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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Toothpick/Marshmallow construction

Get out a box of toothpicks and a bag of miniature marshmallows, then let your kids build the biggest tower or bridge that they can. You may need to show them how to fit the pieces together, and I'm sure there will be a little snacking going on during the building, but it is all in good fun. You can also have the kids try this with gumdrops or other gummy candies instead of (or in addition to) the marshmallows). Kids can either work together to build, or they can each make their own construction.

Aluminum foil play

Let your kids get creative with aluminum foil. Give them each a sheet or two and tell them to mold it into whatever they want (you may need to demonstrate a few ideas the first time you have them
do this activity--try a mask, jewelry, animals, or anything else you can think of). Foil is pretty cheap, so let the kids use as much as they need and they will keep busy for quite awhile.

Sponge Ball

kids attending summer camp look forward to cooling off by playing in the water, and summer camp wouldn’t be camp without water games. Sponge ball is a fun and exciting game that involves lots of water and lots of fun.

Sponge ball is a lot like dodge ball, only sponge ball is played with a large absorbent sponge. The players line up against a building about three feet apart, and the person with the water-soaked sponge stands about twenty feet in back of an invisible line while trying to hit the other players with the wet sponge.

Flour Tag

Simply place about ½ cup of white flour in a clean sock, and tie a knot in the top. Each player receives a flour-filled sock. Camp kids participating in this fun camp activity should wear dark T-shirts, and form two separate teams. The teams attempt to tag players on the opposite team. The last person to be tagged is the winner of this fast and furious camp activity that is sure to burn lots of summertime energy. The flour can easily be wiped off when the game is over.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Summer Adventure Camp-2010

“Give me some Sunshine …give me some rain…give me another chance to grow up once again” sing this song and pack your bags & belt up yourself for cool summer to be spent with us. Stretch your limits of fun & adventure… jump in to the river of exciting activities & swim in the freshening spirit of Summer Adventure Camp 2010!

Summer Adventure Camps are designed to give lot of amusement, exposure and education with lot of fun & creativity. Our focus is to blend camp activities while increasing a child's appreciation for nature, science and History. Seed of discipline, time management, leadership and never give up attitude is been sown with challenging & team building games.

New friendships, lasting memories, and a foundation for health and well-being are creating enriching experience in each camp.

Activities:

1. Art of Living Courses-Art Excel (8-12 years) & YES! (13 to 17 years): These courses are highlight of our camps which brings profound transformation in kids & Youth by eliminating Study Stress & Anger. They help children to overcome their stage fright, enhances concentration, develops inner strength to stay away from bad habits, inculcates human values & develops immune system & Lots more...

2. Sri Sri Yoga with special Sukshma Yoga for students:

Every morning yoga session helps them to keep their body fit & flexible. Sukshma yoga enhances the functioning of sensory organs.

3. Vedic Maths (Crash course) : 8 to 17 years

With fun all around, students also learn some easy education of Vedic Maths. Vedic Maths techniques increases their speed & accuracy in all mathematical calculations. It Makes maths very exciting by removing the fear.

4. Know Your Child or Know Your Teen:

It is a two hour interactive workshop that gives parents a glimpse into the child’s mind and enables them to find the root cause of pessimistic behavior. It gives effective way for child to blossom completely while maintaining the joy in a parent-child relationship.

5. Adventure Sports:

These fun filled challenging activities helps them to get rid of their fear & phobias & boosts up their confidence. It energises them with lot of thrill, enthusiasm, joy & also making them strong & powerful.

a. Rappelling, Parallel rope, Commando crossing, Vertical ladder,

Net climbing, Burma bridge. (Any 4) @ Pune & Gujarat

b. Trekking on Mountain, Cave Exploring, 6 Obstacle crossing, Rappelling,

Commando crossing, Parallel rope @ Banglore

c. Jet-Ski, Para-sailing, Banana ride, Boat Ride @ Goa

6. Astronomy (8 to 17 years)

Astronomy is the most fascinating subject attracting all to the wonder of the sky and our universe. Astronomy session will make the theory of books very practical & will give them the glimpse of the outer mesmerizing world. Who knows this might give birth to an upcoming Astronaut!!!

6. Innovative Art, Craft Activities (8 to 12 years)

These activities gives them relaxation & opportunity to express themselves freely. It pulls out the hidden creativity talent in them.

7. Foreign Language Class (German/ French) 13 to 17 years

As every generation is facing bigger Challenges, it is important to learn few foreign language for Global exposure. In a humorous manner this class kindles an interest in them to learn a new form of communication.

6. Other activities: Visit to Ancient heritage Boating, Bonfire, Lot of fun filled & team building games, Treasure hunt, Swimming, Dance & Yoga Sessions, Sanskrit chanting & lots more...


Level- I Camps
1. 29th Mar to 2nd April
Pune Ashram

2. 12th to 16th April
Madgaon, Goa

3. 20th to 24th April
Gujarat Ashram

4. 26th to 30th April
Pune Ashram

5. 12th to 16th May
Pune Ashram

6. 26th to 30th May
Pune Ashram

Level-II Camps
1. 1st to 5th May
Pune Ashram

2. 20th to 24th May
Banglore Ashram

CALL US TODAY FOR EARLY BIRD BENEFIT

We encourage and prefer early registrations to avoid any kind of disappointments. Register well in advance and avail early bird benefit – a surprise gift for your child.

Early Bird Benefit- Surprise Gift: if participants register before 20 days of the respective camp.
Donation will increase by Rs. 500/- if participants register before 6 days of the respective camp.
Donation will increase by Rs. 1000/- if participants register before 2 days of the respective camp.

Central & South Mumbai
99205 64014/ 98193 55582
Western Mumbai-Bandra to Andheri
98191 42312/ 98704 62438
Western Mumbai-Andheri to Vasai
98690 26201/ 98196 89591
New Mumbai
92232 65339/ 98671 58597
Pune
9822337883
Rest of Maharashtra
92242 19195
Gujarat
92763 51345

IMPORTANT:
1. Only those who have done YES! can participate in Level-2 camps. Level-2 camp will have YES! 2 (Advance course of YES! )
2. Mumbai Participant’s donation includes travelling expense, 1 KYC/ KYT pass & 1 Grand finale Pass.
3. KYC & KYT will be held for participants parents in Mumbai

For more details visit http://adventurepulse.webs.com/


To make this event successful we are looking forward to support by spreading this messages to all your friends, neighbors, relatives & colleagues.


Thanking you,


With Regards,

Rachit J Gandhi
rachit.gandhi@vvki.net

MAKE a "map" of where you are going.

