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Minefield
Have group discuss things that are detrimental to functioning as a group. For each
characteristic/action, throw an object into the playing space, the "minefield." Have group
choose partners. One partner is blindfolded at one end of field. The non-blindfolded
partners stand at the opposite end of the field and try to talk their partners through the
minefield without running into any of the obstacles.
2. Stick
Everyone in group touches stick at same time. Break stick in half and repeat. Continue
until stick is very small. (it's easier to start with a simple goal and work up to a harder
one...)
3. 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.
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.
5. Blind Walk
Divide group into pairs with one member of each pair blindfolded. Seeing partner leads
blind partner on a walk. The walk should be challenging, including such obstacles as
climbing over tables, crawling under chairs, walking up or down stairs, climbing over
railings, etc
6. Similarity Charades
Divide into smaller groups. Each group discusses their similarities and acts out for other
group to guess.
8. Blind Shapes
Group is blindfolded or with eyes closed. Have group form themselves into a square or a
triangle, etc. Can use a rope with everyone holding on. (communication, leadership)
9. Survival Scenario Exercise
Wilderdom Store
gear, books, kits
Description of a Group Dynamics Team Building Exercise
•
individually
Discuss choices/rankings in small group
Time
and come to a group consensus
• Total ~45-100 mins
• Score answers against "expert" opinion
• 5-10 minutes
• Possible scenarios:
briefing
o Lost at sea or island survival
• 15-30 minutes
(shipwreck)
exercise time
o Desert (plane crash)
• 5-10 minutes scoring
o Space or Moon
(for select equipment
scenarios)
• 20-30 minutes
debrief & discussion
Facilitator's Notes
Group Size
• Works with any age group, including corporate groups.
• Can be done indoors or outdoors. • 20 to 30 ideal, but can be
• Once the challenge is finished, allow everyone to see the pictures and done with fewer (see
encourage participants to sort out any mistakes in the order (can be done variations)
on a table or the floor), then let everyone walk around view the pictures
in sequence so they understand the full story.
Time
Total time~20-30 minutes
• ~5 mins set up and brief the
Variations group
• ~15 mins active problem
• Use as a novel icebreaker by handing each participant a picture on solving
arrival. When everyone has arrived, explain that each person is holding • ~5-10 minutes debrief
part of a story and that the group task is to find out what the story is by
putting their pictures in sequence.
• Use a time limit to increase difficulty and enhance focus on teamwork.
• Team performance can be measured (e.g., for a competition) by counting
how many pictures are out of sequence.
• For smaller groups, try disallowing talking. This increases the difficulty
and creates the need for expressive sign language. In general, allow
large groups to talk because there is enough complexity sorting out all Acknowledgements
the pictures.
• Another way to increase complexity with small groups is to give each • Thanks to PJ Giampietro,
person more than one picture. Michelle Cummings, Dev
• To reduce complexity for young groups (e.g., pre-school), allow a small Pathik, Andy Martinson, Eric
group to look through all pictures and organize the story from beginning Nei and Christie Peterson for
to end. their descriptions and
information about this
activity on the AEE and
ROPES discussion lists.
Related Link
• Optical Illusions
Processing Ideas
• There is usually much potential for debriefing and discussion.
• Why was it hard to get the story together?
(everyone had a piece, but no-one had the big picture)
• What type of communication was used in attempting to solve the
problem?
• What communication methods might have worked better? e.g., Iimagine
if, at the outset, the group had taken the time to let each person describe
his/her picture to the rest of the group. What would have happened
then? Would the solution have been found faster? What prevented such
strategies from being considered?
• Did you try to "second position" (i.e., see one's communications from the
perspective of others)?
• What kind of leadership was used to tackle the problem?
• Who were the leaders? Why?
• What style of leadership might have worked best?
• If you were to tackle a similar activity again, what do you think this
group should do differently?
• What real life activities are similar to this activity?
References
• Banyai, I. (1995). Zoom. New York: Viking / Penguin.
• Banyai, I. (1998). Re-Zoom. New York: Viking / Penguin.
5. What was the best day of the past week for you - why?
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.
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