the children mixings and working together with what were initially strangers but who were, at the end of the work, friends they could stay in touch with. We had parents join in the session towards the end of the day and both these and the teachers that helped out really enjoyed the sessions and could see instantly what they children were getting from the days.
Although initially we were concerned in the numbers we might get coming back this was never a problem and we often had more turning up than we expected.

This is a glimpse of just some of the work we have done in Sheffield in the first few years of the companies life. We have accumulated a huge amount of feedback from everyone invovled, at every level, and it is all extremely generous and gushing in its praise for the days we ran. We met lots of brilliant kids, teachers and parents and hope to meet lots more in the very near future.

I cant wait to see what comes up next!

Love to hear any thoughts people have on the work or if you have any interest in them.

Games Build Bridges… A Universal Language

2011-05-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

This article describes an on-going project in Beech Hill primary school in Halifax. Following an initial meeting with the Principal Officer for Primary Schools in Calderdale, Lawrence Killian, we were introduced to the Head and Leadership team of a primary school that was looking for new initiatives to compliment both the curriculum and PSHE education from a fresh angle. One thing that stood out about this school was the sheer variety of nationalities that were present and the added hurdles that can cause in school and the wider community. This is what has happened so far…

A Chance Meeting

At Imagination Gaming we are always talking about how games are a fantastic barrier breaker – an activity that can introduce and connect friends, colleagues and complete strangers. Usually it’s for the students or the games players and then their families and their friends. But this was different…

Whilst getting into the full flow of a school holiday activity day in Kirklees last summer, I was being watched. I was unaware that quietly and carefully, the activity I was delivering was being evaluated by one of the school governors. Her reaction to what she saw was fantastic. (Phew!). And there it started. What followed was a really appreciative and emotional conversation about how clear the value of using board and card games was when you looked from a fresh perspective… and why on earth are they are not used more?! I was invigorated by her enthusiasm and I think it is fair to say that she was inspired by what she had seen. Anyway, she left, the day went on to be a big success, and we kept in touch.

It turns out that this lady was also a very highly respected School Improvement Officer for Calderdale, and she encouraged me to meet her boss, the Principal Officer for all the primary schools in the area. What followed was an intriguing and enlightening conversation. It wasn’t just the obvious educational benefits of the language and mathematics evident in all these kind of games, but more so the engagement factor. After all, it’s incredibly hard to teach something if nobody is listening. And that is becoming more and more of a problem in lots of our schools. Yes the classroom may have become a more colourful, more challenging and more diverse place – but it seems so have the students.

Traditional style games, where participants sit face to face around a table not only encourage thought and strategy, based on say mathematical deduction and linguistic capability, but even more so develop basic interaction skills. Whether it is the etiquette of turn-taking, the discussion of strategy in a team or the appreciation of listening and watching to effectively respond, this kind of gameplay cultivates these social skills and begins to unite the participants.

But why does this work?

Simply put… because it is FUN! The excitement of gameplay, the intrigue of the puzzle and the anticipation of the outcome will further the interest. But it’s the realisation that anyone can take part and discover their own (or share other’s) path to success will keep them coming back for more. In addition, rather than learning a skill and then forgetting about it, there is endless opportunity to continue to put your talents into practice and continue to reinforce your skills over and over again. One game may present a raft of challenges in itself and captivate for a lifetime (more commonly seen in games such as chess), but beyond that there is always new opponents and believe me an encyclopaedic range of games, of all shapes and sizes, to try and master.

Everyone loves a challenge, even the most disinterested of people; it’s just a matter of knowing what the challenge is and how and where to pitch it. In our case which game to use… and how to use it.

OK – So let’s get to school!

The school itself is a typical primary school in most respects, with pupils aged 5 to 11. One of the main issues they have to cope with is the diversity of ethnic backgrounds that the children come from, especially in such a small area. This is increasingly becoming a factor in many of our schools and at quite a rate. The integration of cultures is an issue that affects us all at different levels, but it is in the primary schools where it has a massive impact, where the children’s ability to appreciate and cooperate can affect not only their personal social and educational development – but the future of our society as a whole.

When children arrive at primary school it can be quite a shock. If you think about it, the majority have spent most of their formative years in a very safe environment and community, probably of just family and friends. They have little experience of, and previously little need of, interaction with the “outside world”. All of a sudden they are left in a classroom full of new experiences and demands, and it can be very overwhelming. It’s of course natural instinct to stick with what you know and are comfortable with, and although reactions vary, it’s easy to see why divides appear and barriers are formed.

