1. The Effect Of Games On Children
Play gives children an opportunity to learn and test their competency. But it can also have negative consequences if the game is so designed that only the brightest and best achieve. Children evaluate their sense of self and their feelings of worth by comparing their achievements to the achievements of others. Try to avoid games that create in children a feeling of insecurity about their competence. Use games that leave children feeling competent about their abilities.

2. Teaching Children How To Play
We may have heard the saying often, "It is not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" but trying to recapture this attitude is difficult in an age where "winning is everything." Restoring a playful attitude in a youth group can be reached. Here are some guidelines:

A. Be Patient With Children
Children have forgotten how to have fun playing games, because of (1) The effort to maintain a cool image which leads to aloofness; (2) A preoccupation with winning which destroys the joy of play; (3) An fear of embarrassed which causes withdrawal from play; and (4) A spectator mentality based on inferiority. Being patient with children as you give them many opportunities to play games will help them to gradually break through the hindrances. As a generation that are better spectators than participants we must learn to become involved in play again.

B. Children Watch The Leaders
A new attitude to play will more likely be caught than taught. If the leaders of the group do not get fully involved in the games the children will stay uninvolved. If the leaders push children to win, the games will become tense and competitive. Leaders can do a great deal of good by encouraging children to play and checking any wrong attitudes or actions during play.

C. Encourage Healthy Competition
Play must involve competition that challenges the skill of all the players, not just those of the sporty types. Choose games that require thinking as well as reacting, subjective and objective responses, agility and raw speed. Games that offer all the participants an equal chance to win allow everyone to have fun and not just the winners. The competition is healthy when children forget about the score, and see winning as irrelevant or anti-climactic.

D. Explain Games Clearly And Quickly
Before you introduce a new game make sure that you have everyone's attention. Never shout instruction above the noise of an inattentive group. Give everyone an invitation to play that will draw support. This can be done by giving the assurance that the game will be fun and it will build them up. Then explain and demonstrate the game so that all can see clearly what it is all about. Tell them the name and show your own excitement about playing. Lead children in a practise round before starting. A trial run will build trust in the play process. Do not make the game too serious by getting mad with the child who has not got the rules. Always divide the teams up before the game is explained so that you can move from the explanation straight into the game.

E. Games Must Build Self-Esteem
Avoid the traditional game that ends with a winner (at the top) and losers (at the bottom). Structure the winning and the losing around team efforts and present prizes to the whole team. When the individuals begin to learn a new attitude to winning they will be able to apply it when they play traditional competitive games.

A. Determine Your Purpose
We play games with children for many reasons: they are fun, to get acquainted, to burn off energy, to practise co-operation, or to teach a truth. Playing a game can achieve all of these but you need to know specifically what you are trying to achieve.

B. Involve All The Children
Choose games that are inclusive and not exclusive. Remember the needs of all the children and not just the popular, sporty types. Give each child a chance to be "It" or to take a key role in the game.

C. Be Aware Of Age Differences
Most games have an age-appropriateness that needs to be kept in mind. Trying to get high school youth to play a game for children will fail dismally. Try to choose games that are suited to the age of the group.

D. Be Prepared For The Game
Most games require prior preparation of equipment and the area, so ensure that everything is ready before the game is introduced. Do not be afraid of games that require extra preparation. The time and effort will be greatly rewarded.

E. Watch out for Group Size
Some games can take big teams while others are hindered by too many players. Break a larger group into smaller groups. Rotating groups between different games will keep the interest alive.

F. Go Easy On Food Games
Games that require food should not be played unless the food is going to be eaten. Playing games with eggs that will be broken and thrown away gives children the wrong message in a world where people would gladly eat what is being thrown out.

4. Choosing Teams For Play
The choosing of teams is often the place where self-esteem is destroyed in children. The worst method is to select two captains who take turns picking their favourites. It is generally the popular and sporty types who are chosen first and the ultimate killer comes when near the end of the selection a team leader says, "We'll take these two and you can take those three, that should be fair."

Creative and Positive Ways to Choose Teams:
* Numbering - Go around the group numbering the players: 1, 2 for two teams
* Birthdays - Divide people according to the month in which they were born
* Schools - Divide youth into the different schools they represent
* Names - Divide according to the first letter of names, ie. A-L and M-Z
* Hair Colour - Hair, eye or sock colours can be used to divide youth

5. Choosing The Play Area
Choosing a suitable place for the game is as important as choosing the right game. Safety is the most important consideration. Clear away rocks or glass before allowing playing. An indoor area needs to be kept away from stairways, windows and furniture. Suitability is also important - a game designed for a large outdoor area may not be suitable to a small youth room. Each game will have an appropriate area that must be found and used. Flexibility is crucial. If you plan to play an outdoor game you need to be prepared for a thunder shower, possibly by being able to adapt the game to an indoor venue or having an alternate game in mind.

6. Playing The Game
The role of the leader is just beginning when the game starts. They should observe carefully to make sure that everyone is getting into the game and obeying the rules. Do not insist on absolute perfection or precision in following the rules as an overemphasis on the rules will kill the game. Use a "Smooth Sam" to help the game run smoothly and simply. Don't appoint a "Textbook Tom" who tries to impress everyone with his knowledge of the game but ends up killing it.

7. Ending The Game
Keep an eye on the players and check whether interest is dropping. As soon as there are signals that the game is going downhill end the game. This can be done by announcing, "one more minute to play" or "last round," etc. Don't tell children ahead of time how long the game will last. Leave it open ended and there will be greater interest. Also end a game when one team is slaughtering the other. Re-pick the teams or move on to another game. If the game was designed to teach a truth, then give a brief summary of what was learnt by referring to incidents and people involved in the action. Make the teaching a fun experience with laughter and memories of the lighter sides of the game. Lead on into the next activity with an appropriate transition. Remember that the goal of playing games should be to produce co-operative community. After a game is over, player should be better friends than when the game started. Co-operating in a game does not mean that we do not compete; it simply means that we never allow the competition to get in the way of our relationship with everyone else in the team.