Children's Games for Drug Abuse Prevention

You can teach kids positive messages through sing-along songs.

You may not think much about the possibility of children abusing drugs at a young age, but many kids are exposed to drugs or alcohol at some point during their school years. It's important to educate them about the dangers of drugs when they're young. Get the kids engaged in a few activities that will help them realize why they should say "no."

Role-Playing Games

Organize some role-playing games. Assign one of the kids to be the person offering the drugs, or do it yourself. Have them work off a script. Consider stopping the play midway through at key points to quiz the class on what the person should do in the situation. Tell them they should leave any situation in which they feel uncomfortable, and they should always ask what someone is offering them. Keep it light and fun.

Crossword Games

Have them play crossword games such as the ones available on the PBS Kids website (see "Resources"). The printable games have 19 clues to find answers to, all with information about drugs, such as "It's a life-giving part of the air we breathe, and something that many drugs reduce the body's supply of" or "When people can't stop using a drug no matter how much they want to, they are ____."

Online Games

If the kids have access to a computer, have them play online games that educate them on the effects of drugs. For example, NIDA for Teens has a quiz game called Dr. NIDA's Challenge (see "Resources"). The game quizzes kids on the physical effects of specific drugs, as described on the NIDA for Teens website. The kids can build a character's body by answering all the questions correctly.

Inflated/Deflated Balloon Game

Help kids learn about peer pressure by playing a game involving a large round balloon, a digital camera or photos brought from home and art supplies, as suggested by Building Blocks for a Healthy Future. Have the kids write down five things they're good at on a piece of paper. Let them take pictures of themselves with the digital camera, or tell them to bring their own pictures from home. Tape the pictures to the balloons. Ask each child one thing she does well and blow air into her balloon with each response. When it's full, explain that this is how she feels when she does something good. Describe things that might make her feel bad, such as drugs, and deflate the balloon each time.

References

• TeacherVision: Alcohol and Drug Awareness Activities (K-12)
• KidsHealth: Kids and Alcohol
• Building Blocks for a Healthy Future: Peer Pressure: Learning to Say "NO"

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• PBS Kids: It's My Life: Body: Offline Activities
• Nida for Teens: Dr. NIDA's Challenge