(#21 - #28) Rules and Behaviors
50 Fun Things to Take Game-Playing to New Levels!
I have known Sara and her husband Dave, the co-founders of Anrias Games for several years. Most recently, we have done some collaborations between Anrias Games and 50 Fun Things®, a movement I created to foster fulfillment, joy and connection.
Earlier this year, I hosted an interactive 50 Fun Things® session where we brainstormed ideas for inviting more play into our lives. A big part of this discussion centered on playing games. I picked out 50 ideas to improve or add novelty to your gaming experience. As a guest contributor to the Anrias Games' blog, I'll share these ideas with you. I hope these ideas will give you even more appreciation for games.
Games get us to think strategically and creatively. They open up our imaginations and teach us new skills. They inspire our collaborative team-spirit while also fueling our competitive side. I've broken them down into ten categories that align with how we approach game-playing. In the last post, I started with the categories of Introduction, Environment, Goal and Contents. In this post, I’ll share the next categories of Rules and Behaviors. I’ll share the remaining ideas in the next posts. Here are ideas 21-28:
Rules: (The instructions of how to play the game.)
21. Try changing to rules for an old game. (Just be sure to clearly communicate the alternative rules ahead of time and get buy-in. Not everyone thinks it is fun to change the rules to their favorite game.)
22. Research the history of a game and learn if the rules have changed over the years.
23. Try out scavenger hunts called Puzzling Adventures for different geographic locations. You also learn the history of the city this way.
24. Learn a new game with its own rules.
Behaviors: (How the players would behave during the game. For example:
In charades a player behaves very differently than in a game of chess.)
25. Let yourself get the giggles when you play.
26. Try out an alter ego as you play. How would your avatar play? Would they be more daring? What would they do differently?
27. Look for different games to try at garage sales.
28. Try playing games that aren't in the usual genre that you select. Expand your horizons!
Research shows that play supports our well-being, reduces stress, increases our brain function, skill-building, sense of connection and much more. Why not get creative and intentional with how you incorporate games into your life?
Which ideas will you use? Please share your ideas as a comment to the blog.
Coming in the next blog post to take your game playing to new levels: The Play and Create.
Teresa Thomas is a speaker, facilitator and author whose focus is on catalyzing mutually beneficial connections for joy and fulfillment personally and professionally. She is the creator of 50 Fun Things®, a movement and tool which motivates people to dream and take action to live joy-filled lives.
What’s new at 50 Fun Things®:
The 50 Fun Things audience and alumni group is growing. If your group would like to book Teresa for an online or in-person 50 Fun Things experience, please be in touch!