Plan of action

The underlying theme to the entire project is engagement, in and outside the classroom and encouragement of an appreciation for what school has to offer in terms of education, community, friendship and fun. We knew we could spend 10 full days in school as well as provide for some special events and most importantly… games! The school would get a bumper selection of games specifically tailored to their needs that would be used throughout the project and then left at the school as a continuing resource for the years to come. There were some basic aims of course…

• To involve at some level every child in the school

• To help bridge communication and language barriers between students and the curriculum.

• To encourage engagement and realisation from all students to the benefits of the basic understanding the core subjects offer.

• To promote the appreciation of other cultures, the value of unity and the identity of the individual as equally important within society.

• To inspire new activities within the school both within and outside of the curriculum.

• To empower managers, teaching staff and assistants with the benefits of a brand new, easy to manage, sustainable and exciting teaching resource.

• To extend interest and involvement to parents and families of students and to encourage participation within the activities.

As it happened

I needed to get a feel for the school, its staff and its pupils, so the on the first day I simply wanted to create a buzz. The school was able to provide a room to base in for the days I was there and I started with a more typical games day. We invited groups of 12 children at a time with a teacher or teaching assistant, one from each of the 6 year groups to come and “play games”. This description is important, I was not playing “Maths games” for instance, and these sessions were not to be perceived lessons – not yet anyway!

The response was fantastic. Wary students of all ages and, shall we say, quizzical staff were soon impressed by the games combination of fun and intrigue, as well as the educational benefits in their use.

“Fun but at the same time educational. The children loved the session. The games can be used by TA’s working with groups of children. I was very impressed, particularly with Botswana, lots of strategies involved. I would recommend these Games” Nicol Kaye

This created a buzz instantly around school, “I got to play games today!” and in every year group the children were aware of something new and interesting. Over the next few weeks we endeavoured to make sure everyone in school had a go and as they say… we were in!

The next step was to balance the remaining days between keeping the whole school involved, challenging some more focused groups of children and creating a lasting legacy that the children and staff could take forward with confidence.

“Good fun. I think it will be very useful with the children in class. I played Bakers Dozen and think it will help the children learn to take turns and help them to use their minds.” J. Collins

The mornings were devoted to particular groups from the different year groups throughout the school, continuing to show games that could be used in each year group and across the board. These groups consisted of a mix of abilities and cultures and the games were a fantastic leveller. No matter the perceived level of attainment in the classroom, these games served to involve and challenge everyone together, regardless of ability or language barriers, it was clear that progress could be and was being made.

The language barrier

The middle of the day was given to students with very little grasp of English. A high proportion of these students were eastern European and they were accompanied by a translator. The highly visual nature of the games can make explanation a lot easier, and the fun of the experience in turn would encourage the children’s confidence to participate and push their communicative and thinking skills in order to progress.

The difference between the start and the end of a session was immense. From a look of “here’s something else I don’t understand” to “wow, that’s amazing”, meant that a patient and deliberate start turned a quiet and dismissive classroom into a hive of activity, participation and enjoyment.

Watching the children and the teachers leave filled with energy and listening to the thanks and the cries of “when can I play again?!” (teacher too!), just went to show how valuable these sessions were to motivate and reaffirm the progress that can be made.

“For Sale - Fantastic Game, using both your mind and negotiation skills - very addictive. I think most of the games were brilliant as they had an educational edge to them and 100% enjoyment!”

Afzal Hussain, Learning Mentor

Creating Game Champions

In order to make sure that the school were confident that they could carry on using the games once the project was over, we decided to invest time in a core group of year 5 students, with the aim of creating “Games Champions”. These would be the children who regardless of initial ability, had shown the most enthusiasm and desire to get involved, and more importantly, would continue to spread their knowledge of the games by mentoring children throughout the school. We would meet and learn new games each week, but also concentrate on the ability to teach on what they had learned. They soon learned this was not as easy as it seemed, the difference between knowing and teaching is massive, and I think they began to appreciate the job their teachers had in the process!

Where are we now?

As I type, the core of the work is done; it is now up to the children and teacher to carry on using the resources to their advantage. Imagination Gaming will of course always be available to help wherever necessary. The children continue to take part in regular voluntary Lunch Time Games clubs which I hosted on the days I was there. This was usually a full room (at least) and just went to prove that it is an activity that children love – even without the need for a mains socket! They simply come in, choose a game and a group of old and new friends to play with and get on with it.

“I played Zeus on the Loose with some of the children and found this very enjoyable. The game will be very useful in Talking Maths and class to help the children.” Brenda Mcmillan

Staff have asked for duplicate copies of some of the games that have a direct correlation to stages in the curriculum as once they have had a chance to play, evaluate and get confident with the games they can use them with entire classes or focus groups as need be. We will also be supplying the school with easier instructions to more games so that more people can pick up a game without the fear of the dreaded instructions and get straight to the game underneath!

