Games for All Purposes

8/8/2019 Games for All Purposes

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Games for all purposes

Conent

NAME GAMES AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER .................................................................................. .2

PEOPLE MAP............................................................................................................................................................2

GROUP JUGGLE.........................................................................................................................................................2

How to Run a Group Juggle Session ............................................................................................................... 2

Set up & instructions for 1st round of group juggling ............................................................................... .....3

2nd round of group juggling ................................................................................................................... ........33rd round of group juggling ........................................................................................................................... .3

4th round of group juggling - introducing more balls ............................................................................ ........3

MOTION NAME GAME...............................................................................................................................................4

LINE NAME GAME....................................................................................................................................................4POINT & SHOOT.......................................................................................................................................................4

HAMMERORNAIL? ...................................................................................................................................................5

ICE BREAKERS .....................................................................................................................................................6

HAVE YOU EVER? ....................................................................................................................................................6

Variations ....................................................................................................................................................... .6

HUMAN KNOT..........................................................................................................................................................7

Set up & instructions ................................................................................................................................. ......7

Facilitator notes ..................................................................................................................................... ........ . 8

CATEGORIES ............................................................................................................................................................9

List of categories .................................................................................................................................... ........ .9

ANIMAL SOUNDS....................................................................................................................................................10

SCREAMER.............................................................................................................................................................10

TEAM AND TRUST BUILDING GAMES ........................................................................................................12

HUG A TREE.........................................................................................................................................................12

WILLOWINTHE WIND............................................................................................................................................ 12

MINE FIELD...........................................................................................................................................................13

Variations ..................................................................................................................................................... .14

Processing Ideas ............................................................................................................................................ 15ALL ABOARD! ........................................................................................................................................................15

Variations ..................................................................................................................................................... .15MULTI-WAY TUG-OF-WAR.....................................................................................................................................16

CREATE YOUROWN TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY.........................................................................................................17

TEACHING GAMES ................................................................................................................................. ........ ..18

KEYPUNCH.............................................................................................................................................................18

Variations ..................................................................................................................................................... .18

Processing Ideas ............................................................................................................................................ 18

ALPHABET GAMESAND NUMBERGAMES...................................................................................................................19

CREATIVITY GAMES ........................................................................................................................................23

MAKEYOUROWNKITE............................................................................................................................................ 23

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Name games and get to know eachother

People Map

Time ~10 minutes

An interesting way for people to get to know one another is to learn about thegeographical distribution of where people come from.

Ask participants to create a human map, by standing to indicate where theyconsider home. Indicate North, East, South & West, then allow participants toposition themselves to create a map.

Ask the person who is the furthest what their name is and where they comefrom. Proceed to ask each major cluster where they come from. In thisprocess, participants may refine or improve their map.

Optional: To extend the activity, ask participants to create a human map toshow:

o where their mother/father was born

o where they would ideally like to live

o the fartherest place you've travelled

Group Juggle

Time ~15 minutesEquipment 15 tossable items in mesh stuff sack with directions

Fun way to start working together.

Can be used to learn names and develop a sense of interconnectedness.

Stand in a circle, toss a ball to someone, using his/her name, and they in turntoss it to someone else, using the next person's name.

Keep it going, then more balls are introduced and it starts gets crazy.

How to Run a Group Juggle Session

Set up & instructions (1st round)

2nd round - have another go!

3rd round - do it faster!

4th round - adding more balls!

Variation: Warp Speed

Links to other descriptions

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Set up & instructions for 1st round of group juggling

Arrange participants in a circle, not too close,not too far from one another

Include yourself in the circle

Explain that you are going to throw a ball tosomeone - pick someone out & ask their name, then say

"Hi Freddy, my name is James...here you go!"[underarm throw a ball to Freddy]

Freddy then says "Thank you James", pickssomeone and says

"Hi X, my name is Freddy...here you go!"[throw]....they say "Thank you, Freddy] and on we go.

If you're not trying to learn names, skip thenaming part & just throw!

The challenge from here is simply to get theball thrown around to everyone in the circle, and finally back to the trainer.

2nd round of group juggling

I then say, "Right, well done, now let's see ifwe can that again - making sure we use the same order, and using eachother's names. Remember to say the name of the person you are throwingto, and thank the person, by name, for throwing it to you, OK?"

On the second round, most people will bechallenged to remember who to throw it to, and the two names! Take it slow,help the group out, so that each person has a successful second round.

3rd round of group juggling

I then say, "Good, so how about we do it again,but this time, let's let's see how fast we can do it, OK? Here we go...HiFreddy, my name is James...." [throw]

It will go pretty fast this time, and the group willprobably feel quite pleased with themselves.

4th round of group juggling - introducing more balls

I then say, "That's great, but I think you can dofaster than that. Come on, let's see how we can really go..." [I then throwand say the name with super fast enthusiasm to set the tone!

After the first ball has passed through a fewhands, I take a 2nd ball out of my pocket (surprise!), and casually, butearnestly say "Hi Freddy...." [throw].

By now everyone is so well trained, the 2nd

ball will automatically keep going, and there will be a detectable sense ofchallenge/excitement.

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After a bit, I introduce a 3rd and 4th ball, up toabout 6 balls.

