GivaGeta

Download Free Sample Cards and GivaGeta Activities

Summary: Examples of GivaGeta Smiles "Learn by Doing" positive programming activities that engage all ages from 5 to 105 in character, leadership, family and team development.  

Team up with GivaGeta Smiles and have over 36 simple, positive and interactive conversation starters, ice breakers, mixers, problem solving, trust, diversity, opening and closing activities to help you make a positive difference in people's lives. You will break down barriers and bring people together on common ground with character, the cornerstone of life.

Customers and participants in GivaGeta faciliated teambuilding workshops tell us there are teachable moments and lots of fun in the processing, reviewing, reflection and debriefing activities also.

Activities and facilitator tips are included in our programming book GiveTeamwork... Get Results - Playing With A Full Deck of The World's Kindest Playing Cards by GivaGeta Smiles. You will get these plus 75 positive thinking supports in the self-contained, easy to implement Educational Kindness Leadership Tool Kit by GivaGeta Smiles.

We are grateful to be helping schools, camps, business and families in over 45 states and 26 countries around the world strengthen kids, families, teams, leaders and communities. Thank you for your interest. Please contact us if we can be of assistance.

House of Character™ Program Goal: To help educators and youth development professionals build kids of character.

Learn By Doing Activity: Engages kids of all ages in a fun filled way while learning valuable developmental assets such as kindness, respect, understanding, positive attitude, honesty, forgiveness, appreciating diversity, teamwork and more.

21st Century Skills Being Developed: Communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, impromptu presentation and teamwork.

The three steps ~ HOW to build a House of Character™ are:

GivaGeta Memory Match Activity

GivaGeta Memory Match Activity ~ This mixer is a fun downtime or self-directed free time activity!  Here the girls were asked if they knew how to play "Memory Match." One future leader enthusiastically raised her hand and explained how to play to the group. Then we asked for volunteers who wanted to help set up the cards. To start, ask them to put cards face down in rows of 4 down and 4 across (select more or less cards depending on the age, size of group, and amount of time allotted). In this instance the game was a team challenge, but it can also be played just for fun.

Ask them to read out loud the positive values like Give a smile ... Get a smile™, Give patience .. Get patience™, and the other values on the cards. If they match keep the cards face up, if not put them face down.

Ask any questions? Then, ready, set, GO!

The first team to finish matching all the positive values shares with the group how they did it so quickly. To show we are all human, an "AHA" moment occured when we learned that the 2nd place team inadvertently had 18 versus 16 cards to match.  We turned that into a teachable moment by reflecting on the Give fairness ... Get fairness™ GivaGeta Card.

Give a High-Five ... Get a High-Five™ Activity

Give a high-five ... Get a high five™ ~  This energizer emphasizes and shares the real power of a high five. Encouragement, support, "I'm proud of you".

The girls learned a few new high five's including the butterfly high five. After seeing it, they creatively shared a new butterfly version using their feet ... GivaGeta Smiles helps you create priceless moments like these.

The GivaGeta Ambassador Activity

The GivaGeta Ambassador Activity ~ Simply transition to this closing activity by asking the team to put their cards face up in a large oval. The girls selected their favorite positive value and shared why they selected it with the group. Each girl was given the "Smile in Your Heart" patch award. It is self-adhesive and can be sewn on later. They were told the patch represents the smile in your heart which makes our diverse world a better place, and the significance of the different colors which represent appreciating diversity.

All the girls were pronounced "Ambassadors" of their positive value they and that their GivaGeta Kindness Message would be their legacy in life. Congratulations to all! GivaGeta Smiles is honored to say there are now twelve new ambassadors of Give a smile ... Get a smile™, kindness, courage, confidence, patience, forgiveness, respect, leadership, positive attitude, fairness and understanding.

The Big Question Activity

The Big Question ~ At the bottom of every card in the Teamwork & Teamplay and Teamwork & Familyplay editions of GivaGeta Character Cards™ you'll find a question that you can use as an ice-breaking activity. In turn, each person chooses a card at random and reads their question and shares their answer aloud. Repeat until each player gets a turn reading and answering their question.

For larger groups have your team pick partners. Each person chooses a card at random. The 1st person reads it to their partner who then answers the question. Then the 2nd person asks the question on their card, and it is answered by the 1st person. Both partners exchange cards and find a new partner, repeating the process over again.

The Match Game Activity

The Match Game using the Teamwork and Teamplay™ edition of GivaGeta Character Cards™.

The slight competitive nature of this activity builds energy and excitement and requires creative problem solving, memory and  recognition skills, and teamwork.

Begin by dividing the group into two- the "blue team" and the "green team." Customize or remove the BLANK cards. Place each set of cards (one with green backs, one with blue), face-down in random order on a table ten feet away from the members of each group. One person from each team will turn over a maximum of two cards per turn. If the character words and graphics on these two cards match, leave them face up. If the words and graphics do not match, other team members are allowed to view each card, but then players are instructed to place the cards face down in their original position. Another team member is allowed to turn over any two cards. Play continues until a team successfully turns over all 24 cards.

The GivaGeta Oval Office Activity

Download a pdf file of "The WHO & HOW" note cards.

The GivaGeta Oval Office is a GREAT closing activity.

Invite your participants to stand forming an oval shape. 

Depending on the size of the group, give the entire deck of cards to the first person face down. If your group is larger than 40, split the deck in half and give two people next to each other one of the halves. Ask them to take one card without looking and turn to the next person, look them in the eyes and say, "Give a Smile." Pass the deck face down have the person receiving the deck look the "giver" in the eye and respond with, "Get a Smile." Each player takes the next card and places it face down in front of them. Repeat this until everyone has a card. Collect the remaining cards. At this time, share with them that the GivaGeta Oval represents when you give, you get more in return. Ask the group: why do you get more? Discuss how it is because of the good feeling you get inside from giving to others.

Ask participants to get into their matching GivaGeta groups by having players call out the entire GivaGeta on their card. Remind them that "Give" is first. For example, participants with the "Give Understanding ... Get Understood" card would group together and so on. Once the groups are formed based on the GivaGeta character value, facilitators can expand the group size to approximately four to eight players by having the groups find the other players who have the same number on their cards.

If the OPTIONAL GivaGeta note cards are being used, at this time, the facilitator then hands the groups one note card or sheet of paper with a pen. Everyone then writes down "The WHO & HOW" that exemplifies that GivaGeta. Example: WHO in their group or organization gives kindness and HOW do they demonstrate/exemplify it. It is about someone else in the group or in the organization and not about themselves. If you are not using note cards to write this down, give people a few moments to complete "The WHO & HOW." To shorten, you can have each group discuss and agree on a person who exemplifies the GivaGeta and a delegate fills out the form to share with other groups.

When everyone is finished writing their information, invite people to share "The WHO & HOW" from where they are standing.