Snakes – A Trust Team-Building Activity That Focuses On Non-Verbal Communication
Number of Participants: 2-30
Time: 10-15 minutes
Activity Level: Low – Moderate
Props: Blindfolds, Throwables, Buckets, Rope/Tape for barrier
Objective: For every member of the team to place a throwable into the bucket.
Set Up: Create a large circle barrier with the tape or a rope. Place a bucket in the middle of the circle. Toss the throwables randomly inside the barrier.
Description:
*****It is very important to ensure and instill a sense of trust within the group before attempting this activity. Please do not try Snakes before building trust on a smaller/safer level. Sequence several build-up trust activities prior to Snakes.
Depending on the amount of people in the group, ask the participants to get into teams of 5-7 people. Ask the participants to stand in a single file line and place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. All participants will be blindfolded except for the person standing in the very back of the line. This is a no-talking activity, but allow the group to take 1-2 minutes to pre-plan.
The person in the back of the line will guide the participants around the circle barrier by simply tapping the shoulders of the person in front of them, who will tap the shoulders of the person in front of them, and so on, until the person in the front of the line will move towards a throwable. When a throwable is approached, the person in the front will grab the throwable and then be guided to the bucket where they will drop the throwable.
When a participant drops the throwable into the bucket, they will then remove their blindfold and move to the back of the line and become the sighted team member. The person who was in the back of the line then puts on a blindfold.
Continue this process until all team members have placed a throwable into the bucket. If there is more than one team, the first team to finish is the winner and then should encourage the other teams until they are finished. If the teams are uneven, the team with the least amount of members will continue to rotate until they have dropped as many throwables into the bucket as the largest team would have to drop into the bucket.
Check out the video below to see the activity in action:
Have you attempted this activity? What are your thoughts on using trust activities as a team-building exercise?
Fill The Bucket – A Fun Team-Building and Leadership Activity
Fill the Bucket is a collaborative team-building activity that requires participants to plan ahead to achieve a group goal. I first learned this activity from the great and wonderful Diane Walker. We consistently used Fill The Bucket as a planning and goal setting initiative.
Fill The Bucket
Number of Participants: 7-25
Time: 15-25 minutes
Activity Level: Moderate
Props: 3 Buckets, 30-40 throwables (yarn balls, Beanie Babies, etc.), and tape/rope/webbing to mark the boundary
Objective: To hit the team’s goal by scoring as many points as possible during each round.
Set Up:
Place the tape/rope/webbing in a straight line about 20’ – 25’ long. Place one bucket 5 feet from the line, another bucket 10 feet from the line, and the third bucket 15 feet from the line. The buckets need to be 5 feet apart, thus creating a staggered line of buckets. Lay all of the throwables along the line on the opposite side of the buckets.
Scoring:
- 5 points for throwables tossed into the closest bucket
- 10 points for throwables tossed into the middle bucket
- 15 points for throwables tossed into the furthest bucket
Description:
This game is comprised of four (4) one-minute rounds. Each round has different rules, but before each round the group declares a group goal score. Also, before each round suggest (or require, depending upon the group) a two-minute planning period.
Round 1:
Instruct the participants that their goal is to score as many points as possible by tossing the throwables into the buckets.
Rules:
- The participants cannot cross the line.
- Once time is up, the participants cannot toss any more throwables
- The participants cannot retrieve any throwables from across the line.
- If the group throws all items before a minute, the round is over.
At the end of the round, encourage the group to help you add up the score. See if their score matches or exceeds their goal score.
Round 2:
Follow the rules for Round 1, but challenge the group to reevaluate their approach to the activity and see if they need to make any changes. Ask them to give you a new goal score for Round 2.
When the minute is over, ask them if they set an appropriate goal.
Round 3:
Follow the rules for Round 1, but this time give the team a new resource. Invite three participants to become “runners,” teammates who can cross the line and retrieve throwables that have not landed in the bucket.
Runners can only retrieve one throwable at a time, and must hand the throwable across the line, not toss it. Encourage the team to pre-plan and then ask for a new group goal score.
After the round, ask the group to evaluate their progress and determine the validity of their group goal score.
Round 4
Follow the rules for Round 3 (including the runners), but this time give the group another resource, “Backboards.” Three participants will serve as backboards that will straddle the buckets, sitting on their knees with their back to the bucket.
Ask for a goal score, and complete the activity. After they are finished, process the activity with a creative and insightful debrief.
Questions for Discussion:
- What was one word to describe Round 1? What about Round 4?
- Did the group allocate adequate time for pre-planning the activity? What pre-planning steps did the group take?
- What ideas did the group find to be the most successful to complete the activity? Which participants developed the ideas?
- How did the new resources change your plan? What action steps did you take to implement the new resources?
- How did the group communication during the activity?
- Did any members of the group take charge? Who? How?
Facilitator Notes:
- It helps to record the group’s scores after each round on a white board or flip chart. This allows the team to see the progress over the rounds.
- Some groups need instruction on how to communicate during the planning period. Either provide that instruction or build up to that point throughout the day’s activities.