Further to that the staff had further suggestions of how to incorporate the games into other project work. The idea of writing reviews and accounts of games, as well as examining how to describe on paper, game instructions and tactics so that others clearly understand is a key skill. They have also expressed an interest to do video based projects involving filming instructions to games.

Next Event – We will be back!

At the end of June we will be back. Beech Hill and Imagination Gaming will be hosting an event to showcase the games and he affect it has had with the children. The school hall will be crammed with children playing their favourite games along with teachers and the games champions. We will be inviting any interested parties from across the area to come and see them in action and find out exactly how this kind of activity could benefit their school and community.

I know that when I am in Beech Hill the next time, there will plenty of excitement and eagerness to show off their latest skills, and I expect to be repeatedly challenged, most likely beaten (!), but definitely impressed.

What does the future hold?

As Beech Hill School continues to evolve, so does Imagination Gaming. As we grow, so does the network of schools and organisations across the country. There are always new games to keep the sessions fresh and innovative, and we are constantly finding bigger and bolder uses for them, not just in the classroom, but in the libraries, youth clubs and wider community. Our range of Maths and Literacy Days, along with Holiday Activity days and Extended Services work, together with the new games, mean that we are always asked to meet with new challenges and regularly revisit our existing network. We continue to push the boundaries and provide engaging, exciting and educational resources across the board, and look forward to catching up with everyone year after year.

Playing Traditional Style Games Can Increase Children’s Life Chances!

2011-05-13T02:18:00.000-07:00

As I write this I cannot know if this statement surprises any reader, yet the absence of traditional style games (i.e. those played around a table e.g. board and card games) in any meaningful sense from the school scene suggests to me a widespread lack of belief in it.

Yet a little reported study from the US showed that over an eight week program children aged 7 to 10 had their ‘reasoning’ scores raised by 32% a gain equivalent to “an entire year of school” whilst a separate study saw a 27% increase in processing speed. Perhaps most interestingly the study identified that the neediest children benefited the most with the greatest cognitive improvements being recorded by those children who started farthest down the rankings.

I believe these results provide compelling evidence in support of the need for formalised use of games within schools. The nature of modern education is to teach children based on the need to pass exams and children are tested regularly to ensure they are achieving the necessary progress. Traditional style games offer an engaging, fun and yet challenging way to test and stretch children’s mental and social abilities and in so doing embed their formalised learning and help develop the life skills they will need once they leave the protective environment of schools.

Interestingly over 30 countries around the world already have board games as part of the curriculum and in the US within one state they have a board game library that schools can draw on.

The full report can be read here

Holgate High School

2011-05-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

This Barnsley based high school approached us initially for a games day and for interaction with their established games club, that had limited appeal. They were looking to broaden this and to see what they could achieve with the games. This has become a regular day at the school in which we work with several different groups with focus in many areas of learning and development.

Life Skills

One of our regular sessions is with groups of children under the Life Skills banner. These children struggle to engage at the school, often have low self confidence or have learning or behavioural difficulties. Our first job was to engage them in what we were doing, to show them that when they come to school it’s down to them to join in and engage fully. In the long term, not joining in is not an option.

This is initially done using a very soft approach, working with those that immediately decide to give it a go and having a great time with them, letting those that are reluctant simply watch. With those that gave it a go laughing and talking about the games it is never long before those that sat out ask to join in, wanting to be part of this new activity. They too quickly begin enjoying themselves and we use that opportunity to point out to them the benefits of giving something a go. We then point out that they have to do this every week, no matter what mood they might be in as it will be worth it to them.

We will often begin these sessions with games that can be played in large groups, quickly and simply. Games like ‘Wallamoppi’ and ‘Villa Paletti’ work extremely well in getting the children, relaxed, less defensive, focused and cooperative, forgetting about issues that could have prevented them joining in and having a good time. Once we have established this confidence in our activities we move on to more challenging games, often curriculum linked, that push maths or literacy based work.

These groups have now played dozens of different, challenging games that help with not only the life skills they lack but other skills that make their school life a little easier.
They have been challenged on many levels, with a wide variety of skills that have shown that many of them have a high level of intelligence, which often their exam results dispute, but that they have demonstrated on numerous occasions on a tactical and intuitive level consistently. Alongside improvements in their social skills and attention levels this makes for a powerful tool that is helping their attainment across the board.

Zombie Diaries

We began using this format only recently, looking to help with ongoing creative writing activities at the school and helping to improve literacy skills across the group. The aim is, over the period of several weeks, to have the children compose their own short story, made up of their own ideas and suggestions. This can done using any theme they wish but we use the zombie theme as an immediate attention grabber and something to turn heads. The format rolls out as follows: -

1) Play story themed games and help develop creative thinking.

