Educational Activities

Find an activity

By Programme

Village (age: 11)
  • Labels (Village activity) Labels, an educational activity for the Village Programme which focuses on human rights and diversity.
  • Rights in play Rights in play, an educational activity for the Village programme which focuses on human rights.
  • World Trade (age 12-15) The activity aims to introduce the concept of world trade, and the ‘north/south’ challenges connected to this. Through the activity the inequality of natural resources and technology will be illustrated, and the role of the World Band and UN in trade and globalization will be shown.
  • The Mango Workshop (age 12-15) In this workshop participants reflect upon their own lifestyle, how their community affects them, and how they can have a positive contribution in their community. They should also be able to understand the problem of consumerism and the cycle of goods.
  • The End of the World (age 12-15) In this activity the participants are challenged to reflect on how we are depending on different elements.
  • Cookies and Conflicts (age 11) In this activity, participants will have limited resources with which they are going to try to bake some cookies.
  • Making Drama out of Conflict (age 11) Participants are to write down anonymously a conflict experience that they have had. In groups of 6, the participants (with props if available) are to act out a conflict situation.
  • Pass Your Feelings (age 11) In group discussions participants generalize situations which can make people upset, lead to conflict or hostile situations and solutions for their resolution
  • Bullying activity (age 11) Participants are to work in groups of six and brainstorm the reasons behind bullying in schools. Participants are to create leaflets which they would use to bring awareness to the problem of bullying.
  • Conflict Consequences Activity (age 11) Participants are to reflect upon how they dealed with conflicts that have affected them recently.
  • Human Rights Tree (age 11) Ask all participants to draw a tree: for branches, leaves and flowers they should write the fundamental Human Rights that they believe are necessary in each individual’s life. The roots of the tree should represent the necessary factors in society which help achieve these rights.
  • Go Fish (age 11) This activity deals with overexploitation of resources. The aim is to show how fragile our resources are, in this case fish. The activity also shows the impact human actions have on our surroundings.
  • Mango Alias (age 12-15) Fun social activity with sustainable development as the theme.
Youth Meeting (age: 12-19+)
  • Right to broadband (age 19+) Participants understand a scenario for the impact of the internet by 2020 by exaggerating and parodying it in a creative fashion. Participants relate the findings and implications of this activity and the materials provided and created to their home and everyday life.
  • Dead Aid (age 15+) Participants understand the difference between having good intentions and putting them into good practice in the fields of charity and development aid or development cooperation. Participants recognize this situation once both groups are brought together. Participants offer answers to the debrief questions and critically reflect upon the questions asked.
  • Looking back (age 12-19+) Participants can outline the meaning of the Declaration of Human Rights and can give examples to demonstrate that Human Rights as we know them today are the result of a process of years and years.
  • Climate Role-play (age 17-18) This is a role-play so through the activity the participants will represent a different country, and present their points of view. In the discussion they will get to compare their experiences from the activity with those from their home life, and get to compare those of the participants from other countries.
  • World Trade (age 12-15) The activity aims to introduce the concept of world trade, and the ‘north/south’ challenges connected to this. Through the activity the inequality of natural resources and technology will be illustrated, and the role of the World Band and UN in trade and globalization will be shown.
  • The Mango Workshop (age 12-15) In this workshop participants reflect upon their own lifestyle, how their community affects them, and how they can have a positive contribution in their community. They should also be able to understand the problem of consumerism and the cycle of goods.
  • The End of the World (age 12-15) In this activity the participants are challenged to reflect on how we are depending on different elements.
  • Mango Alias (age 12-15) Fun social activity with sustainable development as the theme.
Step Up (age: 14-15)
  • Front page (age 14-15) Divide participants into four groups, so that each group includes one person from each delegation. (5 min.) Each group has the overall task to create the front page of a newspaper by selecting 5 pictures and writing headlines and short articles to go with the pictures.
  • CISV Photo Story (age 14-15) Assign each group one of the CISV areas of educational peace content: Human Rights, Conflict and resolution, Diversity and Sustainable Development, and ask the group to make a photo story which is representative for their assigned area.
  • Problems in my Country (age 14-15) In this activity the participants will 1) reflect on the situation in their own country, 2) gain knowledge on situations in other countries, and 3) reflect on how situations in other countries can be solved.
  • Seeking Asylum in Another World (age 14-15) In this simulation game participants learn about asylum seekers and the difficulties they face.
  • Diary (age 14-15) At the beginning of the camp ask all participants to keep a diary of the events that occur during camp. They should record their feelings and thoughts about activities, events, people and incidents-good or bad.
  • Human Rights Pictures (age 14-15) In groups participants are asked to analyse and discuss pictures about human rights (violations).