Have you used this activity? Do you have any fun variations for Fill The Bucket? Where did you learn Fill The Bucket?
Avatar – A Challenging Group Team Building Activity
I love initiatives that require activity and group communication while challenging the group’s thought process. Avatar does just that, and allows for the group to have some fun while solving the group problem. I first learned this fun activity from my favorite trainer Nate Folan at Project Adventure.
Number of Participants: 5-20
Time: 15-30 minutes
Activity Level: Moderate
Props: Rope Barrier, Hula Hoop, Spot Markers
Objective: To get the entire team from their spot around the circle and through the hula hoop as fast as possible.
Set Up: Place the spot markers around the circle and place the hula-hoop in the middle of the circle. Ask participants to stand on a spot around the circle.
Rules:
- The hula-hoop must start in the middle of the circle every time.
- Participants cannot leave their starting position until time is started.
- Time is stopped when the last person gets back in their position and yells stop.
Description:
This initiative challenges the group to communicate and work together to achieve a common goal. Each participant must pass through the hula-hoop and return to their starting position as quickly as possible. The team will get four rounds to complete this activity, and will set a team goal in between rounds.
Variations:
- Add two hula-hoops for large groups.
- If activity is your primary objective, make the circle very large.
Facilitator Notes:
- Leave the instructions vague about passing through the hula-hoop, but do make sure that the participants entire body passes through the hula-hoop.
- Ensure safety during the activity as some groups will try to jump through the hoop to save time.
- Make sure that the time does not stop until the last person yells stop. This is a very important step.
Dream Catcher – A SMART Goals Initiative
This activity is meant to help your participants discover and develop their dreams and goals. Dream Catcher is based on the SMART goals theory that goals and dreams must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Number of Participants: Any size
Time: 15-45 minutes (depending how in depth you would like to go with your group.)
Activity Level: Moderate
Props: A bucket to act as the Dream Catcher and a throwable for each participant to act as their dream (If you do not have enough throwables, have the participants wad up a piece of paper)
Objective: For every member of the team to toss their dream (the throwable) in the dream catcher (the bucket) as quickly as possible
Set Up:
Organize participants into a circle and place the bucket in the middle of the circle.
Description:
While the participants are in the circle, challenge them to think of their dream. During each round the participants are trying to complete the round as quickly as possible and help each participant “achieve” their dream by placing it in the Dream Catcher. This activity will have three timed rounds:
- Round 1: The goal is for each participant to say their dream and place it in the “Dream Catcher” as quickly as possible.
- Round 2: Challenge the participants to restate their goal, making it more specific and time bound. The team still has the same goal for this round: Each participant says their dream and places it in the “Dream Catcher” as quickly as possible.
- Round 3: This time the group gets even more specific and has the same goal: Each participant says their dream and places it in the “Dream Catcher” as quickly as possible.
In between each round, challenge the participants to really think about their dream and start to “own it” by declaring that they will achieve their dream each time they share it with the group. The group always has the goal of completing the activity as quickly as possible while every participant “achieves” their dream. They may start out by tossing their dream into the Dream Catcher or even running to the middle to place their dream in the Dream Catcher. There are no rules on how their dream gets into the Dream Catcher, and they can even pick it up and pass it around the group.
Variations:
- You can use this activity just as a dreams activity without the actual initiative involved.
- Do the activity with five rounds and follow the SMART goal steps.
Questions for Discussion:
- Were the participants inspired by each other’s dreams?
- Were there any ideas or options to help them more quickly “achieve” their dreams?
- Could they have moved the bucket? Are there any things in their actual life that could help them achieve their dreams?
Facilitator Notes:
- Use the processing time as an opportunity to help the participants plan out ways to achieve their dreams.
- Challenge the participants to come up with a dream that is actually achievable or attainable.
Leadership Man…or Woman
Leadership Man/Woman is a perfect way to implement a Full Value Contract with your group while discussing leadership characteristics, group social norms, and expected group contributions. I love to start a day off with this interactive and engaging activity.
Number of Participants: 7-15 per piece of butcher paper
Time: 20-30 minutes
Activity Level: Low
Props: 7-8 feet of butcher paper per group, and colorful markers
Objective: To discuss and write down the leadership characteristics the group finds important in a “perfect leader.”
Set Up:
Cut a piece of butcher paper long enough for any participant to lie down upon. Provide markers for the group to write on the paper.
Description:
- Trace the outline of one of the students.
- Name the leadership man.
- Talk about the leadership traits the group wants to demonstrate throughout the camp, afternoon, week, workshop, summer, etc.
- Have each member write the trait inside the leader in the spot that the trait should be located (courage in the area of the heart, knowledge by the brain).
- Explain that these are the traits we want to display throughout the camp. Each group will then will take an oath to try to model these traits for the next few days.
- Encourage each member of the group to sign the leadership man.
Variations:
- This can be done on an individual basis (especially with small groups with limited space). The individual can share with the entire group.
Questions for Discussion:
- Why did you write down your certain terms and characteristics?
- Where there any characteristics you disagreed with?
- What opportunities have you had to experience these traits?
