Compliments & Talents: Journey of Kindness

On the poster, you can find a variety of symbols.

• Sun (5 times): If you land on this square, the whole group compliments you.
• Hearts (5 times): If you land on this square, you should give a compliment of your choice to another player.
• Mirrors (5 times): If you land on this square, you should give a compliment to yourself. Categories can include character, looks, current actions, or moments of pride.
• Flowers (5 times): If you land on this square, you should discuss a talent you want to grow in or what talent you want your team to grow in.
• Talents with small stars (20 different ones): If you land on this square, you should decide which person of the group corresponds with the depicted talent. Depicted talents are (starting top left and following the path): Smart, collaboration, fantasy, being happy, handy, supportive, creative, adventurous, making choices, having many ideas, sporty, musical, energetic, calm, planning, spoiling others, social, mood lifter.

There are also special squares:

• Tornado (4 times) - Switch to another tornado on the game board.
• Reverse (3 times) – Switch direction. When you switch direction, this applies to all players in the group, meaning the next player immediately changes direction.
• Dice (3 times) – Throw again.
• Joker (4 times) - Use as a sun, heart, mirror, flower or talent. Your choice.

Trauma-informed considerations:

• Create a safe and supportive environment where children feel comfortable sharing.
• Allow children to pass if they feel uncomfortable with any exercise.
• Emphasize the importance of sincerity and kindness in all interactions.

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.

• For younger children, you can explore the poster by scanning the different elements:

o How many colours do you see in the poster? Which?

o Which symbols do you see? e.g. a heart, children, ...

o What is the number of each?

o Choose a drawing from the board and create your own story

• Add an extra rule to make it more difficult: if another player lands on your ‘starting’ talent, they cannot choose you again and have to look for another player who matches this talent.

• Develop the ability to give and receive compliments
• Enhance self-awareness and appreciation of others’ strengths
• Promote a growth mindset and self-improvement