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DECEMBER 2004

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.
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