MORE THAN ENOUGH WAYS TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED WITH NCSice... · MORE THAN ENOUGH WAYS TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED WITH NCS ... programme grow and there will be more than 600 adults ... The

MORE THAN ENOUGH WAYS TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED WITH NCS Icebreakers, Energisers & Team Builders

On behalf of the NCS Trust

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FOREWORD

The UFA is a national education charity. Since 1996 we have worked with more than

750,000 young people and 6,000 adults in 50 regions, to create inspiring learning for all.

UFA has also worked with teachers and young people in Jamaica and Australia.

Founded in Birmingham by Professor Tim Brighouse we have a long history of working

successfully with young people aged 5 to 25. We are proud to be a local delivery

partner for NCS and have been a part of the programme since the pilot phase in 2012.

We have worked with approximately 2,000 NCS graduates so far and through the

fantastic guidance of our team leaders and volunteers, supported them to achieve

more than 60,000 hours of social action in their communities. 2014 will see our

programme grow and there will be more than 600 adults involved, from team leaders to

volunteers, guiding nearly 3,000 young people through their NCS journey. We believe the

outcomes the young people achieve are largely down to the high quality delivery built

on creating a high challenge and low threat environment in which young people grow

in confidence and develop new skills and make a difference to others.

We believe that the environment within which NCS activity happens is fundamental to

the success of the programme and at the heart of this environment is establishing

positive relationships built on mutual trust and understanding. Inherent in these

relationships is having a growing awareness of how we as individuals connect with

others. Teamwork has always been a defining element of UFA activity and fundamental

to developing this has been our strategic use of icebreakers, energisers and team

problem solving activities. The use of these has allowed us to create learning that is

deeply engaging because it is fun as well as deep, and it makes people feel good

about themselves and other people.

Games are a strong motivating and engaging force. The icebreakers and team building

games in this publication are practical tools for creating the sort of learning environment

that we know ensures the ongoing commitment of young people to the programme.

Although positive learning environments are far more complex than just the use of these

strategies, experience has shown that they do make a difference. Here is a collection of

some of our favourites but there are hundreds more out there to discover and to create

for yourself.

Manjit Shellis, UFA Director of Learning University of the First Age Many of the ideas in this publication have been passed on by word of mouth and experiential learning

and therefore it is not easy to trace the origins of an idea. Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders of material reproduced in this booklet. The

University of the First Age apologises for any omissions and will be pleased to rectify them at the earliest opportunity

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INTRODUCTION

Why Icebreakers?

The term "icebreaker" comes from "break the ice", which in turn comes from special ships

called "icebreakers" that were designed to break up ice in the arctic regions. And just as

these ships make it easier for other ships to travel, an icebreaker helps to clear the way

for learning to occur by making the learners more comfortable by helping to bring

about conversation.

Icebreakers are structured activities that are designed to relax learners, introduce them

to each other, and energise them so that they are more ready to engage with the

learning opportunities presented to them. In addition, icebreakers often help to break up

the cliques and invite people to form random groupings in a non-threatening and fun

way.

Anything physical that involves moving part of the body e.g. an arm or leg from the left

to the right side and crossing the middle of the body can help exercise the brain, as it

stimulates both sides of the brain by firing impulses across the corpus callosum. The

corpus callosum is the part of the brain which enables the left and right side to talk to

one another and therefore helps the brain to be more efficient. Activities that improve

hand eye co-ordination and balance can help learning in many ways. They are fun and

help you to concentrate for longer as they break learning into smaller amounts of time.

This can also help to reduce stress, which can also be a barrier to learning.

In choosing the activities to include we have tried to pick those that:

1. We have tried ourselves and found useful in the delivery of the NCS programme

2. Are reasonably quick to use

3. Require a minimum of expensive resources

4. Are relatively low risk

5. Are flexible so you can make them more suitable for your specific purpose.

The activities in this booklet are some of our favourites because they are fun and

relatively simple to conduct, and can evoke great conversations on how to work

together and enjoy the fruits that come from a well-functioning team. Depending on

your timeframe and objectives, you may combine two or more of the activities. Be

careful not to underestimate the power of these games because of their simplicity – they

have all been used with young people over many years and have produced

outstanding results for many teams and can do the same for you. As the team leader,

here are some guidelines you should follow to ensure a successful outcome:

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1. Make It Safe The idea of participating in a game can sound like great fun to some while sounding

terrorising to others. On the whole, our experience has shown that in an environment of

mutual trust, most young people will engage; the activities are designed to be safe and

easy for virtually anyone to participate in. As the team leader, you need to ensure that

the atmosphere remains supportive to ensure that no one is hurt physically or

emotionally.

2. Make It Clear and Relevant If people are to participate fully in the activity, your instructions must be clear and easily

understood. Otherwise, young people will sit there looking at you like a deer caught in

the headlights. Change the suggested script and questions to reflect your style and your

team’s needs.

3. Value All Feedback Most of the activities are designed for the participants to provide feedback about the

experience. To help ensure a useful conversation, value all the feedback and thank

each person for his or her contribution (even if you don’t agree with the contribution).

4. Get Everyone’s Feedback Young people should themselves be encouraged to develop their capacity to give and receive feedback, to be mutually supportive. We believe that good feedback is always:

POSITIVE – highlights some good aspects CONSTRUCTIVE – makes suggestions for improvement HONEST – it has to be honest otherwise none of it can be trusted

One technique to help facilitate a good discussion is to toss a ball to someone in the

group and say: “If you’ve got the ball, share an idea and then throw the ball to

someone else. We’ll give our undivided attention to whoever has the ball.” This simple

technique works wonders for drawing out people who might otherwise remain silent. We

use a “koosh” ball for this process (a ball made from colourful elastic strings, usually

available at toy stores).

5. Keep it fresh

Change your energisers regularly and pick those appropriate for the event,

environment, atmosphere and learning you need. Use them for a specific purpose and

don’t forget to debrief, otherwise they can be perceived as just filling in time.

Participants are more likely to “want” to join in if they understand the purpose of the

activity.

The activities create a chance for you as the team leader to notice and reinforce positive learning behaviours. When cooperation is shown, when creativity is displayed or when personal frustrations are put aside, for example, you can show appreciation and thus raise awareness of these and other positive ways to be. As a team leader, these activities can help you to make a point that is clear and memorable and relevant to NCS and in particular for preparing young people for the successful delivery of their social action projects.

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This booklet is organised into 5 sections:

1. Getting to Know the Team

2. Energising the Team

3. Building Teamwork

4. Team Problem Solving

5. Mind Benders

Section 1: Getting to know the team

This set of icebreakers all focus on providing a range of activities that encourage

team members to connect to each other as individuals, to find out what they

have in common and to build positive friendships. Research into commonalities

has shown that young people are less likely to intimidate, bully or isolate others

who they feel they have something in common with. This process of getting to

know the team is not a one-off activity but a process that needs to be reinforced

at regular intervals. Names in particular are an important part of our identity and

giving young people the chance to give their perspective on their name allows

them the chance to clearly state how they want to be identified, which may be

different to the name on the list. Therefore, a number of activities are included

that reinforce this process of getting to know names of team members as well as

just getting to know each another as individuals.

Section 2: Energising the team

This set of icebreakers all focus on changing the energy in the room, adding

excitement and fun. These are activities that lift the mood as well as providing a

mini challenge. Where possible the activities encourage whole team

involvement, even though they may begin in pairs. These activities will help to

relieve boredom, lift spirits, increase morale, and re-energise the group.

There are also times when energy flags and you need something to provide a

brief break from an intensive focus. So, in this section are activities that can be

used to lift spirits and get through some of those “sleep cycles” we all go through.

Remember that energisers can be used to lower energy levels as well as raise it.

For example, a group may need to re-focus and reflect after a heated discussion,

so a well thought out energiser can enable this to happen quickly and enable

you to use the time you have more effectively.

Section 3: Team building

Successful NCS delivery relies on young people working together in teams. This set

of icebreakers actively encourages group members to gel as a team. The

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activities support you to get people into groups and connect them together so

that team members build their understanding of how effective teams operate.

Team building activities allow you to transform a group of loosely connected

young people into teams of people that are more likely to engage more

effectively with the learning you have planned for them, and ultimately more

likely to be able to plan and deliver successful social action projects. Here are a

series of activities that set the foundations of effective teamwork. From getting

into groups, setting the rules for how the team will work with each other, to

learning about each other as members of the same team, these activities will

give you fun and engaging ways to establish teamwork as a core component of

social mixing for the successful delivery of NCS.

Section 4: Team problem solving

This set of icebreakers provides team leaders with a set of easy team building

activities which can be practised in indoor and outdoor settings - team

challenges are exciting, often open ended tasks that require teamwork,

imagination and quick thinking to succeed. They are designed to be demanding

but at the same time fun and give young people the chance to enhance their

co-operation, creativity, risk taking, and thinking skills. The resulting skills

experienced in team challenges can be of real benefit in the everyday world of

work, home, and in schools/colleges. Most of the tasks are designed with

restrictions of time, or resources or outcomes; this adds to the sense of purpose

and encourages the team to stay focused and to utilise all the team’s skills and

talents. The challenges themselves create the context for the learning but it is the

reflection and debrief after the challenges that really pulls out the learning,

especially when focusing on team effectiveness. Teams are encouraged to solve

team problems and practise working together, building communication,

negotiation and problem solving skills which can be transferred to their social

action projects. These activities help team members learn to trust each other.

They provide opportunities for sharing insights, feelings and experience whilst at

the same time allowing the team the chance to develop common solutions.

These activities can also inject an element of competition, cooperation and fun,

as well as helping team members become more flexible, adaptable and

responsible; they soon realise that there is always more than one way to solve a

problem!

Section 5: Mind Benders

This is a small collection of problems to tax the mind. Use these to use up

unexpected bits of spare time; perhaps while waiting for others to arrive or when

you just need a short diversion. The activities in this section are very versatile and

can be used with individuals or bigger groups. These activities encourage

creative problem solving, logical thinking and perseverance. Don’t forget there

are lots more like this on the internet so your team can never be bored!

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Getting to know the team

1. Story of my name 2. Remember that name 3. I sit... 4. Commonalities 5. Find someone who 6. Name secrets 7. What’s in a name 8. I’m unique 9. Badge chat 10. 60 second life story! 11. What’s in my bag? 12. Speed dating 13. Values walk 14. Beach ball party 15. Two truths and a lie

Energising the team

16. Double, double this 17. One, two, three 18. Syncing together 19. Stop, go, jump and clap 20. Thumb up, finger out 21. Don’t copy me 22. Reach for the sky 23. Flat hand, pointy finger 24. Alive, alert, awake 25. Raising money 26. Swords and shields 27. Squirrels and trees 28. Shazzam 29. Fruit bowl 30. Have you ever... 31. Bob 32. Pass the waa 33. Love thy neighbour 34. Animal circles 35. Wink, blinks and belly laughs

Building teamwork

36. Jigsaw group sort 37. Dice throw rule

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38. Team shield 39. Top team rules 40. Recipe for success 41. Team crossword 42. Who is the team leader? 43. Group juggle 44. Pass the squeeze 45. Backseat driver 46. Trains 47. Team tattoo (back writing) 48. Balloon walk 49. Keep it up 50. Top secret

Team solving problems

51. Pass the can 52. Circle of hands 53. Jelly bean challenge 54. Crate challenge 55. Cocktail stick challenge! 56. NCS ethos (3d) challenge 57. Marshmallow madness 58. NCS pairs! 59. Pass the pasta 60. Two heads are better than one 61. Secret moves 62. Cross the line 63. Co- operative jigsaw 64. Team sentence 65. Group knot

Mindbenders

66. Matchsticks Puzzle 67. What am I? 68. What’s going on? 69. Diving in deep 70. Coin it in 71. Polka-dot shirt 72. Balance the books 73. Pink 74. Gravity and Balance 75. A Foxy problem

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Why use… …Getting To know The Team

Icebreakers

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you.” � A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

ü Create a positive group atmosphere.

ü Help people to relax and engage in

learning.

ü Break down social barriers.

ü Energise and motivate.

ü Help people to think outside the box.

ü Help people to get to know each

other.

ü Allay the stress responses triggered by

unfamiliar places, faces and situations.

ü They are fun!

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S t o r y o f m y n a m e

Why use it: • To introduce yourself to others

• To get to know other’s names

• To build social skills

• To establish identity and individuality

• To share any cultural significance of names

Resources needed: Flipchart paper

Time: 15 minutes

What to do:

Work as a whole team. The idea is to learn more about other members of the team by listening to the story of their name.

It is helpful for the facilitator to model what to do by going first.

Invite each team member to share something about their name and write their name up on the flipchart.

• Who chose it, why?

• Whether they like it or not

• Any nicknames they have

• If they have another name, what would they choose?

Each person should end with:

‘I’d like you to call me…..’

Make it different:

Ask participants to mingle together, perhaps moving to some music. After a few seconds ask the participants to stop, turn to someone nearby and introduce themselves and say something about their name. Introduce yourself by commenting on your name. “My first name is xxx. It’s short for yyy. My Dad chose it because it was his favourite name. I think it means zzz. I do/don’t really like it much. I’d like you to call me XXX” Repeat this three or four times, with different people in the team.

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Connect to NCS:

• Names are a very important part of our identity. • When we use names correctly we show we care about people.

Using the wrong name, mispronouncing it or dismissing it, can be hurtful to people and stop them from connecting to us.

• Building good social skills are important for being successful in the workplace and in all your relationships.

• Easier to persuade, negotiate and communicate with people when we use their names. Remember that for your social action project.

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R e m e m b e r t h a t n a m e !

