VALUE GAMES FOR PLAYFUL PRANKSTERS

“Life is, full of snakes and ladders. Sometimes you go up and sometimes you come down, but your goal is to reach 100 - divinity. To do that you have to face both snakes and ladders, at the same time you have your set of dice in the hands of God. He will take you across in a boat.” Baba

1. “Value Reflections”

Value Inculcated: Awareness about nature and values

Materials Required: Chits, papers and pens.

Preparatory efforts: Names of various animal, birds or insects must be written on the chits.

Game: Each child can pick up one chit and say what is the good quality possessed

by that animal or bird. Otherwise all the children can be asked to write the

value associated with each of the following:

Cow, Lotus, Earth, Sun, Crane, Owl, Deer, Elephant, Dog, Bee, Ox, Crow.

Award:

The winner is the one who has written all the answers correctly.

2. “Post Box”

Value Inculcated: Knowledge about different religions

Materials Required: Cards of different religions and 5 or 6 soap boxes, a wooden board

Preparatory efforts: Different cards with information about major religions are made or

collected. eg. Name of the religion, founder, holy book, festivals, teachings,

holy places, important places of worship etc. On one board 5 or 6 boxes

(empty soap boxes may be used) with different symbols of respective

religions are stuck as if they are post boxes.

Game: Children can be divided into 2 or 3 groups. All the cards must be shuffled

and given to one group. They should be allowed 2 to 3 min. to think

depending on the number of cards. The children of that group must post

the cards in the proper boxes. After the given time it must be checked

whether they have posted the cards correctly and marks can be awarded

for each correct posting.

Rules/Award: All the groups can try one after another. Then the group with maximum

marks will be the winner.

Extra Shots: One box with Prashanti emblem – essence of all religions can also be kept.

The children will post the cards having festivals celebrated at Puttaparthi

(Easwaramma day, Shivarathri, Aashadi Ekadasi etc.)

3. “Young Juries” Value Inculcated: Value of Discrimination Materials Required / Preparatory efforts: None

Game: Children sit in a circle. One child stands in the middle and acts as if he is

doing a wrong action, like spitting on the road or writing on the wall. He can

even use words, if necessary. The other children have one minute to give

one good reason as to why he should not do what he is doing.

Rules/Award: The child who gives the best answer then stands in the centre.

If no good reason is given by the children in the circle, then the child in

the centre gets an extra turn. The teacher acts as a judge.

4. “Palm Game”

Value Inculcated: Self-esteem, seeing good in others

Materials Required: A piece of paper and a pencil for each child

Preparatory efforts: None

Game: Children sit in a circle. Each child can write his name and draw the outline

of his palm on a piece of paper and pass it on to the next person. That child

should write something positive about the owner of the palm and pass the

paper to the next child. Each child will write something good about every

other child in the class. At the end, the matter written on each palm can

be read out.

5. “Help Ever”

Value Inculcated: righteous Action - Service Materials Required: Cards

Preparatory Efforts: Character cards and action cards as shown below must be made.

Examples:

Character cards (corresponding) Action Cards

1. A blind person crossing the street. 1. Helping a blind

person to cross the

street

2. An old lady carrying heavy shopping bags 2. Helping an old lady

by carrying her heavy

shopping bags.

3. A child who has lost his way. 3. Helping the child

who has lost his way.

Game: The class must be divided into two teams.

Team A portrays the people who are in need.

Team B portrays the helpers.

Each member of Team A should take a character card and mime the person

depicted in the card.

Each member of Team B should take an action card and try to find the

corresponding person in Team A who needs his help.

Once the pairs have been found, they should perform the required action.

Then the teams can swap over, so that Team A portrays the needy people

and Team B the helpers.

6. God’s Own Reason

Value Inculcated: Appreciating God’s creation

Materials Required: Chits

Preparatory efforts: Names of various things created by God are written on the chits.

Game: One student must pick out a chit. Let him/her see it. It can be a leaf,

moon, star, apple, stone, tree etc.

Then he should think and say one reason why God has created this. 4

children can give 4 reasons.