- Did you think of a particular leader when you thought of these characteristics?
Facilitator Notes:
- I often ask the group to find one or two characteristics that they would like to model for the rest of the workshop, and then try to emulate those traits.
- This pairs up very well with Character Card Matching, or any other leadership activity.
Have you used Leadership Man/Woman? What types of Full Value Contract activities do you use with your group?
Ryan Eller
Founder, Paradigm Shift
ryan@myparadigmshift.org
SMART Goals Paper Fold
Almost everyone has a goal or a dream, but many do not know how to make their goals SMART Goals. This activity will help participants make their goals more specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
Number of Participants: 1-Unlimited
Time: 15-25 minutes
Activity Level: Low
Props: A piece of paper per participant (any size will work, but the larger the better) & writing utensils.
Objective: Use this interactive activity to help participants make their goals SMART goals. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound)
Description:
- Give participants a piece of paper and ask them to fold the paper in half 5 times.
- Instruct the participants to write their goal on one side of the paper. They can write it out, illustrate it, or be as creative as possible. (Example goal: Go to college)
- Ask the participants to unfold the paper once, flip it over, and write down a goal that is more specific. (Example: Go to college and major in Nursing)
- Encourage the participants to unfold the paper again and make their goal measurable. (Example: Go to college, major in nursing and graduate magna cum laude)
- Invite the participants to unfold their paper one more time, flip it over, and make sure their goal is attainable by writing down examples of things they know they can do to achieve their goal. (Example: I have graduated HS, I excel in science and math, etc.)
- Ask the participants to unfold the paper once more, flip it over, and now make sure their goal is relevant. This is the “why” of the SMART Goal…why would want to achieve this goal? (Example: Write reasons why they want to accomplish this goal: More money for my family, better career, etc.)
- Ask them to once again unfold their paper and make their goal time-bound. (Example: Go to college and major in nursing, and graduate magna cum laude by May 1, 2016)
- For the last step, ask the participants to unfold the paper one last time, flip it over, and write their new SMART Goal. Ask them to sign the paper and date it.
After the activity, the participants should now have a piece of paper with their SMART Goal, some factors that say how they could achieve the goal (attainable), their reasons for attaining that goal (relevant), and a date to accomplish the goal (time-bound).
Variations:
- Encourage participants to draw or paint their goals, this will help them become more realistic.
- Bring old magazines and newspapers, scissors, and glue to let the participants make their last page into an art masterpiece.
Questions for Discussion:
- What did it feel like once you had a SMART Goal?
- Do you feel like you are closer to achieving your goal now?
- What is the next action step now that you have a SMART Goal?
- What were some of the things on your relevant page? Why do you want to achieve this goal?
- Who can help you achieve this goal?
Facilitator Notes:
It is usually very beneficial to combine this workshop with a brief introduction to SMART Goals. It works to explain SMART Goals either before the activity, or as a step-by-step guide during the initiative.
Let me know if you have any questions on how to implement this into your program or have any ideas on how to use SMART Goals Paper Fold.
Ryan Eller
Founder, Paradigm Shift
ryan@myparadigmshift.org
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College Admissions Rank ‘Em
Ever wondered what your participants thought was the most important reason for picking a college? College Admission’s Rank ‘Em will start the conversation amongst students about the different reasons for deciding on a future college.
Number of Participants: You can use this activity with any size group, but to help with ease of communication, try to limit the group size to fifteen. If you have a larger group, separate the group in to several smaller groups, even groups as small as two – three.
Time: 15-45 minutes (depends on how many are in the group, different personalities, etc.)
Activity Level: Low
Props: Type of a list of factors that any student would consider when choosing post-secondary education. Place each term on a single piece of paper or at least a half sheet of paper. It helps to have each term on their own paper so that the participants can move them around and actually rank them on the floor or table
Objective: To rank the reason to pick a college from most important to least important as an entire group.
Set Up: Simply place the factors on the floor or on a table so each participant can see the different words.
Description: The rules for this activity are very simple: the group must come to a consensus and rank all the college admission factors from most important to least important. This means that they must all agree to the final rankings. It is often hard for the group to come to a consensus, and it is more important that they begin talking about these factors than if they come to an actual consensus. Feel free to put a time limit on this activity to keep the activity from lasting several hours!
Variations:
- For large groups, create two or more sets of cards.
- Instead of printing the cards ahead of time, encourage a brainstorming session from the participants. They may come up with factors you hadn’t thought of, or they may become passionate for the ideas they generated, which hopefully will create more conversation.
- This activity isn’t related to just college admissions. Place whatever words you feel need to be discussed on the cards to create dynamic conversations.
- Have the participants view the factors and then write their own rankings on a piece of paper. They can then share their list to the group and explain why they ranked them
Questions for Discussion:
- Why did you decide on these final rankings?
- Did anyone compromise for the sake of the group?
- Were there times when you felt passionate about a particular card?
- If you did this by yourself, would you have come up with a different outcome?
Facilitator Notes:
- Take notes during the activity to some of the things the participants are saying to each other as they rank the college admission factors.