Why use it: This is a great activity for memorising a number of names.

Resources needed:

None

Time:

10-15 minutes, depending on group size.

What to do:

1. The group stands in a circle. One person begins by thinking of a

describing word that begins with the same letter as their name (an alliteration) e.g. Sunny Sophie. They also think of an action that goes with that name.

2. One person starts by giving their alliterated name and action. Everybody copies. The next person in the circle repeats the name and action and then adds his/her own. Everybody copies.

3. This continues round the circle until the last person, who has to name all the people and do all the actions.

4. Invite other people to name everybody!

Make it different:

If short of time, don’t ask everyone to copy the names and actions.

Connect to NCS:

This activity works with a number of memory processes. We remember actions we complete ourselves; we remember the rhythm created by the alliteration; we remember the place the person was in the circle and who did what. Because we combine all these things we are more likely to remember more of the names. In particular, putting actions to learning commits it to ‘muscle memory’.


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I s i t …

Why use it: • This is a fast-moving name-learning game that energises

as well as reinforces the names in the group.

• By concentrating you will learn more and more names as the game goes on.

Resources needed:

None

Time:

5-10 minutes (can be as short or as long as you want.)

What to do:

1. Chairs are arranged in a circle with one more chair than there

are players.

2. First go round and ask participants to say their name.

3. The activity begins with the two people on either side of the empty chair racing to sit in it. To avoid accidents they should tap the empty seat first to show who is the winner. The one who wins says, “I sit...”

4. The person next to the winner moves back next to them saying,

“On the grass…”

5. Finally the person next to the person who has just moved next to the winner, moves back next to the second person saying, “With my friend XX.” They add the name of a person anywhere in the circle.

6. The person named moves into the empty chair – which starts the game all over again with a new race to move and say “I sit.”

Make it different:

• You can vary the sentence stems as appropriate

e.g “I did NCS, in Bedford, with my friend...”.

Connect to NCS:

• By concentrating, you learn more and more names as the game

goes on. • During NCS you will be working with a diverse range of people, in

fact a cross-section of society. • Being able to connect with people from a range of backgrounds

and experiences will build your social skills which is essential for success in the workplace and in your life generally.

• Each person needs to focus to help the game run smoothly.


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C o m m o n a l i t i e s

Why use it: • This activity is one which encourages participants to look

for things they have in common with each other.

• To build strong team bonds and reduce any feelings of not belonging.

• It can also be used for small groups of even numbers.

Resources needed:

None

Time:

10 minutes

What to do:

1. Ask participants to raise their hand and find someone in the

group to give a ‘high five’ to. They should now be in pairs.

2. Pairs introduce themselves and look for three things they have in common. These could be unusual events, activities or life experiences, as well as the more obvious such as ‘we are both wearing trainers!’ Encourage participants to dig deep: For example, if they both like reading, what sort of books do they like? Have they read the same book? Did they both enjoy it?

3. You could take feedback at this point from each pair: they feed

back the one most unusual thing they have in common.

4. Two pairs now join up and introduce themselves and this time look for another three things all four of them have in common. Again you may want to take some feedback.

5. Groups of four can join another group of four, and again this new group of eight looks for three things they have in common.

6. You could continue until all groups become one group, or you may choose to stop at the best point for you.

Make it different:

Once participants have got the hang of it, ask them in pairs, to find three things in common about their NCS experience to date.


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Connect to NCS:

• We know from research that once we feel we know people a bit

better, or feel that we have things in common, we are more likely to treat them well, not to bully or intimidate them.

• To engage effectively with learning, the emotional centres of our brain need to be settled and not feel threatened. Our brain is naturally wary of strangers, and this activity helps to allay our fears.

• At some level we all have a lot in common. It is easier to deal with our differences if we feel we have things in common.

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F i n d s o m e o n e w h o …

Why use it: • This is ideal for participants to develop the confidence to

speak to each other and to find out more.

• It can also be used as a starter or review activity.

Resources needed:

Pre-prepared sheets and writing materials. Background music is helpful.

Time:

5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Explain the activity and purpose to the participants. 2. Issue the sheets and writing materials. A sample sheet has

been included, but you may want to create your own with your own statements.

3. The participants mingle around, trying to collect as many

different names as possible. Playing some music whilst people are mingling helps to build a relaxed atmosphere.

4. Either set a time limit or stop when most people have

collected all their names. You might have a bell to ring or other signal to stop the activity.

5. You can now lead a discussion on what people have found

out about each other.

Make it different:

• Replace the writing with pictures of things they have to ask others about.

• Tailor the sheet to reflect particular phases/experiences of the NCS programme.

Connect to NCS:

• Striking up conversations with new or unfamiliar people is something that will be particularly useful when they are planning and delivering their social action project.

• Using safe “chit chat” is one way to start a conversation with someone and then it gets easier to engage in more in depth conversation.

• Being able to connect with new and unfamiliar people is an important social skill that will be invaluable in both the workplace and in life in general. It will help you to feel more confident about yourself.


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Find someone who …

Has a birthday in the same month as you.

Likes the same singer/band/music as you.

Can tell you what made them come on the NCS programme.

Can tell you about a time when they helped someone.

Can tell you what makes a good friend.

Can tell you what sort of job they want to be doing when they leave school/college or university.

Can give you the question for which the answer is:

red

Can tell you what they could eat right now.

Can tell you about the hardest thing they have ever had to do.

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N a m e s e c r e t s

Why use it:

• To reinforce the individual identities of each team

member. • Help the team to get to know each other.

Resources needed:

Flipchart paper

Time:

5-15 minutes depending on group size

What to do:

Invite each person to come up and write their first name on the flip chart. For each letter of their name, invite them to tell the others something about themselves.

For example, Manjit M= Many brothers and sisters, in fact five in total. A= Art was my favourite subject at school. N= Nightmare on Elm street was a film that really scared me. J= Jewellery is something I always wear. I= India is the country I was born in. T= Teaching was my first full-time job. Note: It may be useful to give people a bit of thinking time to plan their responses. Encourage people to be as honest as possible.

Make it different:

• Once relationships are a bit more established, groups can come

up with a version for each person in their group. • It is really important to emphasise the need to be positive about

each other.

Connect to NCS:

• Names are very important to us. • Each of us is unique. • Getting to know each other is important for building positive

learning relationships.


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W h a t ’ s i n a n a m e ?

Why use it: To introduce the group and to learn a little bit more about

each other.

Resources needed:

Background music.

Time:

10 minutes

What to do:

1. Ask participants to mingle together, perhaps moving to some

music. After a few seconds ask the participants to stop, turn to someone nearby and introduce themselves and say something about their name. Introduce yourself by commenting on your name. “My first name is xxx. It’s short for yyy. My Dad chose it because it was his favourite name. I think it means zzz. I do/don’t really like it much.”

2. After about one minute, ask participants to move on, then after a few seconds, stop again and ask them to introduce themselves to someone different and talk about their name. Repeat this three or four times.

3. The next time the group is stopped, ask participants to just say their name to someone nearby. The pair is asked to exchange names and then talk about any interest or hobby that they have.

4. Ask the participants to move on once more, and this time, when they are asked to stop, they introduce themselves and talk about their hopes and fears for the NCS programme.

Make it different:

As you build up the rounds you could direct the participants to introduce themselves and give a fact about themselves based on the following stems... • Something I love • Something I dislike • My favourite book/meal/film • My favourite type of music/band/solo artist • A place I would like to visit • A place I loved visiting


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Connect to NCS:

• Acknowledge that some people might have found that activity

quite daunting/difficult/embarrassing because it can be hard when we are in the position of talking to people we don’t know.

• When new people have to work together they need to find out a little bit more about each other to help ‘break the ice’.

• Meeting new people and integrating with them can be stressful for some and participants might already have experience ‘working out of their comfort zone’.

• Co-operation is needed to achieve success. • Being able to connect to new and unfamiliar people is an

important social skill that will be invaluable in both the workplace and in life in general. It will help you to feel more confident about yourself.

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I ’ m u n i q u e !

Why use it: This is good for finding out things about each other that you might not have known before, and for finding things participants have in common

Resources needed:

None

Time:

10-15 minutes

What to do:

1. Ideally, sit in a circle.

2. Ask the participants to think about themselves and to think of

something that they believe is not shared by anyone else in the group - something that makes them unique. Obviously not their name but it might be a place they have been to, a talent they have or an experience they have had.

3. When they have had time to think, go around the circle and take it in turns to speak. When each person has spoken, the team leader should ask, “Is this true for anyone else?”

4. If anyone in the group does share what has been said, the original person can put forward another idea.

Make it different:

• Do this in small groups instead. • Develop the activity into a piece of artwork.

Connect to NCS:

• We have more things in common than we might think! • Knowing things about people helps you to respect them as

individuals. • Respecting other people’s interests; experiences; talents and

abilities means that we are more likely to work more effectively together as a team.


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B a d g e c h a t !

Why use it: This is a ‘getting to know you’ activity and the badge acts

as a support for opening conversation with unfamiliar people.

Resources needed:

Blank badges/large plain stickers – 1 per participant, lots of felt tips.

Time:

5 minutes

What to do:

1. As the participants enter, give out instructions for the activity

or have them written up on a flip chart.

2. Make yourself a badge, include your first name and two-three symbols/images that represent something about you.

3. Invite participants to mingle in the room and have at least three or four different conversations with people, introducing themselves and talking about the symbols on their badge.

Make it different:

• Instead of randomly mingling, get participants to move

around the room looking at posters or displays. • When the music stops, they stop and introduce themselves to

a person close by, using their badge to explain their symbols.

Connect to NCS:

• Getting to know people’s names and a bit about them helps

to build rapport and confidence for subsequent learning to take place.

• It is important to invest this time before embarking on any learning if you want everyone to feel comfortable enough to take part.


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6 0 s e c o n d l i f e s t o r y !

Why use it: • To get to know each other a bit better.

• To build trust and empathy.

• Use this once the team know each other a little. Be mindful that it can lead to emotional reactions and that you will need to help participants manage their feelings.

Resources needed:

None or 60 second timer, if you have one.

Time:

10-15 minutes

What to do:

1. Explain the activity saying that each person will have only one

minute to tell their life story to the other. They need to think of about five main points e.g. where and when they were born; their family; where they go to/went to school; key moments in their life such as accidents; illnesses; jobs; holidays etc. Explain that they only have to reveal as much or as little as they wish.

2. Give a few minutes for each person to think about and plan what they are going to say.

3. In the pairs, decide who will speak first. If you are using a timer,

give a signal for the start. Only one person speaks at a time – the other person must show good listening skills.

4. Repeat the process so that the other person can speak. 5. Now ask the pairs to quickly review what was said. 6. Change pairs and repeat as time allows.

Please Note: This activity with some groups, can lead to intense and moving sharing of stories which some participants can get a bit tearful about. Feeling the emotion is part of building empathy and understanding so don’t be afraid of it. However, you will want to follow this activity with something a bit more light hearted and energising. In most cases, upbeat music, humour and an energiser will work wonders.


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Make it different: • After a few rounds you could return to the original pairs and ask people to introduce each other around the circle.

• This can be done as a whole team, circle activity if you feel the team is established enough to deal with this.

• Do this repeatedly over a few sessions until everyone has spoken to everybody else.

• This activity can be delivered in an active way and allow the pairs to go for a short walk while they are talking. Allow one minute for the outward journey and one minute for the return. Explore through discussion: Was it easy or difficult to limit yourself to one minute or did you find yourself struggling for things to say?

Connect to NCS:

• It is interesting to note how much we choose to reveal of

ourselves and how this depends on how comfortable we feel within the group.

• Acknowledge the level of trust, bonding and team effectiveness it takes for some people to reveal quite difficult/challenging/emotional aspects of their lives.

• People lead such different lives and it is easy to make misleading assumptions and judgments without knowing the full story.

• Do the participants notice an easing of anxiety, the more they repeat their story?

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W h a t ’ s i n m y b a g ?

Why use it: This is a great activity for breaking the ice by giving people

something to talk about that is personal to them.

Resources needed:

None to prepare.

Time:

5-10 minutes depending on group size

What to do:

1. Participants work in a small group of 3 or 4. 2. Each person takes it in turn to find between 3-5 things in their

bag, pockets, or even on their person that they are going to tell the story of.

3. Encourage participants to explore what the object reveals

about them and what it may mean to them. Begin, by introducing your name.

e.g. My name is Manjit and the 3 objects I would like to show you are my watch, this ring and this train ticket. Let’s start with the train ticket; it is an old one I used last week when I travelled to……

Make it different:

Ask participants to offer one object that says something about them to the “Team Objects” box. The box then contains one thing from each team member. You could then ask participants to have lucky dip and pick out an object and say who the object belongs to and why / what it means to them.

Connect to NCS:

• Giving people a prop to start talking through means that they

are more likely to find it easier to break the ice with unfamiliar people.

• Every object tells a story. • This activity allows you to reveal as much or as little as you want. • Their NCS team is made up of unique individuals who will and

can contribute something different. It is up to the team to make sure they use the skills and talents of all the team members in order to deliver the best social action project that they can.


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S p e e d d a t i n g !

Why use it: This activity gives participants a chance to meet a number

of people and find out a bit more about them.

Resources needed:

Chairs and lots of space.

Time:

10-20 minutes

What to do:

1. Arrange an equal number of chairs in two parallel rows, facing

each other. Make sure you leave enough leg space. 2. Invite participants to introduce themselves to their face partner

(the person in front of them). In each round they introduce themselves and respond to the statement made by the team leader.

3. After a minute of chat, each person moves one chair to their right. This means that they have a new face partner with each round.

