Testimonials

Look at the faces of these people, they’re smiling! This is the most exciting development in physical education in 50 years.

Looking back on my own experiences with play and P.E., I realized that I had no role models. My childhood memories of P.E. were nightmares that still haunt me – frightening, highly competitive times with little or no adult supervision where children got hurt emotionally and physically. As a new elementary school teacher I vowed this would not happen in my classroom. My experience in your New Games workshop gave me an opportunity to re-evaluate my definition of play and build my own self-esteem. In our discussion of leadership skills and in leading a new game, I realized how important it was for me to not only be a facilitator but a participant, too.

On Sunday 12th June 2011 we held a Birthday Party and Celebration for the Church at Highfield Trinity in inner city culturally-diverse Sharrow. We had hoped this would include a picnic but the weather had other ideas! We finished up in a rather full church hall and had time on our hands – 20 or so bored children and young people could be a recipe for disaster!

Fortunately Dale was on hand with some of his New games so out came the parachute and a group of people of all ages enjoyed themselves for an hour and experienced the fun of co-operation and mutual support.

As a church we are keen on ideas of mutual encouragement and cooperation and wonder if our culture can be just a bit too cut-throat. We had come together in a spirit of unity with people from many cultures who would share in celebration using their own styles and languages. New games set the scene in a perfect way. Thanks!

“It was interesting and it helped me make my voice louder.”

“I liked the way he got everyone included.”

“I’m glad I joined because it was fun.”

“I learnt the enjoyment of playing games and we want to share them with Year 7’s.”

When I drove my car back home Sunday evening I suddenly knew it: During the workshop I had the opportunity to play myself and you know what I found out? I liked myself! And this hasn’t happened for a long time! What I liked most about you? Your patience with us, your flexibility and your hesitation sometimes. You are not perfect, too! And you are not afraid to show this.”

For the Team Building day of our yearly Global Cargo Team Event, we’ve had the opportunity to work with Dale Le Fevre and have an afternoon of fun with his creative and ingenious games.

Our team is made of people from around the world, with different cultures different nationalities and seemingly, different ways to have fun. Through the games we played, the hierarchy disappeared, the language barrier was lifted and we were all able to connect and have fun in a relaxed atmosphere. Feedback from the team was excellent.

“It was fun to see some of the reserved and competitive students loosen up and cooperate with other students who they normally do not associate with.

It was a great opportunity to work with Dale. He facilitated some dynamic, creative and interactive sessions for a big Sheffield Hallam University event. The overall event brought together well over two hundred people from the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing.

The ice-breaking activities set a very positive, creative tone for the day and the group workshops in the afternoon added to the excellent atmosphere through the event. The day received great feedback and was seen to have a very good effect on relationships and cross-Faculty co-operation.

I arrived feeling resentful that I had to get up so early and give up a weekend I badly needed for myself. After one game I knew I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

For my money, the 50 games presented on Dale N. Le Fevre’s New Games Training CD-ROM make more sense in this easy to browse interactive format than they do on video… includes a description (as well as full motion video), and quick pointers in several categories… (also) includes suggestions for leading and adapting games…

Have you ever watched a bunch of kids having a blast just being alive and wondered when you forgot how to play? Have you lost the wonder you used to have when learning new things? Are your days missing the “Isn’t life grand?” factor? If so, this is the book for you!! This guy not only gives us all permission to have fun, he even tells us why it’s good for us!! If he can teach the gear-heads at IBM how to embrace their inner child, he can certainly teach the rest of us. Highly recommended!!

Very creative and practical for a wide range of ages. …I think it will come in useful for parties and group children’s activities. Niki (Goodreads on Google)

“BEST NEW GAMES” by Dale N. Le Fevre is a terrific book! The pictures in the book show all ages playing this game. Le Fevre truly believes in the magic created when people of all ages get together to play. The game is never as important as the joy of participants gather from playing together. In these games no one is excluded to make the game better. In fact, it seems, the more the merrier.

Best New Games has a number of significant strengths. Having taught adventure-type games for some time, I value this book for the new and interesting games… For novice physical educators, this book would be a useful acquisition.

Thank you for the book full of fun ideas and a weekend full of fun games. I can’t remember the last time I played so much.

Remember New Games – Earthballs; parachutes; aggression-diffusion games… Vivid memories of the 1976 Whole Earth Jamboree include a canvas-covered Earthball, six feet in diameter, chased across the field or kept aloft by a giggling circle of kickers. We still get mail: “Whatever happened to New Games?” Or, “Do you know where I can buy an Earthball?”… Now we’ve heard from Dale Le Fevre, former New Games Foundation staffer, who’s been keeping New Games alive up in Mendocino, while teaching them in thirty-two countries from Northern Ireland to South Africa. He’s also produced two books, five videos, and now a CD-ROM with fifty games and guides for matching games and groups, and teaching cooperation while having fun. His catalog features all his publications, and New Games equipment – including, yes, an Earthball.

