10 DYNAMICS OF VALUES FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS - ECONOMÍA

The dynamics of values are tools used in the classroom with children and adolescents with which it is intended to generate a critical, reflective and participatory climate. The teaching of values is important for all areas of the students' lives and will accompany them throughout their lives.

Therefore, through games and dynamics, these values can be promoted and done in a more fun and close way and, probably, the students will be more receptive.

It is important that the adults who are a reference for them are consistent in their behaviors and actions. In addition to stimulating critical thinking and creating climates in which minors feel comfortable expressing their opinions.

In this post, we will see 10 dynamics to work with children and adolescents on the values in the classroom or, also, at home. It is important that we take into account the objectives of each one of them and, if necessary, adapt them according to the group to which it is directed.

Education professionals and families should not try to inoculate a set of values. The purpose should be to instill values and positive morals that, tomorrow, will make them productive and responsible adults.

These children and adolescents need their adults to teach them values so they can shape their morals. People who have strong and good values are generally happier, as well as achieving greater successes in their relationships and contributing to society and their immediate context in a positive way.

Next, we go on to see the dynamics.

Dynamics to work the values

1- Stimulating critical thinking

Objectives: to generate a dialogue about moral values.
Time needed: 30 minutes, approximately. The time will vary depending on the number of people in the group and their involvement.
Group size: it is indifferent.
Place: classroom, living room or outdoor space in which they are comfortable.
Materials needed: none in particular.
Steps to follow:

The group facilitator will ask a series of questions and guide the group conversation. They can be: If you could choose to be someone, who would you be? If you see a person scratching someone else's car and they don't leave a note, how would you act? If you were rich, how would you spend the money? If you see someone harassing or mistreating another person, what would you do?

Discussion: telling children and adolescents how to think or act is not effective. Therefore, this dynamic that can generate debate will offer better results.

2- Clarification of values

Goals:

Show that each person has different values.
Generate cohesion despite the differences of thought between one and the other.

Time needed: 30 minutes, approximately.
Group size: about ten people.
Place: classroom, living room or outdoor space in which they are comfortable.
Materials needed: blank pages, pens and pages with the phrases.
Steps to follow:

The facilitator explains the dynamics and hands out a sheet of three sentences to all group members. These are proposed:

Be generous with other people.
Be your own boss.
Have understanding friends.

Each person chooses the phrase with which they feel most identified.
Subgroups of people are formed who have chosen the same phrase. Between them, they discuss why they chose that phrase, what was (they) their reason (s).
After about ten minutes of discussion, a reflection is made with the whole group in which they explain their reasons.

Discussion: part of the large group discussion can focus on how each one felt about the experience of the exercise.

3- Flags

Goals:

Promote an exploration of values through the interpretation of meanings.
Promote a greater understanding of personal values.
Offer the necessary conditions that promote self-disclosure.
Check how personal aspirations affect decision making.

Time needed: about two hours.
Group size: approximately 20 participants.
Place: living room, classroom or comfortable space.
Materials needed: flip chart, markers, paper, and colored pencils.
Steps to follow:

The instructor explains which are the parts that make up a flag: banners, avatars, shields, etc. Also, how the flags represent a symbol for a certain group of people and that some people have lost their lives defending them.
Later, they are allowed to individually think about which flags they remember and, as a group, they discuss what each one of them means.
Each one of them is invited to create their own flag representing the things that are most important to each of them.
Finally, it is presented in front of the class.

5- Lifeboat

Goals:

Act out a dramatic scene, so that they can experience it better.
Identify the feelings that may arise in this situation.

Time needed: between an hour and a half and two hours .
Group size: 10 people.
Place: living room, classroom or comfortable space.
Materials needed: stopwatch.
Steps to follow:

The group facilitator asks the group members to sit on the ground in a kind of raft. He asks them to imagine that they are on a cruise on the Atlantic Sea and that a storm forces them to escape in a lifeboat. This boat only has space and food for nine people. That is, one will have to sacrifice for the good of the group.
The decision must be made by the group. To do so, they have one hour to decide who should stay out of the boat. If time passes and they have not made a decision, the boat will sink with all 10 people inside.
While the group discusses, the facilitator will report on how much time they have left.
Over time, he will guide a discussion about the values that have been encountered throughout the dynamic.

5- The story of Juan and Juana

Objective: to reconsider the values implicit in the roles of women and men in society.
Time needed: about half an hour.
Group size: it is indifferent.
Place: classroom or comfortable space.
Necessary material: a ball.
Steps to follow:

Participants sit in a circle and pass the ball arbitrarily and quickly. They must create two stories. First, Juana's and then Juan's.
Every time someone touches the ball, they must add something else to the story of the character they are talking about. Thus, a story is created among all.
When they have developed the two stories, the values related to each of the characters are analyzed. Have there been differences related to the gender of each of the protagonists? For this, the facilitator must be aware of what adjectives and elements are stated about each one.