Usually I let 4 to 6 balls be juggled for a while(note the balls will be coming back again to the trainer - just keep themgoing). A group of 12 adults can usually handle 4 to 6 quite well.

If I'm feeling conservative, I just let the grouphave the success of doing this number of balls, and collect them in when thatseems to have been achieved.

But usually, once the group seems competentat 4 to 6 balls I gradually then introduce an unmanageable number of ballsinto the juggle & maybe also weird objects (e.g., kids soft toys) which all getscrazy, fun, out of control, etc. and ends in a hilarious shambles.

Generally doesn't require debriefing.

Motion Name Game

Have everyone stand in a circle. Anyone can begin the game by saying his/hername and demonstrating a [physical] motion to go with it. When the person is done,the entire group repeats the name and the motion. Then, the second person (oneither side of the first) introduces him/herself and does a motion. The entire grouprepeats that name/motion and then the first name/motion. This will continue untileach person has given their name and done their motion, and the entire group hasrepeated everyones name and motions.

Line Name Game

This game is a variation of the Motion Name Game. Can be played with group of anysize. Best if group has more than 10 members. Game begins with group lining upshoulder to shoulder. One member starts off the game by doing a motion across theline (to the other end of line) and saying his/her name at the same time. The groupresponds by saying, Hi ___________! The game continues as each member goesacross to the other end of line. Once that is complete, the group pairs off with personnext to them and they do a motion together (and say both of their names) to get tothe other end. Group goes in twos until complete. Depending on size of group,

individuals then group in fours, sixes, etc...then in half, and then whole. The groupworks together to pick out a motion and should say each name as they get to otherend. Game continues until the whole group is working together. Good game to useto show the power of individuals coming together as a team.

Point & Shoot

Puts people on the spot for learning names. Ideal name game finale. Split the groupin half. Have two volunteers hold a blanket or groundsheet between the two groups.Group members gather together, to plan and avoid being seen by the other group.

The group sends one member to crouch close to the blanket and be involved in theshoot-out. The holders count "1, 2, 3" aloud then drop the blanket. Each contestant

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tries to say the other person's name first. Whoever is the winner "captures" his/hercombatant for the winner's team. The blanket goes up again -- continue until oneteam captures all of the other team.

Hammer or Nail?

Concept: metaphorical, abstract, right brain, control over one's life

What to do: Explain that this activity is meant as an exercise in abstract thinking."Use your imagination. Think of yourself in non-concrete terms." Ask students whichof the two choices best describes them. Give them time to think, then ask them toraise their hands to indicate their choice. "Who is a hammer?... Who is a nail?" Thenhave them ask others near them why they feel like a hammer or a nail and give themabout a minute to discuss their choice.

In one session probably no more than six to ten of these should be done. If the classis very small, students might be asked to walk to one area of the room (nails overhere; hammers over there) and talk about why they feel the way they do.

o Hammer or nail

o Racket or ball

o Child or old man

o Jeans or a suit

o Egg white or egg yolk

o Sun or moon

o Cube or ball

o Present or future

Yes or no

Mountain or valley

Teacher or student

Question or answer

Black or white

Leaf or wind

Pencil or eraser

Earthquake or typhoon

Tortoise or hare

City or country

Dictionary or novel

Pen or pencil

Agape or Eros

Cat or mouse

Present or Future

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Ice breakers

Have You Ever?

This an active, fun way to explore and celebrate the rich diversity ofexperiences that different people bring to any group. Works best with largergroups.

The instructor explains that he/she will call out different things that may or maynot apply to each person. If the item does apply to you, then run into themiddle, jump in the air, and do a high 5 with anyone else who runs in.

A list of about 20 items should be tailored to the particular group, setting, andprogram goals, but some suggestions are below. Usually the items are of a

"Have You Ever....?" form, but also free to ad lib, e.g., "Does AnyoneHave....?" Items should be carefully considered in order to prevent embarrassment,

ridicule, etc. The motivation of participants to participate often needs some amping up. Try

to do some other warm-ups first. The rest is down to the leader's skill indemonstrating and encouraging.

List of Possible "Have Your Ever?" Items:1. Do you wash your teeth every day?2. Have you ever been without a shower for more than 2 weeks?3. Do you have both a brother and a sister?

4. Have you ever eaten mango?5. Can you speak 3 or more languages?

Variations

Participants can generate their own questions. Here's one way. People aresitting in a circle. Everyone has a chair (or rope ring or hula hoop) except theperson who is IT, standing in the center.

The person in the middle asks a "Have You Ever" question that is true forhim/her self e.g., "have you ever climbed a mountain over 10,000 feet?"

Anyone whose answer is "yes" gets up and moves to an empty seat. So, if

four people get up they try to exchange seats as quickly as possible. Theperson who asked the question tries to quickly gain a seat, leaving one otherperson without a seat and they become the new IT.

In choosing a question, participants can try for questions which revealsomething e.g., have you ever trekked the Great Wall of China? or ask simple questions like have you ever fallen off of a bicycle? for which everyone would get up.

Pileup variation: Anyone can ask a question and if you can answer yes to thequestion you move one space to your right and sit in that chair. If you cannotanswer yes to the question, you stay seated in the chair where you are. Thismeans somebody may be coming to sit on your lap from the seat to your left.Sometimes you get three and four people sitting in sort of a lap-style game ontop of you. Then, when they ask the next question to go one space to the right

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by answering yes, they peel off one at a time sit down and you end up on top.It creates some very interesting combinations. Physical touching revealssomething about people and it breaks the ice so that people can then begin tofeel more comfortable talking about and doing other novel things.