  • Dramas of Difference (age14-15) In this activity participants learn about cultural differences, finding solutions to conflicts and seeing life in someone else’s eyes.
  • Chocolate Activity (age 14-15) Teams will cycle round stations; each station will represent a stage in the chocolate production and distribution process. At each station they will have to complete an activity to gain points for their team, after every team has completed all stations there will be a team with the most points who will be declared the winners.
  • Millennium Development Goals Barometer (age 14-15) Leaders are to ask the participants what they can remember about the Millennium Development Goals. Then they are asked which ones do they think would be showing more progress than others – followed by a personal reflection and a group work activity.
  • Millennium Development Goals (age 14-15) Participants are asked what they know about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). After a quick discussion of this, leaders will give participants handouts with information about the MDGs on it. After they have had time to have a look at the handout, leaders are to ask the participants which goals immediately stand out to them as the most important or relevant ones. A discussion about this follows.
  • Quoting Resolution (age 14-15) Ask participants to give examples of differences that could lead to conflicts because of lack of integration and think of ways on how they can be integrated within a community, society, or culture.
  • Lights Camera Resolution (age 14-15) Participants are to work in groups of 4. Each group is given access to a (most likely disposeable) camera. It is the aim of each group to depict a common conflict at home, school or elsewhere through the taking of photos.
  • The Trouble with Diamonds (age 14-15) Through a quiz, interviews and group discussion participants familiarise themselves with the topic of world trade and globalisation.
  • What you see is what you get (age 14-15) The goal of this activity is for participants to understand why and how we label people and what consequences it can have.
  • Sport activity (age 14-15) Participants are to be shown the highlights of sport events. Participants are to work in groups of six. Each group is going to propose an event (sporting or otherwise) that they would put on to bring attention to the continual existence of conflicts in today’s world.
  • World Trade (age 12-15) The activity aims to introduce the concept of world trade, and the ‘north/south’ challenges connected to this. Through the activity the inequality of natural resources and technology will be illustrated, and the role of the World Band and UN in trade and globalization will be shown.
  • The Mango Workshop (age 12-15) In this workshop participants reflect upon their own lifestyle, how their community affects them, and how they can have a positive contribution in their community. They should also be able to understand the problem of consumerism and the cycle of goods.
  • The End of the World (age 12-15) In this activity the participants are challenged to reflect on how we are depending on different elements.
  • Mango Alias (age 12-15) Fun social activity with sustainable development as the theme.
Seminar Camp (age: 17-18)
  • In the deep forest of DR Congo (age 17-18) Participants will gain experience in adapting and representing someone else’s views. This activity raises awareness of how deforestation affects us all and provides skills for solving conflicts.
  • I am a Car (age 17-18) Participants are to share experiences from home life about how our individual choices have an impact on the environment. Participants then will reflect on ways to use more sustainable solutions in their everyday life.
  • Debating Sustainable Development (age 17-18) Participants are to hold speeches about sustainable development and afterwards engage in a discussion.
  • Music Video Activity (age 17-18) Participants are to be split into debating teams. Three groups will be proposing that music videos glorify violence and promote gang violence, and therefore artists and record companies should be banned from bringing out these kinds of videos. The other three groups will be disagreeing with this motion. Each team will have fifteen minutes to discuss and come up with reasons that they could use to justify their point of view. It may be difficult to come up with ideas on the topic if participants have been a
  • Truths and Lies (age 17-18) Ask participants to pick out (of the whole 10 facts list handed out at the end of the activity) the fact about a world issue that impacted them the most and write a very shot justification of why they believed it was true or false, and what they believe are the underlying causes for that issue. What factors they think are promoting the issue?
  • Debating Microfinance (age 17-18) Participants are asked if they know anything about microfinance. Two groups are to take a positive and the other two groups will take a negative view of microfinance. In a debate, each side has ten minutes to justify their assigned view on microfinance as a tool for escaping poverty.
  • Baranga (age 17-18) The goal of this activity is to expose participants to a situation where cultural norms change and participants are required to practice reacting and adapting.
  • Climate Role-play (age 17-18) This is a role-play so through the activity the participants will represent a different country, and present their points of view. In the discussion they will get to compare their experiences from the activity with those from their home life, and get to compare those of the participants from other countries.
  • The Mango Workshop (age 12-15) In this workshop participants reflect upon their own lifestyle, how their community affects them, and how they can have a positive contribution in their community. They should also be able to understand the problem of consumerism and the cycle of goods.