Draw your own that has the major stops and cities, and a nice happy drawing for your final destination. Throw in a few simple drawings of landmarks you'll see along the way, such as a big bridge you'll or a mountain tunnel. A home made map is easy for kids to follow and gives them a clearer picture of how much further there is to go. If your kids are old enough and it's a trip that you take frequently, have the kids make their own map!

Fortunately-Unfortunately

This game helps teach kids to look at the bright side of things in a silly way. For example, you say, "Unfortunately, there's a tiger in the car." Your son says, "Fortunately, he doesn't eat boys." Your daughter says, "Unfortunately, he's looking at me and licking his lips." You say, "Fortunately, I brought along my tiger-jaw-clamper." And so on, alternating between fortunate and unfortunate things.

Five Pin Soccer


A really fun, all-involved game that builds soccer skills. Place teams at opposite ends of a gym or field.
Place five 2-liter plastic soda bottles in the center of the field. A little gravel in the bottle helps it to stand up and creates more noise and excitement when hit.
At the start signal, players kick balls from behind their line trying to knock down a pin. The player who knocks down a pin must run out and set the pin back up. Score 1 point for each pin knocked down. First to five wins.
You can have more skilled players play less skilled by placing the lesser skilled players closer to the pins.
It can also be played with four teams arranged in a square around the pins.
Five Pin Game

BALLOON ACTIVITY

Balloon Inflation Each person blows up a balloon. Balloons work best for games at about 85% of inflation capacity. Keen participants often over-inflate which leads to higher burstage. Less confident participants may under-inflate. You can turn the ideal inflation into a game and demonstration. Show the ideal inflation and walk around coaching people. 85% inflation also allows a handy distance for tying a thumb-knot in the neck of the balloon. Some participants may need a hand to tie the balloon off - encourage cooperation amongst participants rather than doing it yourself.

Balloon Juggle & Sort Challenge participants to keep all balloons (1+ per person) in the air. This gets the group moving and cooperating. Once they've got the hang of it, make it harder by adding in more balloons or placing restrictions e.g., no hands to keep balloons up. Ask participants to keep juggling the balloons, but to sort them into colors (works best with large groups).

Balloon Frantic Two to three inflated balloons per person are needed and a stopwatch. Each person has a balloon, with the rest in a nearby pile. Everyone begins bouncing their balloons in the air. Every five seconds, another balloon is added. See how long the group can keep the balloons bouncing before receiving six penalties. A penalty is announced loudly (to create stress!) by the leader when a balloon hits the floor, or once on the floor, if is not got back into play within five seconds. The leader keeps a cumulative score by shouting out "one", "two", etc. When the leader gets to "six", time is stopped. After some discussion, the group tries to better its record with another attempt.

Catch the Balloon A handy name game. Stand in a circle. Toss a balloon in the air and call someone's name. That person must catch the balloon before it touches the ground. If the person succeeds he/she then tosses the balloon up and calls the next name. A variation of Group Juggle.

Balloon Bop An extension of Catch the Balloon. Now the balloon is not caught, but kept in the air. As well as calling out someone's name, also call out a body part which that person has to use to keep the balloon in the air until he/she calls another person's name and body part.

Balloon Blow Divide into teams. Each team stands in a small circle. See which team can keep a balloon aloft the longest using only breath. Watch out for hyperventilation!

Balloon Help Start off with everyone in a circle, facing inwards, hands behind back. The objective is for everyone to be in the center keeping all balloons afloat. Put between zero and three balloons in people's hands behind their backs. Participants should not let on to others how many they have. The leader starts by trying to keep three balloons afloat in the center. When it becomes difficult, the leader calls somebody's name and says "X, I need your help!". That person comes in with all their balloons and helps until it becomes difficult and then they call "Y, I need your help!". If a balloon falls on the ground, it must be picked up by someone in the center and kept afloat.

Balloon Finger Balance Try balancing a balloon on the end of your finger. Have a competition to see who can do it for the longest. The balloon must not be held, only balanced, and it must not be tapped. The finger must be in direct contact with the balloon at all times. Good for focus, concentration and physical movement.

Balloon Ball Games Ball sports take on a new dimension when a balloon is used instead, e.g., get people into pairs, 1 balloon between them. Get them to play a series of 1 on 1 sports e.g., soccer, volleyball, table tennis, etc. - add equipment if you want, but without equipment people will improvise wonderfully. On a soft surface there can be dramatic diving. Variation: Ask participants to play some points in slow-motion.

other activities

Cooking

Gardening, horticulture, nature crafts

Jewelry, beads

Leather Craft

Molding, Clay, Ceramics, Plaster of Paris

Multi-cultural

Paints & Colors

Paper, Printing, and More

Fabrics, yarn, strings, needles, weaving, and braiding

Wood, brass

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Keep it going Volleyball

Size: 4+ (larger the area, the more people who can participate!)

Equipment: Beach Ball, chairs

Objective: To increase physical activity, improve problem solving skills, and increase team work.

Description: This is great when patients are unable to leave a unit, or have to stay indoors.

Start by having all participants sit in a chair scattered around the room.

The object is to count every time the beach ball is hit by a hand (or head). If the beach ball at anytime rolls flat (no bouncing) on the floor or a table, the count starts over again at 1. The ball can bounce off the walls, tables, floor, ceiling etc., but just cannot roll flat.

Added Rules are:
1. no one is allowed to stand up as long as the ball is in play.
2. No kicking, spiking
3. No monopolizing the ball only 2 hits in a row by same person count (higher functioning groups figured out it was easiest to monopolize to get a high score)
4. Not allowed to have just a small group pass back and forth to each other over and over

The final goal is to see if the team can break the record. This activity works great with ages 12-17 in patient's. My first group's record was 25, it's now up to 1,017! You'll see natural leaders blossom, and problem solving comes in play especially when there are holes the ball keeps falling flat into. Great for teamwork, because not one person can fail, since everyone is on one team.
Size: 4+ (larger the area, the more people who can participate!)

Equipment: Beach Ball, chairs

Objective: To increase physical activity, improve problem solving skills, and increase team work.

Description: This is great when patients are unable to leave a unit, or have to stay indoors.

Start by having all participants sit in a chair scattered around the room.

The object is to count every time the beach ball is hit by a hand (or head). If the beach ball at anytime rolls flat (no bouncing) on the floor or a table, the count starts over again at 1. The ball can bounce off the walls, tables, floor, ceiling etc., but just cannot roll flat.