4. Play as many rounds as you have time for. Always end on a positive statement. Some statements to begin with: (or add your own). • My favourite television programme is… • My favourite type of music is… • If I could travel anywhere new I would go to… • The thing that makes me the happiest is… • The most important thing in my life is… • For a hobby, I… • I like or hate technology because… • Something I have found really challenging is…. • My favourite food is... • Something that makes me angry is…. • If I could do anything I wanted, I would… • If I could change one thing about the world it would be… • A person I really admire is… • My best piece of advice about making friends is… • In ten years I will be… • If I were a millionaire I would… • My favourite film is… • My favourite place is… • Something that really inspires me is… • A time I felt a really successful was….


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Make it different:

• Signal the end of each round with a bell or some other sound. • Use two circles of people instead of chairs. You have an inner

circle and an outer circle. Participants still face each other. Move one or other of the circles, so that people have different partners with each round.

Connect to NCS:

• Getting to know people helps us to relax and be in a better state

for the learning to come. • The more we find we have in common with people the more

likely we are to treat them well. • Use what inspires you, angers you, moves you to help you think

about what your social action project might be about. Use your skills and talents to help you make the most of your ideas.

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V a l u e s w a l k

Why use it: • This activity is a ‘finding out more’ activity that is best

done once the groups already know each other.

• It builds on their prior knowledge of one another.

Resources needed:

None

Time:

10-15 minutes

What to do:

1. Play some energising music and encourage participants to

move around until the music stops. 2. When the music stops, the groups should form trios. 3. Ask each trio to find a spot where they can talk together.

Give them a focus for their discussion. 4. When the music starts again the trio disband and continue

moving to the music until it stops again, when they form a new trio and get a new focus for discussion.

5. Play as many rounds as you have time for. Here are some starting points: • Talk about the most important thing you learned from NCS. • What are the easiest and hardest emotions for you to express

and why? • What is something that few people know about you? • What do you value in a friend? • If you could change one thing about the community you live

in, what would it be? • What do you want to be doing in five years’ time? • What is one goal you have for next year? • What is a motto you try to live by? • What is the greatest challenge you are facing? • What do you like most about yourself? • What do you value in a loving relationship? • What do you value most in life? • What is an important belief you hold?

Make it different:

You may choose to create a trio and let that trio discuss all the topics, introduced one at a time. This will help to build a sense of trust, thus allowing deeper discussion.


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Connect to NCS:

• We all have beliefs and values that are very important to us.

If we live in line with our beliefs and values we are more likely to achieve happiness. When our beliefs and values clash with how we behave, we are less happy.

• Knowing other people’s beliefs and values may help us build stronger and more effective team working relationships with them.

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B e a c h b a l l p a r t y

Why use it: • This is another way of getting the conversations going to

find out a bit more about each other.

• You use the beach ball to choose the focus of the conversation.

Resources needed:

Pre-prepared beach ball/s

Time:

5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Get a large inflatable beach ball and use a permanent fine

or medium-point marker to write all of the following questions on it. This will take quite some time, but you can do it some night in front of the television. The resulting tool is an ‘icebreaker ball’ that you can use for years to come.

2. You can use it in a large group and throw it around. The

person who catches it has to answer the question touching their left thumb. They then say their name, answer the question and throw it to someone else.

The following questions are simply suggestions. You can add more serious or in-depth questions, depending upon the level of icebreaker you want this to be: • What is the first thing you do when you get out of bed? • What is your favourite film quote? • Approximately how many jokes do you know by heart? Tell us

your favourite. • If you were to treat yourself, what would you treat yourself to? • If your life was being turned into a feature length movie, who

would play you? And why? • If you were invisible where would you go? • What’s your favourite biscuit? • What one object in your home are you most embarrassed

about owning? • What is your greatest addiction? • What song holds a strong memory for you? • Approximately, how many books have you read in the past

year (excluding school books)? • Fill in the blank: When I dance, I look like ___________. • What is the longest word you can think of? • What is the worst occupation in the world? • What two television channels do you watch most frequently? • What is your greatest phobia/fear? • Which celebrity irritates you the most?


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• What is the nicest thing you can say to somebody? • What is your lifelong dream? • How many minutes does it take you to get ready in the

morning? • What hobby have you always wanted to do? • If you were any animal, what would you be? • What event or technological breakthrough do you think will

revolutionise the future? • What do you need more of right now? • What is the most beautiful word you can think of? • What drink do you really dislike? • What three adjectives best describe you? • What is your nickname (past or present)? • What are you most proud of? • What age were you when you had your most embarrassing

hairstyle? And what was it?

Make it different:

Use a balloon but be prepared with a few spares as they are liable to burst. Get the team to come up with the statements. Remind them that it is not about embarrassing anyone, so statements need to be safe for everyone. Small groups can create their own statement balloon and then the whole team plays with the balloons in turn.

Connect to NCS:

• We continue to get to know each other slowly. • Remembering the small details about each other shows that we

care and this helps us build more effective working relationships built on trust and care.

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T w o t r u t h s a n d a l i e

Why use it: A bit of fun and laughter and at the same time participants

get to know a bit more about each other.

Resources needed:

None

Time:

5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Ask everyone to think of two things about themselves that are

true and one which is not.

2. In small groups, ask people to reveal the two truths and a lie and then the rest of the group tries to decide which is which! Obviously no one will know if all three are lies! But it allows members of the group to share things about themselves in a safe, fun way.

Make it different:

• Use a ‘spin the bottle’, or some other mechanism for choosing

who will go next. Whoever’s turn it is has to give a fact about themselves, which could be the truth or a lie.

• The others have to guess which it is.

Connect to NCS:

• The more we get to know people and feel comfortable with

them, the more likely we are to actively engage in the learning that follows.

• This is because a part of our brain, our amygdala is always alert

to strangers; once a person is no longer a stranger our amygdale relaxes and allows us to re-focus on what else is going on.

• Building relationships is something we can all get better at and it is an important part of our work and social lives.


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Why use… …Energising The Team

Icebreakers

‘One of the single most powerful aspects of play is its ability to unite the developing areas of the brain. It helps orchestrate the intricate tuning of emotions, social skills, cognition and

motor development.’ Eric Jensen

ü To manage the energy of the

group; to raise it and lower it!

ü To prevent boredom from setting

in.

ü To break down barriers.

ü To build positive mood states.

ü They are fun.

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D o u b l e , d o u b l e t h i s

Why use it:

• This is a quick energiser that combines movement and

words to create a sequence that can be done in pairs and small groups, or as a larger group.

• Useful for re-focusing attention and reviving flagging energy.

Resources needed: None

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

Demonstrate the action and words with a partner. In a pair, the participants face each other. They use their hands to tap the hands of their partner using the actions suggested in italics. At the same time, they say the rhyme in bold out loud. Double (closed fist), double (closed fist) this (palms of hands); Double (closed fist), double (closed fist), that (backs of hands); Double (closed fist), this (palms of hands); Double (closed fist), that (backs of hands);

Double (closed fist), double (closed fist), this (palms of hands) and that (backs of hands).

Having mastered this in pairs, the participants get into small groups or a large whole team and stand in a circle. They repeat the rhyme and actions with the two people on either side of them. Good to end with the whole team working together.

Make it different:

Invite participants to “teach” a clapping game they know from their childhood to the rest of the team.

Connect to NCS:

• You can create many different patterns of your own, combining

actions and words. • Whilst engaged in activities like this, it is easy to temporarily forget

about things that might be worrying or distracting you. • Consider what was needed for the team to work effectively;

repeating (practising) helped them get better at this. All skills built during NCS will need practice to gain mastery of them.

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O n e , t w o , t h r e e

Why use it:

• This is a quick activity which is good for getting back

concentration, especially after a break. • It also generates a lot of laughter realising how difficult it

can be to count to three!


Time: 5 minutes

What to do:

1. Get into a pair and stand opposite each other. 2. Count to three with each person saying one word each. i.e. Person A says “One”; Person B says “Two”; Person A says “Three”; Person B says “One” and so on. 3. Practice this for a moment. 4. Now replace saying ‘one’ with a clap. Practice this for a moment. 5. Now replace saying ‘two’ with a click of the fingers, and practice. 6. Finally, replace saying ‘three’ with a stamp. Have fun!

Make it different:

• Change the sounds and/or actions.

Connect to NCS:

• Explore: How difficult was it to concentrate? What strategies did

the participants use? • Some people find three sounds/actions easier than just one or

two. • Getting into a rhythm also helps some people. • Make the point that participants can take responsibility for

managing their own/the team’s energy levels by using energisers when they feel their focus drifting.

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S y n c i n g t o g e t h e r

Why use it:

This is a paired activity that invites participants to connect together and work as a team without communicating verbally.


Time: 5 minutes

What to do:

1. Participants working in pairs, stand facing each other. One

person is nominated as the leader and the other the follower. They raise their palms out in front of them, very close but not touching.

2. The leader is able to move his/her hands separately or

together, as they want. The follower has to follow the hand movements, with their hands, trying to keep up with the leader, keeping their palms close but not touching.

3. Swap roles so everyone can have a go at being both the

leader and the follower.

Make it different:

• Add some music, (slow at first) and ask the leader to move to

the music. Change the music and add something with a bit of tempo… watch the leadership dance!

Connect to NCS:

• The human brain is designed to be social and to connect to

other people. We have special brain cells, called mirror neurons that copy and imitate. This means that we tend to start acting a bit like the people around us and we definitely pick up on their moods.

• This is why role models are so important. • As leaders and team members we should try to stay positive

so that our emotions are worth catching by others. • We are all leaders in lots of different ways (as a parent, as a

friend, as a work colleague etc.) and as a leader how you act makes a big difference to the people around you. Make sure you are worth following.

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S t o p , G o , J u m p , C l a p

Why use it:

This is a quick brain break that can be quite active and gets the brain and body woken up properly.

Resources needed: Plenty of space

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. On the signal ‘go’ the participants move around the space: then

on the signal ‘stop’, they stop still. 2. You might say, – ‘that was far too easy…. now can you do the

opposite to what I say?’ Now when you say ‘go’ the participants stop, and when you say ‘stop’ they walk around. Try this a few times.

3. Now introduce two new instructions. When you say ‘jump’ they

clap their hands once, and when you say ‘clap’ they jump once in the air.

4. Now shout out a series of instructions in which the participants do

the opposite (or try to!)

Make it different:

• Introduce more instructions such as forwards; backwards;

reach for the skies; touch the floor; hop; crawl, etc.

Connect to NCS:

• How does it feel to do the opposite of what you usually do? It

often feels strange and uncomfortable at times. Often you make lots of mistakes. Changing habits is a bit like that. It takes concentrated effort and perseverance to make a change.

• Ask: How did you improve your concentration? Did you watch other people or just focus on yourself? Finding out what works for you is important and it may not be the same for each person.

• NCS may give you an insight to a new, improved you but that might not always feel easy or comfortable.

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T h u m b u p , F i n g e r o u t !

Why use it:

This is a quick energiser that can be done sitting down so doesn’t need lots of space.


Time: 5 minutes

What to do:

1. Ask the participants to hold both hands in front of them in fists. 2. Then with one hand, raise the thumb and with the other extend the little finger out to the side. 3. Now swap over – so the hand that had the thumbs up puts that back down and extends the little finger and vice versa.

Make it different:

• No real variations on this one but you could try doing it to a

rhythm.

Connect to NCS:

• It might be easier if you don’t look at your hands – consider

why this might be so?

• Like most things, practice makes perfect. It takes the human brain a number of times of having a go before it can perfect an action?

• Sometimes people give up too soon. Give your brain a

chance to learn a new action.

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D o n ’ t c o p y m e !

Why use it:

This is a ‘Follow my leader’ game with a twist. This will raise the energy levels and focus the attention. This brain energiser combines some cross-lateral movements with some physically stimulating actions.


Time: 2-3 minutes

What to do:

The team leader completes a series of actions; the participants have to copy what the team leader did last, so they are always one step behind: • The team leader starts patting head: participants do nothing. • The team leader starts clicking fingers: participants start patting their head. • The team leader starts rolling hands around one another: participants start clicking fingers. • The team leader touches left elbow to right knee, then vice versa: participants roll their hands around each other. • The team leader starts clapping: participants do elbow to knees alternatively. • Team leader bows: participants start clapping!

Make it different:

• You can change the actions to suit yourself. You may want

to get the audience to do the opposite of what you do e.g. I sit, you stand. I move forward, you move backwards.

• Get some other people to lead; everyone deserves a clap!

Connect to NCS:

• As leaders they need to be one step ahead and thinking

what will happen next! • As NCS graduates they will be followed by many other

NCS participants; consider what sort of legacy they will leave through their social action projects.

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R e a c h f o r t h e s k y

Why use it:

• This is another ‘Follow the leader’ type energiser that

allows participants to stretch and move to get a bit more oxygen to the brain, thus livening them up a bit.

• Making some noise helps to relieve some tension too.


Time: 3-5 minutes

What to do:

1. The team leader says and completes an action, which the

participants copy: “The sky is full of stars, so reach out to grab one in both hands”. Raise both arms towards the sky. Shout “AAAAAAAGH.” (gently) “There’s a lovely flower growing by your feet; pick it up”. Bend down to pick something off the floor. Shout “OOOOOHHH.” 2. Repeat a couple of times. Now ask participants to always do the

opposite to what the team leader is doing. 3. Add two new actions: Point to yourself with both arms, shout “ME.” Point to the audience with both arms, shout “YOU.” 3. Create a sequence using all four actions. Participants always

have to do the opposite of the pair. Eg. When team leader reaches up and shouts “aaagh”, participants bend down and shout “ooooohh”. When team leader, points to themselves and shouts “Me”, participants point to others and shout “You”

Make it different:

• You could add other pairs of actions to this. Remember to

use a combination of action and sound!

