Coping Skills Freeze Tag

Coping skills freeze tag is great for people to identify coping skills that they can use and when they can use them. Peers listening to each other's coping skills can also help give new ideas.



How To Play:
Designate one player as 'it' with the other players scattered throughout the playing area. The person who is it tags the other players. When a player is tagged, (s)he freezes. To be unfrozen, the player has to name a coping skill and be unfrozen by getting a high-5 from another peer who is not frozen.
I like to make a rule that people cannot repeat coping skills so that they have to think of more.
With younger groups, you may need to talk about what coping skills are beforehand and have older kids give examples so everyone understands.

Discussion:
Coping Skills: ask each participant what their favorite coping skill is and when they can use it

Please Share Your Thoughts and Ideas:
What are things you would discuss with this game?
What are some other ways that you like to play tag?

Other Variations on Playing Tag:
Triangle Tag
Animal Tag
Freeze-Tag Toss
Spot Tag  

Image Credit: http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/images/photos/15751_tn.jpg

Freeze-Tag Toss

Materials

• Soft item/ball

How to Play
Have a team of taggers and a team of people to be frozen (about a 1:5 ratio). The team that can be frozen will have a soft item/ball. The taggers try to freeze everyone. The only way to be unfrozen is to receive a high-5 from someone who is holding the soft item/ball (cannot throw it at the frozen person). The team that can be frozen can pass the soft item/ball to people who are not frozen. If the person holding the soft ball/item is frozen, s/he must drop the soft item/ball, and another player will have to pick it up. The taggers can never touch or hold the soft item/ball. The round is complete when everyone is frozen except the taggers. Then select new taggers and start over until you run out of time!

Lessons Learned
Communication - How did you know who to pass the soft item/ball to?
Instant Gratification - Did you always get the soft item/ball when you wanted it?
Teamwork
Problem Solving - Did y'all have a strategy of who to throw the soft item/ball to? (ex. pass it to a person closest to a frozen player) Did your strategy always work out? How did you adapt it?
Sharing - Did anyone refuse to pass the item/ball?

How would you use this activity? Do you know other tag variations?

Other Variations on Playing Tag
Triangle Tag
Animal Tag
Spot Tag 
Coping Skills Freeze Tag

Photo Credit: http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=JrL-3-mT86rDVM&tbnid=sDAYSBxLeQrMOM:&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.annthegran.com%2Fpost%2F2008%2F04%2F24%2Fa-magic-bookshelf-game-what-are-tags-and-how-do-i-use-them&ei=OggyVMG8IcGnyATtz4DIBA&bvm=bv.76802529,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNH1uYIbzguxRbn9d5ydLMCqpccTPQ&ust=1412651446497669