Human Knot

Set up & instructions

Be aware that the activity involves close physical proximity and touchpotentially in sensitive places! It can be used as a first activity in anadventurous program with volunteers (e.g., the start of an Outward Boundprogram). However, if the program is less adventurous, or group memberspotentially will have significant problems with such proximity, e.g., due toculture, or social or psychological problems, then Human Knot could beintroduced later in a program.

Ideal group size is approximately 10, but it can be done with anywherefrom about 7 to 16. Much higher or lower and the task doesn't really work.The more in a group, the more difficult the task, partly because of thecomplexity, and partly because there is physically less room to move.

If there are two or more groups doing the task simultaneously, have thegroups reasonably spaced out, so they don't feel distracted by a sense ofcompetition.

Ask participants to form a circle, shoulder-to-shoulder.Encouraging/urging participants to all stand closer can be a subtle way of

helping to prepare them for what is about to come.

Ask participants to each place a hand in the middle of the circle and tograsp another hand.

To emphasize learning of names and get a bit of fun going, askparticipants to introduce themselves to the person they are holding handswith.

Then ask participants to put their other hand in the middle, grasp adifferent person's hand, and introduce themselves.

Don't let participants let go of hands - some will be tempted to think the

activity might then be over - but it is only just starting.

Explain to participants that what you'd like them to do is untanglethemselves, without letting go of hands, into a circle.

There will be a mixture of reactions, often including nervous laughter,fun amusement, excitement, trepidation, strong suspicion that it can't bedone, and others who may view the task as a somewhat sadistic orinappropriate joke. Often some group members will have done the taskbefore, but this doens't really matter, each time the task is unique.

Participants may change their grip so as to more comfortable, but they

are not to unclasp and re-clasp so as to undo the knot.

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If you want name-learning emphasized, then explain that whenever thegroup is talking to someone, or about someone, that the person's first namemust be used. This usually requires supervision and reinforcement by theinstructor, but once enforced, is excellent for learning names. It also usuallyhelps the group to work together and find solution, because their

communications and more accurate with names involved.

Stand back and see what happens.

Be prepared to see little progress for quite some time (up to 10minutes). However, once the initial unfolding happens, the pace towards thefinal solution usually seems to quicken.

However, because each occasion is unique, there are also odd timeswhen a very fast solution falls out - too easy. In such cases, you ask a groupto try the task again - its usually a bit harder second time around.Occasionally, the task seems too hard and participants seem to make almost

no progress. Let them struggle for about 10 minutes, then you can offer thegroup one unclasp and reclasp - they need to discuss and decide whatunclasp-reclasp would be most useful.

Most of the time a full circle falls out, but occasionally there are two oreven three interlocking circles. So, really the task is to sort the knot out intoits simplest structure.

Facilitator notes

A switched-on facilitator can get a lot of information about participantsin a short space of time with this activity. For this reason, the activity is

commonly used in group-based selection processes for jobs which involveclosely working with others.

Stay at a moderate distance, allowing the group to handle the activitywith feeling like they're being too closely observed; but maintain goodhearing contact and be ready to step in to help answer questions or changethe direction of the activity quickly when appropriate.

Slowly wander around the circle, moving in and out as appropriate,e.g., if you want people to use names in every communication, then thisneeds to reinforced in a friendly, but firm way, several times.

It is relatively easy to notice who's talking, who's not, who seemscomfortable, who doesn't. Also note that sometimes the natural leaders arenot in a good position to lead - do they try to dominate inappropriately or dothey sit back appropriately and just do what they can. Sometimes, a newleader emerges from being in an opportune position in the knot. This canoffer this person a significant boost. Also, almost everyone gets a positivesense of having played his or her part. Some people have difficultly enjoyingthe activity due to their uncomfortableness physically (e.g., obese, very tall,or inflexible people may find the activity particularly awkward).

It is important to provide appropriate help if the activity proves toodifficult. This might be encouragement that it can be done (some groups lackconfidence and would give up too early), helping a couple of peoplecommunicate to find a solution to part of the knot, etc. Or this might be

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allowing an unclasp-reclasp. How much to give is a fine balancing act. Thetask should be challenging, but especially as an initial activity, it should givethe group some initial confidence and momentum in being able to worktogether to solve problems.

Often this activity speaks for itself as an icebreaker. However,because it can be quite challenging, and people will often have been pulledin all sorts of directions (literally), be prepared to have at least a shortdebrief, e.g. by asking "How well did you think the group worked together?"and "What could have been done differently?" or "What do you think you'velearned from this activity which can be applied in future activities?"

Categories

A fun, interactive, introductory get-to-know-you activity for medium to largegroups.

Works best with large groups (min. is ~15). Useful for celebrating diversity. Particularly useful as an icebreaker, e.g. can be used as a opener for a

workshop/conference. Ask everyone to stand up and then to walk around; explain that you will

announce a category (see list or use your own) and that participants shouldthen quickly organise themselves into smaller groups, based on the categoryto which they belong.