2) Design and construct both cards and locations for the games.

3) Compose a short story based on the ideas they have had.

4) Design a comic based upon their own short story.

During the initial weeks of the project we play heavily themed games, whether they are zombie themed, games that encourage imaginative and descriptive play or games set in other fantasy worlds. Anything that gets their creative juices flowing!

Whilst playing all of these games the children are given prompt sheets, to suggest possible themes and ideas, and to record and write down their own ideas and suggestions for their stories.

After the first session or so we begin having the children create their own locations and cards for a game. We have them think about what it takes to make a game, what new themes they could introduce within it and what cards they can make to change what happens in the game. The game in question, based around Twilight Creations Zombies!!!, puts the children in the position of the hero in which they must escape a town before the ravenous zombies get them. Racing away from them they must play cards to help them in their escape. Each of the cards we use suggests an event or something descriptive that you would find in a story, making the children think of what they could incorporate into their own. Making their own locations could mean that their home, their school and or famous landmark makes its way into the game, giving them further food for thought.

The first child to navigate through the town and reach the helipad and fly off wins.

From this we begin working with them in creating their story. We discuss the make-up of a story, the important elements, how characters, settings, problems and resolutions make up the plot and how use of descriptions can make it change from a mundane idea into a fantastic piece of fiction.

Our last section is taking their story and reconstructing it into a comic format. We look at how we can take the essential pieces of the plot and draw the frames that speak

We have only just begun this work here and the children and already thinking and discussing what their stories will be.

We are looking to have the work displayed at the local library for the children and their parents to come down and see, getting them in to a resource that many of them won’t have visited.

Drama

The teacher for this lesson asked to work with us as she was finding engaging activities difficult to find. We came up with an idea for this lesson where we used games to help the children consider a couple of very simple points: -

1) How do I play a character and what makes that character who they are?

2) How are their thoughts different from someone else’s?

Werewolves is a story based game where everyone takes on the role of a different character within a small town or village. There are few rules and very little components to the game, the focus is on discussion and opinion.

There are several characters within the game and the goal is for the village to root out the trouble and expel it, leaving the village a safe place to live. Everyone plays their character in secret, no-one truly knowing who anyone is playing. Several of the players will have different goals but keeping your identity secret is the key to success.

Through this lesson we give each child the opportunity and act out what their character is thinking and what they would like to do. As well as helping with the game it also increases the children’s confidence in standing up and speaking out. It teaches the children to read peoples facial expressions and to listen carefully to what they are saying for clues about their identity.

It is extremely popular and we are also looking to link this into several other activities that the group had planned including mask making. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Maths

Working in this group this lesson is used to help both focus and encourage engagement within both the lesson and maths in general. It is often used as a reward for good behaviour by the group and when results for the class have deserved something special.

All the games taken into this group are focused on of course maths. Whether they are simple card games to more complex board games and puzzles, each one of them has its roots within maths and being able to apply what you have learned in class can only make you a better player in many of these games.

The children are encouraged to choose which game they wish to play and if there are friends on the table that don’t know how to play them they must teach on what they know. The teachers and assistants are great at getting involved, talking to the children about the games and how to play them well and challenging all comers to see who can win. The kids love this and often get to see a different side to the teacher when playing the games, the teacher relaxing and enjoying themselves as much as the children. That however doesn’t stop the competitive side coming out and the excitement that fills the class when the teacher loses a game to a pupil is terrific, and this happens all too often!

School clubs

During both the dinner and after school clubs, children of all ages from across the school congregate to play the games. At dinner time we can be steady or furious, depending upon the weather but there are always games being played. Many will turn up to see which new game we have brought that week and other come back to have their weekly fix of a particular favourite.

Regular challengers will turn up, waiting to have their turn in attempting to beat me in a game and a great atmosphere runs throughout the break times. The library teacher is also great at getting involved with the games and having a go. Any child wandering around soon gets a game put in front of them and before long they are enjoying their time there.

On a Wednesday evening our Dungeons and Dragons club has become a staple Wednesday event for several children within the school, many of whom will not participate in other events and are known for their lack of enthusiasm towards activities, due to shyness, a lack of confidence or other needs. This game has stirred something within them so that they never miss a session and are always there on time, staying as much as ninety minutes after school to join in the games.

Summary

Fitting in with a busy school and a full schedule can be a real challenge at any time but we pride ourselves on being flexible to fit in with any situation and get the most out of our time there.

The feedback from the teachers at Holgate High school is tremendous. We have a waiting list of teachers wanting to use us with their classes all asking when it is their turn next. The teachers regularly comment on the improved engagement and attention they see whilst the games are being played and how they help calm many of the very energetic pupils down and enable them to focus.