Rules/Award The child who gives the most appropriate reason is the winner. Every child

should be given a chance to pick a chit.

7. “Match the Morals”

Value Inculcated: Understanding and Memory

Materials Required: None

Preparatory efforts: The teacher should be ready with the titles of a number of stories

narrated in the class. Eg. The thirsty crow Try, try and you will succeed

The ant and the grasshopper Hard work pays.

Ekalvya’s story Guru Bhakti

The boatman and the pundit Practical knowledge is important

Arjuna and the bird Concentration

Game: This is a like a quiz. But here the teacher should give only the title of the

story as the question. The children should give the moral of the story

immediately as the answer. The teacher should pick up stories which are

quite common and stories which have been told in the class. Even pictures

of stories can be shown and the moral asked.

8. Ceiling on Desires

Value Inculcated: Habit of saving

Materials Required: None

Preparatory efforts:

The teacher should make a crossword game and make multiple copies also.

(Crossword puzzle making programs are available on the internet. Pl.

download one and make a crossword with the clues given below)

Clues such as the following are given.

Across

1 Conserve

2 Baba says, “Time waste is ---- -------

5 An old saying: “ A -------------- in time saves nine”

7 An old saying: “ A penny saved is a penny ----------“

8 A place where money is kept

9 Strong desire for more than what a person needs

11 If I get up on time, I don’t have to

12 To use or spend without real need.

13 A gift to the needy.

Down

1 Help for those in need.

2 Waste not , ---- not

4 Willing to give or share

6 Keep from being wasted.

10 Careful management of one’s money.

Word List (Optional)

Bank Life Waste

Conserve Save

Donation Service

Earned Squander

Generous Stitch

Greed Thrift

Hurry Want

Game: The children should each take a copy of the crossword sheet. They can

also work in groups and try to solve the crossword puzzle.

Award: The first child to complete the puzzle is the winner.

9. “Pat for Patriotism”

Value Inculcated: Patriotism Materials Required: Cards and pictures of leaders.

Preparatory efforts: Eg: Sentences in column A can be written in separate cards. The pictures of

leaders in column B must be collected.

A B Swaraj is my birthright Rani Laksmi Bai

INA – Indian National Army Jawaharlal Nehru

The great uprising of 1857 Mahatma Gandhi

Do or die Lokmanya Tilak

Children’s Day Subhash Chandra Bose

Game: Children can be given the pictures and the sentence cards. They should

match the sentence cards with the pictures.

Extra Shot The teacher can prepare various sets of cards like, names of States and

the corresponding languages spoken, or the names of the festivals and

religions. The following set also can be given for matching.

1. Mosque Sikh

2. Temple Christian

3. Gurudwara Parsis

4. Church Jew

5. Agyari Hindu

6. Synagogue Muslim

Children can be asked to match books with their authors

Ramayana Jnaneshwar

Mahabharat Jawaharlal Nehru

My experiments with truth Adi Shankara

Bhaja Govindham Gandhiji

Jnanaeswari Valmiki

Discovery of India Veda Vyaasa

The two sets of cards can be of great people of the world and their good

qualities. (Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Winston

Churchill, Vivekananda etc.)

The first set should have pictures of great men of the world and the

second set should have their corresponding qualities. The children must be

asked to identify the great men and match the right quality with each

great personality.

10. “Inner Circle - Outer Circle”

Value Inculcated: Value of Discrimination

Materials Required: None

Preparatory efforts: A few cards with good values and a few cards with bad traits.

Game: The students should stand in two circles. The children belonging to the

inner circle represent the chairs. All the cards can be shuffled and each

child in the inner circle is given a card. So each child holds either a value or

an evil trait card (not shown to the children in the outer circle). The

number of students in the outer circle can be the same or more than the

number of children in the inner circle. Music is played and the children run

in their circles. When the music stops, either one or more than one child in

the outer circle should go and catch the hand of one child in the inner

circle. Those who catch the hands of children with evil trait cards are

declared out. Again the cards are shuffled and given to the children in the

inner circle.

