Games Leadership, or the process of leading games, can be defined as a process of customising games to the needs of the participants or groups that you are training or facilitating. It goes beyond the process of simply taking the games and playing them. It involves:

• Selecting, modifying or developing the game procedures targeted at the purpose or learning values required;
• Ensuring that the games are suitable for the physical and mental profile of the participants; and
• If necessary, debriefing the experience to achieve the learning outcomes.

Here are some tips for trainers and facilitators involved in leading games:

1. Show your enthusiasm and get involved. I have found that it is easier to engage the players if I start the session with a simple, high energy ice-breaker. Getting involved and taking part in the first few games will help you to build your rapport with the group. Players will model after your energy level.

2. Create an atmosphere of fun. One of the founders of Project Adventure, Karl Rohnke, created this term ‘FUNN’ to explain the meaning of fun. It stands for ‘Functional Understanding Not Necessary’. I guess this is his way of telling people, “Stop asking me what is the learning point of every game. Some games are meant to be enjoyed for their nature.” Both of us believe that fun is an essential component in games. In fact, when people have fun, they learn. Some friendly competitions are great as they impel the players to try their best but avoid emphasising the win/lose situation.

3. Be safety-conscious. People tend to be cautious when they are on the high ropes course (activities that take place at least 5-metre off the ground) than when they are playing games on ground level. I believe they perceive that the latter has a lower amount of risk. Hence, more people get themselves injured playing ground-level games than those off the ground. Our role as game leaders is to identify, manage and disclose the risks of each game, and keep a close eye on the people.

4. Know the participants. Explain the physical requirements of the game so that players with known medical conditions can either pace themselves or sit it out. Be sensitive to the special needs of your participants. I once had to remove the term ‘minefield’ for a group of Cambodians because the tragedy of mines is very real in their country and not something to joke about. In some cultures, holding hands with people of the opposite gender is a taboo. I found the concept of ‘Challenge By Choice’ to be a useful guide in such special circumstances.

5. Plan and organise your briefing. Before starting anything, think through how you want to present the games. Use demonstrations to help the players understand the game procedures. Keep the briefing simple and straight-forward. For games with complex procedures, break up the games into various steps and get the players to execute them one at a time.

6. Customise the rules if necessary. Learn to modify the rules of the games to suit the situation and the participants, but do so before the start of the game. People do not like to be told of a change in rules midway through the games (unless it is intentional). Change the title of the games if you must to suit the context of the session.

7. Here are some other factors affecting the choice of the games:

• Programme design – Select games to fit the learning outcomes of the programme, not the other way around.
• Group make-up – For a group comprising of total strangers, conduct some ice-breakers followed by deinhibitisers to help the members to feel comfortable with one another. The difficulty of the games needs to be adjusted to fit the capability of the group for optimal learning to occur.
• Age and agility – Kids and youths prefer more active activities involving physical movements, while adults generally prefer mental problem-solving.
• Group size – Some games are best for small groups while others are great fun for big groups. Make sure there are sufficient game props for the number of players. In case the number of players exceeds the available props, get them to take turns to play or ask them to share props.
• Venue – Some games require a large space while some require high ceilings. If you are playing the games outdoors, make sure you have on standby an indoor venue in case of inclement weather. Try to make use of existing facilities at the venue if you can, such as grid floor tiles for games requiring grids.