What an excellent day I had, learning and playing the (New) Games, I felt like a kid again going away with more confidence and very happy but very tired. The course (has) done wonders for me and now does wonders for the children. Thank you!

This was a fantastic workshop that gave me knowledge of a wide range of games and activities which I have taken into my work with children.

I strongly believe we all need to play more. I had lots of fun in the sessions and also a chance to see what goes on for me as I interact in this way with people. I have more confidence to lead games.

I love, love, loved this workshop. It was non-stop fun that involved every participant the whole way through. Learnt so many New Games that can be easily applied and adapted to suit the needs of any setting, Thank you Dale.

Fun and interactive way to learn New Games and discover tips and skills to lead games in groups. It has given me new ideas, enthusiasm and skills to take New Games further.

(The) New Games Workshop is a fun, hands-on experience. It will ignite your passion to try the games within your own setting as soon as you get back. I had a fantastic day with lots of enthusiastic participants. Thank you Dale.

A relaxed informal New Games training session that will inspire new ideas and creativity in developing games in all settings – this session is suitable for all types of learners and is particularly suited to play and EYFS setting looking to do something different.

A great training event. A great mix of theory and practical. This (is the) most I have ever learnt on a training day and it was fun, too.

I had a lot of fun playing the (New) Games in the workshop. Dale’s gentle and relaxed teaching style really worked in building our group identity and giving us confidence to practice leading the games in a very fluid and relaxed way.

Joy and Trust, Clarity and Friendship – New Games touch deeply while support and hug your Inner Child.

For me, as an adult with autism, (a developmental condition), play is essential for emotional and social development and well being. I’ve batted years with a society that puts restrictions on this, in the form of age or height limitations on play facilities, groups and suchlike, and even care providers (of people with learning disabilities, etc.) who dictate what is age appropriate! What I find confusing is that other adults often say they enjoy this kind of play, but I have only witnessed people with Autism/Asperger Syndrome, or learning and developmental conditions become immensely distressed at being barred from it.

However, it seems through what I’ve learned in the New Games workshops, is that many adults do benefit and enjoy this kind of non-competitive play/being childlike, especially in this day and age when many children/young people are pressured to grow up too quickly. The good thing for me about the New Games sessions is that they are structured in such a way that I am able to participate fully, unlike many other mainstream groups I’ve encountered. I feel that raising awareness of inclusion for play for adults of all abilities is the best way forward.

New Games is a fantastic way of bringing people together from all sorts of backgrounds. It gets me in touch with my inner child which allows me to connect with people in a child like way.

Lovely experience and a fantastic weekend full of games.

I loved learning about New Games and feel more confident to interact, engage and challenge friends and colleagues in a manner that brings out the best in them!

We all love to play. As adults we play too little and most of the games we play are competitive. When it doesn’t matter who wins a game this edge is taken away to allow the sheer enjoyment of doing something with others ’for the fun of it’ come to the fore. Good work, Dale. Long may it continue.

The New Games workshops helped me relax and have fun.

The workshop was really fun and helped me build confidence in sharing some New Games in the future.

Horrible competitive games at school put me off sport and running around. In comparison Dale’s New Games were fun and exciting. All children and adults should have a chance to enjoy these games.

This is really (an) enjoyable time spent learning useful and enjoyable games in an open and friendly atmosphere:-)

Participating in New Games was fun – learning how to lead New Games was useful not only in respect of the Games themselves but also in respect of leadership qualities for workshops in a wider sense.

The New Games workshop was a fun and interactive way to learn how to incorporate and teach adaptive activities/games into everyday programming for just about any age and ability set.

I found Dale to be an inspiring and gifted instructor in the New Games workshop. One can tell his heart is really in his work.

Had a great day learning New Games – it was informative, fun, and sparked off some great new ideas. Thank you very much!

We did New Games with our mental health patients back in the 70’s and 80’s. I have many fond memories of these times. I have since taught my kids and grandkids as well as neighbour children the joys of these wonderful games.

I LOVE New Games; the concept of cooperative play, the creativity, and the physical enjoyment of crazy activiites. I have used New Games for years, as a Youth Minister, with teens, and more recently with a home school group of elementary school aged children. They all LOVED each and every game. So much fun! Keep up the good work.