TOOL 2A: ‘THE NAME GAME’
LINKED TO:
UÊ This tool can be used in all situations where you might engage children directly
UÊ Sections 2.7, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5
WHY?
UÊ ÊÜ>À“ÊÕ«Ê}>“iÊŜՏ`ÊLiÊÕÃi`Ê܅i˜ÊLi}ˆ˜˜ˆ˜}Ê}ÀœÕ«Ê>V̈ۈ̈iÃÊ܈̅ÊV…ˆ`Ài˜Ê
UÊ /…ˆÃʈÃÊÕÃivՏʈvÊ>Ê}ÀœÕ«Ê`œ˜½ÌÊ>Ài>`Þʎ˜œÜÊi>V…ʜ̅iÀÊ>ÃʈÌÊV>˜Ê…i«ÊVi“i˜Ìʘ>“iÃʈ˜ÌœÊ
memories! Also a good way to help everyone feel comfortable with each other.
UÊ Õˆ`ˆ˜}ÊÀ>««œÀÌ
UÊ >ۈ˜}Êv՘
UÊ i«ˆ˜}ÊiÛiÀޜ˜iÊviiÊVœ“vœÀÌ>Li
WHO WITH?
UÊ ÀœÕ«Ãʈ˜VÕ`ˆ˜}ÊV…ˆ`Ài˜]ʜ̅iÀÊv>“ˆÞʓi“LiÀÃÊ>˜`ÊÃÌ>vv°Ê9œÕʘii`Ê>Ìʏi>ÃÌÊÎÊ«iœ«i°
TIME?
UÊ £äÊqÊ£xʓˆ˜ÕÌiÃÊ`i«i˜`ˆ˜}ʜ˜Ê…œÜʓ>˜ÞÊ«iœ«iÊ̅iÀiÊ>Ài
YOU’LL NEED?
UÊ ˜œÕ}…Êë>ViÊ̜ÊÈÌʜÀÊÃÌ>˜`ʈ˜Ê>ÊVˆÀVi
KIDS CENTRAL: PRINCIPLE TWO Ê
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26
WHAT TO DO:
UÊ ÛiÀޜ˜iÊ­ˆ˜VÕ`ˆ˜}ÊܜÀŽiÀîÊÃÌ>˜`Ãʈ˜Ê>ÊVˆÀVi]Ê>˜`Ê̅ˆ˜ŽÃʜvÊܓi̅ˆ˜}Ê̅>ÌÊ̅iÞʏˆŽiÊ
that starts with the same letter as their name. You start off by saying ‘My name is …and I
ˆŽiÊo½ÊœÀÊiÝ>“«i\ʼÞʘ>“iʈÃÊ`>“o˜`ÊʏˆŽiÊ>˜Ìð½
UÊ /…i˜Ê̅iʘiÝÌÊ«iÀܘʈ˜Ê̅iÊVˆÀViʅ>ÃÊ̜ʈ˜ÌÀœ`ÕViÊޜÕ]Ê̅i˜Êˆ˜ÌÀœ`ÕViÊ̅i“ÃiÛiÃo
­¼iÀʘ>“iʈÃÊ*œ««Þ]Ê>˜`ÊÅiʏˆŽiÃÊ«œ˜ˆiðÊÞʘ>“iʈÃÊ`>“Ê>˜`ÊʏˆŽiÊ>˜Ìý®°Ê
UÊ /…iʘiÝÌÊ«iÀܘʅ>ÃÊ̜ʈ˜ÌÀœ`ÕViÊ>Ê̅iÊ«ÀiۈœÕÃÊ«iœ«i]Ê̅i˜Ê̅i“ÃiÛiðÊÌÊV>ÀÀˆiÃʜ˜Ê
like that. The more people you have, the better, as it can get confusing (with hilarious
results) as you get further down the line.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
UÊ >Ûiʎˆ`ÃÊ}œÊ̅ÀœÕ}…Ê>Êȓˆ>ÀÊ«ÀœViÃÃÊLÕÌÊ}iÌÊ̅i“Ê̜ʈ`i˜ÌˆvÞÊܓi̅ˆ˜}Ê̅iÞʏˆŽiÊ̜Ê`œÊ
܅ˆV…Ê̅iÞÊV>˜Ê>VÌʜÕÌʺÞʘ>“iʈÃÊ`>“Ê>˜`ÊʏˆŽiÊ̜ÊÀi>`»Ê­“ˆ“ˆ˜}ʜ«i˜ˆ˜}Ê>ÊLœœŽ®°Ê
The group repeats the statement and action as with the first option.
