A group of 20 teenagers in a Mobilization for Youth project were involved in the invention and production of educational games. The direct, cooperative participation in such an educational process made the experience a real and creative learning activity which had a comprehensible, achievable goal. These games were not made for competitive sale but were sold in a local cooperative store for a modest price. The experiment shows that the activity of inventing a game can motivate disadvantaged youth to exercise initiative and creativity and to work successfully in a self-directed manner. (NH)