Morale & games
Supplies keep a group alive; morale keeps it together. Stock the analogue kit below into your inventory, then use the activity list for evenings with no power, no screens and no internet.
Morale kit readiness
60%
Based on must-have morale items for 2 members.
Items still missing
10
Targets scale automatically with your survival group size.
Tonight
Games & morale kit
Everything here works with no electricity and no signal. Add it straight to your inventory.
| Item | Target | In stock | Why it matters | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playing cards (2 decks)Must-have | 1 decks | 2 | Hundreds of games from one pocket-size item. Keep a spare — decks get lost and worn. | Covered |
| Dice set (6 x D6)Must-have | 1 sets | 0 of 1 | Yahtzee, Farkle, Pig and dozens of improvised games. Weighs nothing. | |
| Dominoes (double-six)Nice-to-have | 1 sets | 1 | Works for all ages, playable by lantern light, also good for kids' counting practice. | Covered |
| Chess / draughts set (travel)Nice-to-have | 1 sets | 0 of 1 | Long, quiet, absorbing games for the hours where there is nothing to do. | |
| Board game (co-operative)Nice-to-have | 1 games | 0 of 1 | Co-op games reduce friction in a stressed group far better than competitive ones. | |
| Puzzle book / crosswordsNice-to-have | 1 books | 0 of 1 | Solo occupation for anyone who needs to switch off from the situation. | |
| Paperback booksNice-to-have | 3 books | 0 of 3 | Escapism plus reference. Include one practical skills book you would actually use. | |
| Notebooks & pencilsMust-have | 2 sets | 2 | Journalling, drawing, letter-writing, scoring games and logging events. Pencils beat pens in cold and damp. | Covered |
| Harmonica or small instrumentNice-to-have | 1 items | 0 of 1 | Music lifts a room faster than anything else and needs no power. | |
| Deck of trivia / conversation cardsNice-to-have | 1 decks | 0 of 1 | Gives quiet or anxious members an easy way into the group. | |
| Football / frisbee / skipping ropeNice-to-have | 1 items | 0 of 1 | Physical play burns off adrenaline, especially for children and teenagers. | |
| Colouring pens & paper (kids)Nice-to-have | 1 packs | 0 of 1 | Children need a normal, absorbing activity more than adults do. | |
| Candles / lantern for game nightsMust-have | 3 units | 0 of 3 | A dedicated light budget for evenings means morale time doesn't compete with essential lighting. | |
| Comfort treats (chocolate, coffee, tea)Must-have | 2 packs | 3 | Small rituals — a hot drink, a shared square of chocolate — carry a group through bad weeks. | Covered |
Activities with no power and no internet
18 ideas for your group
- Card tournament ladderEveningCandlelight OK
2-6 people · 60 min · Needs: Cards, notebook
Run a week-long ladder with a scoreboard on the wall. The ongoing story matters more than the games.
- Story circleEveningCandlelight OK
3+ people · 30 min · Needs: Nothing
Each person adds a sentence to a shared story, or tells a real memory. Best done around a single lamp.
- Radio nightEveningCandlelight OK
Any people · 45 min · Needs: Wind-up / battery radio
Listen to a broadcast together at a set hour, then talk it through. Structure beats doom-scrolling silence.
- Charades / shadow theatreEveningCandlelight OK
4+ people · 40 min · Needs: Lantern, wall
Shadow puppets on a wall are extraordinary with kids and cost nothing but candlelight.
- Two truths and a lieGroup bondingCandlelight OK
3+ people · 20 min · Needs: Nothing
Fast icebreaker if your group has newly joined members or neighbours sheltering with you.
- Daily 'high, low, help'Group bondingCandlelight OK
Any people · 10 min · Needs: Nothing
Everyone names their best moment, worst moment and one thing they need help with. Catches problems early.
- Skill swap hourSkills
2+ people · 60 min · Needs: Whatever is being taught
One person teaches something — knots, bread, first aid, a language. Purpose is the strongest morale tool there is.
- Inventory rotation gameSkills
2+ people · 30 min · Needs: This app, stock
Turn the FIFO check into a timed team task with a treat for whoever spots the most near-expiry items.
- Cook-off with rationed ingredientsGroup bonding
2+ people · 90 min · Needs: Stove, pantry
Two teams, same ingredients, best meal wins. Uses stock you would eat anyway and breaks food fatigue.
- Walk and recceDaylight
2+ people · 45 min · Needs: Boots, notebook
Combine exercise with useful intel: water points, road conditions, who on the street needs checking on.
- Garden / grow projectDaylight
Any people · 30 min · Needs: Seeds, containers
Sprouts on a windowsill give a daily sense of progress and real nutrition in weeks.
- Scavenger huntChildren
2+ people · 30 min · Needs: List, small prize
Hide items around the shelter. Keeps children moving and gives adults a quiet half hour.
- Fort buildingChildrenCandlelight OK
1+ people · 60 min · Needs: Blankets, chairs
A child with their own 'space' inside a crowded shelter copes far better.
- Drawing the dayChildrenCandlelight OK
1+ people · 25 min · Needs: Paper, pens
Kids process fear through drawing. Keep the pictures — they double as a family record.
- JournallingQuiet / soloCandlelight OK
1 people · 20 min · Needs: Notebook, pencil
Ten minutes of writing measurably lowers stress. Encourage it at the same time each evening.
- Reading hourQuiet / soloCandlelight OK
Any people · 60 min · Needs: Books, light
A group-wide quiet hour prevents the friction that comes from never being alone.
- Letter writingQuiet / soloCandlelight OK
1 people · 30 min · Needs: Paper, pencil
Write to people you cannot reach. Post later or keep them — it restores a sense of connection.
- Stretch and breathe sessionGroup bondingCandlelight OK
Any people · 15 min · Needs: Floor space
Ten minutes of stretching and slow breathing morning and night keeps bodies and tempers loose.
Daily rituals that hold a group together
- Keep one fixed hot-drink hour a day — it becomes the anchor of the whole schedule.
- Give every member a real job. Boredom and uselessness break groups faster than shortages.
- Protect one hour of quiet time so nobody is forced to be social all day.
- Mark birthdays and small wins. Set aside a treat in stock specifically for them.
- Rotate who chooses the evening activity so it never becomes one person's routine.
- End the day with 'high, low, help' so nobody carries a problem overnight.