Essential Activities

All work with youth includes activities in three essential areas:

Social & Emotional Growth

Engage in personal social and emotional growth.

Critical Review

Review games and media using a critical lens.

Design

Develop project building design and technology skills.

Toolkit activities have been used in youth programs for children and youth in upper elementary, middle school, and high school. We recommend tailoring activities based on your learners with attention to their grade level. We encourage educators to utilize culturally responsive and Universal Design for Learning principles in order to meet the interests and needs of their learners.

We've listed these activities in alphabetical order and indicated the types of essentials addressed in each activity. To learn how we implement them in order, view Schedules.

Board Game Review

Learners play a range of board and card games with peers.

Community Check-In

Learners and educators share how they are feeling that day.

Community Guidelines

Learners and educators collaborate to form guidelines for treating each other during the session.

Creating Your Game Review Criteria

Learners use their gameplay experiences to help generate categories to review games.

Defining Game Fundamentals for Pitch

Learners collaborate with peers to create a game idea.

Designing Game Pitch Presentation

Learners complete their final project with peers or individually.

Game Evaluation

Learners review games based on categories used by game developers.

Game Sprints

Learners work with peers to quickly produce game ideas using designated themes and mechanics.

Game Testing

Learners share their game pitch idea with peers and get feedback.

Guided Gameplay of Serious Games

Learners play digital games and discuss gameplay with educators and peers.

Let's Break Some Rules

Learners collaborate with peers to change rules to a board or card game.

My Voice Brainstorm

Learners respond to prompts that encourage reflection on their experiences, thoughts, and emotions.

Our Voice Reflection

Learners identify commonalities in responses to My Voice Brainstorm reflective prompts.

Overview of Transformational Design Framework

Learners gain knowledge about steps of the design process.

Pitch Fundamentals Discussion

Learners find out the components needed for their game pitch.

Practice Presentation of Game Pitch

Learners review the format of presentations and practice delivering their game pitch.

Presentation and Prototype of Final Game Pitch

Learners present their game pitches to an audience of families, educators, and staff.

Presenting Me

Learners present their game pitches to an audience of families, educators, and staff.

Prototyping

Learners use a digital tool to create a prototype or wireframe of their game.

Refining Game Idea

Learners use feedback from peers to improve their game idea.

Transformation Stories

Learners compose a story, in which a character changes.

Video Closet

Learners video record responses to questions posed by educators.

What is Design?

Learners share their perspectives about design.

What's the Change in the Game?

Learners identity player changes integrated in games.

Words of Confidence

Learners and educators brainstorm phrases that can build their confidence.