Consequences, A Story Game

Victorian Parlor Game Teaches Children to Write

May 4, 2009 Melissa Roberts

Continue a Victorian tradition and teach children writing with Consequences, a family word game.

Consequences is a Victorian story game that the whole family can enjoy. Anyone old enough to write can play Consequences, and the game offers players young and old the opportunity to think creatively and write stories together for fun.

Introduction to Consequences, A Victorian Word Game

Victorians played parlor games-parlor being a formal room at the front of the house- in the evenings and during the holidays. Checkers, chess, and cards are games Victorians might take off the shelf that are still popular today.

Victorians did not buy all of their games at a store, however. They devised many games from materials sitting around the house. Charades and Blind Man's Bluff, for example, require few materials and include a group of people of various ages and abilities. Consequences is one such game, designed to be played in the parlor with minimal materials for maximum fun.

Materials Needed for Consequences

• Three or more people old enough to write
• Enough strips of paper for the group. Make sure strips are wide enough to write sentences on- computer paper works well if cut lengthwise. Use larger paper if playing with smaller children.
• Writing utensils for the group
• Hard surface, such as table or writing desk

How to Play Consequences, the Story Game

1. Invite group to sit in a circle within reach of each other. Distribute paper and writing utensils.
2. Instruct everyone to write the name of a man at the top of her or his paper. For example, Sophia, age 7, writes "Daddy" on her paper.
3. Fold the paper over to cover the writing and crease it, so no one can read it. Wait until the group is finished, then have each person pass the paper to the person on her or his right.
4. Now write the name of a woman at the top of the paper. Colin, age 10, chooses "Storm from X-Men" for a woman and writes it on his paper. Repeat Step 3.
5. Write a place at the top of the paper. Jasmine, age 11, writes "in the cat's litter box" as her place. Repeat Step 3.
6. Next write what the man said to the woman. Sue, Jasmine's mother, selects "Honey, what's for dinner?" to write on her paper. Repeat Step 3.
7. Write what the woman said to the man. Aunt Melissa writes, "Do I look fat in this dress?" to continue the story. Repeat Step 3.
8. Write what the man and woman do next, an activity or outing they take together. Sophia writes, "they go out for ice cream and sit by the curb licking it." Repeat Step 3.
9. Last, write the consequences, the results of the characters' actions, or more simply the ending. Colin thinks carefully before constructing the consequences for his characters. "They go home to play Donkey Kong Junglebeat, but they fight over who gets to be Donkey Kong. She cries and runs away. He never sees her again but enjoys beating his Nintendo. The end." Repeat Step 3 for the last time.
10. Now, every group member has a piece of paper folded like an accordion that contains a story the group wrote together. Take turns reading the stories aloud, with pauses for laughing and questioning. To conclude the example story, Jasmine unfolds the paper in her hands and reads, " Daddy met Storm in the cat's litter box. He said, 'Honey, what's for dinner?' She said, 'Do I look fat in this dress?' They go out for ice cream and sit by the curb licking it. Then, they go home to play Donkey Kong Junglebeat, but they fight over who gets to be Donkey Kong. She cries and runs away. He never sees her again but enjoys beating his Nintendo. The end."

Play Consequences as many times as the group likes. Note that the person who began the story by writing a man's name gets to keep the story. Enjoy Consequences for family bonding, holiday festivities, or simply an educational activity for children to practice writing, and keep a Victorian tradition alive.

For another Victorian family activity, try How to Make a Victorian Paper Chain. Also see Word Building Scrabble for another children's word game.

The copyright of the article Consequences, A Story Game in Kids Activities is owned by Melissa Roberts. Permission to republish Consequences, A Story Game in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Victorian Game Teaches Children to Write

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