We Are Family

Topic
- Society
- Citizenship & human rights
Learning skills
- Self-awareness
- Empathy & social awareness
- Creative thinking
Activity type
- Group discussion
- Drawing
Materials
- Basic
Age
- 6 - 11 years
- 12 - 14 years
- 15 - 17 years
>15 minutes
2 - 4 players
Easy
Calm
Small (office, pavement)

Contributors

Mobile School

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Everything you need to play this game

Set of illustrations/photos for each group: collect pictures representing different families (e.g. single-parent families, classic schedules, same-sex couples, patchwork families, adopted children, large families with many generations).
Paper to draw on
Crayons, markers, ...

A step-by-step guide to play the game

Introduce the activity by explaining that this activity explores the many different ways we identify and live with the people we consider our family. Emphasise that not all people live in the same kind of families.

Ask each player to draw the family they live in (as opposed to the family they are separated from, wish they had, once had, etc.) Encourage them to include details about their family if they wish (e.g. name, age, gender of each person).

Have the players present their drawings about their own family.

Think together and make a list of as many types of families as possible (single-parent families, adopted families, etc.). Name some that have not yet been discussed.

Divide the children into small groups and give each group a copy of the illustrations/photos you have prepared. Ask each group to discuss what the main differences or similarities are in each family. Also ask the groups to discuss their own family photos, and whether they are similar or different to the ones they have been given.

Conclude with some reflective questions (see additional game information).

Extra game information

Discussion questions

Do all children have the right to live in a family?
Is living in a family important? Why or why not?
Which children might not live in a family? Where do they live?
Who ensures that all the rights of these children are respected?
Do you know any such children? How can you support these children?

Tips for the facilitator

Make sure the players feel comfortable and will not be teased for presenting unusual or different family styles. Throughout the exercise, emphasise tolerance, feelings and values related to what a family is.
It is important to know the family situation of the players in your group and adapt the activity so that none of the players are embarrassed or uncomfortable about their situation.

Variations

To shorten this activity, consider conducting it without using additional family pictures. If you divide the players into smaller groups, you can ask them to simply discuss and reflect on their own family drawings without introducing new ones. However, it is still important to discuss or refer to other types of families that may not be present in the group.

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