
My Personal Survival Plan
Game details
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Gather a group of players around the poster of Inside The Brain and explain that in this game you will investigate how the brain functions.
Start with the left side of the poster. Have the players explore Ezra's brain and have them recognise the icons in the three different parts of the brain. Discuss what these icons might mean and explain the difference between the three different brain parts: the thinking brain (the blue part), the emotional brain (the red part) and the survival brain (the green part) (see additional game information for more explanation). Discuss the role of the amygdala (the orange part) in triggering survival responses.
Compare with the right-hand side of the poster where Ezra's brain is in a stress state. Discuss the visual differences and explain that in certain situations (different for everyone) the brain goes from a neutral state to a stress state, where the survival brain takes over and the thinking brain goes offline. Ask the players what triggers such changes in them. What signals does the body give when your survival brain takes over?
Explore the six memory bubbles around Ezra. Determine in which situations the brain displays a neutral state (linked to positive memories) and which situations trigger a stress response (linked to negative memories).
Have the players examine the different memory bubbles at the top of the poster. What situations/memories do they see?
Have the players think of situations in which their brains were under control or under stress (inspired by the memory bubbles at the top). Let the players share and discuss their examples - if they feel comfortable doing so - to understand how different people react to different situations.
Discuss tools and strategies that players (could) use to calm their brains when the survival brain takes over.
Conclude the discussion by explaining that although we cannot always control our brain's immediate reactions, knowledge of how the brain functions can help manage emotions and stress.
The poster introduces players to the three main areas of the brain: the thinking brain (in blue), the emotional brain (in red) and the survival brain (in green). All parts are controlled by the amygdala (in orange), which activates survival responses in stressful situations: fight, flight, freeze or faint.
Once the amygdala is activated, the survival brain takes over and the thinking brain goes offline. Ezra (one of the main characters in the toolkit) is pictured twice, once with her brain in a neutral state (left on the poster) and once with her brain in a stress state (right on the poster).
At the top of the poster, a ‘storage area’ shows different memories/situations, where players can think of how their brain or that of one of the other characters from the toolkit reacted or would react in that situation. Memories displayed on the posters (from left to right, starting at the top): Explosion, beach/sea, traffic, a bike/cycling, shopping/cute clothes, night/dark, public speaking, plane/travel, animals, knitting, earthquake, smartphone/messaging/social media, bullying/gossiping, school building, question mark, mountain/nature/high cliff, birthday party/clown/cake, fighting, board games, family/the army, gardening/vegetables, reading a book, listening to music, skateboarding, arguing with a parent, loss of a loved one, being alone at school. Some situations are linked to the storylines of the other main characters in the toolkit. For more information, see the explanation of the comic poster.
When children understand that they have three brain systems that work at different times, they are better able to cope with difficult situations by working on putting their thinking brain back in charge. All three brain parts are equally good and important. We are happiest and most productive in life when our brain parts work together.
The following games can also be played with this educational poster:
This game is part of the toolkit ‘Facing trauma - A toolkit on trauma-informed support for children and youth’. This toolkit is a cooperation between StreetSmart, Minor-Ndako, Save the Children Romania & SolidarityNow, co-financed by the European Union. It provides simple tools to explore important topics like trauma, stress, self-care and emotions in a way that’s easy to use with different target groups.
o Facing Trauma Poster: after reflecting on the memories/situations and their impact on the character’s brain, revisit the stories to find more examples of coping mechanisms.
o Self-Care City: use the self-care city to explore ways to relax yourself and calm down when you feel stressed.
o Stress Discovery Channel: when the survival brain takes over, you may show different stress reactions. Look at the Animals poster to explore some of these possible reactions (fight, flight, freeze, fawn).
o My Support Team: use the support network poster to reflect on who the players can turn to when they are feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
Learn about the basic functions of your brain and how they influence your memories.
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