The Period Game: A ‘fun’ and ‘comfortable’ way to learn about menstruation

Succinctly entitled The Period Game, the project is the brainchild of Daniela Gilsanz, who was inspired to create it when learning that a 2014 study found that 76% of women aged 16-24 felt embarrassed when they learned about periods in school.

"In 2019 we need to do better," she says. "The Period Game is a fun, positive, learning experience that teaches participants about what is happening within menstruating bodies... "It’s pretty much impossible to play the game without saying words like 'period' and 'tampon,' making it a lot easier to talk about both in real life, and empowering the next generation to stop hiding tampons in their sleeves." We've all been there ladies, right? Heck, I've even discreetly tucked a non-applicator in my bra at times, and I'm no shrinking violet.

So how does the game work? Well, as with traditional board games, you move across the board—unlike traditional board games, this takes you through four delicious stages of the cycle; encountering different PMS symptoms (hopefully bloating, ravenous hunger and vials of tears/anger aren't included in the box) and different flows. Naturally, the players' pieces are shaped like knickers, pads, tampons and menstrual cups.

The game is currently being funded on Kickstarter and has already picked up some rave reviews.

“The kids engaged quickly and all spoke easily of things they may not have in other settings," says middle school health teacher Suzan Steinberg. A 6th grader kid (that's Year 7 to us in England) added: "This game was really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really fun."