Once everyone is organised into their groups, ask each group to identify itself. (Optional) Make a brief comment or ask each group a question. Allow participants time to say hello and mingle/chat with each other when the

smaller groups are formed. Keep things moving by asking participants to walk around before announcing

the next category. Continue until the group is "warmed up" and ready for the next activity. This

will probably be after ~5 topics, depending on the group, purpose, and timeavailable.

Categories can also be used as a fun, simple way to organise people intosmaller groups for other activities.

For the first category, use one with two options and announce one side of theroom for one category and the other side of the room for the other category.

This should help participants to get the idea for how the activity works.

List of categories

Two categories

When you clasp your hands together and fold the thumbs across the top, isyour right or left thumb on top?

Fold your arms across your chest. Is your right or left arm on top? Which leg do you put into your pants first? Which eye do you prefer to wink with?

Which side of the bed (left or right) do you get out of in the morning? Are you a folder or scruncher (toilet paper)

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Can you roll your tongue? (yes/no)

Three categories

When licking an ice cream cone...do you:o Twirl the cone clockwiseo Twirl the cone counterclockwise

o Lick up and down?

Many categories

What is your favourite season? How many siblings do you have? What colour are your eyes? What's your shoe size?

What type of shoes are your wearing? What's your favourite colour What's your star sign?

Animal Sounds

Works with any group size over 10 and with large groups; the more themerrier.

Invite people into a circle.

Hand out blind-folds and help people to blind fold another. Alternatively, askfor eyes closed.

Explain that each person will be hear a whisper of an animal name. Movearound the group, giving each person the name of animal (e.g., from the listbelow).

The challenge will be to find all other animals of one's own kind. No-one cantalk - only animal sounds can be made.

Very loud chaos ensues, then gradually order and unity emerges as animalsfind one another.

Be prepared to shepherd people from danger, but usually people are very safewith many not moving much, rather focusing on listening and calling out toothers.

List of possible animals (aim to have 3 or more of each animal). Note:Consider possible cultural issues if animal sacred or offensive):

o Dog

o Cat

o Pig

o Snake

o Lion

o Crow

o Monkey

o Frog

o Elephant

Screamer

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1. Preparation: make sure the folks in the rooms on either side of you (and theprincipal, if you're doing this in a school) know that they will be hearing someloud yells / screams in a minute, that it will only last for about two-threeminutes, and that everything is OK.

2. Have the entire group "line up in a circle" - you know what I mean ... Important:everyone needs to be able to see the eyes of everyone else.

3. Explain that you will be saying two sets of instructions repeatedly, "headsdown" and "heads up." When you say "heads down," everyone looks down.Whey you say "heads up," everyone looks up, STRAIGHT INTO THE EYES ofanyone else in the room. Two possible consequences:

a. if they are looking at someone who is looking at someone else, nothinghappens;

b. if they are looking at someone who is looking right back at them, theyare both to point in a very exaggerated manner at the other person and

let out a SCREAM OR YELL. They are then "out" and take their placestogether outside of the circle to observe.

4. Once the "screamers" have left the circle, the circle closes in and you repeatstep two, followed by step three, until you are down to two people. Yes, theyhave to do it one more time, even though the outcome is a foregoneconclusion.

5. Processing questions: what made this "fun?" [btw: I've never seen this beanything but an absolute hoot for all.] The short answer to the first question isthe stress involved. You can then ask them to think about what the actual

stress factors in the exercise are (will my scream sound silly? Will I embarrassmyself?) and when did the stress seem to lessen or intensify?

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Team and trust building games

Hug A Tree

Start on a track in a pleasant forested area.

This activity works well as a break during a hike.

The purpose is to get people engaged in non-visual, intimate encounter withtrees, as well as the terrain.

The activity also works well as a trust-building activity.

The groups needs reasonable maturity, such that the blindfolded people arecared for (golden rule: a blindfolded person must always be holding someone

else's hand - or a tree) - watch out for careless guiding especially from machomales.

For mature groups, a briefing may be enough; for less mature groups, do ademonstration.

In pairs, one is blindfolded. The blindfolded person is to be the tree-hugger.

The tree-hugger is lead through the trees and then placed next to a specialtree. The tree-hugger touches the tree and tries to memorize its size, shape,location, texture, etc.

The tree-hugger person is lead back to the starting point, takes his/herblindfold off and tries to locate his/her tree.

Swap. Usually participants like to have a couple of turns at being blindfoldedand trying to find a tree.

Willow in the Wind

Provides a gentle, but important and challenging activity to begin buildinggenuine trust amongst people. Requires good facilitation and fairly maturegroup.

Group members should already have spent time together, know each other's

names, etc.

Establish a genuine tone; whilst fun is allowed, the primary objective is lookingafter and caring for one another. This requires a calm, supportiveatmosphere. If particpants are unable to genuinely sustain this kind ofatmosphere, then look for a less serious activity. There is the potential forphysical and psychological injury.

The group needs to be taught correct spotting technique:o one foot in front of another

o arms outstretched, elbows locked, fingers loose

o ready and alert

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In groups of about 8, one person volunteers to be the "willow" in the middle.Facilitator demonstrates the "willow":

o feet together

o closes his/her eyes

o arms crossed and hands on shoulders

o keep butt cheeks tight and body straighto establishes contract with group (see below)

o does a "trust lean" and allows him/herself to be "passed around" the

group.