Added Rules are:
1. no one is allowed to stand up as long as the ball is in play.
2. No kicking, spiking
3. No monopolizing the ball only 2 hits in a row by same person count (higher functioning groups figured out it was easiest to monopolize to get a high score)
4. Not allowed to have just a small group pass back and forth to each other over and over

The final goal is to see if the team can break the record. This activity works great with ages 12-17 in patient's. My first group's record was 25, it's now up to 1,017! You'll see natural leaders blossom, and problem solving comes in play especially when there are holes the ball keeps falling flat into. Great for teamwork, because not one person can fail, since everyone is on one team.

Keep it going Volleyball

Size: 4+ (larger the area, the more people who can participate!)

Equipment: Beach Ball, chairs

Objective: To increase physical activity, improve problem solving skills, and increase team work.

Description: This is great when patients are unable to leave a unit, or have to stay indoors.

Start by having all participants sit in a chair scattered around the room.

The object is to count every time the beach ball is hit by a hand (or head). If the beach ball at anytime rolls flat (no bouncing) on the floor or a table, the count starts over again at 1. The ball can bounce off the walls, tables, floor, ceiling etc., but just cannot roll flat.

Added Rules are:
1. no one is allowed to stand up as long as the ball is in play.
2. No kicking, spiking
3. No monopolizing the ball only 2 hits in a row by same person count (higher functioning groups figured out it was easiest to monopolize to get a high score)
4. Not allowed to have just a small group pass back and forth to each other over and over

The final goal is to see if the team can break the record. This activity works great with ages 12-17 in patient's. My first group's record was 25, it's now up to 1,017! You'll see natural leaders blossom, and problem solving comes in play especially when there are holes the ball keeps falling flat into. Great for teamwork, because not one person can fail, since everyone is on one team.

BALL GAME

Size of group: any size

Equipment: medium size soft football and large washing basket

Objective: socialization. Hand-eye co-ordination. Exercise for the hands and arms

Description: the individuals have to throw the ball into the basket. Depending on individuals abilities this can be easy or really difficult. They have as many goes as they need to get the ball into the basket. It is up to the organizer to put the basket at a reasonable distance for each individual (not everyone will do the same distance)the organizer encourages the individual to keep on trying and also encourages others to encourage them. You move around the group until every one as been able to throw the ball successfully in the basket. Then you start again but this time you move the basket a little further away. The organizer may need to give verbal assistance to some such as throw a little higher or harder in order for them to get the ball in the basket.

Penny Toss

Size of Group: 12-20

Equipment: Container of 50-100 Pennies. 30 various small prizes. A full-size white sheet with about 12 various-sized plate circles traced with marker on it-circles should be towards the center of the sheet, not near the edges.

Objective: Social Interactive Activity To Promote Eye-Hand and Spacial Coordination, and FUN!

Description: Need a roomy place to do this activity (dining rooms work great). A sheet is spead out and small prizes are placed in each circle. Prizes can be candy bars, snacks, small stuffed animals, kleenexes, socks, can of nuts etc. Make sure prizes do not cover the circle. Players are seated around the sheet on all sides. Each person is given 5 pennies to toss. THE RULES: Only one person tosses a penny at a time. The penny must land inside the circle or at least touch the circle-line in order to win.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Assassin

This is a game best played in a large group. We always played it with the 6-10 year olds at our summer camp. Sit all of the children
in a circle, with legs crossed. Have all children put their heads down. one person (we always had at least one adult present) would walk around the circle and tap one child
on the head. This person was the assassin. The child "kills" all other players by winking at them. If you are winked at, silently count to 10, then put your feet in the middle of the circle. We always had a few drama queens who would act as if they really had been shot, and clutch their chest, and shake and scream. very funny. if the assassin kills everyone, then they win. they can be "witnessed" as well. if you think you know who the killer is, before you get winked at, you can say you have a suspect. Such as "I suspect that Sally is the assassin" if someone seconds it (agrees with you) then sally either comes clean. if sally is not the assassin, then the accusers are dead to.

a less brutal version is the sandman. same thing, except being winked at means you take a nap.

Doggy Doggy

We played this game when it was raining. It is an inside game. A student played the part of the dog. He or she sat in a chair
with their back to the class. An eraser or another object was put under the chair. That was the bone. While the dog was turned around with his or her eyes closed someone would sneak up and steal the bone and hide it somewhere on his person. Then everyone would sing: Doggy, Doggy, where's your bone? Somebody's stole it from your home. Guess who it might be you. Then the dog has three chances to guess who took it. Sometimes it was left under his or her chair. If the dog guessed right then he got to do it again. If he guessed wrong than the person who had the bone got a turn as the dog.

Directions, Directions

Students work in groups of 4-6. One person starts, identifying and performing a small task (i.e. “Clap hands three times”). The next person repeats and performs the same tasks, then adds on one of their own (i.e. “Clap hands three time, stick out tongue”). Play continues around the group, with each person performing and adding a new task to the mix. Students who cannot complete the sequence correctly are out until the next round. This game requires students to follow directions, focus, listen carefully, and utilize memory skills.

Read more at Suite101: Team Building Activities for Teens: Group and Classroom Games to Promote Communication Skills http://youth-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/team_building_activities_for_teens#ixzz0kg0crXcO

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Wink em

Place chairs in a circle facing inward and have all the girls (or guys) sit down. One guy needs to stand behind each girl. One guy should have an empty chair and he is the Winker.

The winker's job is to wink at one of the girls in the circle. She is to attempt to get out of her seat and sit in the empty chair in front of the winker. The guy behind her MUST be looking at her head (not at the winker) and have his hands by his side. When she tries to leave the chair he quickly reaches and touches her on the shoulder. If he succeeds she stays if not she sits in the winker's chair and then the guy that failed becomes the new winker.

The game just keeps going till everybody gets tired. At least 15 players our needed but an optimal number would be around 30. With larger groups designate more than one winker.

Who did it?

This game is a good ice breaker activities for new groups where people may not know each other that well.

Hand out a pen and paper to each person and ask them to write something exciting they have done in their lives - for example "I have been sky diving" or "I have been in hospital for a week" etc. Encourage people to think of something unique and interesting (though be prepared for some people to struggle to think of something!)

Collect all the pieces of paper and read them out loud to the group. The group has to decide "who did it". The game guarantees you will learn something new about other people in the group!

Where were you?

Have group members sit in a circle. Then choose one person to be the Chief Inspector and instruct that person to stand in the centre of the circle. Then direct the Chief to go somewhere in the circle and ask that peson where he or she was on a specific day during the last two weeks, a specific month in the last year, or a specific year in their life. eg. the Chief may ask "where were you last Tuesday" or "Where were you at age 5".

