How it works

Through funny, educational questions and assignments covering different themes, players are challenged to learn together what makes them happy. The game consists of 8 themes:

  • Gratitude & Forgiveness
  • Creativity & Laughter
  • Affection & Touch
  • Freedom & Positive Thinking
  • Health & Nature
  • Meaning & Setting Goals
  • Togetherness & Connection
  • Sadness & Adversity

All themes are based on happiness and building resilience. Happiness experiences are divided into 8 coloured theme cards. Move around the board, enjoy the assignments, collect all 8 theme assignment cards on the board with an owl on it, be the first to cross the finish line and you will be a wiser and happier person. The game is suitable for 2 to 6 people aged 7 to 107.

The creator of The Happy Game, Nynke de Ruiter, lost her job, ended her relationship and faced health problems in the summer of 2020. “To top it all off, I spent 3 weeks alone and sick in quarantine because of corona. But to my great surprise, I was still happy, while I saw more and more people around me becoming sad, dispirited and unhappy. After weeks of research (including The Science of Well-Being training from Yale University), I discovered that 40% of happiness is within our control. That also explained my own happiness, because I consciously train my body in gratitude, forgiveness and positive thinking. So I decided to take action to help other people become happier.” And so the idea for The Happy Game was born. “If we know that as much as 40% of our happiness comes from training our brains, then surely there is no time to lose? Shouldn’t we learn this at school and at home as soon as possible? Especially now that so many children are unhappy because of corona.”

The questions in the game were developed in part with input and feedback from (child) psychologists, teachers, happiness professors, parents and children.

Win a free Happy Game

Order your vegetable garden bag in March, April or May from the webshop of Gezonde Leefstijl Op School. We will raffle five free Happy Games among everyone who orders the vegetable garden bag during these months. More information can be found at www.thehappygame.org