Philosophy of Games
The games we start with aren’t competitive. They could be, if we wished, but not yet. To establish the play community we can’t separate people into winners and losers. We can’t begin with something that’s going to divide us or measure us against each other. We begin the play community by embracing each other, by giving each person the opportunity to experience herself as a full and equal member.
Why Active Games?
Games should be as active as possible, for fitness and fun.
There is a growing concern around the world that children are not very physically active. It is recommended that children aged five to 17 years old get 60 minutes of physical activity every day and limit screen time (TV, computers) to less than two hours per day (Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines 2009a). But based on the Active Healthy Kids Report Card (2014) only 7% of Canadian children get enough physical activity per week! Girl Guides is a place where girls can be active in a fun and safe environment. Even 10 minutes of an active game at a meeting can help add up towards their daily physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior! Guiding is also a place where girls can be introduced to new games and sports that they have not tried before. They can enjoy these activities with friends, which leads to a positive experience and motivation to play again! The very minimum requirements of an active game are that the girls are standing up and moving their bodies. The more action, the more fun! So let’s get girls moving at every unit meeting with fun, active games and activities!
The games selected for this booklet come from years of experience working with girls of all ages. We have selected games that worked well and got the girls moving and having fun. We hope you will try these with your unit! The game cards can be cut out and placed on a ring, so the girls can select and lead their own games in the group.
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