The cheer we receive from pupils when they realise it is their class’ turn is very rewarding as is seeing the look on a pupils face when they finally win a game after many attempts at doing so.

The work here is ongoing and we have lots of ideas in the pipeline as to what we can do next. The team here help tremendously by engaging and joining in wherever possible, leading by example.

We have several transition events between the high school and its cluster of feeder schools in which games will be seen as a tool that will allow the younger children to find familiarity with their older peers and feel comfortable in their new school. The sky is the limit, what’s next?

Making Games Champions in Wigan

2011-05-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

In partnership with Extended Services, Imagination Gaming has been providing holiday activity days in many areas of Wigan in recent years. From a subsequent request to provide Breakfast and Afterschool Clubs with a difference, we were able to discuss the how our School Games Days could target each of the schools involved individual aims. Here you can see exactly what happened at Lamberhead Green Primary School, Wigan!

The request…

Imagination Gaming was initially contacted by Wigan Extended Services to provide Breakfast and After-School Clubs for a number of primary schools in the Orrell-Lamberhead cluster. The idea was to provide several schools, each with different needs, with a series of extended hour’s clubs that would engage and excite targeted pupils before and after school.

Let’s do the full day?!

We thought yep, no problem… but what about the time in-between?! Why just do an hour at the beginning and end of each day? While we were there we may as well offer our services for the day. They loved the idea and of course the 6 or so extra hours we were going to do in school went down a treat!

What would you like to achieve?

Talking to the Head teachers of the different schools involved, as with most areas, it became clear that although the schools were very close together and fed to the same secondary school, each school had their own individual issues to deal with. The ideas were great…

· An activity that can capture the imagination

· Something that can support the children’s learning

· Interaction – social etiquette and values

· A way that all the school, young and old, teachers, parents and the community could be involved.

· Appreciation of the differences between people and a bridge across barriers that exist such as age, religion, ability and language.

Guess what – Games can do all of the above and a lot more as well… so what should we do at…

Lamberhead Green Primary School!

Games?!... Board Games?!!!... Aaaah!

Meeting the deputy head teacher, there was an instant energy and enthusiasm when we introduced the idea of using board and card games. Reactions can be quite different and that I feel is a sign of the times – but that is for another day! Mrs Gaskill, was intrigued by the Imagination Gaming concept and once she had seen the range of games we could use and talked about how the mechanics of so many of these games reinforce so many basic social and educational skills I knew that the school would really benefit from the project ahead.

One day a week for 6 weeks then…

For the out-of hours clubs we would focus on children who needed something to both engage them and get them working together in a group activity that encouraged individual participation and thought, as well as the realisation that listening gets you a long way too! We had up to 12 children in these sessions with at least one member of staff to get involved … and this is what she had to say…

“The impact of Imagination Gaming on the children has been quite amazing. Chris started with a memory game which straight away caught their attention and a willingness to want to see more. The games have been challenging and addictive. The children have been coming into school an hour earlier in the morning and / or stayed an hour later in the evening to play the games.

The games have helped the targeted children with their listening and memory skills and these have improved through games like Catch the Match. Logical thinking has also been demonstrated, with Jemma hooked on the shape puzzle Katamino, which she is determined to solve!

The children have gained confidence in a fun way. There has been a real willingness to share, have patience and take turns.”

Margaret Delee, Higher Learning Teacher

Kind words! But what was fantastic was to see how much it genuinely worked. Miss Delee was using the games as a bridge to involve and connect with children in the school that were not always easy to interact with in a more traditional environment.

What about during the day then?!

There were lots of ways we could have approached the day’s events between 9am and 3.20pm, working with different year groups or specific focus groups, but at Lamberhead Green we decided on a different goal. We concentrated on establishing a group of children with a fantastic knowledge base of the games so that when the project was over, the children themselves could run games clubs and teach all the other children in school the games. (Teachers have got enough to remember!)

We realised that we could, in focused groups of 6 or 7 at a time, have a games session with every pupil in yr.5, every Monday. This meant that each child could learn at least one new game each week, but different to the other groups that day, which immediately fostered the idea of the children getting together to teach each other the cool game they had learned, and it grew from there.

The yr.5 teachers were particularly supportive of not just the mathematical and language based learning of what we were doing, but also the logical and strategic elements of the games. It is not always easy to find resources that effectively apply the curriculum in such a direct way and also promote the effective use of that knowledge in decision making and reasoning. That is trying to work out the effect of your opponents moves, devise your own teams strategy and implement effectively… or… just doing your best not to lose!

Anything Else?