By Content Area

Diversity
  • CISV Photo Story (age 14-15) Assign each group one of the CISV areas of educational peace content: Human Rights, Conflict and resolution, Diversity and Sustainable Development, and ask the group to make a photo story which is representative for their assigned area.
  • Baranga (age 17-18) The goal of this activity is to expose participants to a situation where cultural norms change and participants are required to practice reacting and adapting.
  • Diary (age 14-15) At the beginning of the camp ask all participants to keep a diary of the events that occur during camp. They should record their feelings and thoughts about activities, events, people and incidents-good or bad.
  • Dramas of Difference (age14-15) In this activity participants learn about cultural differences, finding solutions to conflicts and seeing life in someone else’s eyes.
  • What you see is what you get (age 14-15) The goal of this activity is for participants to understand why and how we label people and what consequences it can have.
  • Interfaith Activity (age 12-15) The goal of this activity is to allow participants to experience other sources of spirituality and learn about other faiths through real life interaction with different religious places.
  • The Mango Workshop (age 12-15) In this workshop participants reflect upon their own lifestyle, how their community affects them, and how they can have a positive contribution in their community. They should also be able to understand the problem of consumerism and the cycle of goods.
  • Labels (Village activity) Labels, an educational activity for the Village Programme which focuses on human rights and diversity.
Human Rights
  • Labels (Village activity) Labels, an educational activity for the Village Programme which focuses on human rights and diversity.
  • Rights in play Rights in play, an educational activity for the Village programme which focuses on human rights.
  • Human Rights come alive! (age 12-15) In the first step of Right On, we want to emphasize the Human in Human Rights and introduce different layers and aspects of the content area to all participants. Adjust this activity to your JB’s needs! You can use this material however you want – Think the debrief questions are lame? Change them! Want to focus on only the ‘Do’ part of the activity and add the rest yourself ? Perfect. Nobody knows your JB’s needs better than you do.
  • Right to broadband (age 19+) Participants understand a scenario for the impact of the internet by 2020 by exaggerating and parodying it in a creative fashion. Participants relate the findings and implications of this activity and the materials provided and created to their home and everyday life.
  • Universal human rights (age 12-15) Participants discover that what we call ‘universal’ human rights may mean slightly different things to different people and cultures. They explore what the implications are for protecting human rights locally. They re-affirm the importance of seeking a universally shared set of basic rights and freedoms.
  • Dead Aid (age 15+) Participants understand the difference between having good intentions and putting them into good practice in the fields of charity and development aid or development cooperation. Participants recognize this situation once both groups are brought together. Participants offer answers to the debrief questions and critically reflect upon the questions asked.
  • Front page (age 14-15) Divide participants into four groups, so that each group includes one person from each delegation. (5 min.) Each group has the overall task to create the front page of a newspaper by selecting 5 pictures and writing headlines and short articles to go with the pictures.
  • Looking back (age 12-19+) Participants can outline the meaning of the Declaration of Human Rights and can give examples to demonstrate that Human Rights as we know them today are the result of a process of years and years.
  • Stand up for equal rights (age 11) Down to Earth Village- coming “Down to Earth” not only has to do with environment, sustainable living and development, but encompasses a humble “down to earth attitude” where no one is perfect, but can learn from each other. Care for others around the world, being kind, trustworthy, and genuine – this makes you down to earth. When human rights are being violated, you can stand up for them in a peaceful, non-violent way. You can create change. This activity incorporates education about ways human rights are
  • CISV Photo Story (age 14-15) Assign each group one of the CISV areas of educational peace content: Human Rights, Conflict and resolution, Diversity and Sustainable Development, and ask the group to make a photo story which is representative for their assigned area.