TO THINK ABOUT:
This game can be used as part of the
assessment process:
UÊ
œÌˆViʅœÜÊV…ˆ`Ài˜ÊVœ«iÊ܈̅ʓiï˜}Ê
strangers and being in a group. Meeting
strangers is a potentially stressful situation.
Doing new things is also potentially anxiety
provoking.
UÊ
œÌˆViÊ܅œÊ܈̅`À>ÜÃ]Ê܅œÊ`À>ÜÃÊ>ÌÌi˜Ìˆœ˜Ê
̜Ê̅i“ÃiÛiÃ]Ê܅œÊVˆ˜}ÃÊ̜ʫ>Ài˜ÌÃÉÈLˆ˜}Ã]Ê
who takes the lead in a family and looks after
others (a clue about family dynamics and
Àœiî°Ê7…œÊ`œ˜½ÌÊޜÕʘœÌˆViÊ>˜`Ê܅>ÌÊ>ÀiÊ
they doing?
UÊ
œÌˆViÊ«>À̈Vˆ«>˜ÌýÊ>LˆˆÌÞÊ̜ʫ>ÞÊ>ÌÌi˜Ìˆœ˜]Ê
follow instructions, be part of a group…or not
UÊ
œÌiÊ`œÜ˜ÊޜÕÀʜLÃiÀÛ>̈œ˜ÃÊ>ÃʜLiV̈ÛiÞÊ
as possible as soon as possible after the
activity session is over, so you can add it to
other observations. For example, ‘Bill (age 5)
remembered 4 items (2 names and 2 likes),
he was quiet and watchful at first, but after
the game started he smiled and joined in and
`ˆ`˜½ÌÊÜ>˜ÌÊ>˜Þʅi«ÊvÀœ“Ê…ˆÃʜ`iÀÊLÀœÌ…iÀ°½
HAZARD ZONES:
UÊ -œ“iʎˆ`Ãʓ>ÞÊw˜`ʈÌÊi“L>ÀÀ>ÃȘ}Ê
ˆvÊ̅iÞÊV>˜½ÌÊÀi“i“LiÀʘ>“iðÊ/ÀÞÊ
to arrange things (without making
it obvious) so that the youngest
children or any children who might
ÃÌÀÕ}}iÊ}œÊi>ÀˆiÃÌ]ÊLÕÌÊ`œ˜½Ìʓ>ŽiÊ
them start unless you think they will
be ok with that. If you think a child
will feel bad if they make a mistake,
you can make a mistake too and
demonstrate a light-hearted fun way
of dealing with it. (‘Woops I got your
names all mixed up - I have trouble
remembering names sometimes,
̅>̽ÃÊ܅ÞÊʏˆŽiÊ̅ˆÃÊ}>“i°½®
UÊ vÊ>ÊV…ˆ`ʈÃÊÛiÀÞÊÃÌÀiÃÃi`Ê>˜`Ê̅iˆÀÊŜÀÌÊ
term memory is inhibited they will most likely
have trouble learning new things and this is
especially important in school. Language and
literacy learning is also likely to be effected.
Depending on the age of the child this could be
a cause of delays in their reading and writing.
UÊ 9œÕÊV>˜Ê}iÌÊVÕiÃÊ>LœÕÌʏiÛiÃʜvÊÃÌÀiÃÃÊLÞÊ
noticing short-term memory capacity.
KIDS CENTRAL: PRINCIPLE TWO Ê
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