Teachers should remove the evil traits one by one as the game goes on.

When only values remain, the teacher should make the students realize

that only virtues can win and vices will always be out. So they should hold

on to virtues! Virtues also can be given rankings with Sacrifice as the best

virtue.

Musical Chairs (Any Value can be highlighted) Bhajans/value songs can be played and the musical chair game can be

played as usual.

The person who gets out has to sing a Bhajan /say a value story/say the

effects of bhajans on the body, mind or the surrounding etc.

Each chair can be named with a value. The child who misses that particular

chair has to tell something relating to that value.

11. “Find the Valuable words”

Value Inculcated: Awareness to values, analytical ability

Materials Required: Blackboard and chalk

Preparatory efforts: Jumbled words are written on the blackboard

Game: Children can be asked to unscramble and say one sentence about it.

C E N T A I E P T H I F A

R O F F E T S A M I T Y I Q U N E

G A S I R H N N A D E D I T O C I

G I N O V L F E L S E S L S

V I C E S R E

Ans: 1. Patience 2. Faith 3. Efforts 4. Equanimity 5.Sharing 6. Dedication

7. Loving 8. Selfless 9. Service

Extra Shot: Even the following words can be given for fun.

TOOFLLAB

KEYOCH

RCICETK

KASBETLABL

BABELALS

Ans: 1. Football 2. Hockey 3. Cricket 4. Basketball 5. Baseball

Or the following festival names:

IDIAWL ENGSHA – HHITTCAUR

KAASHR – NNDAAHB RIKAB- DID

OIHL TRIMHASCS

IPATET AMAZRN – DID

UDIGAPAWD AAAIIMSHRRTV

Ans: 1. Diwali 2. Ganesh Chaturthi 3. Raksha Bandan 4. BAKRI-IDD 5. Holi

6. Christmas 7. Pateti 8. Ramzan IDD 9. Gudipadawa 10. Mahasivarathri

12. “Chinese Whisper”

Value Inculcated: The art of communication

Materials Required: None

Preparatory efforts: (The importance of the art of listening and communicating can be

emphasized before the game with this story.)

Sumir and Kanan were two brothers aged nine and ten. Their friend invited

them to his birthday party. Sumir was feeling unwell and felt that he might

throw up so he decided not to go and Kanan went alone. There were many

other children there.

Rohan asked Kanan, “Why didn’t Sumir come?”

Kanan said, “Oh! He was feeling that he might vomit, so he decided to stay

back.”

Rohan told Manik, “Did you know that Sumir has been vomiting all day?”

Manik said to Megha, “Poor Sumir vomited something black this morning.”

Megha informed Roopa, “I heard that Sumir vomited a crow this morning!”

Roopa further said to Naveen, “I believe that Sumir vomited a crow today

and has been admitted to the hospital.”

Naveen said to Alok, “Did you know that Sumir has been hospitalized and

he may die?”

Alok walked up to Kanan and said, “Kanan, I just came to know that your

brother Sumir is going to die. Why are you here? Why aren’t you with

him?”

Kanan said, “What did you say? Sumir is going to die? I didn’t know that”.

Kanan sped home as fast as his feet could carry him. Sumir was playing

games on the computer and munching popcorn. Mother looked up in surprise

and asked, “Kanan, you are back early, what happened?” He hugged his

brother and said, “Oh, it’s nothing, mother, I just wanted to come back.”

Such is the havoc that can be created by irresponsible speech.

False tales fly like feathers!

Bhagwan Baba says,

“Before you talk; think:

Is it necessary?

Is it true?

Is it kind?

Will it hurt anyone?

Will it improve upon the silence?”

Game: This is an exercise in listening attentively and being able to say what one

has heard.

Children should be divided into pairs. One child should speak first and the

other one must listen. For just two minutes the child should tell his partner

something about which he feels concerned and why. This can be personal or

something quite outside his life but which does worry him. Now the one

who has been listening has three minutes to say what he/she understood

from what was said; something like “You have been telling me about…”

When this is done both the children should spend a minute each to tell how

he felt; whether he was able to say what he wanted and whether he was

understood. They can try to tell each other honestly what he found hard or

easy and try to discover if there was any difficulty and why it was.