- Use your experience as a professional to help guide them after the activity to the most important factors in their own individual college admissions decision.
Examples of College Admission Factors:
Price
Location
Size
Type (Private or Public)
Academic Rigor
Campus Life
Campus Aesthetics
Your Friends Go There
Your Family
Majors Offered
Athletics
Greek Life
Setting (Urban, Suburban or Rural)
Admissions Criteria
Housing Options
Religious Affiliation
Let me know if you have any questions on how to implement this into your program or have any ideas on how to use College Admissions Rank ‘Em.
Ryan Eller
Founder, Paradigm Shift
ryan@myparadigmshift.org
If you would like to receive information regularly that will include new and fresh activities and materials, please subscribe to my blog by clicking here.
You can follow us on Facebook by clicking here or on Twitter by clicking here.
Pipeline – A Classic Team Building Activity
Pipeline
Project Adventure’s Pipeline is a classic activity that will encourage your group to work together to achieve a common goal. Pipeline teaches your group that each participant has a part to play and is important to the overall success of the team.
Number of Participants: 5-25 with the traditional Pipeline set.
Time: 20-25 minutes
Activity Level: Moderate
Props: Project Adventure’s Pipeline Kit: Includes Pipes, Webbing, “Eggs” – Marbles, Golf Balls, Ping Pong Balls
Objective: To transport the eggs from their nest, down the trail, and into their safe haven – the pipe.
Set Up:
Place the “eggs” into the lid of the Pipeline Kit. Unwind a 25-50’ rope from the lid across the room ending at the pipe. Make the rope line about 10 feet longer than the length of the participants if they were lined up in a straight line.
Description:
This activity works best if related to the group via an incredibly story. I always tell the group that they are special scientists who are a traveling to a far away land to save a nest of very special eggs. These eggs belong to the Riverhawk, a rare and endangered species. These birds are rare due to the fact that they have very fragile eggs. Eggs that can only be transported by special tools that the group of scientists invented (the pipes). However, the eggs can only be transported in their special pipes if the scientists observe some simple rules. (See below). If these rules are broken, the eggs are returned to the original nest, and must be transported from the beginning.
- Rules:
- The pipes may never touch each other.
- The eggs must never touch any part of the participant.
- Once in a pipe, an egg can never move backwards. It must always move towards the pipe at the end of the rope.
- If a participant has an egg in their pipe, that participant can not walk around the room.
- The pipes can not touch each other.
- The eggs follow the trail prepared by the facilitator.
- The trail and nests can not be moved.
The scientists’ special task on this adventure is to move these eggs as a group using the pipes given. They must follow the rules and must follow the trail. The eggs are being moved from the original nest to the safe haven (the pipe). I will then give each participant a pipe of their choice and will encourage them to spend some time brainstorming ideas. When the group is ready, the facilitator will place an egg into the first participant’s pipe, and will let the adventure begin.
Variations:
- For large groups, use two pipeline kits, and have the participants follow two separate paths that lead to the same pipe.
- Make the rope trail curvy or include obstacles in their path.
- Attach a point value to every egg they successfully move to the final nest. Make this a timed activity and see how many points the team can accumulate in the time period.
- Each group is different, so feel free to alter the rules to match your group’s physical and emotional levels.
Questions for discussion:
- What steps did the group follow to complete the activity?
- Did the group allocate adequate time for pre-planning the activity? What pre-planning steps did the group take?
- What ideas did the group find to be the most successful to complete the activity? Which participants developed the ideas?
- What adjustments were made when using the different eggs?
- How did the group communicate during the activity?
- Did any members of the group take charge? Who? How?
Facilitator Notes:
- This activity can relate to many objectives for the group. Pipeline is an excellent communication, team-building, and problem-solving activity. Focus on the positive aspects of the team.
- Some teams quickly understand and efficiently complete Pipeline. Other teams self-destruct and Pipeline becomes very difficult. Overall the activity is fun and very well liked by the majority of participants.
- You can purchase or create your own Pipeline Kit. I would encourage you to buy the kit from Project Adventure because at $55 it is typically cheaper than making your own…even though I have seen people use pool noodles as the pipes and they swear by it.
I hope you enjoyed this post…below is a video of some kids in Africa playing Pipeline. I hope you get the real importance of Pipeline while watching these participants laugh and celebrate together.
Ryan Eller
Founder, Paradigm Shift
ryan@myparadigmshift.org
101 Ways to Line Up a Group
Every once in a while, I like to reach way back into my game bag and pull out some classic activities that have been tried and tested with thousands of groups over the past few decades. Nothing describes “classic” as much as Group Line Up.
I’m sure you have done this one before, either as a participant or a facilitator, and you know that it is both fun and challenging. You can ask a group to line up as quickly as possible, without talking, without using their hands, and even with their eyes closed (be sure to have built a sincere level of trust before attempting this one). Depending on how much time you have, you can even sequence these line-ups from easiest to hardest to develop a sense of community and learning within the group. Be sure to use as much space available and have loads of fun playing.
Below you will find 101 different ways to line up a group. Most of these we picked up along the way, either playing, facilitating, or improvising.