Allow the person to answer the question honestly or dishonsetly, then have the Chief Inspector guess whether the answer is true or false. If the Chief Inspector guesses correctly, the person who answered the question becomes the new Chief Inspector. Continue until each person in the circle has been questioned at least once.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Rattlesnake


The group sits down in a circle.

One person is choosen to be "it".Blindfold the youth and spin them in cirlces.

Hand one other person in the circle something that they shake to make noise (eg maraca, bottle of pebbles, tambourine). It works best if you have something that is hard to pass on without making noise.

The students really have to pay attention. Once the youth blindfolded is done spinning, the leader will call out "rattlesnake"

Whoever has the shaker must give one shake and then pass the shaker off to someone else. The shaker will continue to be passed around the circle. The youth leader should continue to call rattlesnake more often until the blindfolded youth can catch the rattlesnake.

Whoever was caught will be the next one blindfolded.

Poison


Poison is a good physical game to get people moving. It's also not as dangerous as it sounds!Poison game

Get everyone in the group to make a circle and hold hands. In the middle, place a chair (or similar object).

The concept is simple - if you touch the chair (which is "poisonous"), you're out. It doesn't take long before one side of the circle will try and pull the other side of the circle onto the chair.

Gradually as people are eliminated, the circle will get smaller and smaller. The last person standing is the winner!

Obviously given this is a physical game, you need to keep an eye on safety here to make sure people do not get hurt.

Photo night

Split into groups of 4-5 (make sure there's one leader in each group), and give each group a camera.

Draw up a list of things / objects / situations they need to try to capture on film. Be creative with the list - make sure you include some simple tasks, but also some tricky things to find (or do). Allocate points to each item depending on the difficuty.

For example:
Points Photo of...
10
A red four wheel drive
20
Members of your group in a phonebox
20
A members of your group on a swing
30
A member of your group shaking hands with an old man
5
A McDonalds sign
10
A cat
5
A stop sign
10 A personalized numberplate
5 Members of your group at a bus stop
5 Members of your group on a pedestrian crossing
15 A member of your group with an animal of some sort
10 etc

Be sure to set a time limit when people need to meet back and then share the photos.

Other variations include using a video cameras (rather than still photos)

Make sure to add all the photos to Facebook or your youth group web site!

Mine Field

This game teaches kids the value of communication and trust.

It works best if you have a large area, indoor or outdoor. Setup a series of obstacles (chairs, tables, balls, etc).

Ask the group to pair off - one person is blind folded and must make their way through the 'mine field' by listening to their partner. Their partner verbally talks them through but cannot enter the mine field. If the person hits a 'mine' they must return to the start. After everyone has gone through, swap roles.

At the end of the game, talk about what they learnt about communication and trust.

* what was helpful communication and what wasn't
* was it easy to trust your guide
* what were some of their feelings - fear, safety, etc
* was it easier going first or second

Magic Carpet

Split into teams of 8 to 12 people.

Each team will be given a large piece of paper, towel, or rugas a magic carpet and all team members will be standing on it. You start out the game by telling teams the following:

You are on a magic carpet, thousands of feet up in the sky. But you're not going anywhere because your carpet is upside down. The object is to flip the carpet back upright without anyone falling off into the abyss. You can use your hands.

The team that reverses its carpet first without anyone stepping off is the winner.

Keep the Balloon up!

Everyone stands in a circle, and throw a balloon in the middle.

Round 1: Keep the balloon off the floor, people in the circle have to run in and hit the balloon up while saying their name (the same person can't hit the balloon twice).

Round 2: The same, but when you hit the balloon up in the air, instead of saying your own name, you say the name of someone else and they have to come in next to hit the balloon.

Monday, February 1, 2010

I didn't catch your name

A simple get-to-know-you game, ideal for groups where people don't know each other's names that well. The aim of the game is to learn people's names.

Start by having everyone stand around in a circle. One person has a ball and must throw it to someone and say their name as they throw it. Continue until everyone has thrown the ball at least three times (by then, everyone should know at least some people's names!)

Here I Sit

All people sit in a circle on chairs. There is one extra chair in the circle. A person sitting next to the spare chair starts by moving into the spare chair, saying "Here I sit". The next person moves along a chair and says "In this chair". The next person moves up a seat and says "With my friend... and names someone else in the circle, who comes and sits in that person�s old chair. The people on either side of the new spare chair have to race to sit in it (probably best to play this on carpet to avoid serious injuries if people fall off chairs!). The game then continues with whoever made it into the spare chair saying "here I sit" etc.

Heads down, Thumbs Up

YET ANOTHER GAME FOR ART EXCEL
I can clearly remember playing this game when I was about 9 or 10 years old. It was my favorite game to play at school (in the classroom that is).

Ideally this works best if you have kids sitting down at desks. Depending on the size of your group, pick 3-4 people to stand at the front of the room. Everyone else then puts their "heads down and thumbs up". By "heads down", we also mean eyes closed so they cannot see what is happening in the room. By "thumbs up", we mean having their thumb pointing up so it can be grabbed.

The 3 or 4 people up the front sneak up and squeeze the thumb of someone in the room, and then sneak back to the front of the room.

Once that's done, everyone opens their eyes and the people who's thumbs were squeezed have to pick which one of the 3/4 people it was that squeezed their thumbs. If they guess right, they get to go up the front and the person who was 'guessed' sits down.

Repeat as many times as necessary (or until it gets old)

It's a pretty simple game and thus works best for younger people - as I said, I loved it as a kid :)

Gifts for the Journey

Form pairs.

Say: "Imagine that you're going on a long journey and that you'll need lots of supplies.

Now introduce yourself to your partner and describe one of your own possessions that you'd like to give to your partner to help on his or her journey. (Don't worry, you won't actually have to give up this item.) Explain that the gift can be either tangible (eg, a jacket) or intangible (eg courage).

After pairs finish, have kids find new partners, introduce themselves and describe the gifts they received from their previous partners. Anyone who can't remember either the name or the gift is eliminated from the game. Then have partners exchange gifts as in the first round. After pairs finish, form new pairs. But this time, teenagers must repeat the names and gifts of their two previous partners.

Continue until three or fewer people are left.

Giant sneeze

Ideal for ART EXCEL
Divide the group into three. Assign each group one of these sounds: Hishee, Hashee, Hoeshee. Have each group say them separately, then have all the groups say them together. After that, assign each group one of the following sounds: Hish, Hash, and Shoo. Have each group say their word. Have them say them together and see how funny they sound. Then have Hish immediately followed by Hash and Hash immediately followed by Shoo.

