New You in the New Year is a solutions-focused, goal-setting game for children. This counseling game was designed to help children identify goals, set objectives, and create a plan to achieving their goals. The first step in acheiving your goals is to define them. Then you are able to set out a plan of action with achievable steps to get to your goal. This game lays out the plan to help kids lay out a roadmap to their dreams.
There are four categories of cards:
Goal Setting - Game prompts will challenge kids to discover goals by asking insightful questions to help kids identify things that motivate them and desires of their hearts.
Time to Reflect - Kids can learn from mistakes by reflecting on the choices they made how they can make better choices in the future. They can also reflect on people and things that are meaningful to them.
Time is Ticking - Kids will explore time management skills and ways to stay organized on and on track to achieve their goals.
Removing the Mask - There are always hindrances to reaching goals. These cards help kids be real about where they are, what they want, and how they present themselves to others.
It incorporates solutions-focused ideas by reflecting on successes from the past and achievable goals for the future. It also includes self-esteem activities to identify positive qualities about self and recognize how differences are an asset instead of a liability. Social skills are addressed, as part of being confident is being honest and transparent with other people. Children will have an opportunity to identify barriers to social engagement or to fulfilling goals they had set.
While this game focuses on goal setting for a new year, it could be used throughout the year as goal setting is needed. Other significant times might be the beginning of a school year or around the time of the child’s birthday. Regardless of what time of year you play, New You in the New Year helps children develop goal-setting skills in a game format.