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Connect to NCS:

• Encourage participants to let go and shout out loud.

Releasing any pent-up sound can be useful for breaking the ice, giving confidence and lifting mood.

• Like most things, practice makes perfect. It takes the human

brain a number of times of having a go before it can perfect an action.

• Sometimes people give up too soon. Give your brain a

chance to learn a new action.

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F l a t h a n d , P o i n t y f i n g e r

Why use it:

This is a quick brain energiser that helps to re-focus attention and get a group working together. This activity starts as a paired activity but ends with the whole team working together.


Time: 2-3 minutes

What to do:

1. Begin in pairs with each person facing their partner. Each person

raises their right hand and points a finger. 2. The open left palm is held upwards. The pointed finger is held

above the open palm of the other person without touching it. 3. When the team leader shouts “Go”, the object of the exercise is

to grab the pointed finger of your partner, whilst at the same time avoiding your own pointed finger being grabbed by them.

Make it different:

• When this has been mastered in pairs, move into a group of

four; eventually build up to the whole team. • With the whole team, the group is in a circle and each person

plays with the people on either side of them.

Connect to NCS:

• Ask whether participants were able to think of anything else

whilst they were doing this activity. • Sometimes we need something to clear our heads, before

we can concentrate on what we want to do. • This is a useful Brain Break that re-focuses attention and

helps us move from one activity to another. • There will be times during the planning and delivery of their

social action projects when they might just need to take a break, do something completely unrelated and then come back to the task in hand a bit more refreshed.

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A l i v e , a l e r t , a w a k e

Why use it:

This encourages some physical activity combining movement, language and memory.


Time: 5 minutes

What to do:

1. Everyone stands in a circle. One person demonstrates the song

and the actions. 2. How to play: Say the words whilst completing the actions: “Alive” = both hands on head; “Alert” = hands on both shoulders; “Awake” = arms crossing chest; “Enthusiastic” = tap legs, clap hands and click fingers, breaking the word into three parts (Enthusi-as-tic) 3. Song: Alive, alert, awake, Enthusiastic, Repeat: Alive, alert, awake, Awake, alert, alive, Alive, alert, awake, Enthusiastic. 4. The game ends when the time is up.

Make it different:

• Change some of the actions or the order…. enough to

make your brain hurt.

Connect to NCS:

• Combining positive language and actions is a good way to energise mind and body.

• This is an energiser made up by a young person. Can participants come up with new ones of their own?

• Using positive language, helps us to feel a bit better and have a bit more energy.

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R a i s i n g M o n e y

Why use it:

This is bit of a challenge providing a fun and energising few minutes. Use this when teams are thinking about budgets and raising funds.


Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Create a key: 100s will be represented by a stamp of the foot. 10s will be represented by a clap. Units (numbers 1-9) by the corresponding number of clicks of fingers. 2. Practice this key with simple numbers like 300; 20; 6 etc. Now for the challenge: shout out a number and the audience has to use the key to create the right pattern of movements. e.g. 325 = 3 stamps of foot, 2 claps and 5 clicks of fingers. 3. Play as many rounds as you have time for.

Make it different:

• Get the participants to contribute numbers. • Add another action for the 1000s column. Make the

numbers more challenging.

Connect to NCS:

• Consider your goal for fundraising; what efforts will it take to

get there? • Consider what difference your money will actually make?

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Energising the team

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S w o r d s & S h i e l d s

Why use it:

• This is a run-around energiser guaranteed to get more

oxygen flow to the brain.

• Again, like the ‘Squirrels & trees’ activity, this is one for getting the energy levels back up.

Resources needed: Plenty of space.

Time: 5 minutes

What to do:

1. Ask each participant to point their right hand, making their very

own sword. 2. They put the back of their left hand on the small of their own

back; this is their shield. 3. The object of the game is to defend yourself, whilst at the same

time to gently tap the shields belonging to the rest of the group. Once your shield has been tapped you are out.

Make it different:

• Instead of using swords and shields you may prefer pen and

paper; the object being to mark the paper/card of the other people.

Connect to NCS:

• You could ask participants to rate their energy level before

and after to see if this sort of activity helps to raise it.

• Ask participants to consider what strategies they use to keep themselves going when they are feeling tired or just losing motivation. Make the point that physical activity and “having fun” are good ways of keeping your energy and motivation going. They will need some of this during their social action planning and delivery.

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S q u i r r e l s & t r e e s

Why use it:

• This is a run-around energiser guaranteed to get more

oxygen flow to the brain. • Again, like the ‘Swords and Shields’ activity, this is one for

getting the energy levels back up.


Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Divide the team into threes. Hopefully there will be one or two

extra people who are not in a threesome. These will be extra squirrels. If you have an exact number of trios, then nominate one trio to be some squirrels.

2. For the rest of the group, in each trio there are two trees and one

squirrel. Two participants stand in front of each other, with arms outstretched, holding hands. In between their arms stands the third person, the squirrel.

3. As you know with squirrels, they are constantly running around

looking for nuts. In this game, only one squirrel can sit in each tree.

4. When the leader (or you could ask a treeless squirrel to do this)

shouts, “NUTS,” the squirrels leave their trees and go hunting, moving around the room. When the team leader shouts “SQUIRRELS IN TREES,” squirrels have to find a new tree to sit in. Trees raise their arms and release their squirrels. Remember there are extra squirrels, who also needs trees!

5. Play a few rounds, and then swap a few squirrels with trees to

give others a go.

Make it different:

A couple of teams can get together and make this a bigger group activity.

• It is important for our learning for us to be energised. More

Energising the team

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Connect to NCS: oxygen to our brains makes us more alert.

• Like the squirrels, they will need to go out and find the right resources for their social action projects!

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S h a z z a m

Why use it:

• It’s a fun activity that helps to build co-operation. • This exercise needs strategy and negotiation.

Resources needed: Plenty of space. Works well outdoors.

Time: 5-15 minutes plus.

What to do:

1. Explain the rules and aim of the game. Organise the group into

two even teams who stand in two lines facing each other. 2. The game is like scissors, paper, stone but played by a whole

group. In this game you can choose either: • Wizards – who step forward, pull out an imaginary wand and say “Shazzam!” • Giants – who stamp their feet and say “Fee, fi, foe, fum!” • Or Goblins – who crouch down on the ground, put a finger up above each ear and squeak “Needle, needle, needle!” 3. Explain that for each round each team must secretly confer and

decide whether they are all going to be Giants, Wizards or Goblins.

4. When they are ready the two teams face each other; take three

steps towards each other saying “One, two, three!”; cast the magic spell of “Kapish, kapoo, kapish, kapoo” (this is done by putting one fist on top of the other for ‘kapish’ and pointing with one hand for the ‘kapoo’), and then do the action and sound they have chosen.

If you don’t cast the spell properly, it won’t work! 5. Now…… Giants beat Goblins; Goblins beat Wizards and Wizards beat Giants. So, there will be a winning team or it might be a draw! You might play best of three or five.

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Make it different:

• Make up your own characters, sounds and actions. • Play ‘Clash of the super heroes’ by pitting Spiderman against

Superman and Wonder-Woman! • Different NCS teams can battle it out!

Connect to NCS:

• Effective teamwork is the key to success here.

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F r u i t B o w l

Why use it:

It is active and fun. This is a fun activity for mixing up the group and encouraging concentration and teamwork.

Resources needed: Chair and lots of space.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Arrange the chairs so that everybody is sitting in a circle. 2. The team leader removes their chair and stands in the middle.

They then name all the participants either apple, pear or banana.

3. Now the team leader calls out either apple, pear or banana and

everyone who is that fruit has to stand up and change places. Meanwhile the team leader tries to get a seat too!

4. Whoever is left in the centre calls out the name of another fruit,

or two fruit names. If they want everyone to move they then call out “fruit bowl”!

Make it different:

• Change the fruit names for something more exotic!

• Change the fruit into words associated with the topic of the

session or NCS programme eg. NCS ethos words (social mixing/teamwork, social action, challenge, inspiration, increased independence, reflection). If you want everyone to move shout NCS!

Connect to NCS:

• Encourage co-operative behaviour and use problems that

occur to discuss good teamwork and consideration for others.

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H a v e y o u e v e r …

Why use it:

This fast-moving game gets people thinking about what they have in common with others.

Resources needed: Chairs in a circle.

Time: 10 minutes

What to do:

1. Arrange the chairs in a circle.

2. The team leader calls out a ‘Have you ever?’ statement and

those it applies to stand up, cross the circle and find a new chair.

3. The leader then calls out a new ‘Have you ever?’

4. The leader asks the participants to notice who else is moving

chairs. 5. Change the leader to be one of the participants.

Make it different:

• Make it more competitive by removing one of the chairs. The

team leader stands in the middle (they aim to get a seat when they have called out), leaving a new person standing in the middle.

Connect to NCS:

• We often have more in common with other people than we

think. We can find out interesting and new things about others through this simple game.

• Tailor the ‘Have you ever?’ to NCS e.g. Have you ever

volunteered? Have you ever helped to fundraise?

• Encourage participants to reflect on new things they have tried out through their NCS experience.

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B o b !

Why use it:

Use when you need to get some physical activity into the learning to focus attention and energise. This activity helps the team synergise together.

Resources needed: Plenty of space.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

The aim of the game is to get everyone bobbed (crouched) down. Participants anticipate when they can take their turn to bob down, without overlapping with another person. 1. Stand or sit in a circle. (Between ten-fifteen is about the right

number of people). 2. Only one person can bob down at once. If more than one

person bobs down then everyone has to stand up and start again.

3. The first person to bob down says “One”, the second says “Two”,

the third says “Three” and so on. 4. The game ends when everyone is bobbed down. You can play

as many rounds as you want.

Make it different:

Try it with your eyes closed.

Connect to NCS:

• This game needs teamwork. The team needs to try to synchronise

with each other, anticipating the moves of each other. This requires focus and perseverance.

• To successfully complete their social action projects, they will have to anticipate/know the strengths and weaknesses of their team members and work together to get the best outcomes.

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P a s s t h e W a a

Why use it: This game promotes co-ordination and quick reactions,

requiring teams to predict what happens next. It is also a good game for releasing pent up energy through sound.

Resources needed: Plenty of space. Works well outdoors as well as indoors.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

The team is split into two circles. 1. The team leader demonstrates with one circle and starts the

game off. The second circle chooses a leader and their game begins.

2. The object of the energiser is to pass imaginary energy around

the group using their two hands, held palm to palm and using the word ‘Waa’, said with as much energy and loudness as you can muster.

3. The team leader stands with both hands together pointing

forwards about chest height, gains eye contact with a group member across the circle and shouts ‘Waa’, thus passing the ‘energy’ to them.

4. The person receiving the ‘energy’ immediately points their joined

hands up in the air and shouts ‘Waa’ to show that they have received it. As soon as they have done this, the two people on either side rush to chop into that person (without actually touching them!) and shout ‘Waa’. The person who is the slowest is eliminated; they go and join the other circle. If it is too close to call they both stay in the circle. The person who received the energy still holds the energy and now has to pass it on again by gaining eye contact and shouting ‘Waa’. The ‘Waa’ is then passed on again across the circle.

5. The object of the game is to eliminate the members of the group

in one circle who are slower to react. They then move into the second circle. Movement continues between the two circles.

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Make it different:

Play it in a single circle, eliminating members to find a winner. Once you get to the last three, use rock, paper, scissors to find an eventual winner.

Connect to NCS:

• As members of a team, we can pass our energy onto others and

we need to make sure it is a positive, not negative vibe that we are sending.

• Releasing pent up energy can be helpful to “clear the air” –

encourage teams to consider when they have needed to do this in the past and how it helped.

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L o v e t h y n e i g h b o u r !

Why use it:

This activity gets people moving about and energised, as well as ready to explore some deeper ideas about community cohesion. This activity works well when exploring the idea of community in preparation for social action projects. Be prepared to deal with some sensitive reactions.


Time: 10 minutes

What to do:

1. Get everyone to sit in a circle and have one person in the

middle. 2. The person in the middle walks up to someone and says "Do you

love/get on with your neighbour?" 3. They will then respond something like this: Yes, except for the people who have brown hair or Yes, except for the people wearing red or Yes, except for… (insert your own criteria here). 4. Everyone in the circle who matches that criteria then needs to

get up and find a new seat whilst the person in the middle tries to steal (sit) in someone's seat. The person left standing becomes the new person in the middle.

5. The other option is the person can respond "No", which means

the two people either side of them have to switch seats while the person in the middle tries to steal their seat.

6. This game is obviously physical so take necessary care!

Make it different:

N/A

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Connect to NCS:

• This game also leads on quite nicely to a discussion around loving

your neighbour in real life - Who is your neighbour? What does loving them look like in your context? etc.

• Explore the idea of social mixing and prejudice through

discussion.

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A n i m a l C i r c l e s

Why use it:

This is a team energiser that gets teams working together.

Resources needed: Plenty of space. Some lively music.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. The aim of this activity is for the whole group to quickly create

different sized circles, symbolized by various animals. 2. Demonstrate how each animal is represented: Chicken wings: everybody stands with their hands on their hips, creating their ‘wings’. The circle is made with the tips of the wings (elbows) touching. Elephants: Right arm is outstretched as far as it will go, creating a ‘trunk’ that touches the left shoulder of the person next to them, making a circle. Eagles: Both arms are outstretched as far as they will go, creating ‘large wings’ that create the largest circle. Sardines: Arms are held close to the body as compactly as possible, making the smallest of circles. Dodo: an extinct animal that has to find a space in the room as far away from everyone else as possible. Dodos don’t make a circle. 3. Play some music and ask everyone to move around the room,

perhaps browsing some posters that are there. When the music stops, call out one of the animals. The group has to respond by making the appropriately sized circle, as quickly as possible.