Absolutely! I was asked if, during lunchtime, I could work with a yr.6 boy who for various reasons found it difficult to concentrate and often became very disruptive. To be honest these sessions were fantastic. As I have seen over and over, this child was enthralled by the games and playing became the centre of his week. We were immediately able to introduce other similar students to our games and effect was simple… complete engagement, fun and learning… and an appreciation of all three.

“Chris has worked with a 12 year old boy with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties on Monday lunchtimes and this had been a valuable resource.

This child has been engrossed in all the games and given his full attention. Chris has created a very safe relationship with this child who is very comfortable in that group. The child is a very bright boy and the games have challenged his academic skills in a positive way.

Chris has done an amazing job with this child and has a nurturing and calming approach. This has also meant respite for the staff who work with the child as he is so demanding at this time. The child has definitely enjoyed the games and Chris’s enthusiastic approach. We will carry on with the games when Chris has gone.”

Mrs. Dawn Harrison, Pastoral & Ethos Manager

Again – great feedback, but this is not unusual. All schools have children from all the ends of the spectrum and are expected to achieve similar results with them all. It is rare that anyone approach appeals to all, but what I can say is that these type of games, introduced in the right way, can appeal to children (and adults) across the board. All the teachers who got involved with the games loved them as well - an extra string to the bow for both the classroom and the activity menu, and something that will continue for years to come.

The key to all this success being the engagement factor – no matter why the teachers wanted to use them, for educational, social or fun, the key was that the idea of playing a game… the right kind of game, made the real goal that much easier to achieve.

Chris Standley

Imagination Gaming

Westborough High school

2011-04-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Started with breakfast club and went on to after school club, dinner time club and interacting with pupils in lessons. First came via UFA.

Lessons started interacting with COPE and EMA and went on to include Maths and French.

Went on to work with their feeder schools and the organising of trips out of school, such as this years Expo.

A journey through a changing perspective.

Westborough High School is a specialist school for Business and Enterprise. We began our work here towards the end of 2008 after a meeting we were invited to attend of the UFA. The University of the First Age is an organization that, in their own words, creates enjoyable learning challenges that enrich lives; increasing aspiration and achievement for young people aged 5 - 25.

From this meeting I bumped into an inspirational lady called Gayna Goalby. She was a UFA organiser that worked at Westborough as their extended learning co-coordinator. She approached us with the aim of setting up a games club at their school. They had a small range of games but felt they were not made the most of.

We began by coming in on a Tuesday morning and running a games club, getting the children enthusiastic about playing new board and card games together, and using this as a platform to look at social skills etc. We put in a pack of games that, after our initial sessions, we knew worked well with the children and had a high level of participation. This club proved to be extremely popular and attendance and participation within the breakfast club increased significantly.

From here we suggested trying a classroom based exercise to show how games can be used in a much more focused way; providing a highly challenging activity that made it more likely that disenfranchised young people would engage in more enthusiastically. After speaking with the head of inclusion, the green light was given for the work to go ahead. This first group was indeed pupils that found school a real challenge and were a combination of those that struggled to focus in lessons, had less developed social skills or was at a learning age lower than was required.

When the group was assembled and told they would be playing games their initial reaction was not a good one. ‘I hate games’, ‘Games suck’ and ‘Are you a geek?’ were all comments thrown at me. In turn I laughed off each of them, agreed with the geek label but didn’t rise to any of comments or taking them too seriously. This was all part of our strategy.

This initial session was a tremendous success with all of the participants enjoying the lesson immensely, without ever realising just how much they were learning by taking part. We used more curriculum based games, tying into Math and English based learning, such as Straw, Zeus on the Loose, Apples to Apples and Word on the Street.

Several outcomes struck me immediately: -

The children loved to playing the games together, as long as someone else maintained control of the group. When left to their own devices this immediately resulted in cheating and a breakdown of the turn sequence.

( One of our targets would be to have them play the games with no supervision and to play in a fair yet competitive way. )

They loved the challenge that the game presented, having to work out the next number, the spelling of the next word or simply what their opponents were trying to do. This proved to be a big plus. It was also apparent that those who could achieve had a ‘cool’ factor within the group, a factor that others strived to achieve.

( This became another of our early goals. To maintain the ‘cool’ feel of the sessions and to show that all of the children were capable of winning and achieving this status through practice and concentration. )

Many of the games aimed at younger people, 7-11, worked just as well, if not better, with some of the older students. Their outlook/upbringing allowed them a more ‘savvy’ view when it came to the bluffing element of a game.

