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How can we make a skill such as self-control tangible? One fun way is by playing an experiential game such as the bubbles challenge.
BUBBLES CHALLENGE
Objective:
Children will experience how to use self-control in order to resist temptations.
Materials Needed: One bottle of bubbles
How to Play:
- Ask the children to stand so that they
are facing a specific spot. You might want to give younger children
an object that they can focus on in order to help them concentrate,
such as a clock on the wall, a painting, or a piece of furniture.
- Go down the row and stand next to children
and blow bubbles while the children stand perfectly still and stare
straight ahead. The challenge of the game is for the children to remain
completely still and continue to stare straight ahead while the bubbles
fall around them.
- Tell the children what a great job they
are doing using their self-control. Remind them that it’s okay
to make a mistake as long as they try their best and learn from their
mistakes.
- Talk with the children about how even
though they might be tempted to break the bubbles, they need to use
their self-control not to pop them.
- Ask the children to blow bubbles in
front of you. Not only will this show them that you need to use self-control
to avoid temptation like they do, but it will also give them another
opportunity to use their self-control while they blow the bubbles.
Further Suggestion:
- To further challenge children to use
their self-control, ask them to pop a certain amount of bubbles. First
have them use their self-control to pop only one bubble. Then ask them
to use their self-control only to pop two bubbles or three bubbles.
After playing the game, discuss the
following:
- Discuss with the children how the bubbles
can represent dangerous things that they need to resist, like guns,
drugs, and alcohol.
- Ask children to name some other times
they have used self-control to resist temptations.
- Have a discussion with your child about
times you both have or have not used your self-control. How did using
your self-control help you? What can you learn from the mistake of not
using your self-control?
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