  • Debating Microfinance (age 17-18) Participants are asked if they know anything about microfinance. Two groups are to take a positive and the other two groups will take a negative view of microfinance. In a debate, each side has ten minutes to justify their assigned view on microfinance as a tool for escaping poverty.
  • Seeking Asylum in Another World (age 14-15) In this simulation game participants learn about asylum seekers and the difficulties they face.
  • Human Rights Pictures (age 14-15) In groups participants are asked to analyse and discuss pictures about human rights (violations).
  • Human Rights Tree (age 11) Ask all participants to draw a tree: for branches, leaves and flowers they should write the fundamental Human Rights that they believe are necessary in each individual’s life. The roots of the tree should represent the necessary factors in society which help achieve these rights.
Conflict and Resolution
  • Stand up for equal rights (age 11) Down to Earth Village- coming “Down to Earth” not only has to do with environment, sustainable living and development, but encompasses a humble “down to earth attitude” where no one is perfect, but can learn from each other. Care for others around the world, being kind, trustworthy, and genuine – this makes you down to earth. When human rights are being violated, you can stand up for them in a peaceful, non-violent way. You can create change. This activity incorporates education about ways human rights are
  • CISV Photo Story (age 14-15) Assign each group one of the CISV areas of educational peace content: Human Rights, Conflict and resolution, Diversity and Sustainable Development, and ask the group to make a photo story which is representative for their assigned area.
  • In the deep forest of DR Congo (age 17-18) Participants will gain experience in adapting and representing someone else’s views. This activity raises awareness of how deforestation affects us all and provides skills for solving conflicts.
  • Music Video Activity (age 17-18) Participants are to be split into debating teams. Three groups will be proposing that music videos glorify violence and promote gang violence, and therefore artists and record companies should be banned from bringing out these kinds of videos. The other three groups will be disagreeing with this motion. Each team will have fifteen minutes to discuss and come up with reasons that they could use to justify their point of view. It may be difficult to come up with ideas on the topic if participants have been a
  • Truths and Lies (age 17-18) Ask participants to pick out (of the whole 10 facts list handed out at the end of the activity) the fact about a world issue that impacted them the most and write a very shot justification of why they believed it was true or false, and what they believe are the underlying causes for that issue. What factors they think are promoting the issue?
  • Climate Role-play (age 17-18) This is a role-play so through the activity the participants will represent a different country, and present their points of view. In the discussion they will get to compare their experiences from the activity with those from their home life, and get to compare those of the participants from other countries.
  • Seeking Asylum in Another World (age 14-15) In this simulation game participants learn about asylum seekers and the difficulties they face.
  • Diary (age 14-15) At the beginning of the camp ask all participants to keep a diary of the events that occur during camp. They should record their feelings and thoughts about activities, events, people and incidents-good or bad.
  • Human Rights Pictures (age 14-15) In groups participants are asked to analyse and discuss pictures about human rights (violations).
  • Dramas of Difference (age14-15) In this activity participants learn about cultural differences, finding solutions to conflicts and seeing life in someone else’s eyes.
  • Chocolate Activity (age 14-15) Teams will cycle round stations; each station will represent a stage in the chocolate production and distribution process. At each station they will have to complete an activity to gain points for their team, after every team has completed all stations there will be a team with the most points who will be declared the winners.
  • Millennium Development Goals Barometer (age 14-15) Leaders are to ask the participants what they can remember about the Millennium Development Goals. Then they are asked which ones do they think would be showing more progress than others – followed by a personal reflection and a group work activity.
  • Millennium Development Goals (age 14-15) Participants are asked what they know about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). After a quick discussion of this, leaders will give participants handouts with information about the MDGs on it. After they have had time to have a look at the handout, leaders are to ask the participants which goals immediately stand out to them as the most important or relevant ones. A discussion about this follows.