101 Ways to Line Up a Group
Alphabetically
1. By First Name
2. By Last Name
3. By Middle Name
4. By Initials
5. By City Born
6. By Grandmother’s First Name
7. By State/Country Born
8. By High School Mascot
9. By Favorite Food
Random
10. By Height
11. Color of Hair (Lightest to Darkest)
12. Color of Shirt (Lightest to Darkest)
13. By Shoe Size (Smallest to Largest)
14. Smile Size
15. Length of Time at their Job/Organization/School/Church
16. Size of Thumb
17. Hand Size
18. Eye Color (Lightest – Darkest)
19. Who Lives Furthest Away From the Room (Closest-Furthest Away)
20. Length of Hair (Longest – Shortest)
21. Length of Nose
22. Length of Commute Time
23. Straightest Hair to Curliest Hair
24. How High You Can Jump
25. Arm Length
26. Who Can Reach The Highest
27. Wing Span
28. Distance from Thumb to Pinky
29. Size of Big Toe
30. Rank of Embarrassing Moment
31. Ear Size
32. Foot Width
33. Ring Finger Size
34. Size of Head
35. Average Time Getting Ready
36. Length of Tongue
37. The Furthest You Have Traveled From Home
38. Amount of Facial Hair (Most to Least)
39. Year of When Your First Vehicle Owned was Manufactured
40. Year Your House was Built
Age
41. Birth date (From Youngest – Oldest)
42. Month They Were Born (Jan-Dec)
43. Birth Order (First, Second, Third, Etc.)
Deck of Cards
44. Alphabetically (Ace of Clubs – Two of Spades)
45. Deck Order (Two – Ace for each Suit)
46. By Suit (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades)
Numbered Disks
47. Number of Letters in Each Number (Two has three letters, so it will come before five, which has four letters)
48. Alphabetically by Number (1-12 = Eight, Eleven, Five, Four, Nine, One, Seven, Six, Ten, Three, Twelve, Two)
49. Lowest to Highest (1-infinity)
Numbers
50. By Cell Phone Number
51. Zip Code
52. Mailing Address Number
53. Likert Scale (1-10)
54. Area Code
55. Number of Letters in Full Name
56. Number of Children
57. Number of First Cousins
58. Salary – Lowest to Highest (Play this one Carefully)
59. Number of Books Read This Year
60. Number of Countries Visited
61. Number of States Visited
62. Number of Times You Have Moved
63. Number of People in Your Immediate Family
64. Number of Total Roommates
65. Number of Pets You Have Owned/Own
66. Number of Pieces of Jewelry You Have On
67. Number of DVDs Owned
68. Number of Roller Coasters Ridden
69. Number of Amusement Parks Visited
70. Total Number of Vehicles Owned
71. Number of Ball Caps Currently Owned
72. Number of T-Shirts Currently Owned
73. Number of Cups of Coffee Per Day
74. Ounces of Soda Per Day
75. Pairs of Shoes Owned
76. Number of Siblings
77. Number of Books Owned
78. Number of Times You Have Visited Wal-Mart This Month
79. Number of Times You Had Eaten Out Last Week
80. Number of Trash Cans in House
81. Number of Lamps in House
82. Number of Scars
83. Number of Piercings
84. Number of Tattoos
85. Number of Broken Bones
86. Number of Jobs
87. Number of Keys on Key Chain
88. Number of Cards in Wallet/Purse
89. Number of Items in Your Pocket
90. Number of Schools Attended (Preschool-College)
91. Number of Speeding Tickets
92. Average Mouse Clicks Per Day
93. Number of TV Shows Watched Consistently
94. Number of Movies Watched in Theater This Year
95. Hours Sleep Per Night
96. Number of Times You Have Checked Facebook Today
97. Number of Text Messages Per Day
98. Number of Potholders in House
99. Number of Drawers in House (Including Dressers, Kitchens and Bathrooms)
100. Number of Coffee Mugs Owned
101. Number of Years You Rode the School Bus
As you can tell, you can pretty much line your group up in any manner you desire. Try these out and let me know which one is your favorite. Do you have any you can add to the list?
Ryan Eller
Founder, Paradigm Shift
ryan@myparadigmshift.org
College Admissions Rank ‘Em
This activity is for all of my TRiO lovers out there! Do you want an activity to do with high school students who are interested in pursuing a post-secondary education? This is the one for you. As a counselor for Educational Talent Search, I have often caught myself lecturing my students about the different reasons to pick a college. Do they want to go to the University of Texas because of its academic prestige, student life, or because of the location? What about Tulsa Community College, are you going because of price, location, or the admissions criteria? Is one criteria more important that the other? This activity will help guide the students to answering these questions in a fun and interactive way.
Objective: As a group, rank a list of reasons why someone would attend college.
Group Size: You can use this activity with any size group, but to help with ease of communication, try to limit the group size to fifteen. If you have a larger group, separate the group in to several smaller groups, even groups as small as two to three people.
Props: Type of a list of factors that any student would consider when choosing post-secondary education. Place these terms on their own piece of paper. It helps to have each term on their own paper so that the participants can move them around and actually rank them on the floor or table.
