ICEBREAKERS AND ENERGISERS
- The Icebreakers Pocketbook
Alan Evans, Paul Tizzard
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Review: At last - a clear guide to communication without
the gimmick.
This book has become an invaluable guide in our training department,
where we were having to take a "one size fits all" approach to dealing
with individuals with diverse needs due to the cost of sending our team
on expensive networking and communications training - none of which
covered the broad range of issues we needed. Tizzard's style is
refreshingly staighforward and non-jargonistic, without being
patronising. The layout lent itself well to my flick and find method of
researching (hurrah) and has obviously been written by a seasoned
practitioner as well as intelligent theoretician. (from a reviewer at
Amazon.co.uk)
Review: No quicker way of bringing a spark to your training sessions.
When designing your training sessions one of the keys to success is
hooking in your delegates straight away. This pocketbook may be small,
but is crammed with excellent ideas on how to grab the group and set
the scene.
Unlike other icebreaker books I've seen, the authors of this one have
gone one step further and grouped them under common course headings. So
under "Communication" there are 10 activities for you to choose from!
(from another reviewer at Amazon.co.uk)
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- The
Big Book of Icebreakers:
50 Quick, Fun Activities for Energizing Meetings and Workshops
Edie West
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Synopsis:
This collection of 50 icebreakers is specifically organized around
common business situations and is designed to help leaders start every
session, meeting, speech or workshop with a burst of energy and fun. It
includes icebreakers for the following categories: complete strangers;
introducing a topic; groups over 20; outdoor settings; self-disclosure;
team building; and more.
Learn
more about The Big Book of Icebreakers at Amazon.co.uk
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- The
Big Book of Motivation Games:
Quick, Fun Ways to Get People Energized
Robert Epstein, Jessica Rogers
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Synopsis:
A collection of over 40 motivational games and exercises designed for
use in any organization. The games are based on a "competencies"
approach to teaching motivational skills, the principle behind them
being "skill, not will". They can be used to motivate the individual or
the whole team. Topics include: games to overcome procrastination;
games for when your energy is low; games to help you achieve personal
or team goals; games for inspiring peak performance; games for
salespeople; games to motivate chronic underperforming employees; and
games to help you overcome anxiety and the fear of failure.
(amazon.co.uk)
See
more details at Amazon.co.uk
See
these critical reviews at amazon.com
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- Big
Book of Business Games:
Icebreakers, Creativity Exercises and Meeting Energizers
John Newstrom, Edward Scannell
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Synopsis:
For this book, the authors have selected the best games from the "Games
Trainers Play" series and adapted them for any business professional.
There are 75 games and activities to choose from, each designed to be
fast and fun and to stimulate discussion. (amazon.co.uk)
Contents:
Climate Setting, Icebreakers, and Session Openers.
Presentation Boosters.
Motivating Your Group.
Creativity and Problem-Solving.
Surfacing Hidden Problems in Your Group.
Team Building Exercises.
Managing Change: Dealing with Resistance and Getting Buy-in.
Communication, Listening and Feedback Activities.
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- The
Encyclopedia of Icebreakers:
Structured Activities That Warm-up, Motivate, Challenge, Acquaint and
Energize
Sue Forbess-Green
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Review: An indispensible tool for modern business.
... This little lifesaver will have the creative juices flowing in no
time. From established teams to one-off focus groups, you can guarantee
to get quality outputs faster and more effectively. Conveniently
indexed you can quickly match an activity with your circumstances. All
activities have clear and concise instructions ... (from a review at
Amazon.co.uk)
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- 75
Icebreakers for Great Gatherings:
Everything You Need to Bring People Together
Nan Booth
- Energizers
and Icebreakers for All Ages and Stages
Elizabeth S Foster
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One reviewer at Amazon.com disputes the 'all ages and stages' in the
title and believes it is more suited to children than to adults.
