This is an example of an activity used in health projects.

Learning objectives: To understand what happens when we face difficulties in life; To be able to distinguish between positive and negative coping strategies.

Related life skills: Coping with frustration (e.g. when having to sit down while carrying too many balls).

Duration: 20 – 40 minutes

Materials: Balls in different sizes; Cardboard boxes

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Place several cardboard boxes on the floor on which you write negative coping strategies such as
    • Turning to narcotics
    • Isolating oneself
    • Self-harm
    • Violence
    • Alcohol abuse
    • Blaming others
    • Spending money you don’t have
    • Hostile, excessive temper
  2. Put several small balls in each of the boxes. Distribute them evenly throughout the whole playing area

Activity

  1. Explain the difference between positive and negative coping strategies to the students. Explain that the balls in different sizes represent life events that have a potential negative effect on the wellbeing of those affected. For example:
    • Smaller balls: an argument with a friend or a bad grade at school
    • Bigger balls: on-going bullying by peers, an illness in the family or the loss of a close relative
  2. Assign different roles to the students: approximately one fourth of them will be “life event throwers”, the rest “young people”. Explain their roles:
    • “Young people” essentially impersonate themselves on their life trajectory; they walk around the playing area
    •  “Life event throwers” throw balls at the “young people”
  3. Round 1: Ask the “young people” to move around the playing field and “life event throwers” to start throwing balls at them.
  4. If one of the “young people” is hit by a ball, she/he has to pick up the ball and carry it along. The ball then symbolises the devastating effects adverse life events can have. The “young person” now has to carry it around as a “burden”.
  5. In addition, if they touch one of the boxes with the negative coping strategies while walking around and getting out of the way of the balls thrown at them, they have to pick up a ball as well. Explain that many people apply coping strategies that might relieve them in the short run but will harm them in the longer term, for example narcotics, isolation, self-harm or violence.
  6. When a “young person” loses a ball because she/he has too many to carry them around, they have to sit down on the playing field. If “life event throwers” run out of balls to throw, they can get new ones by taking them from the students sitting on the floor.
  7. Once all students sit on the floor, talk about positive coping strategies and how they help to decrease the burden and not to further increase it (as do the negative coping strategies).
  8. Round 2: Place the “positive coping strategies” areas on the floor of the playground (preferably as far as possible from each other).
  9. Assign the role of “life event throwers” to a new group of students. The “young people” can now make use of the “positive coping strategies” to alleviate their burden (the red balls): every time they step into one of these areas, they are allowed to leave one of their balls there.
  10. Once the “life event throwers” have run out of balls to throw, they can get new ones from the “positive coping strategies” area.

Discussion

Reflect

  • Which round was easier for the “young people”? Which round lasted longer?
  • Was it difficult to avoid the ball thrown by the “life event throwers” and the boxes at the same time?
  • When you had to keep a ball with you did it make it even harder?

Connect

  • What are of real-life events that can become burdens, just like the balls in the game?
  • Have you ever experienced a negative life event that affected many aspects of your life? How did you cope with it?
  • Are people weak who turn to others for help?

Apply

  • In your experience, are the positive coping strategies that we had in the game also helping in real life?
  • What other positive ways of dealing with problems are there?

Key messages

  • When dealing with a difficult situation in life, if we are overwhelmed and don’t know how to help ourselves, we might turn to alcohol or drugs for relief. These are negative coping strategies because even though we might feel better for some hours, they add to your problems. (As with the game, when you had to carry additional balls for the negative coping strategies.)
  • Speaking to a friend or teacher and seeking help will relieve us of some of our burden. (As with the game, when you offloaded balls with them, meaning the positive coping strategies.)
  • Don’t keep your worries, fears or sadness to yourself. When in trouble, it helps to turn to someone to help us out. We don’t have to be ashamed or afraid of asking for help