Set Up: Simply place the factors on the floor or on a table so each participant can see the different words.
Description: The rules for this activity are very simple, tell the group that they should try to come to a consensus and rank all the college admission factors from most important to least important. This means that they will all agree to the final rankings. It is often hard for the group to come to a consensus, and it is more important that they begin talking about these factors than if they come to an actual consensus. Feel free to put a time-limit on this activity to keep the activity from lasting several hours!
Debrief: Take notes during the activity to some of the things the participants are saying to each other as they rank the college admission factors. Use your experience as a TRiO professional to help guide them after the activity to the most important factors in their own individual college admissions decision.
Variation: Have the participants view the factors and then write their own rankings on a piece of paper. They can then share their list to the group and explain why they ranked them.
College Admission Factors:
Price
Location
Size
Type (Private or Public)
Academic Rigor
Campus Life
Campus Aesthetics
Your Friends Go There
Your Family
Majors Offered
Athletics
Greek Life
Setting (Urban, Suburban or Rural)
Admissions Criteria
Housing Options
Religious Affiliation
Don’t Break the Ice – Team Building Activity
Ever been influenced? Someone ever pushed you to doing something you didn’t want to do? What about something you did want to do?
- I don’t know who influenced this awesomeness, but thank you.
Influences, you got to love them. Sometimes influences are positive, they can push you to achieve new heights and reach your goals. Jerrod Murr, my personal assistant, is a solid influence in my life. He has inspired me in so many ways, and I am glad to have him in my life. Other times influences can be negative. I try to avoid negative influences like the plague.
Influences are the premise behind this classic and easy team-building initiative I first learned in Boston at Project Adventure. Step back to your childhood and buy the only prop needed in this activity, a new or gently used set of Don’t Break the Ice.
- No need to keep the little ice-skating man.
Don’t Break the Ice
Number of Participants: 10-20
Time: 10-15 minutes
Activity Level: Low
Props: Set of Don’t Break the Ice
Objective: To lift the ice cubes higher than the group’s head.
Set Up: Set 3 ice cubes on the floor in a straight row in between two participants.
Rules: A participant can only use the tip of their index finger on one hand.
Description:
Find a creative way to pair up the group members. I usually ask them to find the person in the group with an index finger similar in size to theirs. Placing the blocks in between two participants, challenge the dyad to raise the three ice cubes above their head only using the tip of their index finger.
Enjoy watching the teams push the cubes back and forth, up and down, and even upside down to achieve their goal. After the team has reached new ice cube heights, encourage the teams to pair up with another group, combine the cubes, and try it again. Then double the group size again, and again, and again…or until the entire group is lifting their cubes into the air!
- Can they do it?
- They are doing it!
- They did it!
Variation: Challenge the participants to use their non-dominant hand.
Questions for Discussion:
1. How did you get influenced to accomplish your goal?
2. Are influences negative or positive?
3. Did you “give in” to the influences, or did you “push” against them?
4. What types of influences do you have in your life?
5. Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt influenced? Was it negative or positive?
Facilitator Notes:
1. Sometimes it is easier to accomplish this task if the teams are lifting an actually cube of ice cubes. (Not a 3D cube, but a flat cube of ice cubes on the floor…more like a square. Definitely a square. I should have used that in the example.)
2. Sometimes it is easier to accomplish this task if the teams are lifting a square of ice cubes. (Made more sense, huh?)
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions either leave a note below or email me!
Ryan Eller
Founder, Experiential Adventure
ryan@experientialadventure.com
Traffic Jam
Happy First Friday of 2012!
I hope you all had an excellent break and a great start to the year. Over the break I had some time to “research” different experiential learning and team-building activities (i.e. I watch a ton of things on YouTube). I came across several great videos from these fellas, and I feel they did a great job explaining Traffic Jam. I first learned Traffic Jam at Project Adventure in Boston, and I have loved facilitating it ever since.
Traffic Jam
Number of Participants: 6-16 (It sure helps to have an even number)
Time: 15-30 min.
Energy Level: Low
Traffic Jam is a puzzling activity. I use this activity as a real problem-solving initiative for the participants. It is perfect for participants to think outside of the box, learn through trial by error, and of course to challenge the communication skills of the group.
I pair this activity with a decision-making worksheet or workshop. This really encourages the participants to think about different ways to solve a common problem. I will invite the participants to share their frustrations, obstacles, successes, and failures with the group. Often times I will take note on the different times participants deem this activity impossible, and reread those statements to the group during processing.
Questions for Review:
1. What types of difficulties did you encounter by standing in a linear row?
2. How did you finally determine the solution?
3. In our everyday walk of life, how do we handle poor communication? What are ways we can overcome poor communication?
4. Have you ever encountered an activity that seemed impossible and you overcame it? How did you accomplish that task?
5. What ways can we work as a team to overcome a daunting task?
6. What decisions needed to be made for us to be successful?
You can play the activity online to see if you can solve the puzzle. Click the link or the picture to play the game! Do you think you can figure it out?