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- 201
Icebreakers
Edie West
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Synopsis:
Designed specifically for trainers, speakers and group facilitators,
this book features activities - games, quizzes, energizers and
brain-teasers - to "break the ice" at the beginning of any meeting, or
to recharge participants on the brink of boredom. The activities
require little or no preparation and most can be completed in less than
five minutes. Also included are props and hand-outs that can be
photocopied for the entire group. (Amazon.com)
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- Great
Session Openers, Closers, and Energizers:
Quick Activities for Warming Up Your Audience and Ending on a High Note
Marlene Caroselli
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Product Description:
Here's everything a speaker or trainer needs to keep the audience
awake, alert, and involved. This fun-filled collection of can't-miss
activities contains the openers, closers, and energizers you can use to
kick off each session with a bang, bring the audience back quickly
should its attention wander, and end each session on a high note. Save
hours of preparation time with these ready-made, easy-to-use activities
that enable you to reinforce the key points in your presentation, spark
active involvement from all the participants, and create an environment
in which real listening can take place. (Amazon.com)
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- The
Trainer's Toolkit:
Bringing Brain-friendly Learning to Life
Kimberley Hare, Larry Reynolds
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Synopsis:
True brain-friendly learning is not about gimmicks. It is far more than
just putting on classical music or playing games. It's a movement
rather than just a method, a movement to recover the real joy of
learning and bring sizzle and substance to your training sessions. This
resource provides a blueprint for a new generation of Accelerated
Learning methods and, at its heart, are five key principles:
- Keep it real
- Facilitate the flow
- Honour uniqueness
- Make it rich and multi-sensory
- State is everything
There is a clear explanation of the theory behind Brain-Friendly
Learning from the inside out; the concepts and learning models you'll
need to underpin your approach, along with a journey through the most
complex structure in the universe - your amazing brain. You'll discover
a concise guide to Brain-Friendly training design along with tools that
you can pick and adapt to help you create new training events or
make-over existing ones. (Amazon.co.uk)
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LESSON STARTERS
- Jump
Starters:
Quick Classroom Activities That Develop Self-Esteem, Creativity and
Cooperation
Linda Nason McElherne, Ken Vinton, Marjorie Lisovskis
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Used as a tool for teachers to start the day off right, this is a book
of brief, meaningful and enjoyable activities to cure the morning
blahs, add excitement during homeroom and end the day on a positive
note. It includes 52 themes, (one for each week), each with an
introduction, five quick activities, an inspiring quotation related to
the theme, discussion questions, an affirmation and resources. (Ingram
at Amazon.com)
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- 101
Red Hot ICT Starters
Max Begley, David Sadler
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Synopsis:
This book contains all teachers need for a snappy, interactive start to
each lesson. Each starter activity consists of a simple effective
activity involving minimal preparation, with answers and suggestions
for differentiation. This book allows teachers to: target objectives
that can be broken down into short, simple steps; introduce framework
objectives in a clear and engaging manner; and cover framework
requirements for each year group at Key Stage 3. This book can be used
alongside the QCA Scheme of Work. The starters are all stand-alone and
allow at-a-glance assessment by means of whole-class, interactive
activities that take 10-15 minutes. (Amazon.co.uk)
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- 101
Red Hot Science Starters
Natalie King, Sarah Hatton
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Synopsis
This book contains all teachers need for a snappy, interactive start to
each lesson. Each starter activity consists of a simple effective
activity involving minimal preparation, with answers and suggestions
for differentiation. This book allows teachers to: target objectives
that can be broken down into short, simple steps; introduce framework
objectives in a clear and engaging manner; and cover framework
requirements for each year group at Key Stage 3. This book can be used
alongside the QCA Scheme of Work. The starters are all stand-alone and
allow at-a-glance assessment by means of whole-class, interactive
activities that take 10-15 minutes. (Amazon.co.uk)
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- Move
It
(Accelerated Learning Series)
Alistair Smith
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Synopsis:
A book of practical physical movements to aid learning. The
proposition is that physical movement can offer reprieve, it can
link to learning, it can improve motor control and it can be fun
and memorable in itself. There is an increasing body of knowledge
that links physical movement and learning. What the best teachers
and the wisest parents have believed for years is affirmed in
this book of physical activities. The book contains over 100
activities, all fully illustrated with clear instructions on how
to develop them. Children and older learners alike should benefit
from practising them!
Alistair Smith has been described as the UK's leading trainer in
modern learning methods.
(Amazon.co.uk)
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- Improvisation
Starters:
A Collection of 900 Improvisation Situations for the Theater
Philip Bernardi
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Synopsis
Includes 900 situations for improvisation which use character conflict,
contrasts, obstacles in solo improvisation, physical positions for one
or two actors, props, the environment, and lines of dialogue.