The final step before leaning is to create a contract between the "willow" andthe group. It can go like this:

o Willow: "I am ready to fall. Are you ready to catch me?"

o Group: "We are ready to catch you. Fall away."

o Willow: "Falling."

o Group: "OK"

Important: Ensure the group is tight, should-to-shoulder, arms outstretched. Inthis position, hands should almost touch the person standing in the middle.This ensures that the initial fall will be very gentle. Gradually the group canease back to allow a more expansive lean. Distribute large and small peopleevenly, to avoid weak points in the circle.

The "willow" should allow him/herself to be passed around by the group as long as she/helikes (usually a couple of minutes). When he/she has had enough, simply open eyes, standup, and thank the group.

The quality of the atmosphere and caring will generally determine the proportion of peopleprepared to volunteer. Above 80% is usually a sign of a reasonably healthy group.

As a debrief or an intervention if a group isn't creating a trusting atmosphere,I've asked people to individually rate out of 10 how supported they felt by thegroup -- and show this to the group by holding the number of fingers up. Thisallows the facilitator to draw out more objectively which people felt supportedand what else the group might do to support more people.

Mine Field

A popular and engaging game involving communication and trust. The task isvery flexible, works for groups of various types and sizes, and can be adaptedto youth, adults, corporate, etc.

Select an appropriate area. Go outside, if possible. Can be done inside, evenin rooms with fixed furniture (which can become objects to be avoided).

Distribute "mines" e.g., balls or other objects such as bowling pins, cones,foam noodles, etc.

Establish a concentrating and caring tone for this activity. Trust exercisesrequire a serious atmosphere to help develop a genuine sense of trust andsafety.

Participants operate in pairs. Consider how the pairs are formed - it's a

chance to work on relationships. One person is blind-folded (or keeps eyes

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closed) and cannot talk (optional). The other person can see and talk, butcannot enter the field or touch the person.

The challenge is for each blind-folded person to walk from one side of the fieldto the other, avoiding the "mines", by listening to the verbal instructions of theirpartners.

Allow participants a short period (e.g., 3 minutes) of planning time to decide ontheir communication commands, then begin the activity.

Be wary of blindfolded people bumping into each other. The instructor(s) canfloat around the playing area to help prevent collisions.

Decide on the penalty for hitting a "mine". It could be a restart (seriousconsequence) or time penalty or simply a count of hits, but without penalty.

It can help participants if you suggest that they each develop a uniquecommunication system. When participants swap roles, give participants somereview and planning time to refine their communication method.

Allow participants to swap over and even have several attempts, until a real,satisfied sense of skill and competence in being able to guide a partner

through the "minefield" develops. The activity can be conducted one pair at a time (e.g., in a therapeutic

situation), or with all pairs at once (creates a more demanding exercise due tothe extra noise/confusion).

Can be conducted as a competitive task - e.g., which pair is the quickest orhas the fewest hits?

The facilitator plays an important role in creating an optimal level of challenge,e.g., consider introducing more items or removing items if it seems too easy ortoo hard. Also consider coaching participants with communication methods(e.g., for younger students, hint that they could benefit from coming up withclear commands for stop, forward, left, right, etc.).

Be cautious about blind-folding people - it can provoke trust and care issuesand trigger post-traumatic reactions. Minimize this risk by sequencing MineField within a longer program involving other get-to-know-you and trustbuilding activities before Mine Field.

Variations

Minefield in a Circle: Blindfolded people start on the outside of a large ropecircle, go into middle, get an item ("treasure", e.g., a small ball or bean bag),then return to the outside; continue to see who can get the most objects within

a time period. Metaphorical Framing: Some set ups for minefield get very elaborate and

metaphor-rich, e.g., hanging objects which metaphorically reflect theparticipants' background and/or issues. For example, items which representdrugs, peer pressure, talking with parents about the problem, etc. have beenused in a family adventure therapy program (Gillis & Simpson, 1994).

Participants can begin by trying to cross the field by themselves. In a secondround, participants can then ask someone else to help them traverse the fieldby "talking" them through the field.

To increase the difficulty, you can have other people calling out. Theblindfolded person must concentrate on their partner's voice amidst all the

other voices that could distract them from the task.

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Be aware that some participants may object to, or have previous traumaticexperience around the metaphor of explosive mines which have caused andcontinue to cause much harm and suffering. It may be preferable to renamethe activity, for example, as an "obstacle course" or "navigation course".Alternatively, the activity could be used to heighten awareness about the effect

of land mines on the lives of people in countries such as Afghanistan andNicaragua

Processing Ideas

How much did you trust your partner (out of 10) at the start? How much did you trust your partner (out of 10) at the end? What is the difference between going alone and being guided by another? What ingredients are needed when trusting and working with someone else? What did your partner do to help you feel safe and secure? What could your partner have done to help make you feel more safe/secure? What communication strategies worked best?

All Aboard!

This activity requires working together in close physical proximity in order tosolve a practical, physical problem. It tends to emphasize groupcommunication, cooperation, patience and problem solving strategy, as wellas issues related to physical self and physical proximity.

