Emotion Maze: Emotion Explorer

The frame of this poster consists of 20 images that trigger the players' imagination. There is no specific explanation for each image. In the middle of the game board, you can find 16 emoticons (top to bottom, left to right): funny, excited, scared, irritated, nauseous, happy, thinking, loved, surprised, doubtful, sleepy, relaxed, sad, angry, desperate, and ashamed. The players can interpret the emoticons as they wish.

The structure of the game board is based on the game Nine Men's Morris.

This game is part of the Trauma-Informed Youth Work toolkit, which is designed to create a safe, supportive environment for all participants by acknowledging the impact of trauma on young people and fostering trust and empowerment. By incorporating activities that use indirect methods to explore emotions and behaviours, the toolkit makes sensitive topics more accessible and less intimidating, especially for younger audiences. The teamwork aspects of these activities foster collaboration and support, aligning with trauma-informed principles. This approach promotes healing, resilience, and positive development in every youth engaged, while emphasizing emotional awareness and understanding.

• Fixed line order: Choose one of the sides of the game board and follow the predetermined colours in the line, in the sense that you can only earn points according to the line order. Meanwhile, if you land on a circle of a different colour, you must complete the exercise, but do not earn any points.
• Reverse order - starting with the emotions: Choose an emotion first and then do the corresponding exercise (pictured in the small circles). Let the group guess the chosen emotion. Then decide together which picture fits this emotion, reversing the basic order of play.
• Cover used emotions and/or situations: Once an emotion or situation has been used, cover it with a bottle cap. In this way, players have to choose a different emotion/image for each exercise.
• Bingo variation: The first player or group who can cover a row of four emotions or six pictures wins.
• Use a variation for the exercises:

o Pink: Pick one of the images together with another player and tell a story together.

o Blue: Draw the image with your non-dominant hand or with your eyes closed.

o Green: Act out the image only using sounds; no gestures or words allowed.

o Orange: Describe the image using only one-word clues or synonyms.

o Purple: Answer questions using only gestures or charades to convey responses.

• Competitive version (max 4 players or 4 groups): Let each group complete one side of the game board (in free or fixed order) by playing the basic game in turns. Given the sensitive nature of the topic involved, engaging in a competitive version of the game might not always be appropriate. It's essential to consider the emotional well-being of all players and ensure that the atmosphere remains supportive and respectful throughout the gameplay.

• Emotional literacy
• Recognise, label and express a wide range of emotions.