4. When the music starts, everyone begins their roaming again. 5. Play as many rounds as you have time for.

Make it different:

Add some more animals:

• A snail: sit on the floor with your legs outstretched. • A worm: lie on the floor. • A monkey with baby: one person has to stand, whilst their

‘baby’ (next person in circle) sits next to them. • Make up some of your own.

Can they do it with their eyes closed?

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Connect to NCS:

• During NCS, as a team they will need to go their separate ways,

perhaps to work as an individual or smaller group but they will come back together as a whole team at various points.

• Graduation will be point at which their team will come back

together again to celebrate their NCS journey.

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W i n k s , B l i n k s a n d B e l l y L a u g h s

Why use it:

• This is a fun activity that can be used as an energiser or

can be used to get people into random smaller groups in preparation for another activity.

• This activity also introduces the idea of communicating

with more than just words.


Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. There are three rounds to this activity. Round 1 is called winks Round 2 is called blinks Round 3 is called belly laughs 2. Each participant chooses a number between 1 and 4. Don’t tell

anyone your number. They now have to find other people in the room who have also chosen that number but they cannot talk, they can only communicate by the action. So for round 1 they can only wink. For round 2, they communicate by blinking and for round 3 they can only communicate by saying “haaa”

Once they have decided how many they are going to use, they start winking that number of times so trying to find others who have chosen the same number of winks/blinks/belly laughs. They then stand together with the others who have chosen the same number. At the end of the round the team leader shouts can I have a cheer from the ‘ones’, the ‘twos’, the ‘threes’ etc. 3. Move onto the next round; the same process is repeated and the

final round is with the belly laughs which gets everyone laughing…always a great way to finish.

Make it different:

You can have other rounds such as claps and clicks of the finger which are best used before winks, blinks and belly laughs as they are more obvious and therefore good to introduce the concept, but don’t have the subtlety of other rounds.

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Connect to NCS:

A lot of our communication is non-verbal and our body language often gives away what we really think. Good to be aware of what your body is saying as well as your words. A good team player/successful communicator learns to pay attention to other people’s body language as well as their words.

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Why use… …Building Teamwork

Icebreakers

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

Hen r y F o r d

ü To help to create team identity.

ü To demonstrate the value of teamwork and

connectedness.

ü To build mutual support, trust and understanding.

ü To surface hidden issues. ü To improve team effectiveness.

ü To develop ‘real world’ teamwork skills.

ü They are fun.

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J i g s a w g r o u p s o r t

Why use it:

• Helps to break down the NCS team into smaller working

groups in a random way. • Encourages participants to get to know other group

members.

Resources needed: Postcards, greeting cards or NCS photos cut up into ‘jigsaws’.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Work out how many participants you have and what size

groups you want.

2. Cut up old postcards/photographs into pieces (the same number as the size of the smallest group you want).

3. Now mix up all the pieces and give each participant one

piece.

4. The participants mingle around, trying to find the other people in their group to make the completed jigsaw.

Make it different:

• Add a motivational quote to the photograph. Ask each team to

comment on the quote and how it relates to NCS • Use multiple copies of the same card, cut in different ways to

make it harder. • Make your own picture cards using categories e.g. pear, apple,

banana and grapes. The participants then have to get into category groups.

Connect to NCS:

• Explore how participants feel about being in random groups. • In the world of work, we cannot choose who we are teamed up

with and have to use all our teamwork skills to be successful. • Consider the challenges of social mixing.

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Dice throw rule

Why use it:

Getting the team to set and agree their own rules is a must for building effective teamwork. This activity helps the team to discuss and decide upon the ground rules that are important to them.

Resources needed: 1 x 6 coloured spot dice per group; blank labels.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Split the group into small teams. Explain to the whole group that

they are going to have a short amount of time to come to an agreement about the ground rules that they think everybody should abide by for the rest of the task. Ask them to think about the different behaviours and attitudes that they need in order to work effectively as a group.

How will they work with one another? What’s important when they work together as a group / team? 2. Each team has one dice. Take it in turns to roll the dice.

Whatever number it lands on, participants have to complete the sentence stem of the same number.

a - We should.. b - We will try to.. c - We believe.. d - We expect to.. e - We will never.. f - We will always.. 3. Now ask the team to prioritise their top three rules. 4. Take some feedback from each team about their top priority;

or second priority if the top one has already been said. Create a set of combinations of the rules.

5. Explore with teams what they actually mean by some of the

rules e.g. a rule that often crops up is: “respect is important”. Explore through discussion what respect actually looks and sounds like.

6. If everyone agrees it’s a rule they want to keep, then it is

accepted. The collective rules are then displayed in each team space and referred to as the programme progresses. The rules

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may need to be revised in the light of what goes on during the programme.

Make it different:

• Put sentence stems on paper and draw out of a hat to start off

the discussions.

Connect to NCS:

• To work as a group or team we need to understand each other. • Ground rules are helpful as they give us some agreed guidelines

for how we will ‘be’ with one another. • Ground rules help to make an environment ‘safe’ in order that

people can try out new things and take ‘risks’, if they want to. • We have to make sure we understand what the rule means in

practice.

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T e a m S h i e l d

Why use it:

To help create a team identity by giving groups the chance to consider how they want to be perceived and what each individual brings to the team.

Resources needed:

Paper; pencils; colours; rulers; possibly old magazines and newspapers; glue etc.

Time: 15-30 minutes.

What to do:

1. Work in small groups – three-four people is ideal. 2. Explain that the task is to create a team shield, as a group. In the “olden days” the shield (the crest, the colours, the family motto e.g. Death before Dishonour) represented what your family/group stood for and believed in. It was a symbol worn by all who worked and lived in the House. Like this, their shield should represent who they are, what they “stand for” and believe in … and what they have in common with each other. They can consider what strengths they bring to the team…what they are good at. 3. Along with the shield, the team needs to decide on a name that

means something and a team motto. 4. Each group displays and explains their shield to the other groups.

Make it different:

For a longer activity/project – each person designs their own shield first, and then as a team they work to combine the shields together.

Connect to NCS:

Teamwork is an essential skill for the workplace and part of building good teamwork is to have shared understanding of themselves as a group and what is important to them.

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TEAM NAME

Our MOTTO

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T o p T e a m R u l e s

Why use it:

This activity will help to set the ground rules for the rest of the learning. It will give participants the chance to consider the conditions they and others need to learn effectively.

Resources needed: Flip chart paper.

Time: 15-20 minutes

What to do:

1. Create small groups. 2. Ask each group to spend five-ten minutes collecting as many

ideas as possible for the sort of ground rules they would like to have in order to be successful with their learning. At this point do not reject any ideas or judge them, just collect them.

3. Now spend five minutes sorting through the ideas, putting similar

ones together, and selecting your top five. You may want to rephrase some to make them say exactly what you want.

4. Feedback: Explain that the whole group is going to collect their

top five ground rules for the rest of the programme. Ask each group to feedback one idea. If their chosen one has already been said they can choose another.

5. Write up the top five ground rules collected from all the groups. 6. Ask if everyone is happy to work with these, or if they would like

to change anything. 7. Once the rules are accepted they should be copied and

displayed in the working areas.

Make it different:

Consider what rules exist in various places; in their homes, at school/college, in the workplace. Explore through discussion the importance of these and how people respond to rules.

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Connect to NCS:

• Ground rules work best when they come from the people who

are going to use them. • Ground rules need to make it easier for everyone to achieve

success with their learning. • It is each person’s individual responsibility to keep the rules. • It is best to have fewer rules that everyone can remember rather

than lots that people can’t remember.

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R e c i p e f o r s u c c e s s !

Why use it:

• To allow for discussion about team effectiveness

through the metaphor of a recipe.

• Using metaphor is a powerful tool for encouraging creative thinking.

Resources needed:

Paper and pens. You could have few recipes for people to look at as examples.

Time: 10-20 minutes

What to do:

1. Explain that the group are going to make a ‘recipe’ for good

teamwork. 2. They will need to think about what ingredients are required and

in what quantities. You might want to make reference to real recipes e.g. grammes etc and/or encourage other quantities such as ‘bucket load of enthusiasm’ or ‘pinch of realism’.

3. They will also need to think of the method of combining these

ingredients, in what order etc. 4. Allow time for the group to think of their ideas and write their

recipe. 5. At the end of the time read out and/or display the recipe.

Make it different:

• Provide a list of ingredients to start with that they can add to/

change etc.

Connect to NCS:

• Teamwork is something you can better at with practice. Good

teamwork brings together a range of different considerations. • It’s a really important skill to develop for the workplace but also

more generally in life too.

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T e a m c r o s s w o r d

Why use it:

To understand that all participants contribute to a team.

Resources needed: Large sheets of paper on floor or wall.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Lay out several large sheets of paper on the floor, or tape to

a wall. Alternatively, you could create a squared grid on an interactive whiteboard.

2. Invite one participant to write their first name in capital letters

in the middle of the paper.

3. In turn, other participants add their name as in Scrabble©. Interlinked letters must make sense!

4. It might help if the paper is marked out in squares.

5. Continue until all participants have added their name – other

team members help if needed.

Make it different:

• Once you have demonstrated this process like this, it can be

used as a review activity. Ask small groups or individuals to come up with three words that reflect the experience of the day. The words are then added to a crossword grid in the same way. Start with “National Citizen Service” as the central words to build from.

Connect to NCS:

• Use the ‘Make it different’ variation to connect to NCS • Remind participants how each of their experiences of NCS are

interlinked with other team members. This is a shared experience in many ways.

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W h o i s t h e T e a m l e a d e r ?

Why use it:

Group fun which promotes concentration, co-operation, and listening skills.

Resources needed: None.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Sit or stand in a circle.

2. The team leader explains the game by asking the group to

copy them making a sound or action e.g. clapping hands or tapping knees.

3. Then the team leader changes the action and the group

copies. Do this a few times.

4. Now the team leader asks for a volunteer to be a detective – they leave the room.

5. Now the team leader chooses a new leader who everyone

else will copy – warn the group to rely on the sound or look across the circle rather than stare at the new leader, as this will give it away!

6. The volunteer detective returns to the room and sits or stands

back in their space.

7. The group starts by following the original team leader for the first action/sound and then the new one can carry on changing the action/sound. To make it difficult, the new leader should try to change the action/sound when the volunteer detective is not looking directly at them.

8. The volunteer detective gets three guesses as to who is the

new team leader.

9. Keep changing roles.

10. Warning: This game is addictive! Groups want to play it for hours!

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Make it different:

• Instead of sounds, just do physical actions. • Instead of sounds the team leader pulls different faces.

Connect to NCS:

• It is very difficult and sometimes uncomfortable not knowing

who the team leader is. • Ask the volunteers how they felt during the game. • Ask the team leaders how easy or difficult is was for them to

think of ideas and conceal their identity. • Ask participants to consider when they can step up and take

on a leadership role, even if it for only a short while. How will they persuade people to follow them?

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G r o u p J u g g l e

Why use it:

To learn the names of others in the group and to work together as a team.

Resources needed: 8-10 koosh balls or soft bean bags.

Time: 15 minutes

What to do:

1. Work in groups of about fifteen, standing in a circle. Set up a throwing/catching sequence around the group so that each person throws and receives the ball once. 2. You begin by explaining that this activity will help to explore how

we can work as a big team. During this process they will learn at least two more names from the group.

3. Begin by passing the koosh ball from person to person with each

person saying their name out loud. This will help everyone to hear each other’s names once.

4. Now a pattern is built up with one koosh ball being thrown across

the circle; as the ball is thrown the thrower says their name and the name of the person they are throwing it to (e.g. Manjit to Jan).

5. The thrower then crosses their arms across their chest to show

that they have already had a go. 6. The koosh ball is then thrown from person to person, until

everyone has received it once and thrown it once. The pattern is complete when the ball is returned to the team leader. As the team leader you feed in ball after ball, how many and how fast depends on the group; start slowly.

7. Once the sequence is established, more koosh balls can be

introduced into the circle at intervals until the effect is as if the group is juggling. Each time an additional ball is introduced, the same throwing pattern is repeated to get a smoother, faster response. Reassure the group that they just need to remember who threw the koosh ball to them and who they in turn threw it to.

Make sure people don’t stoop down to pick up any balls that have gone astray – they’ll end up with the next one coming towards them

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when they least expect it!

Make it different:

If everyone is up for it, add some complications: • Clap once you’ve thrown a ball. • Ask the group to rotate right/left (everyone takes one step to the

right/left). • Turn around after you’ve thrown a ball. • Disband the circle altogether! • You could really challenge the group by reversing the pattern

you set up; so you throw to the person who originally threw to you. e.g. Jan to Manjit.

Connect to NCS:

• Good for learning names, very useful for concentration,

observation, and developing coordination. • There is a strategy, which may need drawing out, that

individuals only need to concentrate on two people in the circle: the one they receive from and the one they pass to.

• As more balls are introduced they need ‘to take care’ of their team members, making sure they are ready to receive and throwing in a way which helps them to catch.

• Some challenges appear very daunting at the beginning but if you just focus on the bits you have to do first, you are likely to be successful.

• Each person’s contribution is important to achieving the whole big picture.

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P a s s t h e s q u e e z e

Why use it:

This activity is good for getting the team to co-operate with one another. Use it in conjunction with other whole-group team building activities. Use this with a group who is comfortable holding hands; some groups may find this too daunting in the early stages of coming together as a team.


Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Group stands in a circle and holds hands.

2. Tell participants that a wave of energy is going to pass

around the circle as quickly as possible. Ask people to imagine the squeeze travelling up their arm, across their shoulders and then down their other arm as they then send it to their neighbour.

3. Begin with eyes open – everyone can see where the squeeze

is as it travels round the group. The team leader begins first by squeezing one of the hands s/he is holding. This triggers the person next to the team leader to recognise the squeeze by squeezing the hand of the other person they are next to. The squeeze then gets passed along from person to person and comes back to the team leader. This may need practising a few times.

4. You could time the round to see how well you do. A squeeze

can be sent round the circle in opposite directions.

Make it different:

• Another version of this is ‘Pass the clap’. The team leader claps

once to the person on their right. That person catches the clap by clapping once in return, they then turn and clap at the next person in the circle, who then repeats the sequence. In short, each person claps once to receive the clap and once to pass the clap on. See how long it takes for the clap to come full circle back to the team leader.

• Another way to do this: each person stands with the palm of their

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left hand under the right hand of the person on their left. The team leader starts by clapping their right hand on the palm of the person standing to their right. Follow round the circle in a domino effect.

Connect to NCS:

• This activity needs every team member to stay focused and

to do their bit at the right time. The team is as good as each individual member.

• With practice you can learn to be more focused. • Team members need to think about how they positively

encourage all to stay focused.

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B a c k s e a t D r i v e r

Why use it:

This activity helps to build trust between team members as well as giving them the chance to practise their communication skills.


Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Ask participants to get into pairs of around the same height, one

behind the other, both facing forward 2. The person at the front is ‘driving’ and the person at the back is

the SAT NAV with their hands on the shoulders of the driver. 3. Driver has their eyes closed, SAT NAV directs them where to go in

the space. Aim is to not touch any of the other cars. 4. Swap after 2-3 minutes 5. Then swap back and have the SAT NAV remove their hands from

shoulders still giving verbal directions to the driver. 6. Any spare people can be ‘traffic police’ to ‘fine’ pairs ‘driving

dangerously’ 7. Feedback how it felt to your partner, what worked? What could

be improved?

Make it different:

• You could introduce speed limits….start with slower roads such as

they are travelling in built up areas, then ‘A’ roads where they can travel a lot faster. If you are brave you could take them on the motorway! At all times, their safety is paramount.

• Use this activity before or after using the TRAINS activity to keep the travelling theme going!

Connect to NCS:

• Clear and concise communication is very important to make

sure people know what you mean.

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• Building trust is an integral part of teamwork and this takes time.

Explore through discussion what makes them trust other people and what takes trust away.

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T r a i n s

Why use it:

• To energise.

• To develop co-operation and teamwork.

• To develop a quick response.


Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Work in small groups of 4 (or 5).

2. The group stands in a line with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front; the group should maintain this contact throughout the activity. Each person in the group is numbered 1 – 4 (or 5). The line represents an engine and carriages, 1 being the engine and 2 –4 (5) carriages.

3. Their number changes according to their position in the line.

4. The team leader calls out one of three instructions during the activity

5. CHANGE - this means person number 1 in the line moves to the back of the train

6. SWITCH means the people in number positions 2 and 3 switch places

7. ROTATE mean the whole line turns round so that number 1 becomes number 4

8. Once the group has practised these moves at a slowish pace the team leader speeds up the instructions and links one or more instructions together e.g. rotate, switch, rotate, change.

9. To add the element of group co-operation and trust, once the

group has gained confidence with the activity the team leader can shout TUNNEL. This means the group must carry out the instructions with their eyes closed.

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Make it different:

You could get the train to move around the room avoiding other trains. When they get into the station, you can use the order as above. The person in position 1 has to close their eyes and the person in position 2 guides the train using verbal instructions.

Connect to NCS:

• This activity relies on effective teamwork and therefore part of the ‘debrief’ should help to make those elements explicit.

• The activity also builds over time into one which is about trust – that is an important part of the activity to make explicit.

• Teams will have to work together and rely on each other to make the activity a success.

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T e a m t a t t o o ( b a c k w r i t i n g )

Why use it:

This activity builds co-operation and teamwork. Each and every member has a part to play in successfully completing the task.

Resources needed:

Index cards, drawing pens, large copies of drawings for each round. Plenty of space.

Time: 10- 15 minutes

What to do:

1. Arrange the participants to sit in rows on chairs, one behind

the other facing the front in groups of 4-6.

2. The person right at the front is given a piece of paper/index card and something to draw with.

3. The person at the back goes to the front where the team

leader shows them a drawing on a flipchart facing away from the teams so nobody else can see it.

4. Participant returns to their seat and ‘draws’ the shape/picture

on the back of the person in front of them using their fingers. This new person then draws on the person in front of them and that person draws on the back of someone in front of them. This is a bit like Chinese whispers although in this game NO TALKING is allowed.

5. The person at the front has the pen and index card and must

draw what has been communicated to them on the index card.

6. Use a range of simple pictures, shapes, letters and words:

NCS, a simple tree, a basic house etc.

NCS

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Make it different:

Increase the challenge by giving a time limit, or by allowing the picture/shape to only be drawn once on each back. When using two or more groups you can add a competitive element by awarding the winning team points for each round.

Connect to NCS:

This activity requires the team to focus their attention and work together to achieve the task. Each and every member is really important for passing on the right messages.

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B a l l o o n W a l k

Why use it:

This is a fun activity that builds communication and teamwork skills.

Resources needed: Balloons

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. Set up the activity by marking a finish line on the floor using

tape.

2. Divide participants into small groups of 5 or 6. Line up the groups parallel to the finish line and about twenty feet away. Place a blown up balloon (or beach ball) between each player's hips and instruct them not to drop the balloons or balls. Read the team instructions out loud to the team. Team Instructions: Have you ever heard the term 'joined at the hips'? In this task, you have the opportunity to see exactly what that means. Without dropping any of the balloons or beach balls, you have to work your way to the finish line. If you drop a balloon or beach ball, you must begin again at the start line. You are not allowed to use your hands or arms.

Make it different:

• To make it a bit more competitive add a time limit of three

minutes. Connect to NCS:

• Successful action projects are going to need great

communication, strategy and individuals supporting each other to get to the finish line.

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K e e p i t u p !

Why use it:

This is an opportunity to expend some energy and work as a team. This activity also requires team members to anticipate the actions of others.

Resources needed:

Inflatable beach ball or some other soft ball. Even a balloon would work. Space.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

1. The team forms two or more equally sized groups. 2. Each team gets into a circle. 3. Each team is given an inflatable beach ball (or similar type ball

of any size). 4. The players attempt to keep their ball in the air the longest. When

a team wins, they get a point. The team with the most points wins.

5. Do not allow players to catch the ball during play.

Make it different:

You could give the groups a 60 second “discuss your strategy” moment before the game begins. After playing one round give them another 60 second to “adjust your strategy” moment.

Connect to NCS:

Encourage teams to reflect on what worked and what didn’t work and how this might be transferred to their social action project delivery.

Building Teamwork

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T o p S e c r e t

Why use it:

• This flexible activity involves devising and using a simple

coded non-verbal (unspoken) communications system. • Use this activity to build teamwork and communication

skills.

Resources needed: A pen/pencil and paper for each team member.

Time: 20 minutes

What to do:

Divide the team into smaller groups of between 4-6

The game may be played just once as a quick activity or ice-breaker, or in several rounds, optionally enabling the group/teams to review and refine their coding systems, at your discretion.

Instruction to groups:

• Devise a secret coded (non-spoken, non-written) communication system for your group which enables a very simple piece of information - a single digit number between 0-9 - to be passed throughout the whole group - person to person - so that everyone knows the number.

• The winning team is the first to successfully convey the number to all team members.

• The number must be conveyed using non-verbal and secret signals - it cannot be spoken, mouthed, written, signalled by holding up a number of fingers, or 'tapped' using fingers or feet, etc. Facial expressions and eye contact are likely to be some tactics used although teams will devise other methods, which is part of the fun.

• Whether to allow or mention touching - for example secret hand-squeezing, which teams might think to try - is at your discretion.

• When receiving the number, each player must privately record the number on a piece of paper, as proof of successful communication. Alternatively, to avoid risk of cheating or accidentally revealing numbers, instruct people to write down the number after all teams have completed the round.

• No speaking is allowed while the game is in progress.

• Teams can be given 5-10 minutes to devise and test their codes.

Building Teamwork

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• The team leader begins each round of the game by showing the number (a single digit between 0-9) to one person in the group. That person takes their seat or starting position and awaits the signal to start the game, at which the number must be communicated to all team members - using the non-verbal secret code - and person to person.

• (At your discretion) groups may stand, sit around the same table, or on separate tables, although separate tables makes cheating less easy to detect.

• Standing and mingling makes the activity more dynamic and energising, and increases the need for competing teams to devise a clever code to avoid it being 'cracked' or interpreted by members of competing teams.

Make it different:

• A way to make sure that information is passed person to person is to have the teams stand in a line, so that each person sees the conveyed signal individually, then turns about-face to convey it down the line to the next person. Such an arrangement increases the need for teams to consider having a signal for confirming to the group leader that all members have correctly received the number.

• It is up to you if groups may or may not make written notes of their coding system (so that each person has a code key). Allowing written code keys enables more complex codes to be developed whereas not allowing written code keys encourages quicker simpler codes and is more appropriate for a quick game or ice-breaker. Alternatively you may choose not to mention the possibility of groups making written code keys, and leave it open for them to use the option or not.

• You can choose to give a different number to each group (rather than have groups communicate the same number). This means you can award bonus points for a team which manages to identify the number of an opposing team.

Connect to NCS:

• Communication is key to effective teamwork and not all of it has

to be spoken. • During their social action project phase, participants will need to

draw on all their communication skills. • These are important skills for the world of work and life in general.

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Why use… …Team Problem Solving

Icebreakers

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.

Henry Ford

ü To prepare young people for their social

action projects.

ü To demonstrate the value of teamwork.

ü To build mutual support, trust and

understanding.

ü To develop skills of creative problem solving.

ü To surface hidden issues.

ü To develop ‘real world’ teamwork skills.

ü They are fun.

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P a s s t h e C A N !

Why use it:

• This is to work as a large team to support and

encourage each other to complete a set task. • To build effective communication and perseverance.

Resources needed:

A couple of large empty tins (catering-size baked bean tins are good). Alternatively, large plant pots

Time: 15 minutes

What to do:

1. The whole team sits in a circle on chairs.

2. The idea is for the group to work as a whole team to pass the

can around the circle from one to another until it returns to its starting point. Each time the tin is dropped it has to return to the starting person.

Rounds can be based on passing the can… ….using no hands ….using arms only

3. Several cans can be passed at the same time, perhaps in opposite directions.

Make it different:

An alternative could be to break the large group into two teams and compete against each other in a race to pass the can.

Connect to NCS:

• Everyone needs to work as a team and encourage and support

each team member as their strategy develops and they try to repeat it.

• Everyone needs to be encouraging rather than critical of those team members who are finding the task more difficult.

• Planning how to complete tasks might be helpful so the whole team understands what to do.

• All of this will be important for how effectively they can work as a team to complete their social action project.

Team problem solving

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C i r c l e o f h a n d s

Why use it:

This activity aids concentration and builds co-operation between groups.


Time: 5 minutes

What to do:

1. In groups of more than four, ask participants to make a circle of

hands placed in front of them. This can be done on the floor or on a table.

2. The object of the exercise is to pass a tap of energy around the

whole circle and back to the beginning, as smoothly and quickly as possible.

3. One person begins by tapping the table with their right hand;

the person next to them on their right then taps their left hand, then their right, passing the energy along. If it helps, imagine the energy going through the left hand up the arm and down the right arm to the right hand.

4. This is repeated by each person in a domino effect, sending the

energy around the whole circle. 5. You may need to practice a few times; see if you can get faster

and smoother. 6. Try adding some complications: 7. Send the energy in two different directions around the circle. 8. Use a double tap, which changes the direction of the energy,

sending it back the way it came.


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Make it different: Ask the participants to place their hand in between the hands of the people on either side of them; the end result is that each person’s hand is interspersed by another person’s. Again, the energy has to be passed from hand to hand, (even if it is not your hand), but this time the hands are all mixed up so everyone has to really concentrate.

Connect to NCS:

• This activity needs a lot of focus and concentration to make it

work. The success lies in every person remaining totally focused. • Changing the hands with others around you sends very mixed

visual messages thus making it harder for your brain to connect the movements to your hands.

• A good exercise for your brain!

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J e l l y b e a n c h a l l e n g e

Why use it:

This activity is a timed problem solving challenge that builds creative thinking, communication and teamwork skills. The team has to work under the pressure of time to complete the challenge.

Resources needed:

• Each group is given the same resources on a paper plate: 12

jelly beans, 12 cocktail sticks, one post-it note. • Note: The number of jelly beans and cocktail sticks can be

altered as long as everyone has the same amount.

Time: 10 minutes plus.

What to do:

1. Working in teams of no more than four, ideally three, give each

team the same resources. 2. The team challenge is that they have to build the tallest free-

standing tower they can, using only the equipment they have been given. Their tower must have a flag on it and will need to stay standing until each group’s tower has been looked at. Depending on the group, you could give them between five and ten minutes to complete the challenge.

3. Give the teams a few moments to look round and see how

others tackled the challenge. Celebrate each team’s achievement.

Make it different:

You could leave out the Post-it note, but give the same instruction. They will have to use their creativity to make a flag from something. Instead of a tower, you could ask for a house, an animal or a plant. You may want to increase/decrease the resources or timeframe. Jelly beans can be replaced by marshmallows.