The activity can be run in many different ways. Basic method: Ask the whole group to try to fit inside a small area which can

be marked by:o small platforms, or

o circle of rope, oro tarpaulin or blanket

When the group succeeds, decrease the area (e.g., changing platforms,shrinking the circle, or folding the tarp) and challenge the group again. Howfar can the group go?

Cautions: Obviously people are going to need to feel physically comfortable inorder to get physically close and be supportive of one another. So make surepeople are warmed up and preferably have removed excessive jewellery,watches, etc.

Variations

Tarp Flip Over: With a group standing on a tarp, challenge them to turn thetarp over without anyone touching the ground in the process. Can add a timelimit e.g., 15 mins for this activity.

Framing, e.g.,"The group must work together to ensure everyone manages toget aboard the new management structure. As time goes by, the team mustbecome closer to deal with shrinking margins and increased competition."[www.bushsports.com.au]

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Team building variation of Tarp Flip Over: the group discusses the presentstate of the team and a future desired state for the team. One side of the tarprepresents the present state, the other side the future.

Name game: The activity can be used as a name game by setting the rule thatevery communication to another person must include that person's name.

Multi-Way Tug-of-War

Equipment ropes

Fun, finale-type activity. Physically exhausting and emotionally climaxing! Works for kids through to corporate programs. Ideal for adolescents and

possibly youth at risk. Especially with older adults, be careful with this activity,especially if they are unfit or if overexertion is contraindicated (e.g., heartproblems).

Use for any size groups, indoor or outdoor. Ideal is large group outdoors.Pick a soft location e.g., grass/beach. In traditional 1 on 1 tug-of-war it is mostly strength that wins, with a few tactics. In multi-way tug-of-war it is mostly tactics that wins, with some strength. Lay out the ropes, etc. as shown in diagram below. Participants should prepare appropriately e.g., watches and hand jewellery off. Divide into groups and make sure the groups appear to be of similar strength. Brief group on normal tug-of-war safety rules, basically:

o no wrapping or tying rope around anyone or anything - only hold rope

with handso watch out for rope burn on hands - let go if rope is moving through

handso watch out for rope burn on body - let go if you lose footing

First command from the Tug-of-War master is "take the strain". This is only totake up the slack, that's all. The Tug-of-War master makes sure the centrering is stable and centered. This needs strong leadership because teams arealways keen to add extra strain!

Second command is "Go!!" Teams attempt to pull the center ring or knot over their finish line. This can

rarely be achieved by strength alone and instead will require guile. Teamscan swivel to cooperate / compete with other teams, then switch directions,etc.

Conduct several rounds. Continue, say, until one team earns 3 victories andthe Tug-of-War title.

Allow teams plenty of time to physically recover and debrief/plan after eachround.

Team building groups may wish to discuss what the secrets to success werein this activity - and whether these lessons apply elsewhere.

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Create Your Own Team Building Activity

Challenging exercise best presented late in a program Divide a larger group into smaller groups of 4 to 5

Give groups ~15-20 minutes to come up with a challenging small groupactivity.

The catch: The activity should be one that the group believes it can do betterthan any other group!

Then all groups come together and take turns to present their activity.

Groups earn points if:

o No other group can beat them at their activity (+2)

o Can do another group's activity (+1) Be warned: This is harder than it sounds - requires all elements of team work

including creativity, communication, trust, problem-solving, time management,etc.

To help groups succeed, the facilitator checks in with the progress duringplanning. Help with ideas or problem-solving strategies if the group isstruggling.

Encourage creative out-of-the-box thinking e.g., singing, dancing, joke-telling,non-verbal, as well as physical or mental-type challenges.

Avoid using this activity to get out of designing an activity yourself!

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Teaching games

Keypunch

A powerful exercise for learning how to work together, communicate and seekto improve performance in medium sized groups.

Randomly lay out up to 30 numbered markers or spots in a set area. Thisforms the keypad.

Create a starting/finish point up to 10 yards beyond the set area- the groupmust assemble here-hence they do not have clear view of the keypad eitherbefore the first attempt or in between attempts.

Briefing: The group must touch all the numbered spots as fast as they

can. The team is given five attempts and must complete all attempts within a30 minute window, whilst seeking to A/ complete the task and B/ if possiblebetter their time. The group is penalized when a number is touched out oforder and if more than one person is inside the boundary of the set area. Thepenalty may be, for example, that the group must start the attempt again butthe time keeps ticking for that attempt.

Give the team 5 minutes to plan, then begin the 30 minutes count down, andthen start the timer for the first attempt. Time each attempt when they say theyare ready to begin the next one.

The team will eventually arrive at a variety of solutions including giving eachmember of the team a number (or several numbers) to step on in sequence as

they run through the set area. After several attempts this 'ordering' will becomemore fluid.

Variations

Use this teambuilding exercise to highlight the value of continuousimprovement.

Can be presented as a fun teambuilding initiative problem -There is acomputer virus and the team must punch in the correct code or the entire database will be lost!

Variation in briefing=create a greater sense of role play by shaping the story

line: a computer virus has infected the entire network of the organisation/government and your team has been flown in to disinfect it. If more than oneperson enters the 'restricted zone' then they are 'fried'...add as much detail asyou wish to enhance the atmosphere and/or build pressure.

Depending on the group, alter the total time to 45 minutes and allow 5 minutesof separate planning time in between each attempt.

