Introduce what we mean by ‘rights’, ‘needs’ and ‘wants’. Sometimes we want something but we do not need it. Sometimes we need something to survive but we don’t always get it. A right helps to protect us to ensure our needs are fulfilled.
Give each participant a card with either a right, a need or a want on, for example:
- education,
- love,
- play,
- food,
- new clothes.
Start to play music and ask participants to walk around the room. Remove one of the chairs while they do this.
Stop the music after about 20 seconds – all participants should hurry to get a chair. As a chair has been removed, one participant will be left standing. They need to argue their case for being a ‘right’ rather than a ‘need’ or ‘want’ and therefore have the right to stay in the game. Take a vote – If the other players decide that they are a ‘need’ or a ‘want’, rather than a right, the player should go to sit on the sidelines of the game. From there, they can still ask questions but can’t walk around the chairs.
Discuss the game when you‘ve finished:
- Were people surprised by some of the arguments?
- Were some of the things easier to make a case for than others?
- Sum up what you’ve concluded should be rights, and what are needs and wants.
Activity shared by YCare International www.ycareinternational.org