( Over time we took a greater and greater range of games into the school, with numerous differing winning conditions and skills and tactics required. This would show them not only how different these sorts of games could be but to challenge them in many different ways. )

This lesson and several breakfast club appearances led in turn to many sessions over the next several months, in which we returned to the school each Monday to work with groups of children, each with different goals and needs. These sessions included not only the work throughout the day but often involved returning to work during a parents evenings, transition events between schools and open evenings.

One of the first events we ran there was a primary games day in which children from the nearby cluster of schools in that area came over to Westborough for a range of activities, which included the games that we used there. Many of the children from the sessions helped to teach the children from the cluster how to play the games and teach on what they had learned. It was great to see how enthusiastically they joined in and how well the children taught the games to the younger students. It showed clearly that they had understood how the games worked and what was required to play and win the game. They had a passion for show others this new form of entertainment they had discovered and loved proving that they could run this sort of event.

Such was the success at this that before very long more and more teachers began sticking their heads into the sessions and looking to see how they could involve us in their work. Soon we were covering the following lessons, either with small groups or sometimes the entire class.

Maths

Working with small groups who were currently struggling we would play a range of games that all required a knowledge basic maths skills to do well. Starting slowly in a less competitive fashion this was built up over time to be more competitive, increasing the speed at which people needed to play and bringing in gradually more difficult and complicated games.

One of the observations of this lesson was students initial reluctance to even consider working out certain numbers. They would state ‘I don’t know, I can’t do it’. What became very obvious was that they could do it but it just took them longer than others to do it. This loss of face was not easy for them to take and so a ‘I don’t know’ and the dismissing of the calculation would hide their lack of confidence in working it out. Giving them the time to work this out, proving that they could, increased their confidence. We would never however work it out for them. I saw this on a number of occasions from teachers and support staff and the children were always happy to have it done for them. We never did this and would apply positive pressure on them to do it for themselves by making everyone else wait until they had it calculated.

‘Use your fingers, use your toes, I don’t care, you just cannot have a calculator and I’m not telling you’. Although this might seem harsh, when the pupils realised that this was the case they were happy to work it out and we never had any issues in children wanting to work out the calculations for them self.

COPE ( Certificate of Personal Effectiveness )

For those that are not aware, the aims of the qualification are to enable candidates to develop and demonstrate personal, key and employability skills leading to personal effectiveness, and to broaden experience and manage learning through the enrichment activities provided by the ASDAN challenges. The purpose of the qualification is to develop these generic skills and receive formal recognition through certification.

Working with these older students was a real pleasure. A mix of young teenagers, boys and girls, who were all more than a little cheeky but who knew how to enjoy themselves and who really embraced the work we did. Whilst struggling in a regular classroom these students were all very capable, often very intelligent. An example of this would be that many of these students would score poorly in a test against their peers who would score high ratings. Yet, pit them against these same students in a strategic game or a game that requires cunning and forward thinking, they would often win comfortably. Their intelligence needed harnessing.

We had several goals with these groups. We wanted to help some with their self confidence, often lacking due to poor results in class or personal reasons. In others it was more about the social aspect of gaming, learning to give others a say, learning to take turns fairly, cooperating with others, all things they generally found difficult..

We brought in a range of cooperation and strategy based games alongside the range of more competitive games that we used here and often split the group into small teams to work together. Blokus, Infinite City, For Sale, Incan Gold and Gem Dealer were all used to great effect. We used games that we initially thought to be overly complicated but found that several of the students thrived with these sorts of games. Take It To The Limit is a great example of this. It is a game of simple rules and mechanics but one that can be played on a number of different levels, depending upon ability.

Occasionally we would take in a couple of more physical games that were purely about laughing together and enjoying each others company, Villa Paletti and Wallamoppi real winners here, just to show the children that they could relax and enjoy each other’s company without bickering between themselves, which would often occur in other lessons.

EMA ( Ethnic Minority Achievement )

This group would often consist not only of those students who had English as a second language but often became a first port of call for any new students from overseas. Struggling with their English, these lessons focused on helping resolve that problem. Word games became the order of the day and games where we could establish teams were also important in overcoming some of the assumptions that some students had of others from different backgrounds.

The group would consist of children from the Middle East, Pakistan and India alongside others from central Europe and the Balkans. Initially the sessions were difficult, most often due to the children not wanting to speak to many of the others, but this was quickly overcome and after a time they became good friends and could often be seen speaking with each other throughout the school.

We occasionally ran tournaments in the school and several of our tournament winners came from this group. One of the girls attending spoke of a younger brother she had, who she believed would love to play the games. Upon hearing about the tournament she was so determined to win that she came to both the dinner time and after school clubs for the next couple of weeks until she had achieved the highest score for the game, becoming the highest placed student. The prize she won was to pick any game of her choice to take home which she then did and picked one specifically for her younger brother. Her hard work paid off and we could see how determined she could be when she put her mind to it. I hope she took this forward into her other classes.