Processing Ideas

What was the initial reaction of the group?

How well did the group cope with this challenge? What skills did it take to be successful as a group?

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What creative solutions were suggested and how were they received? Did everyone listen to each others ideas? What would an outside observer have seen as the strengths and weaknesses

of the group? What roles did people play?

What did each group member learn about him/her self as an individual? What key factor led to an improvement in time? How motivated were participants to continually improve the time after initial

success at the task?

Alphabet Games and Number Games

Make door signs

Children love to mark their own territory with their name on their bedroom door!

Depending on age they can perhaps colour and cut their own sign, which can then belaminated for durability if you wish.Make key rings, satchel tags

Print and laminate your child's initial, make a hole and attach to a key ring. Or use aribbon or string to decorate a school bag or satchel so that your child will easilyidentify it.Decorate bulletin boards

Teachers will come up with all sorts of ideas for using the alphabets on bulletinboards and around the classroom.

Learning the alphabet

Print out one of our alphabet strips and display it where little ones will see it all thetime! You may want to choose lower case letters for the UK, as most children areintroduced to these first. Go through the alphabet regularly, pointing to the letters andsaying the sounds they make; of course you can also sing the alphabet song!Alphabet flashcards

Our alphabets make wonderful flashcards. Choose one which will appeal to yourchild, and print onto coloured card if you like. Laminate for durability and you will beable to use it for all sorts of games in the future.

Play alphabet bingo

If you print one of the alphabet strips and leave it in sections, each section forms aneasy alphabet bingo card for little children. Give each child one or two sections. Printout a matching set of alphabet cards and put them in the middle of the table. Taketurns to choose an alphabet card and see if you have the matching letter on yourbingo section. If you do you could cover it with the card, or with a counter. The first tofill their section completely is the winner.Upper and lower case bingo

Both the penguin strip and the sweet heart strip have upper and lower case letters.Print out a set of lower case sections as the bingo cards, and print out the upper caseletters onto individual alphabet cards. Play as above.

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Editor's note: these bingo games are great games for mixed aged siblings to playtogether as the competitive element keeps the game fun for all ages.Alphabet race

Print out one of the alphabet strips and use it as a game board. Have a counter for

each player and a dice. Put the counters at the beginning of the board (that is, justbefore the "a") and let the youngest child roll and move their counter the appropriatenumber of spaces. Depending on the age of the child, you can adapt the game inmany ways:when you land on a letter, you say the sound that the letter makes or move back xnumber of spaceswhen you land on a letter, you say the name of that letter or move backsay a word which begins (or ends) with the letter you have landed on, or move backsay a noun, adjective, verb, adverb etc which begins with the letter you have landedon, or move backThe winner is the first to reach "z"! This game is also very adaptable for different

ages, as you can assign each child a task appropriate to their age and skill.Alphabet file folder anagram game

Cut out one of the alphabets and place them in a never-ending path or circle, like aboard game. You can place them in random or alphabetical order. Provide each childwith a counter and a piece of paper and pencil. The children choose a letter andplace their counter on it, writing the letter on their piece of paper. Now take it turns toroll one or two dice and move around the board. Wherever your counter lands, writedown that letter on your paper. The first child to find a three-letter word using theirletters wins. Older children can play with four or five letter words. You can also printout extra copies of the vowels and most popular consonants and use more than oneof them on your board.Alphabet scramble

Print out a set of alphabet cards and choose a combination which makes a wordappropriate for your child's age. Scramble them up and have the child put them in theright order. You can make this game more energetic by "hiding" the cards around theroom and telling the child how many cards he has to find. It is also a fun team game:use two different sets of alphabet cards and the kids will have great fun runningaround each other trying to find where their cards are hidden without giving awaycards to the other team!

Alphabet trail

Create a trail of alphabet cards around the room (or house), spelling out a word orshort sentence which the child will need to write down in a little notebook and presentto you when he reaches the end. You can make this more difficult for older childrenby throwing in "extra" letters which he will need to identify and exclude.Which letter is missing?

Lay out a set of alphabet cards in alphabetical order. While the children close theireyes, take one card away. On your command they open their eyes and identify whichletter is missing.

Beginning, middle and end

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Use a set of alphabet cards and 3 containers (bowls, paper plates etc) marked"beginning", "middle" and "end". Shuffle the cards and have the child turn them overone by one and place them in the appropriate container. Younger children could dothis with the help of an alphabet strip.

Either side

Using a set of alphabet cards, turn one over at a time and try to identify as quickly aspossible the letter before, the letter after, or both! Younger children could use analphabet strip to help.Alphabetical sort

Simply shuffle up a set of alphabet cards and put them back into order as quickly aspossible.How many words

Give each player a piece of paper and a pencil, and shuffle a pack of alphabet cards.Decide on a "theme" such as flowers, girls' names, cities etc. Turn the top card overand, in a given amount of time, see how many words you can write down which beginwith that letter. You can control this game more by deciding after the card is turnedover what the theme will be!A shorter and easier (and noisier) variation of the game is to decide on a theme forthe whole game, and to try to shout out an answer as quickly as possible for eachletter. Perhaps the winner of each round could take a counter and at the end of thegame the counters are tallied for the winner.Alphabet magnets

You can use the printable alphabets to make magnets, by laminating them andattaching magnets to the back.Change a letter