6- Negotiating

Goals:

Identify the values that generate differences between people.
Explore the conflicts that can arise from these differences.
Negotiate to coordinate different personal styles.

Time needed: approximately 1 hour.
Group size : size is indifferent but yes, they have to be a multiple of three.
Place: wide space where all the trios can interact without disturbing each other.
Materials needed: blackboard and something to write on it (chalk or markers).
Steps to follow:

The facilitator presents a list of adjectives that are often used to describe people. For example: assertive, hard-working, sociable, dynamic, etc.
He chooses one of these adjectives that is interesting for the participants and makes them stand in a row in which the ends represent each of the poles of the characteristic and the participants place each other according to their greater affinity.
The people who are in each of the extremes form a trio together with the one who is right in the middle who will perform the work of observer. In the same way, all the trios are formed and take a seat in the room.
In groups, each of the opponents describes himself relating to the chosen characteristic.
The couple discuss how their differences end up complementing each other and, later, how they represent a potential conflict.
Each couple negotiates on how they can complement each other and how to resolve the conflict, if it exists, in a constructive way.
Large group discussion on how each one of them felt, what tools they used in the negotiation and with the opinion of the observers.

7-

Objective: to explore individual behavior in group decision making.
Time needed: 45 minutes, approximately.
Group size: it is indifferent.
Place: living room with ample space or, outdoors.
Materials needed: paper and pencil.
Steps to follow:

The instructor divides the group into four teams and explains that a tragedy has occurred in the Andes when a plane crashed. The survivors had to resort to anthropophagy to survive.
At first, they will have to decide who must die to be eaten.
Once this decision is made, it will be discussed why part of the body they should start eating it.

8- What I love to do

Objective: to make the participants aware of their values.
Time needed: 30 minutes, approximately.
Group size: it is indifferent.
Place: spacious living room.
Materials needed: papers and pens .
Steps to follow:

The instructor asks each individual to reflect on what they love to do. And I listed them from 1 (I like it best) to 20 (I like it least).
In groups of 5 or 6 people, the members must express their values. These questions can help guide the discussion:

Do I appreciate what I do and do what I appreciate?
Do I share my opinion in public when I have the opportunity?
Did I choose this option from a number of alternatives?
Did I choose it after considering and accepting the consequences?
Did I make the decision freely?
Am I congruent between what I think and what I say?
Do I usually act the same way on different occasions?

After reflection in subgroups, the facilitator will lead a discussion with the whole group in which the following questions should be taken into account:

What reaction did your colleagues have when they saw that your tastes are different? Did you feel respected?
Did you feel criticized?
Did someone try to change the tastes of others by bringing them closer to their own?
After the discussion in subgroups, did you change your opinion about any of your tastes?

9

Objective: to evaluate the values of teamwork and communication.
Time required: approximately 20 minutes.
Group size: it is indifferent.
Place: better, outdoors.
Steps to follow:

The group is divided into subgroups based on the number of participants.
Each team must make a flying ship using two sheets. It has to be able to fly a distance of five meters and pass through a hoop of at least 50 cm in diameter. To achieve this, they have 3 attempts.
When all the groups have tried, a debate is generated around the following questions: What have we learned from this game? What has been the most difficult moment of the game? What feelings emerge when we see that other groups do it? They have achieved and we have not? What do we feel when we have achieved our goal?

10- News to reflect

Objective: to nurture the critical spirit of the group.
Time needed: 30 minutes, approximately. This time will vary depending on the involvement of the group.
Group size: it is indifferent.
Place: classroom or comfortable space.
Materials needed: newspapers.
Steps to follow:

The group facilitator will bring different news related to racism, animal torture, war or violence, drug trafficking, truancy, bullying, etc. The topics can be adapted depending on the level of the group.
The news is read together and the following questions are answered: what? Who? When? How? and because?
After answering the questions, they reflect on the issue in question and create a climate that allows the boys to express their opinion and share their point of view with their classmates, arguing their opinion and explaining their reasons.

Other dynamics of interest

Group dynamics for young people.

Assertive communication dynamics.

Motivational dynamics.

Dynamics of self-esteem.

Dynamics of emotional intelligence.

Group integration dynamics.

Dynamics of creativity.

Trust dynamics.

Leadership dynamics.

Dynamics of conflict resolution.

Presentation dynamics.

Teamwork dynamics.

References

Maternal Magazine. 7 games to teach values.
Dynamics to promote values. Collection of dynamics and games.
Casarez Aguilar, Anabel. Instilling values in adolescents must begin with the parents.
Middle Earth. Teaching values to teens.

10 DYNAMICS OF VALUES ​​FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS - ECONOMÍA - 2025