source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
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Game of life

Station 1-3 | Station 4-12 | Station 13-20 | Station 21-31 | Stroke of fate and last Station

Station 21

Situation: Family

Your wife/husband values your decisions and he/she is proud with you
You are having a romantic weekend in Paris to relax from every day stress
Now you want to devote yourself to a hobby that takes a lot of free time
Your wife/husband is not interested in your hobby
You want to dedicate the weekend to the hobby
So you get into an argument
Your wife/husband freaks out and is offended for days
You call a crisis meeting

Task:

The group has to conduct a debate with a fictive person about the hobby. (The employee assesses the group’s work provides a description of their result)

Result A:
The group insists on the importance of their hobby. As a result your wife/husband understands that you need your freedom and puts up with the situation.
Go to station 25
Result B:
The group would be willing to give up the hobby. So you have found a solution to maintain the peace. But you have to refrain from your favourite hobby. Now you have a harmonious family life.
Go to station 24

Station 22

Situation: Free time

You are on the sunny side of life. Majorca has arrived! (The group drinks Cola with straws, the staff members set the party mood, the group and staff wears beachwear; possibly music and some decoration)
Years have gone by, you are getting older and everything seems to be more exhausting than in the past.
You have to change your way of life

Task:

Write a new list of priorities
Write a timetable from Monday till Friday

The group gets a list with activities which they can add on their timetable.

Some ideas for your list:

Advanced vocational training at an adult education centre
Visit to a sport event
A bicycle tour the family
Swimming with the family
Meet your friends at the pub
Club
Theatre, concert
Have a picnic with your family
Do overtime
Second job
Business lunch
Representation of the company (national)

(Mark the ideas you find important)

The staff members analyse your choices and assess them. It depends on the priorities you have established.

50% family and 50% free time go to station 25
100% free time go to station 26
50% free time and 50% career go to station 27

Station 23

Situation: career

Your boss likes you and values your work. He wants to give you more responsibility. Only condition: you have to undergo a test.

Task:

Fill one bucket with three litres of water and the other bucket with five litres of water. You have to get four litres in one bucket. You have more than one attempt.

You passed – (A member of staff helps you if necessary)
If you accept the offer you have less free time. You would have the chance to push on with your career but your financial situation is trivial. Beside your job you engage yourself at a club. This voluntary help costs you a lot of free time. If you choose your career you can not help the club anymore.

What is your decision?

A: Is your decision in favour of your career?
B: Do you stay at the club to work there?
Answer A: Go to station 28
Answer B: Go to station 27

Station 24

Situation: 100% family

With the exception of a few little conflicts, your family life is absolutely harmonious.
Your children grow up and the first conflicts develop.

Task:

Your child is unsatisfied with his/her pocket money. He/She wants more money because other kids at the age of 14 get more too.
Question: How do you handle this situation? And why do you act like this?
Instead of coming home at 12 o’clock, your 16 year old daughter arrives at 2 o’clock.
Question: How do you react to your daughter’s behaviour?
You are already celebrating your 50th birthday. You get your first grey hairs and the present from your children is a hair dye.
Question: How do you react? What do you think?

These and other situations influence your everyday life and before you know where you are you getting your first pension.

The group that was at station 18 has to go to station 29
The group that was at station 16 has to go to station 30
The group that was at station 19 has to go to station 31

Station 25

Situation: 50% family 50% free time

You have a good connection to your family
And you look after your private interests
Unfortunately you have problems with your job because you do not want to do overtime.

Task:

Your child is unsatisfied with his/her pocket money. He/She wants more money because other kids at the age of 14 get more too.
Question: How do you handle this situation? And why do you act like this?
Instead of coming home at 12 o’clock, your 16 year old daughter arrives at 2 o’clock.
Question: How do you react to your daughter’s behaviour?
You travel to China. While having a shower cockroaches crawl over your feet.
Question: How do you react? Do you complain?
You are having a lot of fun with your mates. You want to go home at midnight to be with your wife. Your mates are annoyed.
Question: What are you going to do?