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Connect to NCS:

• Teams will need to plan and think ahead. Sometimes the tallest

structure is not the most stable. Their tower has to stay standing until the feedback at the end, so needs to be stable.

• The most obvious solution may not be the best solution in the long run. Connect this to how teams solve problems for their social action project.

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C r a t e c h a l l e n g e !

Why use it:

This is a team challenge that invites strategic thinking, planning ahead and needs lots of perseverance to complete.

Resources needed:

Seven chairs; six crates, (three in one colour and three are another colour). Alternatively you could use other objects instead of crates.

Time: 15 – 20 minutes plus

What to do:

1. Arrange seven chairs in a row. Put the three red crates, one on

each chair, on the first three chairs. Put the three blue crates on the last three chairs.

2. The object of the game is to swap the sides the crates are on so

that the blue crates are on the first three chairs and the red crates on the last three chairs.

3. The rules are: • The crates can only move one at a time. • The crates can only go forwards (towards their opponent). • Only one crate is allowed on the chair at any one time. • A crate can jump over ONE crate of the opposite colour. • Different coloured crates take it in turns to move e.g. blue crate first, then red crate, then blue. 4. Can you get the crates to change places? How many moves? 5. Each team needs to practice their moves until they can easily

repeat their sequence. 6. What would happen if you increased the number of chairs and

crates, equally on both sides?

Make it different:

• You could play this with two teams, red and blue who move

their own crate, a bit like a counter on a game. • Ask every team member to have a go at doing it themselves.


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Connect to NCS:

• Teams need to plan ahead and visualise the next few steps.

Doing something once and perhaps accidentally getting to the solution does not mean you know it or can remember it or indeed repeat it. You might need to do it again a few times.

• It is the same with learning; repeating something secures the learning and it becomes more memorable.

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C o c k t a i l s t i c k c h a l l e n g e !

Why use it:

• This is a quick team challenge inviting creative thinking

and problem solving. • This works really well, used alongside the jelly bean

challenge. Use a number of the quick team challenges together and you can build up a number of different rounds and make it quite competitive.

Resources needed:

Cocktail sticks or short garden canes work equally well, just on a bigger scale.

Time: 5-10 minutes. Adjust the timing to suit your group.

What to do:

1. Working in small groups of no more than three, each group is

given the same number of cocktail sticks, perhaps twelve to fifteen.

2. The group challenge is to be completed in three-five

minutes.

3. The challenge; using all your cocktail sticks, create as many triangles as possible. By the end of the challenge you should be able to say how many you have created and prove this to the other groups. The group making the most number of triangles wins.

4. Groups are often surprised to see the different solutions to

the same problem.

Make it different:

• Using garden canes makes the challenge bigger and it just

feels a bit different. Instead of triangles, try squares.

Connect to NCS:

• Ask the teams to reflect on how they worked as a team on

this task. Did everyone contribute? Was everyone listened to?

• Reflect on the fact that there are often different solutions to the same problems and that settling for the obvious solution might not be the only way to address the task.


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N C S e t h o s ( 3 D ) c h a l l e n g e

Why use it:

This activity can be used for teams to get to know each other; to break the ice and to see what individuals can bring to the team. It requires teams to work together effectively, to share and build upon each other’s ideas.

Resources needed:

Each group will need the same equipment: Plenty of newspaper; roll of sellotape or masking tape; a pair of scissors; a stick of glue; a few sheets of plain coloured paper.

Time:

60 minutes (1hour). You could reduce the time for each element of the task if needed.

What to do:

The challenge is to build your model, using only the equipment provided, using the process below and then for the whole team to try to ‘sell’ their model to others as the best way of representing the challenge. The freestanding model must have the following dimensions : 1D = 4ft (1m 22cm) 1D = 2ft (61cm) The process is important because it will help participants work efficiently as a team. The participants can see what equipment they have, but cannot have it until step three. 1. Five minutes individual thinking time about the challenge – to

take advantage of the creativity of every member of the team. 2. Ten minutes team planning time to agree on what they will do

and how – to come to overall consensus by negotiation and listening to the ideas of others. They will need to think about roles and responsibilities.

3. Twenty minutes team time for building the 3D model – you need

to be working together as a team, in a supportive way. 4. Ten minutes planning the presentation strategy for the model –

whole team must contribute. 5. Five minutes presentation. All team members must contribute in


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some way and be able to answer questions. Check dimensions of model.

6. Teams practice giving positive, honest and constructive

feedback to other teams. They can write their feedback on a post-it note and place it on a team feedback sheet. Teams get a chance to read their feedback and congratulate each other when all the teams have shared their presentations.

7. Whole group reflection time on the activity, considering how

effectively they worked together as a team. Use NCS principles as the theme for 3D model: Give each small group a different one

• Social mixing and/or teamwork • Social Action and/or community • Reflection • Challenge • Inspiration • Increased Independence and Responsibility

Make it different:

• Timings can be adjusted to suit your purpose and group. • The themes for the model can be changed to reflect the

content of your programme. • It works best when the theme or topic is quite abstract. • The equipment that is available for the construction of the

model can be adapted but keep it fairly limited to provide additional challenge.

Connect to NCS:

• Encourage group reflection on how completing a task

provides valuable learning. • How did people feel having thinking time, when they

couldn’t start the task? • How difficult was it not to take what you needed? • Is an important part of teamwork noticing what the needs of

others are?

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M a r s h m a l l o w M a d n e s s

Why use it:

To build effective communication, perseverance and creative problem solving.

Resources needed:

Each group will need:

1. 3-5 feet length of string 2. 1 bag of large marshmallows 3. 10 rubber bands 4. 5 straws 5. 10 toothpicks

Time: 20 minutes

What to do:

1. This activity can be done as a whole group or in groups of 4-6. 2. Show groups the box of materials they have to work with. 3. TASK: Devise a method to hold as many marshmallows as

possible above ground level. Group members may not be in direct contact with any of the marshmallows during the final scoring process. They will receive up to ten points each for creativity, cooperation and communication. They can also earn one bonus point for each successfully suspended marshmallow.

4. PROCESS: 5 minutes: Group planning time during which they cannot begin using the materials. 10 minutes: Group action their plans.

Make it different:

Change the resources or limit the amount to change the activity.

Connect to NCS:

• Explore through discussion how effectively the planning time was

used: Did it help or hinder the final results? • Connect to the preparation needed for social action projects.

Teams are often tempted to rush into the delivery of their project rather than take the time to think through their ideas and plans. This may mean that the project does not fulfil their expectations.


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N C S P a i r s !

Why use it:

This is a great activity for building teamwork and communication skills. It also develops memory skills and encourages teams to develop a strategy for completing the task.

Resources needed:

Up to 24 large cards (A5 index card size) in 12 pairs with different words on –per small group of 5 or 6. You can reduce the number of pairs but will need a minimum of 6 pairs to make the activity work.

Masking tape to create a start line

Time: 20 - 30 minutes

What to do:

This is a version of the child’s game ‘pairs’.

Set up the activity: The pairs cards are placed randomly on a table (or the floor) about two metres from the small group. A taped line marks the distance.

1. Participants work in small groups of 5 or 6.

2. The object is to turn over two cards with the same word on them, to make a pair.

3. Group members should work as a team, but they need to take it in turns to turn over two cards in each go.

4. The group stands behind a line to begin the game.

5. Only one person at a time can step across the line and turn two cards over. If the cards are not a pair they must be turned back face down in the same position. If they are a pair, they can be put on top of each other and left facing upwards

6. Give the groups 2-3 minutes to discuss their strategy before the game begins.

7. The winning group is the first to pair up their cards.


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Suggested words (change to suit your focus): Honesty Respect Communication Teamwork Responsibility Trust Leadership Optimism Generosity Role model Helpfulness Co-operation

Make it different:

• This activity can be further developed after the pairs have been sorted. The group is then invited to look at the words on the card and reflect on how these have impacted on them personally on their NCS journey.

• They could rank in order the words to show which ones they consider most important as a team.

• Use the NCS principles as the words : social mixing, social action, challenge, inspiration, increased independence and responsibility, reflection.

Connect to NCS:

All of the words are connected to the NCS experience. Encouraging reflection on young people’s individual strengths and what has changed as a result of the NCS experience will help to add depth to the activity.

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P a s s t h e p a s t a !

Why use it:

To build effective communication and perseverance

Resources needed:

Uncooked dry spaghetti. One paper plate for each team member. Masking tape.

Time: 15 minutes

What to do:

In advance, use the masking tape to create a handle of sorts on the back side of each paper plate to create a "hand held device". Place the pasta and the hand held devices on a table. Place an empty container about 15' away. Groups of 3 – 7 race against each other. Instructions: You have four minutes to move as much pasta as possible to the container. Only one team member is allowed to touch the pasta. The remaining team members will each have a hand held device. They have to work in pairs to move the pasta to the container by holding the pasta end to end between two hand held devices. Each pair may only move one piece of spaghetti at a time. If the pasta breaks, come back for more! You will receive up to ten points each for creativity, cooperation, and communication. You will receive one point for each piece of unbroken pasta in the container at the end of the allotted time.

Make it different:

The paper plates can be replaced by thick rubber gloves.

Connect to NCS:

Encourage the groups to think creatively and problem solve the task. They will need to work together to achieve their outcomes. They will need these very skills when planning for their social action projects. Beyond NCS, these are the sorts of skills they should be mentioning on their CVs as they are excellent employability skills.


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2 h e a d s a r e b e t t e r t h a n 1

Why use it:

To build effective communication and perseverance

Resources needed: A shoe with shoelaces for each pair of participants

Time: 15 minutes

What to do:

• Participants need to be in pairs with at least one person in

the pair having a shoe or trainer that has laces.

• Each person contributes one hand to try to tie the lace with their partner (the other hand stays behind their back).

• Then try with each person using their less dominant hand.

Make it different:

• As an additional challenge, try with your eyes closed. • Another alternative is that this activity is done in threes. The

third person gives the verbal instructions that the pair tying the shoelaces have to follow. They cannot speak.

Connect to NCS:

• This is a great activity to emphasise the importance of

working together and cannot be achieved without effective communication.

• Explore through discussion what was most difficult.


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S e c r e t M o v e s

Why use it:

To build group awareness, non-verbal communication and problem solving.


Time: 15 minutes

What to do:

• There are two parts to this activity:

• Exercise 1 :VARY YOUR SPEED • Ask participants to pick a spot on the floor some distance

away and focus on it. When the game starts, walk towards the spot in a straight line. The object is to reach your spot on the floor without coming in to contact with any other person. You may not stop or change direction but you may alter speed.

• Exercise 2: TRAFFIC WARDEN • Each person secretly chooses two people, one to be the

TRAFFIC WARDEN, the other to be their GUARDIAN ANGEL.

• Your aim is to stand behind your GUARDIAN ANGEL at all times so that you are protected from the TRAFFIC WARDEN.

• What makes this exercise so great is that no one knows who

has selected who so the team goes to great lengths with movement to ‘protect themselves’.

Make it different:

There are also many opportunities for variations and adaptions for this game e.g. ‘ABC’, this time choose two different people and aim to stand between them (being ‘b’ to their ‘a’ and ‘c’) at all times

Connect to NCS:

As team members we are all connected by our common goals and purposes. During the social action phase, team members may go off to do things individually but they still need to have an awareness of what else is going on around them so that they can make sure the various elements of the project come together at the right time.


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C r o s s t h e l i n e !

Why use it:

This short on-your-feet activity helps team members realise that they’ll be more successful working together toward the same objectives rather than standing apart waiting for somebody to go first.

Resources needed: Masking tape. Plenty of space.

Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

Place masking tape on the floor to divide the room in half in advance. Ask group to pair up. One person in the pair stands on one side of the line and the other on the other side of the line; both are facing each other. Instructions: You have 15 seconds to convince the person opposite you, without force, to cross the line. Begin. (Announce that time is up after about 15 seconds.) Reflect: How many of you got the other person to cross the line? How did you do it? What did you try that didn’t work? How many of you offered to cross the line if the other person crosses—if you cross, so will I? That way both people win. Consider the following questions:

1. What do you feel/think about the following saying: “There is no “I” in team”?

2. How does this relate to your team? 3. How can we work together to ensure greater collaboration? 4. What can you do personally to increase the collaboration on

your team? 5. How will this help your team?

Make it different:

You can extend this activity into one that develops negotiation and persuasion/communication skills. The pairs should stand face to face, at least 5 - 10 paces away from each other. As they hear a persuasive argument/point from their partner they take one step forward.


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Give the groups on either side of the line a different point of view to advocate on the behalf of, for example, Circles and Squares. One group represents circles, the other group squares. Each has to persuade the other that their shape is the best. Give each group a few moments to plan their strategy/main points to make, before the pairs begin convincing each other. Try other light hearted topics such as Jelly or Ice-cream, Cats or Dogs make better pets etc. If you have plenty of time and want greater depth to the discussions, you can pick more controversial subjects such as:

-‐ whether young people should be able to vote at 16 or 18 -‐ whether some dangerous breeds of dogs should be put

down -‐ whether the speed limits in build-up areas should be

dropped to 25mph.

Connect to NCS:

This is a very simple activity, but don’t let that fool you – it can stimulate a great discussion about what it takes to get the most collaboration from team members.

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C o - o p e r a t i v e J i g s a w s !

Why use it:

• For teams to work together without verbal

communication or gestures. • For teams to recognise each other’s needs.