Five around the circle

Have everyone sit in a circle. Ask a volunteer to introduce themselves and the four people on their left, to the rest of the group. Then the volunteer may ask one of the four people he or she has introduced to switch places with anyone else in the circle (except for the five just introduced.) The person who takes the previously introduced person's place must then introduce themselves and the four people to their left. Continue until everyone is able to introduce everone else. For smaller groups, have kids introduce just one or two people.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Bun shuffle

Arrange chairs in a big circle. Choose someone from the group to be 'it', and that person stands in the middle of the circle. Have the rest of the group sit on the chairs, and make sure you have one spare chair.

The aim of the game is for people sitting down to prevent the person that is 'it' to take a seat. They do this by shuffling their 'buns' left or right to occupy the empty chair before the person who is 'it' can sit down. Players are only allowed to move left or right (ie. not run across the circle). Eventually once the person who is 'it' gets a seat, the person to their left or right (whoever was slowest) becomes 'it'.

For bigger groups, you may need to have two or three empty seats

Birthday Bash

Setup a circle a set of chairs with one less chair then the amount of people present.

Make one person "it".

Go around the circle and have each person state which month he or she is born in. The "it" person calls a month and everyone with that month must switch seats. The "it" can also call multiple months and if the "it" would like everyone to move seats the person calls out "Birthday Bash" and then everyone is required to switch seats. The person left out is the new "it".

Aardvark Relay

To play this game, you will need to divide the group into teams (the number of teams depends on the area you have available and group size).

You will need some equipment for this game. Place empty bowls on one side of the room, and bowls full of dried peas on the other side. Make sure there is an equal number of peas in each bowl. Give each team member a straw.

The aim of the game is for each team to transport a small pile of dried peas from a bowl on one side of the room to another bowl on the other side, using only their straw. They do this by sucking through the straw so the pea stays fixed to the end of the straw. If they drop the pea they must pick it up again using the straw

The winning team is the one that transports all the peas first.

Balloon Smash


To prepare for this game, you need two balloons for each person in your group (plus some spares for those that might break whilst you're inflating them). Preferably the balloons should be two different colours (to represent two different teams). Tie two foot long strings to the ends of each balloon.

Give each person two balloons (of the same color) and have them tie one to each leg. Separate the teams on either side of the room/area.

When you say start, the Kids try to pop the balloons from the other team by stepping on them. When both your balloons have popped, you're out and must sit down.

The team with the last balloon remaining wins.

Disability

Divide teens into groups of three. Choose a team leader from each group and assign the leader the ability of either sight, sound or movement. The object of this activity is for the team leader to navigate their entire team from one location to another with only the use of their one ability. The leader assigned sight can't use sound or movement so they and have their hands and legs tied and can't speak. The leader assigned sound can't use their sight and movement so they should be blindfolded and have their hands and legs tied. The leader assigned movement can't use sight or sound so they have to blindfolded and they can't speak. The goal of this activity will show youths the benefits of team work, will teach them the value of gifts that they have while learning how difficult it can be to be handicapped, and of course, learn what can be achieved even if there are weaknesses.

Constructive Feedback

This icebreaker begins when you ask for a volunteer to come to the front. Position the volunteer facing the audience and place an empty cardboard box behind them, but not directly behind them. Have 30 pieces of crumpled paper within arms reach of volunteer. It is the group's responsibility to give the volunteer hints on how to get the wads of paper into the box without turning around. Example "a little bit more to the right". When that person has gotten 3 pieces into the box successfully, then find another volunteer and continue.

Line-Up

This icebreaker game begins when the group is divided into groups of eight or more. Once groups are divided, the leader then instructs the groups to line-up in order of height, shoe size, or some other light-toned denominator to keep the game fun for all. When the group has lined-up in a particular order, they are then supposed to clap to let the leader know that they are done. The first group to clap wins that round. This is a good way to learn something you never would have thought to ask about someone.

Friday, January 29, 2010

The Quiet Game

•The instructor explains that this exercise will take self control. Members pair back to back. On the count of
three, everyone must face their partner, look each other in the eyes, and then try to remain solemn and
serious. No speaking! The first to smile or laugh must sit down. All who remain standing then take a new
partner and the activity continues until only one person has not smiled or laughed. (Second round of playing
can involve two teams competing to outlast each other.) If you get a pair at the end who are both keeping a
straight face, the rest of the group can act ask hecklers to disrupt them.

Paper Airplane Game

•Everyone makes a paper airplane and writes their name, something they like and dislike on it (You may
also want to add additional questions). On cue, everyone throws their airplane around the room. If you find
an airplane, pick it and keep throwing it for 1-2 minutes. At the end of that time, everyone must have one
paper airplane. This is the person they must find and introduce to the group

: Turn the bed

A bed sheet will be placed on the ground, the entire group will then stand on this sheet. On the command to go the team will have to attempt to turn over the bed sheet so they are standing on the opposite side. The trick is that no one is allowed to leave the bed sheet at any time! Not as easy as it sounds!

Musical clothes

For this game, you need a garbage bag full of old clothes (your local op shop is perfect for this).

Sit everyone in a circle, and start some music playing. The idea is that the kids pass the garbage bag around the circle and when the music stops, whoever is holding the bag has to pull an item of clothing out of the bag (without looking) and put it on. Then start the music again until the bag is empty.

A few tips:

* the crazier clothing you can get the better
* if you have a big group, have a few bags going at once
* have a camera ready to take the photos at the end of the game

Elephant Tag

This works best played in a large, open area.

Pick three "elphants". These are the taggers. They have to hold their right ear with their left arm, then rest their right arm on the inside of their left elbow. Their arm is their "trunk". They must chase everyone else and attempt to tag them. When the children are tagged, they also become elephants and have to chase evryone else.

Continue until everyone is an elphant.

Drop the lid

Everyone is seated in a circle and one person stands in the middle holding a lid.

The person in the middle must walk around the circle and take the hand of someone of the opposite sex. That person then takes the hand of the opposite sex and so on. This continues until the first person drops the lid and everyone runs to a seat. The person left without a seat picks up the lid and the game begins again.

Caterpillar Race

Form teams of equal size, with five to seven players on each team (3 also works). Have kids think up one-syllable names for their teams. Then line teams up next to each other behind a starting line.

Instruct team members to place hands on the shoulders of the team members in front of them and race to a finish line according to the following rules of movement: The first person in line may hop one step forward. Continue down the line until the last person in line hops one step forward. After the last person hops, he or she must shout the team name. Then the whole team may hop one step forward at the same time. Repeat this process to move the caterpillar along. Players must keep their hands on the shoulders of the team members in front of them at all times during the race. Players may move forward only by hopping one step forward with both feet at once. If a team member breaks any of the above rules, it must return to the starting line and begin again.