(Amazon.co.uk)
Review at amazon.com:
The author, himself an acting teacher and play director, believes that
the key to great acting lies in the successful mastery of the art of
improvisation, which brings the intensity and spontaneity that marks a
truly memorable performance. He encourages actors to work without
scripts during some rehearsals and offers 900 improvisational
situations designed to stimulate development of character conflicts and
the use of obstacles, the environment, and simple props. This title
complements but does not duplicate the material covered in Andy
Goldberg's Improv Comedy ( LJ 3/15/92). It should serve as an excellent
teaching tool in drama classes. Recommended.
- Howard E. Miller, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Missouri Lib., St.
Louis
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Readers' reviews at amazon.com are very mixed (from one star to
five star)
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- The
Brains Behind It:
New Knowledge About the Brain and Learning
Alistair Smith
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Book Description:
If you want to know more about the brain and learning this is the
book you need. With separate sections on the development cycle of
the learning brain from conception to old age, the book sets out
separate fact from fallacy, findings from fads. Clear guidance is
given as to what helps and what hinders learning. Highly
readable, illustrated throughout and well researched, the book
will appeal to parents, educators and policy-makers. The Brain's
Behind It promises to become the definitive book on the brain and
learning.
Alistair Smith has been described as the UK's leading trainer in
modern learning methods.
(Amazon.co.uk)
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CONVERSATION STARTERS
- The
Book of Fabulous Questions:
Great Conversation Starters about Love, Sex and Other Personal Stuff
Penelope Frohart
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Review: What a fabulous way to really get to know people! Just got back
from Carnival singles cruise. There were ten people seated for dinner
and know one knew each other. Someone brought the book and started
asking questions from the book. Before dinner was over we all knew
personal, intimate things about each other. (from a review at
Amazon.co.uk)
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- How
to Start a Conversation and Make Friends
Don Gabor
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Synopsis:
This revised and updated edition offers easy time-tested ways to
improve anybody's ability to communicate in business and social
situations, either in person or in cyberspace. (Amazon.co.uk)
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- What
Do You Say After You Say Hello?
Eric Berne
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From the Back Cover:
What Do You Say After You Say Hello? explains what makes the winners
win, the losers lose, and the in-betweens so boring...
In it, Dr Eric Berne reveals how everyone's life follows a
predetermined script - a script they compose for themselves during
early childhood. The script may be a sad one, it... (Read more at
Amazon.co.uk)
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NEW GAMES & COOPERATIVE
GAMES
- Co-opetition
Adam Brandenburger, Barry Nalebuff
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Synopsis:
Defines a strategic planning method based on game theory.
a method that goes beyond the old rules of competition and cooperation
to combine the advantages of both toward a highprofit means of
leveraging business relationships. (Amazon.co.uk)
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- New Games for the Whole Family
Dale Lefevre
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Synopsis:
Describes the rules for a variety of cooperative games and briefly
describes the origins of some of the games.
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- The
New Games Book
Andrew Fluegelman (Editor), The New Games Foundation
A classic from 1976 that has inspired many imitations and developments.
More than 60 games in which 2 to 200 players can participate.
All require elements of trust and cooperation.
Second hand copies available.
See
this review at Amazon.com
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- More
New Games!
And Playful Ideas from the New Games Foundation
Andrew Fluegelman, The New Games Foundation
A classic from 1981 that has also inspired many imitations and
developments.
Describes the rules of unusual games that emphasize challenge rather
than competition.
Second hand copies available. See
this review at Amazon.com
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- Best
New Games:
77 Games and 7 Trust Activities for All Ages and Abilities
Dale N. Lefevre
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Author Dale Le Fevre is a leading authority on New Games. In many of
his workshops, traditionally adversarial groups have come together to
play and have fun: Arabs and Israelis in the Middle East; Catholics and
Protestants in Northern Ireland; mixed races in South Africa; and
Serbs, Croats, and Muslims in Croatia and Serbia. In Best New Games, Le
Fevre presents the most popular New Games (including many recently
found games) from more than 25 years of presenting.
This complete resource makes creating play sessions
effortless. You’ll find an easy-to-use Gamefinder that helps you
quickly select the ideal game for your particular situation, plus tips
to give you confidence and increase your effectiveness in leading the
games. The author’s stories of firsthand experiences demonstrate
the impact that New Games can have in building cooperation, teamwork,
and common understanding.