Choose a word and find the correct letters to assemble for your child. Challengethem to change the word to another by swapping one letter at a time. For example,change "cat" to "cot" to "cop" and so on.Alphabet Go Fish

Print out two sets of alphabet cards (you could print one set of upper case and one

set of lower case if appropriate) and deal five cards to each player. Place remainingcards in a stack face down in the middle of the table. Players check their hands forany pairs, and place them face up in front of them if they have any. The youngestplayer then asks a player of his choice whether he has a particular card. If he does,he must hand it over, and the pair can be placed on the table. If he doesn't, he says"Go Fish", and the first player must take a card from the centre pile. The winner is thefirst player to put all their cards down on the table.Alphabet Old Maid

You need at least three players. Print out two sets of alphabet cards, and include oneblank card too. Doctor the set so that there are enough cards for each player to have

between 6 and 8 cards (less for younger players) and the pack is made up of pairsplus the extra card - you will have an odd number of cards! Shuffle and deal out the

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cards. Each player checks their hands for any pairs, and places them face up in frontof them if they have any. The youngest player then turns to the player on his left, andtakes a card (without looking at it!) from his hand. If it makes a pair with one in hishand, he can put it down on the table. Play continues around the circle until oneplayer is left holding the odd card and is called the "Old Maid".

Alphabet Match up

Print out and join together an alphabet strip of lower or upper case letters (laminate ifrequired). Write the other case of letters onto a set of wooden clothes pegs (you canusually buy these very cheaply at a pound / dollar store). Ask your child to clip theclothes pegs at the correct place on the line.Number match up

Print out a number strip and join together as above. Draw a number of dots, orperhaps some easy sums, onto the clothes pegs, and ask your child to match thepegs to the correct number on the line.

Alphabet war

Print out a set of alphabet cards. Deal them evenly between two players. Players turnover the first card on their pile simultaneously, and call out if their card is closer to thebeginning (or end) of the alphabet. They take both cards. The winner has the mostcards when the pack is completed.Which is missing?

Make two copies (or how ever many you need) of alphabets and numbers. Lay thecards in alphabetical or numerical order replacing one of the letter / number cardswith the ? card. Ask child to identify the missing letter or number. For older child, thenumber cards could be placed in skip counting sequence, backwards, etc. The letterscould be used to spell words.

Environmental education games separately in another document

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Creativity games

Make your own kite

A kite consists of these basic parts: The Spine. The up-and-down, or vertical stick that you build your kite around. The Spar. The support stick(s), that are placed crossways or at a slant over thespine. Sometimes they are curved or bowed. The Frame. The joined spine and spars, usually with a string connecting theirends, that form the shape of the kite and make a support for the cover. The Cover. The paper, plastic, or cloth, that cover the frame to make a kite. The Bridle. One or more strings attached to the spine or spars, which help

control the kite in the air. The Flying Line. The string running from the kites bridle, where you hold to flythe kite. The Tail. A long strip of paper or plastic of ribbon that helps to balance the kite inflight. Not all kites need tails. The Reel. The object you use to wind your flying line, to keep it form gettingtangled or flying away.

DIAMOND KITEMaterials:

butcher cord or thin garden twinescotch tape or glue1 sheet of strong paper (102cm x 102cm)2 strong, straight wooden sticks of bamboo or wooden doweling 90cm and 102cm

markers, paint or crayons to decorate you kite.

1. Make a cross with the two sticks, with the shorter stick placed horizontally acrossthe longer stick. Make sure that both sides of the cross piece is equal in width.

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2. Tie the two sticks together with the string in such a way as to make sure that theyare at right angles to each other. A good way to ensure that the joint is strong to put adab of glue to stick it in place.

3. Cut a notch at each end of both sticks. Make it deep enough for the type of string

you are using to fit in to. Cut a piece of string long enough to stretch all around thekite frame. Make a loop in the top notch and fasten it by wrapping the string aroundthe stick. Stretch the string through the notch at one end of the cross-piece, andmake another loop at the bottom. Stretch the string through the notch at one end ofthe loop at the bottom. Stretch the string through the notch at the other end of thecross-piece. Finish by wrapping the string a few times around the top of the stick andcutting off what you don't need. This string frame must be taut, but not so tight as towarp the sticks.

4. Lay the sail material flat and place the stick frame face down on top. Cut around it,leaving about 2-3cm for a margin. Fold these edges over the string frame and tape or

glue it down so that the material is tight.

5. Cut a piece of string about 122 cm long. and tie one end to the loop at the otherend of the string to the loop at the bottom. Tie another small loop in the string justabove the intersection of the two cross pieces. This will be the kite's bridle, the stringto which the flying line is attached.

6. Make a tail by tying a small ribbon roughly every 10cm along the length of string.Attach the tail to the loop at the bottom ofthe kite.

7. Decorate!

Tips:A properly located pivot point is generally located slightly ahead of the centre of

gravity.Cut awayfrom you!Spray can glue is really good for patching up paper kites.Stability is improved by the use of an effective bow and a flexible tail.Hold your kite up by the string when you are finished to see if it is balanced. You

can balance it by putting more paper on one side.Kites are different each time you make one, so slight adjustments might need to

be made for each kite.

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Documents

Games for All Purposes