Two extremes


A game of two extremes! This is a simple ice breaker to get people up and moving and sharing their preferences or views on topics.

Create an imaginary line from one end of the room to the other. Instruct people to move to a point on the line to indicate where they stand on a particular issue.

For example - move to the left hand side of the room if you like chocolate, the right hand side if you like strawberry.

If people don't have a strong opinion they stand in the middle.

Continue with other examples / extremes:

* Fold toilet paper or Scrunch
* Sleep in or Get up Early?
* Big party or intimate dinner?
* Dance or Alternative Music
* Would you rather go to the football or a concert
* The pub or night club (for young adults or older!)
* Sweet or Savory
* Do homework or do the dishes
* Facebook or Twitter
* Summer or Winter
* Surf or Skate
* Would you rather be beautiful or smart?
* Be taller or shorter?

When everyone chooses a position, read out the next one and everyone moves again. Kids love to express themselves so this is a good game to get them to explore and express their opinions on some things.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Truths & a Lie

• A different kind of get-to-know-you activity which is engages and challenges each group member in a fun way
• Particularly useful as an icebreaker, e.g. can be used as a opener for a workshop/conference.
• For large groups (e.g., 30+), it is best to split into smaller group sizes.
• Hand out cards or paper and pens (or if participants bring their own, that's fine)
• Explain that in this activity each person write two truths and a lie about themself and then we will try to guess each other's lie. The goal is to: a) convince others that your lie is truth (and that one of your truths is the lie) and b) to correctly guess other people's lies.
• Allow approx. ~5+ minutes for writing 2 truths & a lie - this isn't easy for a lot of people - there will some scribbling out, etc. The slower people will probably need to be urged along to "put anything you can think of" down. Allocate 5-8 minutes, but you will probably need to urge people along.
• Announce that we will now walk around and chat to one another, like a cocktail party, and ask about each other's truths and lies. The goal is to quiz each about each statement to help determine which are the truth and which is the lie, whilst seducing other people into thinking that your own lie is a truth. At the end we will caste our votes and find out the truth.
• Emphasize that people should not reveal their lie, even if it seems others might have guessed.
• Allow min. 10-15 minutes of conversation time.
• Gather together in a circle. Start with one person who reads their three statements aloud (to remind everyone). Then read the statements again, stopping to allow a vote for each one. e.g., "I am Turkish. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote] I am vegetarian. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote] I have a metal pin in my right leg. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote]. OK, my lie was "I am vegetarian."" The facilitator will need to help each person out, especially intially until the basic format is understood. The facilitator may add drama and reinforcement, etc. for correct guesses, tricky statements, etc.
• The exercise can be run competitively, e.g., count up how many correct guesses of other people's lies and take away the number of people who correctly guesses your own lie. Highest score wins (honesty counts!).

Fear in a Hat

Fear in a Hat
• Set an appropriate tone, e.g., settled, attentive, caring and serious.
• The tone could be set by introducing the topic of fear and explaining how it is normal and natural at this stage of program that people are experiencing all sorts of anxieties, worries and fears about what might happen. A good way of starting to deal with these fears is have them openly acnkowledged - lay them on the table, without being subject to ridicule. Having one's fears expressed and heard almost immediately cuts them in half.
• Can be done as the first activity in a program, during the initial stages or well into the program. When used early on in particular, it can help to foster group support and be helpful for alerting the group to issues they may want to respect in a Full Value Contract.
• Ask everyone, including the group leaders, to complete this sentence on a piece of paper (anonymously):
"In this trip/group/program, I am [most] afraid that..." or "In this trip/group/program, the worst thing that could happen to me would be..."
• Collect the pieces of paper, mix them around, then invite each person to a piece of paper and read about someone's fear.
• One by one, each group member reads out the fear of another group member and elaborates and what he/she feels that person is most afraid of in this group/situation. No one is to comment on what the person says, just listen and move on to the next person.
• If the reader doesn't elaborate much on the fear, then ask them one or two questions. Avoid implying or showing your opinion as to the fear being expressed, unless the person is disrepecting or completely misunderstanding someone's fear. If the person doesn't elaborate after one or two questions, leave it and move on.
• When all the fears have been read out and elaborated on, then discuss what people felt and noticed.
• Can lead into other activities, such as developing a Full Group Contract, personal or team goal settings, course briefings which specifically tackle some of the issues raised, or into other activities in which participants explore their feelings and fears (e.g., see the Fear in a Hat description at www.nurturingpotential.net)
Variations
• Likes and dislikes - in two separate hats
• Worries
• Complaints/gripes
• Wishes
• Favorite moments

Mirror Image

• This activity involves people in pairs, with one person mirroring the actions and movements of the other person.
• Body movement exercises can be most revealing, confronting and rewarding. "Human sculpting via mirroring" brings body movement exploration into the dyad. By reflecting body movements of another, several subtle but complex processes are activated, heightening self- and other-awareness. Immediate non-verbal feedback exercises in the right time and place have the potential to be transformational. Other times this can simply be a fun loosen-upperer.
• Works with any size group; split into pairs/couples.
• Although it is simple, the activity can be confronting, and requires mature leadership and a well chosen moment/sequence/program.
• Usually make sure the social ice is well and truly broken, and that there have been other body movement and physical warmup/stretching exercises, with some laughter and some seriousness.
• Offer a demonstration. Invite a volunteer to stand facing you about half a metre apart. The instructor initiates action, with the other person following in "mirror image".
• Make your movements interesting and slow enough for the other person to mime as if they were a full length mirror.
• Also include zany stretches/contortions to get a few laughs, especially facial gymnastics. Include action sequences for tasks like brushing your teeth. The demonstration helps to loosen up conceptions and inhibitions.
• In pairs, one person stretches, the other follows. Then swap after some time.
• Debrief as you see fit.
Notes
• Variation: Reverse-mirror image. Try following partner's movements in reverse-mirror image (i.e., swap left <-> right)
• The exercise can be done in different ways to emphasize difference aspects, e.g., for trust-building, drama warmup, ice breaker, etc

Gotchya! (Grab the Finger)

Gotchya! (Grab the Finger or Cheese)
• Handy icebreaker and attention-grabber for kids thru corporate group programs.
• Stimulating group activity to get people together, focused, challenged, having fun and ready for action. Useful to get focused attention when people arrive, get off the bus, or to fill 5-10 minutes.
• Works with any size groups, indoor and outdoor.
• Participants stand in a circle, arms out to the side. Left hand palm up, right index finger pointing down and touching on neighbor's outstretched palm.
• "When I say the word go, do two things.... grab the finger in your left hand, and prevent your right finger from being grabbed... 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... [add suspense] ... Go!".
• Repeat several times.
• The trick is dramatizing the "Go!", the build up of suspense, and most will jump the gun, adding to the fun.
• Try a different trigger word, e.g., "Cheese", and mention lots of other "eeze" words for humor - peas, sneeze, wheeze, please and freeze.
• Or use the word/theme of the day e.g., "outdoor" to help get people listening to every word.