13. “Picture Perfect”

Value Inculcated: Swami’s sayings. Materials Required: None Preparatory efforts:

Game: In a sheet of paper, a few sentences are given (eg. I love my home, A dog

loves bones etc. substitute love, home, dog and bone with pictures). Every

sentence is written with some blanks. By the side of the blanks, pictures

representing the words are drawn. Each sentence has to be filled up

properly by looking at the figures. Alternatively children can be given

sentences and asked to make sentences with pictures and other children

can fill up the blanks.

Eg. sentences : Less luggage, more comfort; Be a hero, not a zero

14. “Pick and talk” Value Inculcated: Knowledge of ceiling on desires, oratorical ability

Materials Required: Chits with topic names.

Preparatory efforts: The teacher has to prepare small chits with topics related to ceiling on

desires – Topics and clues such as:

1. Save money - Misuse of money is evil

2. Save time - Time waste is Life waste

3. Save your energy,. - Channelize it through good

thoughts into good words

and deeds

4. Save knowledge - Use it for the welfare of

mankind

5. Control your anger - It can ruin you.

Game: The children should be given two minutes to talk on the topic that they

pick up.

Rules/Award The teacher should judge them on the basis of both matter as well as

delivery.

15. “Pick up Three”

Value Inculcated: Good habits and manners.

Materials Required: Blackboard.

Preparatory efforts: The following statements can be written on the blackboard.

1. Avoid these three: - laziness, silence, lies, work,

flattery

2. These three are our enemies - anger, discipline, greed,

honesty, pride

3. Adhere to these three dharma - truth, self-praise, soft

speech, non-violence,

4. Keep away from these three - bad company, junk food,

jealousy, games,

Game: Of the five choices for every question, the students are asked to pick up

the three correct choices.

16. Word Search

Value Inculcated: Observation ability

Materials Required: A thick card or a blackboard to write the following para:

“Be kind and merciful. Let no one come to you without coming away better

and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your

face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile and kindness in your

greeting. In the slums, we are the lights of God’s kindness to the poor. To

children, to the poor, to all those who suffer and are lonely, give always a

happy smile – Give them not only your care, but also your heart.”

- Mother Teresa

Preparatory efforts: The puzzle can be drawn on the blackboard or on a card.

M B K I N D N E S S

H E A R T W F A C E

S T Q R H A P P Y E

U T Z C G R O A L L

F E O A I M B I P I

F R Y R V F M S O G

E H E E E S U L O H

R G O D S G S L R T

Game: The children should find 15 words from Mother Teresa’s message in this

word search puzzle.

17. Bhajan Game Value Inculcated: Knowledge of Bhajans

Materials Required / Preparatory efforts: None

Game: A normal Antakshari game with Bhajans can be played to encourage

children to learn more bhajans. Alternatively, any God’s name or some

other word can be given and the children can be asked to sing a Bhajan

with that word or name in that Bhajan. (like Shankar, Antharyami,

Kailasnatha, Chithravathi etc)

18. ‘ABC’ of Motherland

Value Inculcated: Knowledge about one’s motherland

Materials Required / Preparatory efforts: None

Game: The teacher can give a few alphabets to the children and ask them to write

the names of the following beginning with that particular letter.

A holy place or book

A famous city/state or monument

A saint or a great king

A river or a mountain

A patriot or a great son of India

A great character from the holy books

A great sportsman or musician

Any musical instrument

Any performing artist

Any language of India

Award:

Marks can be given for each correct answer. The one who scores the

highest marks is the winner.

19. “Discovery Of India”

Value Inculcated: Knowledge about one’s motherland.

Materials Required / Preparatory efforts: None

Game: This is again a quiz about the motherland. Ask the children in which city

they would be if they were watching the…

Anand Bhavan

Red Fort

Hanging Gardens

Charminar

Golden Temple

Marble Rocks

Hawa Mahal

Howrah Bridge

Answers Allahabad

New Delhi

Mumbai

Hyderabad

Amritsar

Jabalpur

Jaipur

Calcutta

20. Fairy Tales

Value Inculcated: Story knowledge, reading habits.

