At New York Society of Play, everything revolves around the social contract. The social contract is a set of rules we follow when at play to remind us to behave kindly and fairly.

During the day, we discuss, and reflect on how the different parts of the social contract relate to having fun while playing, placing games and skill building hand-in-hand.

The five parts of the social contract are: 

Safety

-Be safe with the bodies of yourself and others. If someone is hurt, we can’t have fun!

-Don’t hurt other people’s feelings. It’s hard to have fun when your feelings are hurt.

-Don’t do or encourage anything to make yourself or other people ill or unwell.

Trust

-Everyone follows the same rules.

-We give each other the benefit of the doubt.

-We all behave in a trustworthy manner.

Respect

-Don’t be rough with the property of others.

-Don’t use your words unkindly.

-Say “good game” after a win or loss; practice sportsmanship!

Cooperation

-Sometimes the group will need to compromise on what to play.

-We’re all on the same team in real life; even if we’re playing a competitive game!

Consent

-Always ask permission.

-No means no.

-Hands to ourselves!

These rules serve as handy tools for classroom management, as well as essential skills for working (and playing!) well with others. 

At the beginning of the day, we briefly review the social contract before getting into a more in-depth discussion about one or two points.

During the middle of the day, the social contract is used to remind us of our behavior standards and validate exemplary behavior.

At the end of the day, we review the activities through the lens of our discussion at the beginning of the day.

Combine this for the wealth of fun activities like Pokémon, Dungeons & Dragons, and retro video games, learning social skills can be fun! We are now accepting registrations for the fall 2023 semester!