For students
- Feel seen, safe and that they belong
- Learn to understand others and judge less
- Practise empathy and respect (core SEL skills)
Teach belonging with courage.
Let students feel it.
Screen-free empathy learning for international schools. The award-winning card game for wellbeing and belonging.
Proud member of FOBISIA
2,500+sessions since 2016
Award-
winning
winning
How does the Birth Game work?
A one-minute look: what the Birth Game is, how it feels in the classroom, and what your school gets.
Every school wants students who feel they belong:
– you can’t teach empathy from a slide.
None of us chose the cards we were born with:
– all of us can choose how we treat each other.
The Birth Game makes it real
No screens, no lectures. Students draw cards for the things nobody chooses at birth. Step by step, they live a life that is not their own, and talk about what is fair.
In Dutch, LEF means courage. It takes courage to be yourself, to really listen, and to show up for each other.
What changes when students belong
For teachers and pastoral staff
- A low-prep, safe way into difficult conversations
- Ready-to-use lessons with safeguarding guidance
- Confidence to lead the game themselves, all year round
For the school
- A stronger culture of wellbeing and belonging
- Supports PSHE, SEL and the IB (PYP and MYP)
- A shared language of respect, from classroom to home
"When students feel they belong, they grow into the best version of themselves."
Built for
- Wellbeing leads
- Pastoral care leads and tutors
- Inclusion leads and counsellors
- PYP and MYP coordinators, PSHE teachers
What your school gets
Teacher workshop
Your team plays the game and learns to lead it with confidence.
The Birth Game
A primary version (ages 8 to 12) and a secondary version for teens and adults.
Facilitator manual
Ready-to-use lessons, safeguarding guidance and a human rights link for every topic.
Why schools choose the Birth Game
Hands-on SEL
Builds core Social and Emotional Learning skills like empathy, perspective-taking and respect.
Learning by doing
Experiential learning: the shift happens in the room, between real people, with no screens.
Rooted in human rights
Linked to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.
Yours to keep
After the workshop, your own staff lead it all year round.
What people are saying
"I didn't realise the world is so heteronormative."
"Educational, interesting, fun. An answer to an "empty box" in our expertise."
"I'm not going to use the word "gay" to bully anymore."
"Now that I know the statistics, I pay much more conscious attention to signals."
"Good mix of personal stories and interaction. Energising!"
"This way, professional development is much more fun!"
From local roots to global reach
What began in 2014 as Stichting Schiedams LEF, founded by Dutch educators Carolien Kruijs and Sandy Kardolus, was born from a necessity: the lack of hands-on tools to truly teach belonging. With Marieke de Zeeuw, co-founder of LEF International, the proven method is now available to international schools worldwide.
Trusted by schools
2,500+ sessionssince 2016
RADAR Inclusive Award2021
Recognised by KISDutch national knowledge platform for inclusive coexistence
Proud member of FOBISIA"Well-designed, effective, and impressively simple, promotes empathy through lived experience."
Frequently asked questions
Which ages is the Birth Game for?
There are two versions. The primary version (Birth Game Junior) is for ages 8 to 12. The secondary version is for teens and adults.
What does our school get?
A teacher workshop, the Birth Game itself and the facilitator manual. After the workshop, your own staff can lead the game all year round. See pricing.
Do teachers need special training?
The teacher workshop prepares your team. Staff play the game themselves and learn to lead it with confidence. The manual has ready-to-use lessons and safeguarding guidance.
Do students need devices?
No. The Birth Game is completely screen-free. It is experiential learning (learning by doing): the shift happens in the room, between real people.
Is it safe for students?
Yes, by design. Students never have to share their own story. Every session starts with a class agreement on respect, and the manual explains how to handle unkind comments and when to follow your school's safeguarding procedure.
Does it fit our curriculum?
It supports PSHE, SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) and the IB Primary and Middle Years Programmes (PYP and MYP). See curriculum fit.
How do we get started?
Book a workshop. Tell us about your school, your students and your wellbeing plans, and we will plan the workshop with you.