Equipped for Life: A Game for Helping Adolescents Think and Act Responsibly

Equipped for Life is designed to help youth and young adults think and act responsibly. It includes more than 100 situation cards for each of two levels, grades 5-8 and grade 9-young adult. 

Topics include: daily living, education, relationships, school, community substance abuse, employment, and after school activities. Players are asked to identify thinking errors and replace them with accurate thoughts and create positive action plans for themselves, other individuals, and the community as a whole.

Sample cards:

• You are at a party. A good friend approaches you and offers you a beer. You have only 2 months left on parole, and you are not allowed to drink alcohol. You think, "One beer isn't going to hurt." You start drinking. 1. Identify the thinking error. 2. Replace with an accurate thought/constructive response.
• Your 25 year old sister came to visit your family for a week and has stayed for a month now, eating a lot of food without offering to help pay. You ask her to help. She replies, "What's the big deal? I just joined you for a few meals." 1. Identify your sister's thinking error. 2. Replace with an accurate thought/constructive response.
• You ask the teacher for an extension on your homework assignment, but she says it must be in as scheduled. You think, "If I don't get all this work done, it is her fault."  1. Identify the thinking error. 2. Replace with an accurate thought/constructive response.