- Traffic Jam
Please do not hesitate to email me if you need any advice, have questions, or suggestions for this activity.
Ryan Eller, Founder
Experiential Adventure
ryan@experientialadventure
ODSA Workshop 3/31/2011
At the end of last month, I was fortunate enough to attend the Oklahoma Division of Student Assistance Programs‘ Annual Conference in Tulsa, and presented a breakout session titled “Teamplay Tubes.” ODSA is the state organization for all of Oklahoma’s TRiO programs, and the conference is an awesome way to learn new information about legislation and regulations within the grant-funded community, but also a great place to share and disseminate information amongst peers. The breakout sessions give us an opportunity to share our newest techniques and information in a fun and informative way.
This year, I decided to use a new initiative, Teamplay Tubes, which we bought from the fine folks at Training Wheels. According to Training Wheels, Teamplay Tubes are a collection of PVC tubing and connectors that can be used for nearly 2 dozen activities that promote teamwork, creativity, communication, problem solving, decision-making, and skill building. This is a very versatile training tool that will challenge any group.
This was how I sequenced the workshop, with everything leading up to Teamplay Tubes and ended with the Feelings Marketplace Debrief.
Stretches
Point Around
Airplane
Kung Fu
Gotcha
Fast Fingers
Clumps
Thumb Wrestling
Bumpity, Bump, Bump
Change Train (Change/Reverse/Switch)
Cowboy/Bear/Ninja
Teamplay Tubes
Feelings Marketplace Debrief
Teamplay Tubes has several initiatives you can use with a group, and I decided that “Network” would be the best for our participants. With Network, your goal is to create a closed off network of tubes that has no openings left exposed. Therefore, all pipes and connectors were connected to the “Network.”
It is hard to find a more outgoing and persistent group than the TRiO counselors, so we had an absolute blast! They are an easy group to lead and facilitate, and they dominated Teamplay Tubes.
NSU Rookie Bridge Camp Training 3/27/2011
Rookie Bridge Camp. It is one of my favorite things that Northeastern State University has to offer…a volunteer driven two-day camp for incoming students that helps acclimate freshmen to campus life through games, skongs, small groups, and of course, a great float down the beautiful Illinois River.
I experienced RBC as an incoming freshmen in 2001, and was fortunate enough to volunteer in 2002-2004. It was one of the first places where I participated in experiential learning, and it was influential in my college success.
I am fortunate enough to still be involved with the program, and even got to facilitate activities and initiatives with the RBC Emeritus at the base of the Rockies last summer.
This year, I helped the volunteers learn new initiatives, icebreakers and games, and we had an absolute blast! The sequencing lineup included:
1. Stretches
a. Point Around
b. Airplane
c. Kung Fu
d. Arm Locked Stretch
2. Gotchya
3. Fast Fingers
4. Everyone’s It (three rounds)
5. Hospital Tag
6. Midget Bump Tag
7. Just Like Me Tag
8. Clumps
9. Thumb Wrestling
10. Bumpity, Bump, Bump
11. Change Train
12. Cowboy, Bear, Ninja
13. Human Geography
14. Clap/Stomp/Meow
15. Rubber Band Challenge
16. Group Row, Row, Row Your Boat
This was a great training. Of course, the volunteers are the perfect group to facilitate! They are fun, lively and full of energy. I look forward to working with them again. Rush RBC!
Thanks to Sarah Johnson Photography for the pictures.
Creative Ways to Line-Up a Group
A group line up is a must-have in a facilitator’s “bag of activities.” When used properly it is an effective and powerful way to build cohesiveness within a group, an excellent time-filler, and a unique way to work on a groups’ verbal and non-verbal communication. A facilitator can use many different ways to line up a group (see below), and can have the participants line up in a multitude of varieties, such as with full communication, no verbal communication, no hands (hands in pocket), no verbal and no hands, blind-folded, etc,. You can also make the participants split into two groups and make it competitive, first team to line up correctly wins. Also, have the group line up in order, and the first person in line gets to decide how to line up next and in what order!
This can be done propless or with props, it just depends on your time, room size and resources. A few good, cheap props to have on hand are decks of cards, pieces of paper with numbers on them, or Project Adventure Keypunch (actually not too cheap, but has many other applications!).
Ways to line up a group propless:
1. In alphabetical order by last name
2. In alphabetical order by first name
3. In alphabetical order by middle name
4. By birthdate in chronological order
5. In birthday order, Jan. 1st – Dec. 31st (I have found this is the best way if the age discrepancies are wide within the group)