These and other situations influence your everyday life and before you know where you are you getting your first pension.

The group that was at station 18 has to go to station 29
The group that was at station 16 has to go to station 30
The group that was at station 19 has to go to station 31

Station 26

Situation: 100% free time

Your family situation is absolutely chaotic, but fortunately you have your hobbies where you can take refuge.
You also like it to go on longer journeys in your free time.

Task:

You travel to China. While having a shower cockroaches crawl over your feet.
Question: How do you react? Do you complain?
You are at the final match: Arsenal against Liverpool. The opposing soccer team wins. While you are leaving the stadium, fans of the other team behave like yobs and laugh at you.
Question: How do you react?
You are having a lot of fun with your mates. You want to go home at midnight to be with your wife. Your mates are annoyed.
Question: What are you going to do?

These and other situations influence your everyday life and before you know where you are you getting your first pension.

The group that was at station 18 has to go to station 29
The group that was at station 16 has to go to station 30
The group that was at station 19 has to go to station 31

Station 27

Situation: 50% free time 50% career

Your career is going well and your boss is very satisfied with your work
You are a party- goer and always welcome on parties
Unfortunately you neglect your family

Task:

You are having a lot of fun with your mates. You want to go home at midnight to be with your wife. Your mates are annoyed.
Question: What are you going to do?
Your wife/husband is getting jealous, because you spend more time with your mates than with your family.
Question: On one of the few evenings that you are together your wife/husband, he/she confronts you with his/her anger at your behaviour. How do you justify it?
You travel to China. While having a shower cockroaches crawl over your feet.
Question: How do you react? Do you complain?
It is January and the carol singers come to your house and sing their carols. To top it all off they want your hard-earned dosh.
Question: What are you going to do?

These and other situations influence your everyday life and before you know where you are you getting your first pension.

The group that was at station 18 has to go to station 29
The group that was at station 16 has to go to station 30
The group that was at station 19 has to go to station 31

Station 28

Situation: 100% career

You run a very successful working life and you boss is not able to do without you.
Your account is full with money that you can not spend because you have not got any free time.

Task:

Your wife/husband is getting jealous, because you spend more time with your mates than with your family.
Question: On one of the few evenings that you are together your wife/husband, he/she confronts you with his/her anger at your behaviour. How do you justify it?
It is January and the carol singers come to your house and sing their carols. To top it all off they want your hard-earned dosh.
Question: What re you going to do?
You are at a meeting in Manhattan. You meet a competitor who could endanger your workplace. There is a possibility to start a rumour what would have a positive influence on your career.
Question: What are you going to do?

These and other situations influence your everyday life and before you know where you are you getting your first pension.

The group that was at station 18 has to go to station 29
The group that was at station 16 has to go to station 30
The group that was at station 19 has to go to station 31

Station 29

Situation: Low pension

Welcome to your well-earned retirement. Long and hard years of work are behind you. You have deserved your retirement. After a while you notice that you have to take a second job because you have not enough money. It is simply a question of getting by somehow.

Task:

A: Sweep the ground with a branch. (Five minutes)
B: Sweep the stage of the community tent.

Station 30

Situation: normal pension

Welcome to your well-earned retirement. Long and hard years of work are behind you. You have deserved your retirement. You have got a lot of free time and now you can pay attention to your family and especially to your grandchildren. You like gardening as well.

Task:

A: Carve an animal figure for your grandchild. (Every member of a group has to carve an animal)
B: Plant a vegetable patch in the forest.

Station 31

Situation: A high pension

Welcome to your well-earned retirement. You career was very successful. You do not have any financial bottlenecks. You live a luxury life and you and your wife/husband want to enjoy your retirement. So you are having a party with your family and friends.

Task:

A: Design a poster with the slogan “Welcome to our party” (you could use those posters for the party at the end of this evening)
B: Mix a cocktail.

Go to the next and last stations of your life: next and last stations