Character Building Game for Kids {Birth of the Bab}

Here is a simple but fun game to reinforce virtues like kindness and generosity.  For the past year I have been helping teach character-building classes for Monkey and several friends.  I wanted a fun way to review the lessons we had already learned, and I know from experience that this group of 4 and 5 year olds learns best by doing. 

So here is a “gate” game, inspired by the upcoming Bahá’í holiday the Birth of the Báb.  I wanted to reinforce the symbolism of the Báb as the Gate for Bahá’u’lláh, but it’s a fun activity for kids of any background, since who doesn’t want to be a gatekeeper for their friends??

Character Building Game: How to Play

One child stands at the front with his/her hands out to the sides, like a gate (in a doorway if possible!)  Then s/he gives clues (either verbally or with charades) about a particular virtue, like generosity or patience.  (For young children, an adult or older child can help).  The other children try to correctly guess the virtue in order to be allowed through the “gate.”  The first through the gate becomes the new gatekeeper.

For older children, you could make the game more challenging by not allowing them to use common words as clues for particular virtues.  So for “patience,” for example, you might forbid the gatekeeper to say “waiting” or “time.”  You could also challenge the other children to recite a piece of Scripture about that virtue in order to get through the gate.

For Bahá’ís, you could have the gatekeeper give clues about people from Bahá’í history, like Martha Root or Tahirih!

Happy Birth of the Báb to those celebrating!