  • Quoting Resolution (age 14-15) Ask participants to give examples of differences that could lead to conflicts because of lack of integration and think of ways on how they can be integrated within a community, society, or culture.
  • Lights Camera Resolution (age 14-15) Participants are to work in groups of 4. Each group is given access to a (most likely disposeable) camera. It is the aim of each group to depict a common conflict at home, school or elsewhere through the taking of photos.
  • The Trouble with Diamonds (age 14-15) Through a quiz, interviews and group discussion participants familiarise themselves with the topic of world trade and globalisation.
  • Sport activity (age 14-15) Participants are to be shown the highlights of sport events. Participants are to work in groups of six. Each group is going to propose an event (sporting or otherwise) that they would put on to bring attention to the continual existence of conflicts in today’s world.
  • Cookies and Conflicts (age 11) In this activity, participants will have limited resources with which they are going to try to bake some cookies.
  • Making Drama out of Conflict (age 11) Participants are to write down anonymously a conflict experience that they have had. In groups of 6, the participants (with props if available) are to act out a conflict situation.
  • Pass Your Feelings (age 11) In group discussions participants generalize situations which can make people upset, lead to conflict or hostile situations and solutions for their resolution
  • Bullying activity (age 11) Participants are to work in groups of six and brainstorm the reasons behind bullying in schools. Participants are to create leaflets which they would use to bring awareness to the problem of bullying.
  • Conflict Consequences Activity (age 11) Participants are to reflect upon how they dealed with conflicts that have affected them recently.
Sustainable Development
  • CISV Photo Story (age 14-15) Assign each group one of the CISV areas of educational peace content: Human Rights, Conflict and resolution, Diversity and Sustainable Development, and ask the group to make a photo story which is representative for their assigned area.
  • In the deep forest of DR Congo (age 17-18) Participants will gain experience in adapting and representing someone else’s views. This activity raises awareness of how deforestation affects us all and provides skills for solving conflicts.
  • I am a Car (age 17-18) Participants are to share experiences from home life about how our individual choices have an impact on the environment. Participants then will reflect on ways to use more sustainable solutions in their everyday life.
  • Debating Sustainable Development (age 17-18) Participants are to hold speeches about sustainable development and afterwards engage in a discussion.
  • Climate Role-play (age 17-18) This is a role-play so through the activity the participants will represent a different country, and present their points of view. In the discussion they will get to compare their experiences from the activity with those from their home life, and get to compare those of the participants from other countries.
  • Problems in my Country (age 14-15) In this activity the participants will 1) reflect on the situation in their own country, 2) gain knowledge on situations in other countries, and 3) reflect on how situations in other countries can be solved.
  • World Trade (age 12-15) The activity aims to introduce the concept of world trade, and the ‘north/south’ challenges connected to this. Through the activity the inequality of natural resources and technology will be illustrated, and the role of the World Band and UN in trade and globalization will be shown.
  • The Mango Workshop (age 12-15) In this workshop participants reflect upon their own lifestyle, how their community affects them, and how they can have a positive contribution in their community. They should also be able to understand the problem of consumerism and the cycle of goods.
  • The End of the World (age 12-15) In this activity the participants are challenged to reflect on how we are depending on different elements.
  • Go Fish (age 11) This activity deals with overexploitation of resources. The aim is to show how fragile our resources are, in this case fish. The activity also shows the impact human actions have on our surroundings.
  • Mango Alias (age 12-15) Fun social activity with sustainable development as the theme.
  • Mosango Domino (age 12-15) Introduce and inspire creative definitions to the topic of sustainable development through a domino game.