Group Juggle

Establish pattern of tosses including everyone in a circle. Add additional objects periodically.
(A variation contributed by: Nancy J Rimassa) This is a good way to help a group of strangers remember at least one person's name forever.
1. Have the group stand in a circle, fairly close together.
2. Toss a ball across the circle, calling out the player's name to whom you toss it to. That player tosses to a different player and so on until everyone has caught the ball and thrown it on once. It should be back in your hands at this point.
3. Repeat the sequence a couple of times. Add a second bell and then a third. Add as many balls as you want.
Variations? Make a wide circle out of doors.
Use toilet paper instead of balls.
Use various size balls.
The game ends when no one will play anymore

The Banana Pass Game

Players lie down on the grass, head to toe in a straight line with each person’s toes about 2 feet away from the next teammate’s head. When the game begins, the first people in line grab hold of the banana with their feet and pass it over their heads to the next person’s feet. The next person receives the banana with his or her feet and passes again until the entire team is done. When the banana has been passed to the last person, this person must peel the banana and eat it (ewww!). After eating it, the person then must run back to the starting line, finishing the race for the team.

Seven-Up (7Up)

Seven-up (7Up) is a popular elementary school game that has the benefit of getting kids to be quiet. In the game, seven students are chosen to be “It”, and so they stand at the front of the classroom. When the lights are out, the remaining students are instructed to close their eyes, put their heads down and make a fist with one hand, except for an upwards-pointing thumb. The seven standing students roam around the room, each touching one person’s thumb. The person that was touched then puts his or her thumb down, so that he or she isn’t picked twice.

When the seven students are done choosing, they return to the front of the room (”Heads up, seven up!”) and the lights go back on. All students open their eyes and raise their heads. The seven students whose thumbs had been touched stand up and take turns trying to guess who their toucher was. If they guess correctly, they replace the toucher at the front of the room. If a toucher managed to not get picked by the student he touched, the toucher stayed in the game for another round.

This game is especially well-suited for kids.

Couch Game

How to Play

The Couch Game (also known by the name Kings and Queens) is a memory-based game that takes a moment to learn. Form a circle with the couch (or four chairs) as part of the circle. Place two males and two females on the couch, and have the rest of the people fill in the circle, in alternating order (guy next to girl — no two guys next to each other, and no two girls next to each other). One chair must be left open. Have everyone fill out their name on a piece of paper. Place all the pieces of paper in a container. Go around the room and have someone pick out a piece of paper with someone’s name on it (they cannot have their own name). They must not let anyone know whose name they have. The person to the left of the empty chair begins by calling out someone’s name. The person who is holding a paper with that name must move from their seat to the empty seat. The object of the game is for the guys to get four guys on the couch while the girls try to get four girls on the couch. This game is a memory-based game which sometimes leads to humorous results due to its gender-based competitive nature.

Never Have I Ever

How to Play

Tell everyone to sit in a circle. Each player holds out all ten of your fingers and places them on the floor. One by one, each person announces something that they have never done; for example, they say, “Never have I ever been to Canada.” For each statement, all the other players remove a finger if they have done that statement. So, if three other people have been to Canada before, those three people must put down a finger, leaving them with nine fingers. The goal is to stay in the game the longest (to have fingers remaining). Thus, it is a good strategy to say statements that most people have done, but you haven’t. This can be humorous (e.g. “Never have I ever skipped a class in school” or “Never have I ever soiled my pants.”) The game provides a good way to find out unique experiences and facts about people.

Mother May I (also known as Captain May I)

How to Play

This game is a simple childhood action game that might be good for reinforcing the use of manners. One person is chosen as the “mother” (or “captain” if it is a male). She or he stands facing away from a line of kids and selects a child at random, or in order. The mother/captain calls out a direction, step type, and number of steps. For example, the mother/captain can say: “Scott, you may take seven (or any other number)’ baby/normal/giant steps forward/backward.” The child then responds with “Mother may I?” (or “Captain may I?” if it is a male player in charge). The mother/captain states “Yes” or “No”, depending on her whim, and the child obeys and takes the steps. If the child forgets to ask “Mother may I?” then he/she goes back to the beginning of the line. The first one to touch the Mother/Captain wins and becomes the new Mother/Captain.

An alternate version of the game is similar: each child takes turns asking, “Mother/Captain may I take [x kind of] steps?” The child who is mother (or captain) replies yes or no.

There are other kinds of steps possible for this game – be creative and come up with your own. For example, there are:

* Bunny hops: hopping like a bunny.
* Frog hops: going down on all fours and hopping up like a frog.
* Scissors steps: jump while crossing your feet, then jump while uncrossing them was one step.
* Skip steps: steps as though one is skipping.
* Banana step: the child lies down with his or her feet at current spot, noting where the top of his or her head is, and standing up there for the new spot

SPUD Game

Spud is a simple, fast-paced action game that contains running, dodging, and throwing. It is a popular camp or kids game, but youth group students, college students and adults will probably enjoy playing this game too. Lots of variations exist for this game — be creative!
How to Play Spud

To set up the Spud Game, have each player count off and remember their number. An optional variation is to have more than one person per number. After everyone is assigned a number, have each player group together in a bunch. One person starts with the ball in the center of the bunch.
At the beginning of each round, the person with the ball (who is in the center of the bunch) throws the ball upwards to the sky while yelling a number. Everyone disperses and runs in all different directions away from the bunch except for the person(s) whose number was called. The person whose number was called catches the ball and then yells “Spud!” When he or she yells this, everyone must freeze. The person with the ball then is allowed to take three giant steps toward any player. He or she throws the ball and tries to hit someone. To dodge, players are allowed to move all parts of their body except they may not move their feet at all. If a player is hit the first time, he or she earns the letter “S”, eventually spelling the word S-P-U-D. The person who was hit becomes the new thrower; otherwise, the thrower who missed earns a letter. The next round begins and play continues. Whoever spells the letter S-P-U-D is out of the game; alternatively, if you do not wish to eliminate players, you can set a time limit and whoever has the least amount of letters when time expires is the winner

Capture the Flag

Capture the Flag is a popular team-based action game that is typically held outdoors. It is a fast paced cousin of “It Tag,” with lots of running and chasing, and some strategy. The following is the traditional version, although there are many variations of the game.
How to Play
Divide the players into two teams. Agree upon the legal boundaries of play, determine the location of two “jails” (one for each team) and set up a middle boundary between the two teams. At the beginning of each round, each team hides and defends their own “flag,” which is any object that is durable and safe to toss around and run with (e.g. a bright T-shirt or cone). The flag must not be obscured; it needs to be more than 50% visible. Optionally, you may have more than one flag if there are enough people. The object of the game is for one team to grab the flag of the other team and bring it over to their own side. When a member of the opposing team crosses over the middle boundary into the opposing team’s territory, the other team is allowed to tag the person and take them to a “jail” where they stay until they are released (tagged) by one of their own team members who has not yet been captured.
Be sure there is plenty of space outdoors, as there will be lots of running involved. Also remember: safety first. Clear the area of any dangerous obstacles or hazards.

