Best New Games

By Dale N. Lefevre

Book Overview

Since the early 1970s, proponents of the New Games movement have been using cooperative, interactive games to bring diverse groups of people together. In Best New Games , Dale Le Fevre shows you how to lead, develop, and adapt New Games for any group. This complete resource is the only book now available that presents New Games. New Games are for groups of all ages and abilities--and they're meant to be played just for fun. Developed during the Vietnam War era, New Games were created to encourage people to channel their aggressive tendencies in a creative, powerful, fun, and safe way. In 1974 the New Games Foundation was incorporated, and it spread the idea of New Games through hundreds of training workshops in North America and beyond. New Games may include competition, but having fun with a New Game is more important than winning it. The games can be adapted for people who are physically and mentally impaired or mentally ill. New Games have been played with people of all different abilities and backgrounds--often in the same group. Author Dale Le Fevre is a leading authority on New Games. In many of his workshops, traditionally adversarial groups have successfully come together to play and have fun: Arabs and Israelis in the Middle East; Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland; mixed races in South Africa; and Serbs, Croats, and Muslims in Croatia and Serbia. In Best New Games , Le Fevre presents the most popular New Games from more than 25 years of presenting, including many recently found games. The book features 180 illustrations, 77 games, and 7 trust activities. An easy-to-use Gamefinder helps you quickly find the ideal game for your particular situation by listing games according to space and equipment requirements, appropriate times to play the game, activity levels, skills developed, number of players, and social purpose. The author also provides tips to give you confidence and increase your effectiveness in leading the games, including instructions on adapting and creating games. In Best New Games you'll find games to address a variety of social objectives: -Breaking the ice -Helping people get acquainted -Fostering sensitivity and trust -Building teamwork Best New Games is a great resource for anyone involved with groups--at any level and in any setting. It is a rich mine of entertaining activity ideas for elementary classrooms, after-school programs, physical education programs for all ages, college orientations, religious youth groups, retirement home residents, day care centers for both kids and older people, scout troops, and park district programs. It provides material for party games, ice breakers for a conference or meeting, or activities for any group that includes people who are very different from one another in age, ability level, ethnicity, or culture. Use Best New Games to create an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to have fun together while being physically and mentally active.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0736036857
• ISBN13: 9780736036856
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Human Kinetics Publishers
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 5 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 12

Customer Reviews

Very well organized book full of fun games

This book is very well organised and full of creative fun games. There is a table in the front that breaks down each game by lots of categories. The table makes it very easy to find an appropriate game. I'm a teacher and I've used this book many times to help build a sense of community with my students.

Author review

I agree with the other review I've seen of my book, which says "the book describes a group games from low to high activity levels, that it is for the young and old as well as the fit and infirm, and that it unites a group of people through play." I do NOT agree that "the games are essentially non-competitive." Many of the games include competition - it is just not important who wins. No extrinsic awards are given: you will never see a trophy given, a national anthem played, or any other reward of the like given after a New Game has been played. The games leader might say something like, "OK, you won, can you start the next game?" No-one is ever eliminated in a New Game, you just change roles and keep playing. If you want to. You can also choose not to play. Teams members often change sides during play, so it's hard to get too much anger with the other team, since if you catch one of their members, they become your team-mate, or you theirs. I think this is a very key element of New Games, and is why I call them cooperative games, NOT non-competitive. This part I fully agree with: "Teachers, employers and individuals who give parties can use these innovative fun activities. The book has an overview which categorizes the games according to activity level, timing, number of people needed, cognitive attributes, physical demands as well as other elements." I do have a financial interest in this book (if you think I am getting rich from its sale, you are delusional - however, twice a year I get a pleasant surprise of a little extra cash!) and I do know many who participated in it's production. Dale N. Le Fevre

Great Book

This book describes a group games from low to high activity levels. It is for the young and old as well as the fit and infirm. It unites a group of people through play. The games are essentially non-competitive. Teachers, employers and individuals who give parties can use these innovative fun activities. The book has an overview which categorizes the games according to activity level, timing, number of people needed, cognitive attributes, physical demands as well as other elements.I have no financial interest in this book and I do not know anyone who participated in it's production. 5 23 04