6. By height
7. By smile width
8. By geography (Who lives furthest from the location of the room)
9. Longest term of employment within their company
10. How happy you were during your childhood on a scale of 1-10
11. How much you fear death (Kind of morbid, but for sure a conversation starter!)
12. Line up on how much you liked this activity on a scale of 1-10 (a great debrief technique)
13. Shoe size
14. Length of hair
15. Height you can jump (tons of fun to watch)
16. Length of nose (also fun to watch)
17. Line up by numerically by street address number
18. Line up numerically by phone number
19. Line up numerically by area code
20. Line up numerically by zip code
25. Line up alphabetically by city born
26. Line up by length of commute time
27. Line up alphabetically by Grandmother’s first name
28. Line up by shirt color in the order of a rainbow’s colors (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet)
29. Line up by hair color, lightest to darkest
30. Line up by size of graduating class
31. Line up by thumb size
32. Line up straightest hair to curliest hair
33. Line up numerically by the number of letters in their full name
34. Line up by year they graduate/will graduate high school
35. Line up numerically by the number of letters in their first name
Ways to line up a group with props:
1. Line up numerically
2. Line up odd numbers in one line and the even numbers in another line (can become competitive)
3. Line up numerically alphabetically (sounds confusing, but have the groups line up depending on how their number is spelled…for example: eight, eighteen, eleven, nine, one, ten, two)
4. Give the group a large number, and the group must line up in an order that would mathematically create an equation that would combine their numbers to your large number (for example, you have a group of 10, and your number is 25…10*9/1+3*2-8+4/7+5-6=25)
5. Line up from highest number to lowest number
6. Give the group a sequence and have them line up (such as alternating higher and lower numbers)
7. Line up numerically with a deck of cards (jack is worth 10, queen 11, King 12, Ace 1 or 13)
8. Line up by suit order with a deck of cards
9. Line up alphabetically with a deck of cards (same concept as above, but with a deck of cards, this time, however, they have to be in alphabetical order by deck too)
10. Line up with no suit being next a card of the same suit or same number
Be creative! Have fun! Mix up the line-ups, and try some of these without verbal communication, and some with your eyes closed…Let me know if there are any line-ups I left off the list that you have come up with!
P.S. – Props to Ben Ellis for helping me on this list…
Zoom – An Awesome Book Initiative
Happy Tuesday!
Since it is such a great Tuesday, I would like to share with you one of my all-time favorite initiatives that is applicable with all age groups, and is great with groups ranging from 20-30 participants.
“Zoom” is my favorite kind of book (a picture book), that challenges the reader through varying perceptions and points of view, and guides the reader along a journey of self-analyzation and discovery. The author, Istvan Banvai, paints a wonderful portrait displaying how we view ourselves, the world, and others around us, making Zoom a fantastic initiative tool, and a “must-have” for every facilitator’s game bag.
I use this activity as a team-building and communication exercise, challenging my participants to expand their horizons both internally and externally. This is an exceptionally powerful tool if you are wanting your group to look beyond their own “world-view” and personal approach.
The prep work for the activity is extremely easy, all you have to do is carefully cut out every page and laminate each individually. (I made copies of the pages and stapled them in their original order, just for organizational sake)
This activity needs some accurate sequencing, because this can be a challenging activity, and I generally have led the group to this point by having the participants successfully accomplish easier tasks. This allows them to gain the confidence and group cohesiveness needed to complete the “Zoom” activity.
To start the activity, I mix up the pages of “Zoom” (they have no page numbers), and tell the participants that they are going to each receive a page of the book, and that as a group they must tell the book’s story. I tell them that they must get in order in a line, from page one of the book to page 30. Before I hand them the page, I tell them that they must not show their page to anyone, they must keep it close to their chest and not allow anyone to see it, both intentionally or unintentionally. I allow the group to describe their page in any other manner they choose…they can use any other verbal or non-verbal means of achieving this activity.
This is when the fun of the activity takes place! If you have read the book, it starts out zoomed in very closely on a rooster’s comb (their awesome spiked hair…)
Then the book slowly zooms out a little more each page as the reader gets a larger view of the rooster…to a scene of two kids on a farm looking out of a window at a rooster…to an overhead shot of the farm…to the farm actually being toys that a girl is playing with…on the back of a magazine…that a young man is holding…
That young man is on a cruise ship…which is on an advertisement on the side of a bus in a large city…
That bus and big city is on a television…being watched by a man in the middle of the desert..
That man and TV are actually on a postage stamp…being delivered to a tribe of indigenous people on the beach…
Those people are being watched by a pilot who is flying overhead…way up in the sky…
And, finally, the book zooms out to see the plane in the hemisphere, Earth from space, and then a tiny white dot on an all white page…
I left out a few pages, but I know you get the drift of the book, and hopefully of the activity. As the participants are describing their page to the other group members, there is usually a complete disconnect. Especially when pages are not close together – imagine someone with the rooster comb page describing their page to someone with the view of Earth from space. It takes some time, but usually the group starts to figure out that the book is progressing outwards, and typically a leader within the group will start to organize the book together.
After the group believes they have the book in order, I have them stay in that specific order, but circle up so everyone can see the pages, and then one-by-one we turn the pages around and reveal the story. The participants finally understand what is happening as their “view of the world” becomes a complete group story and occasion.
The group debrief is generally focused on how everyone has their “own story” within the overall story, and how it is always important to step back and see another’s perspective and vantage-point.
“Zoom” has many real-world implications and is an easy initiative to debrief and sequence. Every time I have facilitated this activity it was a huge hit amongst the participants, and is truly in my top 5 activities! Check it out and let me know how it went with your group!
Ryan Eller
