It’s Not Fair!!! “Somebody call the Waaahmbulance!!!”
Main Point: Life’s not fair. We know this, but how do we deal with it when we’re on the receiving end of the unfairness? This discussion opener helps you and your students explore just that. (The “Waaahmbulance” quote is taken from Disney’s, The Kid.)
Attention Grabber: Play a game in which there is a clear winner. Below are a few ideas, but click here for a near exhaustive list on our web page.
- 40-Inch Dash
Give 3 kids a 40-inch piece of string with a marshmallow tied to one end of it. On a signal, each person puts the loose end of the string in his mouth and “eats” his way to the marshmallow. The first person to reach it is the winner.
- Balloon Squash
Kind of like Balloon Pop Relay, but not!
A race to see who can break more balloons in a given time by sitting on them. Bring 2-4 kids up front with a leader behind each chair to place the balloons (from a bag or other container). Only make the last one a water balloon.
- Toe Fencing
All the players pair off, lock hands, and try to tap the top of one of their partner’s feet with their own feet. In other words, one player tries to step on the other player’s foot while their hands are clasped. Of course, since players are also trying to avoid having their feet stepped on, they are all hopping around the floor in a frantic dance. When a player has had his foot tapped three times, he is out of the game, and the winning partner challenges another winner. The game continues until only one person is left (or until the music runs out).
Wrap Up: Have a winner’s prize and, without telling anyone at first, a loser’s prize. Make sure there’s an obvious difference in value between the two. For example: award the winner a candy bar, award the last place loser a big bag of candy; winner, a can of pop; loser, a 12-pack of pop. When the game is over, casually congratulate the winner and hand them their prize. Then, make a production out of awarding the last place loser their prize. Play BIG music (like at the beginning of a basketball game when the starting line-up is introduced), dim the lights with only a strobe or spotlight on the loser, if possible. Flash his or her name up on the screen, if you have that capability.