See
more reviews at Amazon.co.uk
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- Playfair:
Everybody's Guide to Noncompetitive Play
Matt Weinstein
Review: The haircuts may not be timeless, but the games are. The book
is well designed with well thought out connections between one activity
and the next. It's a real ''page-turner'' - not what you'd expect in a
book that is really just a collection of games. You will find these
games repackaged in more modern looking books. I prefer the original
treatment - and the current used book price makes this irrestible!
(reviewed by Roger Greenaway)
See
review at Amazon.com
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- Outrageous
Outdoor Games Book:
133 Group Projects, Games, and Activities
Bob Gregson
- Parachute
Games
Todd Strong, Dale Lefevre
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Book Description: Parachute Games is full of fun, low-cost,
high-interest activities that use a minimum of equipment and can
involve a maximum of participants of all ages and ability levels.
Parachutes are attractive—almost magnetic—objects for
children. Used in games and activities, parachutes can help improve
your participants’ level of fitness as well as their social
skills. With 60 parachute games and 120 accompanying photos, it’s
a fresh source of ideas for elementary and middle school physical
educators, recreation specialists, and classroom teachers.
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- Parachute
Games:
A Comprehensive Collection of Cooperative games played with a Parachute
Sally Olsen, Jean Parker
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Excerpt: Parachute games do not require an opponent. They are a branch
of cooperative games. They are about sharing territory together and
enjoying an activity which is only possible in a group. You can make
this point by challenging any individual to activate a parachute from
the ground single-handed! A group can do things an individual cannot.
Cooperative games aim to empower all. The possibility of democratic
participation is enhanced by the circle-shape of a parachute which
requires players to stand in a circle facing each other. Both the
circle and the nature of the activities encourage maximum awareness of
the desires and needs of each member of the group. A parachute offers
wonderful opportunities for inventive movement - there are moments when
parachute games have the magical qualities of drama or dance.
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- Everyone
Wins
Sambhava Luvmour, Josette Luvmour
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Synopsis:
This is a handbook of over 150 cooperative games and activities for
enhancing conflict resolution and communication skills and building
self-esteem. All activities have been tested and are graded according
to appropriate age level (1+ to adult), size of group, indoor or
outdoor location, and activity level, and include notes on materials
needed, special hints and variations for group leaders. (amazon.co.uk)
Book Description:
Designed to foster team cooperation rather than competitive opposition,
these games are an excellent reference for teachers, families, or any
group of people, young or old; they can even be used by adults at the
company picnic! They still do sack races, right? Why not instead try
the "Emotional Relay Race," "Strike the Pose," or "Rope Raising," in
which people seated in a circle must coordinate their efforts to all be
able to stand. Try something different, so the kids, or the department
staff, won't be able to practice ahead of time! The games are indexed
according to age level, amount of activity, group size, and location.
(amazon.com)
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- Win-Win
Games for All Ages:
Cooperative Activities for Building Social Skills
Josette Luvmour, Ba Luvmour
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Synopsis:
Everyone Wins, a Parent Choice Award-winner, has been on New Society
Publishers' best-seller list over 10 years. Now, the authors of the
original cooperative games book have developed a sequel designed to
enhance harmonious human relationships. Win-Win Games for All Ages is
all about people getting to know one another better and deepening
relationships. This exciting resource offers ways to hear values,
demonstrate skills, and express oneself in safety -- critical social
skills that will last a lifetime. Included are 40 all-new games and
activities such as: Fashion Victim; Do You Believe in Lies; and Monster
Mash. Thirteen Initiatives like 'Outer Space Decision Exercise' and
'Nuclear Waste' focus on group problem solving activities. Three
Holistic Learning Adventures explore trust-building in week-long
experiences. Risk is a central factor in learning to open oneself and
trusting others -- each type of engagement in Win-Win Games for All
Ages requires increasing risk.
For facilitators who wish to deepen a group's dynamics and cooperation,
each activity is followed by a debriefing section to help participants
discuss and understand the risks that have taken together and as
individuals.
Most of the activities are designed for groups of children, but many
can be adapted for adults as well as for all ages playing together.