Reaction Game

Form groups of six to twelve people. If playing this game with a very large group as an icebreaker, you can also choose four or five volunteers and have them go to the front of the room. The first step is to ask players to create some events. Give each player small sheets of paper and pens. Ask each player write some events. Encourage creativity. Some examples of events:
• Being attacked by a shark while fishing
• Hitting a home run to win the World Series
• Watching the lottery and realizing that you have the winning number
• Being presented a large engagement ring and proposed for marriage
• Going on a first date with an attractive person
After people are done writing events, collect the sheets and place them in the container (a hat or small bag will do). Within groups, choose three or four people to act for each round. Ask the players to randomly draw an event from the container. Without giving away what the event is, give each player 30 seconds to 1 minute to act out a reaction to the event they received. They may act out using charades rules, and they can also make noises and talk to the other actors (while staying true to their character).
As players act, this should lead to funny results. When time expires, the other team members attempt to guess what event each person had. If you want to keep score (optional), award a point for each correct guess. Winning or losing tends to be less important for this icebreaker, however, as there is a lot of humor and entertainment value in watching people react to silly things.
Variations
Other variatons of Reaction include:
• Narrator explains each event before the actors act. This makes the icebreaker less of a competition, but it still makes it entertaining.
• Noises permitted, but no words. This variation permits noises as long as they are not actual words. The game becomes more challenging, yet it can be more funny to watch.

Pulse Game


Summary: An action oriented icebreaker that works especially well with large groups of people. A game of quick reflexes and passing on the pulse!
Ages: All. Recommended # of People: At least 40 people. Messiness Factor: Might break a small sweat. Materials Required: A coin, a chair, and any small object like a tennis ball. Recommended Setting: Indoors.
Pulse Game
The Pulse Game (also known as the Electric Current Game or the Electricity Game) is a great way to break the ice, especially if you have a large group people. In a fast paced action game, two long lines of humans resemble a fast moving electric current!
Setup
To set up the Pulse Game, you need to form two teams of equal size. The easiest way to do this is probably to have each player pair off with another person. When you’ve divided the group evenly, have each team member face the same direction, and have each team facing each other. Instruct each team to hold hands to form two long human chains. At the end of the two lines, place a chair with a small object (e.g. a tennis ball) on it. The referree stands at the front (see picture below).

Playing the Pulse Game
To play the pulse game, have the two players at the front of the line watch the referee. Have everyone else close their eyes and face downward. Instruct everyone to be silent. For each round, the referee does the following: Flip a coin and quietly show it only to the first two players at the front of each team. Whenever the coin shows ”Heads,” the two people at the front of the line must squeeze the hand of the next person in line as quickly as possible. Whenever that player’s hand gets squeezed, he or she quickly continues to “pass the electric current” by squeezing the next person’s hand, and so on. As the “electric current” transfers along the line, the goal of the game is to be the first team to grab the object (the ball) on the chair. If heads was flipped and a team successfully grabs the ball, that team wins a point. On the other hand, if the team grabs the ball but heads was not flipped, then the point goes to the other team. After each coin flip, wait several seconds and then flip again. Keep flipping until the coin shows “Heads.” For a short game, the winner is the first team to score 10 points. For a longer game, you can increase the number of points.
Have fun playing this fast paced, quick reflex action game

Let’s know each other better

Objective:

This team building module concentrates on getting the participants to get to know the other members of the group.

On completion of this module participants should have developed their communication and interpersonal skills and know a reasonable amount about their new team members.

Procedure

Participants begin by pairing up and asking their partner questions about themselves: How old? Where from? What hobbies, interests, etc.?

Then you switch name badges with your partner and adopt his or her persona (effectively become your partner) and remembering all they have told you.

Then, find a new partner, show the badge name and point to whom it belongs and say as much as you can remember about that person.

Reverse roles and then exchange badges.

Repeat this process until each participant has talked to at least 5 other people.

Finally select some participants to introduce and then have them talk about one or more of the people they had talked to Debrief period.

Approximate Time Required
5-60 min.

Location
Seated place

LET’S STRING ALONG

Objective

To demonstrate the interdependency of individuals

Procedure

Start by stressing that we are all dependent on each other.

To illustrate your point, ask group members who they are dependent on in that group.

The first person is given a ball of string and picks out someone she/he works with.

The person throws the ball at the co-worker, and states how he is dependent on that person.

Continue process as time permits. If entire group is “tied” together restate the initial point.

Discussion Questions

Even with the independent nature of our jobs, most of us still need others why?
How did you choose the person to whom you tossed the ball of string? Could there have been others?
Can you think of any cases where we operate totally without support?

Approximate time required
15-20 minutes

Location
Seated place / out side place

BIGGER and BETTER

Summary: A teambuilding activity in which teams are given a small object (e.g. paperclips) and must keep trading and upgrading their objects to get the biggest, best objects possible until the time limit expires. The objects are judged for size, value, and creativity.

Ages: 14 and up. Recommended # of People: Teams of 2-10 people. Messiness Factor: Light. Materials: Paper clips or other small objects. Recommended Setting: Outdoors.

Bigger and Better

Instructions: How is it possible to turn a paper clip into a guitar, laundry machine, bicycle, or other huge objects like a yacht? Through a team-building activity called Bigger and Better! Split the teams into groups of two to ten, depending on the size of your overall group. Distribute paper clips (or some other small object) to each group. Clearly indicate the time limit for this activity (e.g. 2-3 hours), and let them go off to trade. The goal is to come back with the biggest, best, most creative object after a series of trading and upgrading. When the time expires, everyone reconvenes at a predefined location for the show-and-tell and judging process.

Judges choose the best items on various criteria: size, value, creativity, and overall best. This game has benefits of having team members work together and think creatively on how to upgrade their items. Camaraderie is gained through this fun process – enjoy!