Materials Required: Board with the names of stories all mixed up as given below.

SNOW BEAUTY

HANSEL AND CINDRELLA

ROSE HOOD

GOLDILOCKS BABA

UGLY GRETEL

RED RIDING BEANSTALK

ALI RED

JACK AND THE DUCKINLG

SLEEPING BEAUTY Preparatory efforts: None Game:

The names of the stories are mixed up. The children have to write them

correctly.

Ans: Snow white

Hansel and Gretel

Cinderella

Rose Red

Goldilocks

Ugly Duckling

Red Riding Hood

Ali Baba

Sleeping Beauty

Jack and the Beanstalk

21. “Life’s Golden Rule” Value Inculcated: Awareness of values

Materials Required: Blackboard

Preparatory Efforts On the board the letters and their corresponding values must be written

as shown below:

B – 2 C – 4 E – 6 H – 8

I – 10 L – 12 N – 14 O – 16

P – 18 S – 20 T – 22 Y – 24

Also a paper with 5 boxes drawn on it, as shown below must be provided to

each group of children.

8 16 14 6 20 22 24

10 20

18 16 12 10 4 24

Game: Children can be divided into groups. Each group should be given a sheet

with the 5 boxes drawn on it. The children should look at the blackboard

with the letters and values. They should then fill up the boxes with the

corresponding letter depending on the value written in the box. They then

get a good message.

Rules/Award: The group which gets the message first is the winner.

Extra Shots: Swami’s quotes can be taught using this game.

22. Find the Shloka

Value Inculcated: Knowledge of prayers.

22 8 6

2 6 20 22

Materials Required: Small cards

Preparatory Efforts: In each card meaning of one shloka can be written.

(eg: To protect the good and to destroy the wicked and to establish

Dharma I incarnate in every yuga)

Game: All the cards can be shuffled.

The children are supposed to pick one card each. They should read the

meaning given in the card and say the corresponding shloka / prayer.

Rules /Award: All children who say correctly are winners.

Extra Shots: The last line / or some middle line of the shloka/prayer can be given and

children can be asked to recite the shloka. Alternatively, the shloka can be

given and the meaning can be asked.

23. Name These Famous Sites

Value Inculcated: General Knowledge.

Materials Required: None.

Preparatory Efforts

Questions like the following ones can be written on different cards.

1. Situated in Palestine, birthplace of Jesus Christ

2. Official Residence of the British Prime Minister

3. Famous Sikh Temple at Amritsar constructed by Guru Ramdas

4. Wall in China, 1400 miles long.

5. A Japanese town, first atom bomb dropped here

6. Capital of Rajastan; Pink City of India

7. Situated in South India, Vivekananda rock memorial built here

8. Official residence of the President of U.S.A. in Washington

9. Mausoleum built by Shahjehan in memory of his wife Mumtaz

10. Birthplace of Gandhiji

Game:

Each child picks a card and reads the question loudly and also tries to

answer it. Scores can be kept to see who the winner is.

Award: The child with the highest score is the winner.

Ans: Bethlehem 10, Downing Street

Golden Temple Great Wall of China

Hiroshima Jaipur

Kanyakumari White House

Taj Mahal Porbandar

24. “Table Quiz”

Value Inculcated: Fun and Joy

Materials Required: Quiz on a sheet of paper

Preparatory Efforts: None

Game: This is played like any regular quiz game. 1. A “table” in which a horse lives. Stable

2. A “table” which can be eaten. Vegetable

3. A “table” which can be carried. Portable

4. A “table” which can be drunk. Potable

5. A “table” which can give you comfort. Comfortable

6. A “table” which can be printed Printable

7. A “table” which can give you extra money. Profitable

8. A “table” which you can adjust. Adjustable

9. A “table” which you can count. Countable

10. A “table” referring to a person giving a lot of charity. Charitable

Extra Shots In the table below, the ones in the left column have ended up in others’

homes. Lead them to their “Home, sweet Home”