By Team Building

Active
  • Catch the Dragon’s tail (age 11+) The participants form a line of 8 to 10 people long. Each person puts their hand around the waist of the person in front of them. The last person…
  • Chaos (age 11+) Hide approximately 30-50 numbered cards around the playing area. On the other side of the cards write a word, saying, symbol, action, or question if…
  • Crazy creature (age 11+) The object is to get a group of 7 people across a 10-metre (30 foot) area, using only 4 anatomical points simultaneously contacting the ground. A…
  • Lunch treasure hunt (age 11+) Numbers are written on squares of paper and hidden around the campsite. The numbers correspond to items of food for a meal or utensils used to eat…
  • Pony song (age 11+) The participants form a circle. Three to five people “gallop” around the inside of the circle like ponies singing:
  • Splashy volleyball (age 11+) Prepare a court by putting a net or rope across some open space. Place participants in pairs and give each pair a towel. Fill balloons up with water,…
  • Stick in the bottle (age 11+) Tie a stick to a piece of string (approximately 30cm long) to the participant in such a way that it hangs from the back of their pants. Make sure the…
Communication
  • Charades (age 11+) The participants are split into two groups and each group writes down a list of ‘things’ (they could be animals, famous people, anything you choose).
  • How well do you know your friends? (age 13+) Form groups of 7-8 people. In turn, one person gets asked a question and decides whether to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but doesn’t tell the others the…
  • Make a shape (age 11+) The participants hold hands and form a circle. The task is then to form different shapes with their eyes closed.

Submitting activities

Send us your best activity!

Share your new or updated educational activities with us. We are always interested in new activities that our volunteers have developed and run.

To submit your activity, there are some steps you need to follow:

  1. Select and download the activity template designed for your programme.
  2. Follow the instructions given on the templates and fill in all the required fields.
  3. Save the file, giving the file the same name that you have chosen for the activity.
  4. Send the activity to us.

Our educational activities team will then review your activity and get back to you with feedback and possibly suggestions for improvement. To make sure that we only publish high quality activities, we follow an activity vetting guidance.

Our commitment is to provide high-quality educational activities to CISVers worldwide!

CISV values creativity and we encourage the use of existing good ideas and good practice wherever we can. If you have used other people’s ideas and work to develop your activity it is very important, and good manners, to acknowledge authorship and intellectual property rights.

Education activities vetting guidance

The Educational Programmes Committee is committed to producing and publishing high quality educational activities to support our programmes, delegation leaders, programme staff, Junior Branch, and Chapters.

By high quality activities we mean activities that engage participants in their learning emotionally (feeling), experientially (doing), as well as a cognitively (thinking).

Therefore, activities need to:

On a practical level, they need to

  • be written in a way that allows leaders, staff and others to implement the  activity or adapt it appropriately based on the description given.
  • be written in simple and concise language that is accessible also to non-native speakers.

We ask all programme staff and leaders and other CISV volunteers to submit any new activities to the Educational Programmes Committee at activities@cisv.org. To ensure that only high quality activities are published on the CISV website, the Educational Programmes Committee reserve the right to edit and quality-check activities prior to publication.

Ideally, activities should have been run in at least one programme before publication on the website. We aim to ensure that published activities have proven that they can work and are not just untested ideas. However, new activities that fulfil all of the above criteria can also be published, but should contain a note indicating that they are not yet tried and tested.

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