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You will find two anger management games below, from these books. The first game "Out of Control" is found in the book 104 Activities That Build:
The second game "The Board Game Challenge" is found in the book The wRECking Yard of games and activities.
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Out of Control
Many people want to control every aspect of their lives and when things feel out of control or someone else is setting the rules that they must live by, they become frustrated and angry. Some people have difficulty controlling this anger and need to learn how to accept the things in their lives that seem out of control.
Objective
For people to realize that they cannot control everything in their lives and that they must learn how to deal with things that seem out of control, rather than giving in to anger and frustration.
Who
People who become easily angered or frustrated when things don’t go the way they want them to or in their favor.
Group Size
4 to 15
Materials
- Several small prizes (any items the group members would like)
wrapped in wrapping paper
- One pair of dice
Description
Prior to the activity gather together some small prize items and wrap them. There should be at least one prize for each participant plus a few extra. Place all of the prizes on a table and gather the group around.
Instruct the group that the game will be played in two different parts (do not explain the second part until the first part is completed). In the first round of the game one person starts with a pair of dice and rolls them once. If s/he rolls a double, s/he may select a prize from the pile, unwrap it and set it on the table in front of him/her for the rest of the group to see. If a double is not rolled, the dice are passed to the next person who attempts to roll a double in order to get a prize. Everyone in the group continues to roll and pass the dice (collecting prizes for a double) until all of the prizes in the middle are gone. In the end one person may end up with two or three prizes while others may end up with nothing.
Introduce the second part of the game at this point. This half is timed (for a smaller group use about five minutes and about ten minutes for a larger group). The game is played in the same manner as it was for the first part only now instead of selecting a prize from the middle when a double is rolled, a prize may be selected from anyone else in the group. This continues until the allotted time is up. Again, some people may end up with more prizes in front of them than others.
This is a fun, high-energy activity; be prepared for the group to get a bit loud with excitement.
Discussion Prompts
1. What do you do when “the luck of the roll” does not always go your way?
2. Do you feel like you have control over your life?
3. How do you handle things when life feels out of control or unfair?
4. Does anyone feel angry about this game? If so, how have you handled this feeling?
5. What can you do when life feels unfair and things do not go your way?
Variation
- Candy bars may be used in place of prizes and do not need to be wrapped in wrapping paper but should be left in the candy bar wrapping.
The Board Game Challenge
Not every competitive game is physically active. These games can be every bit as intense and frustrating as physical games. With these activities the group gets a chance to practice its anger management in another kind of realistic situation.
Objective
For people to show good sportsmanship towards teammates and towards an opponent in a competitive situation. For people to practice using appropriate anger control skills when becoming frustrated, agitated or angry in a competitive activity.
Who
People who have difficulty controlling their anger in competitive situations.
Group Size
3 or more
Materials
Description
The idea of the game is to finish with the most money. Money is earned by accomplishing different tasks from different games. For example if you are using the game Operation, pass the game around. Give each person a turn to pick out a piece without getting buzzed to earn a set amount of money.
This type of competition may be done with many different games. Use your imagination and resources to give away money using different board games. Money creates a competitive environment that seems to bring out intense feelings. Also a prize may be offered for the one with the most money at the end to increase the incentive and make the games a bit more competitive.
Discussion Topics
Variations
