Bringing the Co-operative Spirit Into Play
Face to Face

These games require no equipment at all, and they're great
practice for Hallowe'en. If you make weird enough faces, you may
not need a mask for trick or treating.

He Who Laughs First: Remember old-fashioned staring contests? You
stare (or glare) intently into someone's eyes until one of you
either blinks or laughs. Try it, but at the same time, make the
most horrific, rubber-lipped, eyeball-jiggling grimace you
possibly can. Hold it Ä until either your face stays that way or
one of you collapses in laughter.

The Smile Gauntlet:  Players form two lines. One person walks
between the lines, keeping a poker face and looking at each
player in turn. The players clown around and make faces, trying
to get the person to crack a smile. No touching allowed.

Pass the Mask: This is a little like the old game of Gossip,
where a secret is passed from person to person until it ends up
completely changed. In this game, though, no words are needed. 
Everyone sits in a circle. One player turns to the next and makes
a face. The second player repeats the face to the third, and so
on.
See if the face is still recognizable when it comes full circle. 
You can also try two-way mask passing. The first player sends a
face around the circle, then turns to the person on the other
side and sends a different face in the other direction. Continue
until both masks have returned to the first player, who, of
course, has to try to make both faces at once.


- Maureen Woodall
From October 1994 VICHA Newsletter (Newsletter of the Vancouver
Island Co-operative Housing Association).

Co-operative games allow everyone to take part without feeling
left out, without feeling like losers, and without hurting or
getting hurt. If you would like to share a co-operative game with
us, please e-mail Maureen Woodall: wj045@freenet.victoria.bc.ca