Friendship Circle ( Improving Self Confidence )

One of the most rewarding groups was a selection of girls, sent to us to help improve their self confidence and social skills. The girls were very capable and clever but were extremely shy.

These sessions focused purely on games that involved the students speaking and working in teams. Both Maths, English and cooperative games were included and throughout all the games we would be constantly talking, asking questions, making jokes and creating an atmosphere in which they would feel comfortable and able to open up and discuss things.

After only a few weeks these sessions would have all the girls lined up outside, extremely eager to take part and join in. The session became louder and louder and the girls began to laugh and enjoy themselves. We began using slightly more complex and challenging games whilst maintaining the fun atmosphere and changed the teams around so that everyone had to partner everyone else at some stage.

The feedback from these girls was fantastic and keeping them calm and quiet became the next challenge! Their enthusiasm, politeness and desire to learn something new was extremely inspiring. It was not long after was begun the sessions that we can say we achieved all that had been asked of us and more. The only fear the girls had was that the sessions would not continue! I am sure this gave them the confidence they needed to improve both their studies and the belief that they could achieve their goals.

Dungeons & Dragons ( After School Activity )

We began running this club on a Monday and Tuesday evening, after school, with the aim of showcasing a very different type of game that no-one at the school had tried before. An entirely cooperative game this involved the players becoming part of a fantastic story in which they could determine what happened next.

After starting this, hoping to get a few students to try it out, we soon found that we had a large group of regulars all wanting to have a go and ran several continuous sessions for all of them.

Team work would decide whether or not they would do well and it was great to see how they realised how important this simple skill was. They quickly learned that by giving everyone a chance to speak, they often found new ideas and different solutions to problems would appear.

The children playing this game all commented that it was the best game they had ever played and the point they found most enjoyable was that interaction between themselves and their friends, solving the many problems put in front of them and determining where they would go next.

Summary

The effect games activities can have at any school can be profound. The effect it can have on behaviour, opinions, attainment and attitude have all been witnessed here. These effects can not only be seen on the children but on some of the teachers that participated in the activities with us.

The teachers could see firsthand how playing the games changed how the students behaved. Challenging the students, making them give an activity a chance rather than dismissing it is now leading them to visit game conventions across the country with other pupils from the school. Many of them visit other events we run outside of the school in different areas. The challenges within the games improve a multitude of skills, useful across a variety of subjects, as well as in life in general.

The more schools that come on board the more we will look to link schools together helping introduce children to other like minded people who just love the fun of playing a game.

The Best And Worst Experiences Of Games.

2011-04-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Don't know about others but I have had some great times playing games. Whether that is playing within a school environment, at a local youth club or just with my family and friends. I love the fact that I get to teach a great number of people challenging, clever games that they ultimately fall in love with and want to play again and again.

I have a terrific group of friends that make the playing of games a fantasitc experience. The social interaction, the banter and ribbing is a joy to behold and listen to at times. How much stick one person can take in a night is often beyond belief! ( Sorry Lee, that means you! )

I would love to hear from others about the times they have had when playing traditional board and card games. Both the good and the bad. When a game worked and when it certainly did not. Some funny anecdotes and your great times and those awful moments that live in the memory. Get in touch and let me know :)

What Value In Playing Traditional Style Games?

2011-04-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

In a world dominated by digital games people in the UK are largely unaware of the rich and diverse selection of traditional style (played around a table) games available from around the world.

These games take many forms but can all be played around a table by people of every age and ability. By their design they are well suited to being used as a tool to support a wider variety of tasks, whether in schools, libraries, universities, community groups etc.

The game designs:

Puts Fun at the heart of any encounter with them.
Typically are not based around the throw of the dice. So to a great degree you make your own luck by the decisions you make within the game.
They are not general knowledge based, so each person comes to the game as an equal, with nobody needing to feel intimidated by other people’s greater knowledge.
Offer a highly interactive social experience; it is not a matter of waiting for 10 minutes whilst John has his go, players are interacting with each other constantly.
Typically avoid confrontation and can encourage collaboration; so they can help build bridges between individuals and groups where there is friction or misunderstanding.
Offer simple rules that are quick to explain and belie a depth and complexity of strategy that ensure an enjoyable and challenging experience appropriate to every age and ability.

Modern games entice people with interesting artwork and components, and humour in a way that few other tools can.

When used with young people they allow the children to test and apply their formal learning in a way that engages and energises. As a tool in the community they bring people together to sit around a table and get to know each other whilst at the older end of the spectrum they not only get people talking but they also help to keep the grey matter active.