Page 47 - Play to Learn -- In the New Nursing Home Environment

Saying No
46
PURPOSE
To help people get into the habit of using positive language and “break the ice.”
DESCRIPTION
Participants try to catch others saying “no” and win a necklace from them when they do.
PARTICIPANTS 12 or more
TIME
Lunch break, over a couple of hours dur- ing the day, throughout a training session or workshop.
SUPPLIES
24 – 36 plastic bead necklaces (2 - 3 for each participant.)
Steps:
• Give every participant two or three plastic bead necklaces.
• Explain the rules of the game: If you catch someone saying the word “no” he or she has to give you one of his or her necklaces. It can be a passive victory – that is you just happen to hear the person say “no” or you may try to get him or her to say it by asking a question or directing the conversation in a way you’d think would get them to say “no.” If you lose your necklaces, you are by no means out of the game, you just have to go out and win some more. Whoever ends up with the most necklaces wins. You might even off a prize for the winner.
• If you are doing a day of training, this can take place during lunch or a break with a set amount of time. Alternatively, the household or neighborhood team can play for a set period of time as they go about their day and work with each other.
• The point is not a “gotcha” but to be aware of our language and to challenge us to try to speak in the affirmative.
• You can do a lightening round by taking 15 minutes with the group to mingle and socialize, having them give up beads not only for “no” but any sentence phrased in the negative. For example: “I prefer classical music to rock-n-roll” versus, “I don’t like rock-n-roll.”
Help people accentuate the positive
ICEBREAKER/GET TO KNOW YOU GAMES