Adhiveshan: Studying that Sticks

Many kishores/kishoris around the nation this past weekend took their Prathmik Mukhpaath to qualify for the upcoming Adhiveshan. With five categories and many lines to memorize, certainly the challenge appears daunting.

Here are a few activities worth trying to shake things up to make the studying fun. If you think of more, feel free to share!

Game 1: Mukhpaath Madness
Sit everyone in a circle, and pick a shlok. Have the first person say the first word. The next person should say the first word plus the subsequent word.

Person 1: Gururbrahma

Person 2: Gururbrahma, gururvishnu

Continue until someone says an incorrect word. Start over and repeat. Time the group to see how long it takes to finish the entire shlok. Compete with other groups in the mandal to see who is the fastest.

NOTE: This game forces everyone to know the words AND pay attention to their team members as repeating the same mistakes only wastes time. Thus, it encourages teamwork.

Variation #1*: Mix it up by introducing a ball. Players can throw to another person in the circle instead of having the person next to them go next.

Variation #2: Each time someone misses a word, s/he sits down. Last person standing wins provided they can recite the entire verse. 

Variation #3: For balaks/balikas, pass a box around with a treat inside (e.g. candy, sticker). Whoever is holding the box upon completing the verse keeps the treat. 

Game 2: Relay to Raajipo*
Line up teams, and grab a whiteboard. The first person goes up, writes the first word, and returns to the back of the line. The next person goes up and writes the next word. Continue until the entire verse is written. If a team writes a verse incorrectly, they have to start over. First team to correctly write the entire verse wins.

Variation #1: For balaks/balikas, have them hop/skip to the board instead of just running.

Game 3: Basketball Mukhpaath
Line up two teams on the basketball court. Ask each person to recite a verse. If correct, s/he earns 4 points and can earn an additional point for shooting a basket - a grand total of 5 points. Play as many rounds as you like.

*Adapted from Ken Moser's Creative Christian Ideas