Skip to main content

The Life Skills Game
Role play around risky behaviours.

The Life Skills Game is a resource that allows facilitators to engage young people in discussion and explore a range of issues linked to risky situations. There are four modules available which cover internet safety, drug and alcohol awareness, knife crime and hate crime.

Place an Order

Life Skills Game Order Form

Our programmes

Our unique SKILL DECISION MAKING MODEL helps young people make step-by-step decisions. They learn to weigh risks and assess the consequences of their actions. We teach them to stop, think, and consider before deciding in tough situations. This approach encourages safe and healthy choices.

Why use the Life Skills Game?

When working with young people, you understand how they behave and respond to challenges. Adolescence is a time of both opportunity and risk. Teens often push boundaries, challenge others, and experiment.

As a result, their behavior can be impulsive and unpredictable. They are developing into individuals who take more responsibility for themselves and start responding to, and often challenging, society’s changing expectations.

Key Features

Apply the SKILLS Decision Making Model in a variety of situations surrounding the issues above

Practice effective decision making by exploring a range of different scenarios applied to different people in different situations and locations

Explore ways of keeping healthy and safe and to recognise that action can be taken which minimises risk in varying situations

Understand the law as it relates to the issues discussed

Strategies

Teenagers are highly susceptible to peer pressure and often struggle to make wise choices. This is where you can support them. As a teacher, youth, or community worker, you can use the proven SKILL Decision Making Model within the Life Skills Game. This model equips them with the tools to step back and work through issues step-by-step. Once they learn this, they will carry it into adulthood, enabling them to make more effective and positive decisions in life.

Not just in schools

Many groups and organisations, including youth and community groups, young offenders’ institutions, and youth offending teams, have used the Life Skills Game. They help young people reflect on their behavior and understand how different choices could lead to different outcomes. Additionally, they explore how to consider responses to future events more thoughtfully.

Profile, Situation and Setting cards

The program uses profile, situation, and setting cards for each module. When combined, these cards create discussion topics for young people. Additionally, there are lesson plans, facts, and statistics to help facilitate the sessions.

The Life Skills Game is designed for young people aged 12-15, though older groups may also find it useful. It is suitable for any setting. Facilitators receive a session plan with detailed game instructions, a legislation sheet, and a glossary of terms.

Development

The Life Skills Game has evolved over several years. In 2021, the Internet Safety and Drugs and Alcohol Awareness modules were updated, and two new modules—hate crime and knife crime—were added. This development was funded by the Big Lotto’s Awards for All program.

Playing the Game

The Life Skills Game is a role-playing game using a set of cards. Each of the four modules includes different cards: a profile card detailing an individual, a setting card identifying their location, and a situation card describing their circumstances.

Facilitating discussion

Using the information from the cards, the group works through the SKILL Decision Making Model. They define the key aspects of the scenario, including the issue or decision facing the character, available options, and how to respond.

Underlying themes

Facilitators lead discussions and encourage the group to explore various possibilities and outcomes to reach a well-thought-out decision. They also consider underlying themes such as responsibility, peer pressure, managing stress, staying healthy and safe, exploring risks and consequences, and being a good citizen.

The DARE Game is Lottery Funded

The Life Skills Game is easy to use and requires no formal training*. It can be delivered anywhere, whether to small or large groups or individual young people.

The pack includes full instructions, legal information related to the topics, and ideas for further discussion, reducing the need for lengthy preparation.

*Facilitators should ensure they have adequate subject knowledge and experience before working with young people and research the chosen topic.

The Life Skills Game

Has been developed as a flexible resource which can be used quickly as a mini lesson or as a longer more focussed session. The facilitator can also lead the discussion by choosing the cards to be played, to address particular issues or opt for a more freely delivered session where a range of themes and topics can be explored.

Pre Printed Packs

The Life Skills Game Modules are available pre printed and ready to use from £45 per module.  These hard wearing, gloss printed packs come in there own box are ready to use immediately.

Print your own

We also offer the option for you to download a PDF version of the game to print out on your own.  For durability we suggest that you laminate these print outs so you able to reuse them.

Choose your own

There are 4 modules of the Life Skills Game, Drugs and Alcohol Awareness, Internet Safety, Knife Crime and Hate Crime, you can choose any combination of these.

Internet
Safety

Explore situations and risks of online activities surrounding texting, social media, grooming, inappropriate photography, cyber-bullying and more.

Drugs and
Alcohol Awareness

Facilitate discussions around legal and illegal drugs, prescription medication, discount alcohol, and psychoactive substances.

Hate
Crime

Developed with Nottingham Citizens and Notts Police, this module looks at the difference between a hate crime and a hate incident, protected characteristics and other issues.

Knife
Crime

A module designed to help young people think about the dangers associated with knives and pointed objects in various situations and settings.

The Life Skills Game includes a series of introductory videos and additional resources on drug and life skills education, updated quarterly. Facilitators and students can use blank Profile, Situation, and Setting Cards to create scenarios relevant to their own issues.

PDF versions of the modules are available for £10 each, with discounts for multiple modules. Pre-printed packs cost £45 per module.

Buy Now