Soldiers Caravan

Red Indians Barracks

Nuns Hospital

King Wigwam

Orphans Convent

Sick Orphanage

Gypsies Palace

Monks Shikaras

Eskimos Igloo

Kashmiris Monastery

Ans: Soldiers - Barracks

Red Indians - Wigwams

Nuns - Convent

King - Place

Orphans - Orphanage

Sick - Hospital

Gypsies - Caravan

Monk - Monastery

Eskimos - Igloo

Kashmiris - Shikaras

25. “ Who are they?”

Value Inculcated: Knowledge about people’s professions

Materials Required: The chart above on a cardboard / blackboard

Preparatory Efforts: None

Game: The chart is shown to the children. They should find out what work the

people in the different parts of the circle do.

Ans: An Author is a person who writes books.

An ambassador is a person who represents his country abroad.

An architect is a person who designs buildings.

A chef is a person who prepares meals in a hotel.

A Chemist sells medicines.

A dramatist writes dramas.

A Principal is a person who is the head of the school.

A graduate is a person who completes B.A. or B.Com

26. “Title shows the Leader”

Value Inculcated: Knowledge about the great leaders of India

Materials Required: Names written on cardboard/ blackboard

Preparatory Efforts: None

Game:

The following names are written on the blackboard. Children should find

out the titles given to the various leaders and why.

Bapu

Nigtingale of India

Gurudev

Chacha

Flying Sikh

Lady With the Lamp

Lokmanya

Iron Man of India

Netaji

Ans:

Bapu Mahatma Gandhi

Nightingale of India Sarojini Naidu

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore

Chacha Jawaharlal Nehru

Flying Sikh Milka singh

Lady with the Lamp Florence Nightingale

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Iron man of India Vallabhai Patel

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

11. Find the “Finders”

Value Inculcated: Good Knowledge

Materials Required: Both columns written on board

Preparatory Efforts: None

Game: Famous Inventors & Discoverers and their Inventions & Discoveries are

given all mixed up. Can you sort out the mix up and find out who discovered

what?

1. India Wright Brothers

2. Pencillin James Watt

3. Ink Edison

4. Television Fahrenheit

5. Thermometer Vasco-da-Gama

6. Aeroplane J.L. Baird

7. Telephone Alexander Fleming

8. Steam Engine Waterman

9. Electric bulb Alexander Graham Bell

Answers 1. Vasco-Da-Gama

2. Alexander Fleming

3. Waterman

4. J.L.Baird

5. Fahrenheit

6. Wright brothers

7. Graham Bell

8. James Watt

9. Edison

27. “Characters of Ramayana”

Value Inculcated: Knowledge about the great epic Ramayana

Materials Required: questions on the paper/cardboard/blackboard

Preparatory Efforts: Children should be told the story of Ramayana

Game: The children should be able to identify the characters from Ramayan with

the following clues that are given:

The hunchback maid (Mandara)

Pious Boatman (Guha)

Eagle who foulght vehemently (Jatayu)

Two monkey rulers who fought against each other (Vali and Sugreeva)

Pious brother of Ravan (Vibeeshan)

Medicinal Herb that restores life (Sanjeevini)

Forest where Sita was in captivity (Ashoka Van)

Golden Deer (Maareecha)

28. Musical Concentration Children have to be divided into pairs. Each child of the pair has to face

the other child and start singing a Bhajan simultaneously. They should

not close their eyes or ears. It requires good concentration to sing like

this.

29. What’s My Line? The children sit in a circle.

One player leaves the room,

While she is away the others decide what she should be when she returns.

If they decide on a musician, for example, they call her back and she has

to ask each player in turn what she has to buy for herself.

One will say guitar, another a microphone and so on. If the "guesser" goes

all the way around the circle without guessing what she is, then she must

go out again. Then the players will choose something else.

This game is very easy to adapt for different age groups, interests, and

themes.