27 REASONS TO PLAY THE UNGAME

· Invites people to spend QUALITY TIME with each other.

· Improves LISTENING SKILLS as attention is focused on each player.

· Helps people CONNECT as they discover things in common.

· Promotes FAIRNESS so that even the shy person has a chance to speak.

· Gives permission to EXPRESS feelings, ideas, and beliefs.

· Creates a SAFE PLACE for honesty because players refrain from criticizing or commenting.

· Encourages SELF DISCOVERY as players ponder a variety of topics.

· Offers an opportunity for SELF EXPRESSION since all questions pertain to you.

· Enhances SELF ESTEEM as players experience respect and acceptance.

· Fosters UNDERSTANDING as players listen to another’s point of view.

· Introduces more than 150 TOPICS unlikely to come up in ordinary conversation.

· Discourages CRITICISM, SARCASM, and JUDGMENTS that often thwart good
communication.

· Eliminates COMPETITION so everyone feels like a WINNER.

· Creates a LOVING, CARING environment.

· Stimulates CREATIVITY and IMAGINATION.

· Provides HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT and MEANINGFUL MOMENTS.

· It’s ENLIGHTENING, INFORMATIVE, SURPRISING, BONDING, and HEALING

50+ CREATIVE WAYS TO USE THE UNGAME

1. Put the Ungame cards in a basket or bowl on the coffee table and invite visitors to pick a card.

2. Keep Ungame cards in a fishbowl on the kitchen counter where family members can draw a card each time they meet.

3. Place an Ungame card under the plates on the table at mealtime.

4. Slip an Ungame card under placemats at a family gathering or party and invite people to take turns sharing after the meal.

5. Scatter cards on a table (question-side up) and cover with a clear plastic tablecloth.

6. Put a deck of Ungame cards in a cup and pass it around at your committee meeting saying, The only one who can speak is the one holding the cup.

7. Play the Ungame trying to answer for another player to see how well you know him/her.

8. Play the Ungame as though you are a group of 9 year olds (or teens, or 90 year olds)

9. Use one question card a day as a journal topic, writing on that subject.

10. Enclose an Ungame card in a letter to a friend and invite him/her to share his/her answer in the next letter.

11. Give your answer to a question before reading it aloud and see if the other players can guess the question.

12. Take notes while playing so you’ll have ideas on the Question/Comment turns.

13. Use Question/Comment turns to compliment, encourage, or affirm another player.

14. Say a prayer for another player when you land on (or draw) a Question/Comment.

15  Play the game answering questions the way you think Jesus would.

16. Give 2 answers to each question, your 6-year-old answer and your current answer.

17. Play the Ungame answering the way you think your mother (or father) would.

18. Leave the board game on a coffee table all the time, letting family members know they can suggest playing every time there’s something that needs to be shared.

19. Choose an Ungame question, suggesting everyone think about it all day and share at  bedtime.

20. Create greeting cards for friends by gluing appropriate Ungame question cards on the cover and writing your answers on the inside.

21.  As people arrive at a social gathering, tape an Ungame card on their back and challenge them to guess the question by hearing friends give their answers.

22. Let everyone in the group give his/her answer to the same question, not to discuss but to marvel at the uniqueness of each person’s response.

23. Bring family members closer by getting out the Ungame during holiday gatherings.

24. At birthday parties, let the birthday boy/girl be in the limelight as they answer 3 or 4 questions with everyone listening.

25. Introduce the Ungame to a group of singles and watch the conversations go from chitchat to important issues.

26. Start your next committee meeting with a round of Ungame questions and notice how the business portion goes more smoothly.

27. Use in church related groups (youth, singles, couples, intergenerational, seniors) to invite  people to share their faith, beliefs and needs in an atmosphere of love.

28. Video a group playing the Ungame and view it a year later.

29.  Take a deck of Ungame cards with you when you visit someone who is in the hospital, convalescent home, or jail.

30 Video an Ungame session with an elderly person and give it to their grandchildren.

31. Video a family playing the Ungame and send it to someone who lives far away.

32. Take a Pocket version of the Ungame in the car (or bus, plane) to play while traveling.

33. Invite the quietest or youngest member of the family or group to create original questions to write on the blank cards that come in every Ungame.

34. Using the blank cards, customize your Ungame be composing questions that apply to your group or organization (Girl Scouts, School class, Singles group)

TEACHERS
1. Let students draw an Ungame card to use as a creative writing topic. Stress there’s no
competition and no comparison.

2. As a reward for completed work, let students gather in a corner to play the Ungame.

3. Have an Ungame near the office for students who are waiting to see the principal.

4. Play the game with students and model responding honestly to questions and also demonstrate how the Question/Comment turns can be used to compliment, apologize or praise someone.

5. Using a timer, students can use Ungame cards as impromptu speech topics.

6. Choose a subject for a group discussion, making sure no one criticizes.

7. The Ungame can be used in speech therapy or to develop reading skills.

8. Suggest that students role play as they give their answers. (answering as the President, someone in the news, a child living in a third world country, or…)

COUNSELORS
1. Gain insight into behavior or attitudinal problems by listening to player’s responses.

2. Select 4-6 cards that correspond to the problem someone is having (guilt, loss, fear

3. Let the Ungame ask the questions that might be intimidating coming from a professional.

4. Send an Ungame home with the assignment that the family plays it together.

5. Place several Ungames in the library so a person could check them out for use.

6. Use in marital or family counseling. Ask members to report on their experience.

7. Play the Ungame one-to-one with someone who needs to talk or is troubled.

8. Lead a communication workshop, putting people into small groups Decide who will go first in each group. Read a question and allow 1 minute to respond,  reminding the others in the small group to remain silent. Ring a bell and read a new question for all the players to the left to take a turn, etc.