Psychiatrist Develops New Board
Game to Help Children Prepare for Game of Life
The world can be a confusing and difficult place for young
people. Everyday children face many complicated emotional and
interpersonal issues. Recognizing the challenges that families
and children face, psychiatrist (and father) Dr. Michael Rayel
has created the Oikos Game (pronounced eeh-kos). It's a fun,
new board game that assists young children, ages 5 to 8, in
developing important skills that will help them handle issues
such as bullying, dealing with strangers, peer and sibling
interaction, and much more. The Oikos Game can be found in
retail stores and outlets throughout North America and retails
for $44.95.
“I see the world with two perspectives, one as a psychiatrist
and one as a father. This game was developed with both of those
perspectives in mind,” said Dr. Rayel. “Our objective
was to create a game that would provide children with an opportunity
to learn and grow, and to make it fun. Learning is much more
effective when there is laughter and pleasure attached to it.
The Oikos Game achieves that. Kids love playing it.”
Through active play with the Oikos Game, children move their
playing icons around the board and use their emotional bank
to add up their positive points. Depending on where they land
on the board, players may draw a yellow or red situation card,
which spotlight moments that could happen in real life; the
cards highlight good or bad reactions to the situations. With
lively directions such a hopping on one foot and saying that
you won't accept gifts from strangers, the life lessons that
are the foundation of the game are wrapped in fun, and are
better absorbed by the children this way.
Through playing the game,
young people learn and better understand empathy, assertiveness,
persistence, self-esteem, self-discipline, setting limits,
good manners, effective communication strategies, helping others,
and dealing with strangers. The Oikos Game concept is as unique
as its name, which means sphere of influence, signifying the
game's objective of helping families throughout the world to
communicate a positive influence to their children.
As a company,
Oikos Global (www.oikosglobal.com) is committed to encouraging
personal and emotional skill development in this generation's
children by creating quality educational products, toys and
games. Through their annual Oikos Global Award, the company
will also recognize the improvements youth make to the emotional
lives of their peers. The award honors those who have developed
positive ways to deal with bullies, helped prevent the use
of street drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol, improved communication
among peers, established a support network, and reduced violence
in their school and community.#
For more information on Oikos Game, the company Oikos Global,
their award, or to speak with Dr. Rayel, please contact Ruth
Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies at 604-303-1052 or at ruth@ahacreative.com.
