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Group Size: 1 to 50+
Time Needed: 10 to 20 minutes depending on group size
Goal: To demonstrate the idea of personal power
Audience: Teens, Children
Special Considerations: If someone is uncomfortable being a King or Queen, they can decline the role. People do not have to participate in the activity.
Resources Needed:  A crown and a wand, and a chair or “throne”

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Have class members stand up and make a circle.
  2. Ask someone to volunteer to be the Queen or King. Have the designated person either stand or sit on a chair (their throne) at the front of the circle.
  3. Two rules must be followed:

    1. all activities must be safe and
    2. the monarch may not command the group to do more than five of any activity.
  4. Everyone should then bow before the monarch. The King or Queen then gets to command the entire class to participate in any activity that is safe. For example, the Monarch may command them to “bark like a dog five times” or “do five jumping jacks.”
  5. After three activities the monarch gets to choose his or her successor and they repeat the activity.

Tips for Discussion and Processing

This is a fun activity to build group cohesion and re-energize any group. A good time to do this may be after lunch or at the beginning of an on-going class. This is also a fun way to discuss having choices and what it feels like to have power over other people. It also may be a good introduction to negative controlling behaviors.

Note: These activities can be modified to reflect a variety of skills.