This value-based game sourcebook is perfect for educators, parents, and
anyone who works with children! (amazon.co.uk)
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- Group
Exercises for Enhancing Social Skills and Self-Esteem
Sirinam S. Kahlsa
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On the front cover: "A must for any professional who works with groups
in any kind of setting." (Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the
Soul) Look
inside the book at amazon.com to see the table of contents, author
details and samples pages.
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- The
Cooperative Sports and Games Book:
Challenge Without Competition
Terry Orlick
One or two simple rule changes can make all the difference. I fail to
understand why parents continue to play elimination 'games' at
children's parties. This book is truly inclusive and illustrates
countless ways of creating success without also creating failure.
(Roger Greenaway)
Find other books by Terry Orlick on the Personal Development shelves or
take a look at The Second Cooperative Sports & Games Book -
next.
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The Second Cooperative Sports & Games Book
Terry Orlick
Synopsis:
Provides directions for more than two hundred new games based on
cooperation rather than competition, including indoor and outdoor
games, games for toddlers, and games for children and adults.
- 101
More Drama Games for Children:
New Fun and Learning with Acting and Make-Believe
Paul Rooyackers, Margreet Hofland (Illustrator), Amina Marix Evans
(Translator)
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Product Description:
Designed to help teachers and group leaders create dynamic and
supportive play environments, this book features completely different
games than the first one. These improvisational, noncompetitive games
encourage involvement and cooperation — the participants gain as
much as they contribute. By expressing themselves physically and
emotionally and by exploring a range of possibilities, players gain
self-confidence and a greater awareness of the feelings and experiences
of others. 39 black-and-white illustrations are included. (Amazon.com)
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The
Well-Played Game:
A Playful Path to Wholeness
Bernie DeKoven
“Bernie is the only person I know who not only knows about play,
but knows how to teach it. May his efforts prosper, for they help us
all.”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
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"Games are not life. They are, if anything, bigger
than life." (Bernie DeKoven)
Reviewed by Roger Greenaway: This book is worth more than any other
'games' book I have come across. By getting a more fundamental grasp of
what matters most about playing games you 'win' in at least two ways:
- You will find it easier to create (or co-create) original
games.
- You will be able to generate fun for all by
playing games 'well'.
It is not about winning and losing. It is about high quality
experiences for all - through 'healthy competition'.
Bernie DeKoven was the co-director of the New Games Foundation. He
wrote the original Well-Played Game in 1978 and brought out this
revised edition in 2002. The book (and the author) have helped to
revolutionise physical education world-wide. His message has become
increasingly relevant. It is an intelligent read without being heavy.
He interweaves examples and discussion in an engaging and persuasive
way.
"When we are playing well, we are at our best. We are fully engaged,
totally present, and yet, at the same time, we are only playing."
"What connects games with reality is that they are lifelike. What
separates them is that they are not for real. What unites them with the
totality of experience is not just their metaphorical quality but the
manner in which they are played."
If you are looking for lots of games, find another book. If you want to
enjoy or facilitate well-played games, you have just found the answer.
(Roger Greenaway)
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Junkyard
Sports:
Make sports fun again!
Bernie DeKoven
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Bernie DeKoven
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Review by Roger Greenaway: All sports started out as fun. Then they got
organised. And during their transformation into sports with rules,
competitions, prizes and professionals, much of the fun disappeared.
For those familiar with the 'Cooperative Sports' or 'New Games'
movements this is not a new message. What is new is the idea of getting
participants to design new games that they can then enjoy playing and
adapting as they go. The idea of adapting popular sports provides a
handy short cut - and appeals to the subversive in us all.
Because Junkyard Sports encourages players' own creativity, the process
described in the opening pages could lead to hundreds of new games.
Just in case they don't, you will find that most of the book is
dedicated to describing ready-made and ready-to-play games - 77 games
in all. These are called 'demonstration' games. This active initiation
into Junkyard Sports inspires participants to create and try out their
own games.
The game titles give you the flavour: Ad Hoc Golf Soccer, Everybody Has
a Ball Hockey, Goodminton, Hide-and-Seek Hockey, Musical Basketless
Basketball, Spoon Football, Wheelchair Doubles Basketball...
Roger Greenaway's review of Junkyard Sports is continued on
this page at amazon.co.uk
Also see Bernie deKoven's Well-Played Game
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