Resources needed: Various jigsaws – enough for one per participant

Time: 10-15 minutes

What to do:

1. You need to prepare jigsaws in advance. Either get hold of

some simple (12-20 piece) jigsaws. You will need one for each group), or get some old greetings cards/NCS photographs and make your own, cutting each one into random shapes. It’s best to vary the cutting method for each card e.g. wavy cuts, square cuts, diagonal etc.

2. Now take the prepared jigsaws and mix up the pieces. 3. Divide the mixed pieces between four or five envelopes,

depending on how many small groups the participants are working in.

4. You are now ready for groups of between 3 or 4 participants to

undertake the challenge. 5. Explain to the teams that they each have an envelope

containing jigsaw pieces. The challenge is to complete a jigsaw each BUT they are not allowed to talk or communicate with gestures. They are only allowed to GIVE PIECES AWAY and not ask for them/ just take from other groups. Ask the group to concentrate on working as a team to complete the challenge.

6. Allow time for them to put the jigsaws together. 7. At the end ask the participants to reflect on how they worked

together; what was difficult about the challenge etc.

Make it different:

Alternatively, give groups most of one jigsaw with a couple of pieces missing. Let them assume they have all the pieces they need to complete the jigsaw. Wait for the realisation that they have


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pieces missing and that maybe they need to work with other groups to complete the task. In this variation, groups can talk to each other and share resources.

Connect to NCS:

• Encourage group reflection on how completing a task gives you

a feeling of success and achievement. • How difficult was it not to just take what you needed? • An important part of teamwork is noticing what the needs of

others are.

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T e a m S e n t e n c e

Why use it:

This is a team energiser that sets the team the challenge of writing a team sentence where everybody contributes one word. Individuals have to build on the ideas of others.

Resources needed:

Flip chart per team. A large sheet of paper for each team on the wall works just as well.

Time: 10-15 minutes

What to do:

1. Begin by explaining that participants will be competing to see

which team is the first to complete a group sentence. Next, the participants are asked to divide into two teams. If the group contains an uneven number, one participant may compete twice.

2. Teams line up ten feet from their paper. After giving the first

person in each team’s line a marker, explain the rules of the game.

3. The rules are:

• Each team member is responsible for adding one word to the sentence.

• The players take turns. They go to the board and write one word on it, they run back to give the next player the marker, and then go to the end of the line. (The sentence must contain the same number of words as there are team members).

• A player may not add a word between words that have already been written.

• Teams cannot discuss their words. Give the teams one minute to work out their strategy for completing this task.

Make it different:

Create more, smaller teams if you want to make the challenge a bit easier. You could also increase the planning time. You could use a sentence stem to begin with: ‘NCS is …’


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Connect to NCS:

• Explore through discussion how the team managed the task;

how important was it to plan ahead? • How did individuals co-operate with each other? • In the activity, successful teams not just thought about their

word but what might help other team members too.

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G r o u p K n o t !

Why use it:

This is a physical group problem solving activity that requires the team to co-operate and persevere.


Time: 10-15 minutes

What to do:

1. The group starts out in one or two tight circles. 2. Everyone in the group reaches across the circle with their right

hand to grab another group member’s right hand. 3. The group then reaches in with their left hand to grab a different

group member’s left hand. 4. The object is to untangle the group without letting go of hands

until a circle is formed. If the group is having extreme difficulty, you can help by breaking one set of tangled hands (with group consensus), otherwise group members may not let go at any time.

5. You may have to decide as a group that the knot is not

solvable, after a prolonged attempt.

Make it different:

To up the challenge for a group that has found it easy first time round, get them to do it again without talking.

Connect to NCS:

• Explore through discussion how the team solved the

problem or when/how they decided to give up. • Explore the notion of giving up.


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Why use… …Mindbender

Icebreakers

"The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem."

T h e o d o r e R u b i n

ü Help people to think outside the box.

ü To use spare time constructively.

ü To build creative thinking.

ü Help people to relax and engage in

learning.

ü Break down social barriers

ü They are fun!

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M a t c h s t i c k p u z z l e s

Why use it:

These are very versatile puzzles that can be attempted as individuals or in pairs and small groups.

Resources needed:

Matchsticks work well. Another option is cocktail sticks or go large and use garden canes.

Time: 5 -20 minutes

What to do:

Create the formation below and challenge participants to solve the puzzle. There are five identical squares in this cross formed of 16 matchsticks. Move three matchsticks to get six identical squares. The matchstick's overlapping, breaking or "loose ends" are not allowed.

The Solution

Mind Benders

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Make it different:

Try this one: 5 squares to 4 Move 2 matches to new positions to get only 4 squares, no overlapping or loose ends

The solution:

For many more : www.learning-tree.org.uk

Connect to NCS:

• Sometimes we have to keep trying lots of different solutions and

build our perseverance.

• Encourage participants to reflect on how they dealt with their frustration and the feeling of wanting to give up.

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W h a t a m I ?

Why use it: This is a mindbender that encourages participants to use

logical thinking but at the same time think past initial assumptions.


Time: 10 minutes

What to do:

I have a little house in which I live all alone. My house has no doors or windows, and if I want to go out I must break through the wall. What am I? Answer: A chicken in an egg

Make it different:

Give the participants 10 Yes or No questions before they can make a guess based on the answers to their questions.

Connect to NCS:

• Problem solving is a combination of testing out your theories and

thinking creatively. • This is something they will need to do during the social action

phase of NCS. • Employers really value those that don’t give up and are willing to

problem solve.

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W h a t ’ s g o i n g o n ?

Why use it: This is a mindbender that encourages participants to use

logical thinking but at the same time think past initial assumptions.


Time: 5-10 minutes

What to do:

A father and son are in a car crash and the son is injured. The father rushes him straight to hospital. The father and son are waiting in the hospital room. When the doctor enters the room the doctor says: “I cannot operate on this boy, he is my son.” How is this true? Answer: The doctor is the boy’s mother.

Make it different:

Here is another one: A lift is on the ground floor. There are 4 people in the lift including me. When the lift reaches the 1st floor, 1 person gets out and 3 people get in. The lift goes up to the second floor, 2 people get out and 6 people get in. It then goes up to the next floor, no-one gets out but 12 people get in. Halfway up to the next floor the lift cable snaps, it crashes to the floor. Everyone dies in the lift. How did I survive? Answer: I got out on the second floor.

Connect to NCS:

• Use this opportunity to explore reactions to stereotyping,

especially around the jobs that men and women traditionally undertake.

• Consider different reactions amongst participants to puzzles such

as these. Some people love these whilst others find them really frustrating and not at all engaging. Explore how team members can support/work through differing reactions to what is going on.

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D i v i n g i n d e e p

Why use it:

This is a puzzle that really gets the brain working overtime with logical thinking.

Resources needed: Maybe some paper and writing equipment

Time: 10 minutes

What to do:

The problem can be written up on a flip chart so participants can keep referring to it. The problem: Adam, Becky, Carla, Jordan and Sophie are lined up at the diving board. Jordan is the only person who dives. The others jump. Carla is standing behind her best friend, who is Adam. Adam is two people in front of Becky. The person who dives is the first in line. Sophie is next to Adam. In what order are they standing in line at the diving board? The solution: The people standing in line at the diving board are in the following order: Jordan Sophie Adam Carla Becky

Make it different:

Work in teams and set a time limit for coming up with an answer.

Connect to NCS:

• Some problems may need to be broken down and approached

logically.

• Explore through discussion at which points some team members sat back and let others take over; how they dealt with their frustrations.

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C o i n i t i n !

Why use it:

To build creative problem solving skills.

Resources needed: Flip chart paper

Time: 15 minutes

What to do:

The Six Pennies Problem by Henry E. Dudeney: Place six pennies on the table in two rows as shown.

The object is to turn these two rows into the coin circle shown in the lowermost figure in only three moves. A move consists of sliding one coin to a new position, where the moved coin has to touch two other coins. The solution:

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Make it different:

Here is another: Use sixteen coins to fill the 4 x 4 grid as shown. Remove six of them so that each row and column contains an even number of coins.

Connect to NCS:

• Trial and error needs perseverance in order to solve the problem.

• Keeping going when the going gets tough is something we can

all get better at. • There will be times during the NCS programme, maybe during the

social action phase when participants will need to keep themselves going when they want to give up. Consider how team members can support each other through this.

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P o l k a - d o t s h i r t

Why use it:

More logical thinking problem/s to solve.


Time: 10 minutes

What to do:

The problem: Three girls are walking to college. One is wearing a striped shirt, one is wearing a flowered shirt, and one is wearing a polka-dot shirt. Use the following clues to determine who is wearing the polka-dot shirt:

• Donna doesn't have any polka-dot shirts. • Anita never wears a flowered shirt. • Bev says she likes the stripes on Donna's shirt.

Which girl is wearing the polka-dot shirt? The answer: Anita is wearing the polka-dot shirt. Donna is wearing the striped shirt, so Anita can't be wearing stripes. Since she is not wearing the striped shirt and she never wears a flowered shirt, then Anita must be wearing the polka-dot shirt.

Make it different:

• Turn this into a competition. Participants work in pairs or trios and

have a set time within which to come up with their answer which they present back to other groups. Use a number of the problems to play a few rounds.

• Another problem: A man is standing in a room in four feet of water. He is six feet tall and the light is on. When he went into the room the light was off. The light switch is at ten foot on the wall. How did the man turn the light on? Answer: When he entered the room the water was ice, it has now melted.

Connect to NCS:

Working with others, often makes problems easier to deal with.

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B a l a n c e t h e b o o k s !

Why use it:

This is a number challenge that requires some attention to resolve.

Resources needed: Flip chart paper

Time: 15 minutes

What to do:

The problem: Three people check into a hotel. They pay £30 to the manager and go to their room. The manager suddenly remembers that the room rate is £25 and gives £5 to the bellboy to return to the people. On the way to the room the bellboy reasons that £5 would be difficult to share among three people so he pockets £2 and gives £1 to each person. Now each person paid £10 and got back £1. So they paid £9 each, totalling £27. The bellboy has £2, totalling £29. Where is the missing £1? Answer: We have to be careful what we are adding together. Originally, they paid £30, they each received back £1, they now have only paid £27. Of this £27, £25 went to the manager for the room and £2 went to the bellboy.

Make it different:

N/A

Connect to NCS:

Attention to detail will be important when managing budgets both for the social actions projects; but also more generally when budgeting for the family/home.

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P I N K

Why use it:

Use this to fill a spare 5 minutes.


Time: 5 minutes

What to do:

This works better when said quickly:

An old lady lives in a pink bungalow where everything is pink. There is a pink bathroom, pink chairs, pink television, pink kitchen, pink bed, pink desk, pink sofa, pink spoons. What colour are the stairs? Answer: There are none, it’s a bungalow.

Make it different:

N/A

Connect to NCS:

Sometimes we can fall into a trap if we don’t check the facts carefully.

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G r a v i t y a n d B a l a n c e

Why use it: This activity uses the human body’s centre of gravity and

balance as an intriguing reaction to solving a simple problem.

Resources needed: A wall to lean against and a coin.

Time: 5 -10 minutes

What to do:

Part One: Stuck to the Wall

1. Stand up straight with your right foot and right shoulder pressed firmly against a wall.

2. Attempt to move or pick up your left leg - without falling, moving any part of your body away from the wall or taking a step. What happens? Why?

3. Repeat this exercise by pressing your left foot and left shoulder firmly against the wall. Move or pick up your right leg. What happens? Why?

Part Two: The Penny

1. Place a penny on the ground about one foot away from the ends of your toes.

2. Pick up the penny without taking a step or bending your knees. How difficult does this feel?

3. Now, choose a place to stand against a wall. Place the penny on the ground about a foot away from where you will be standing against the wall.

4. Stand straight with your back against the wall with your heels touching the wall, facing the penny. Pick up the penny without bending your knees, falling forward, or moving away from the wall. What happens? Why? Discuss your observations.

The science… Gravity is a force that pulls objects together. We are usually not aware of this pulling force between objects because the force of gravity on us is small enough that it can only be measured with special instruments. Your centre of gravity is the place inside your body that the force of gravity seems to pull on. Your centre of gravity is somewhere between your chest and your belly button. If you stand with your feet apart, your centre of gravity is in the middle of your body, centred over your two feet. If you lift one foot, you have to shift your weight to keep your balance, or to keep your centre of

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gravity directly over the spot on which you are standing. When you pick up an object off the floor without bending your knees, your legs and lower body have to move backwards to stay balanced. If you stand against a wall, your body can’t shift to maintain balance, which means you can’t move without falling!

Make it different:

N/A

Connect to NCS:

• Sometimes we don’t always understand why things are difficult or

why we can’t do something.

• We need to consider our reaction to things we don’t fully understand. Do we blame ourselves? Do we blame the situation? Do we blame others? What would be a useful/healthy reaction?

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A F o x y P r o b l e m

Why use it: This is a puzzle that encourages logical thinking as well as

requiring participants to sequence the steps in order to find the solution.

Resources needed: None unless you want to make it a physical activity.

Time: 5-15 minutes

What to do:

The problem:

A man lives in a small house with a farm as his back garden and has a river beside his house. On the other side of the river is a shop. One day he visited the shop. He bought a chicken and a fox for his farm and bought a bag of corn to feed the chicken on. The man can only take one thing and himself across in the boat. Without killing any animals or letting another animal eat an item or animal, how will the man get across?

The solution:

Bring the chicken across. Bring the fox across. Take the chicken back across. Bring the corn across and then bring the chicken across.

Make it different:

Make this into a physical activity using objects to represent the chicken, fox and corn.

Connect to NCS:

Sometimes you have to think ahead a few steps in order to solve a problem successfully.

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University of the First Age St.Paul's Cottages 59/60 Water Street The Jewellery Quarter Birmingham B3 1EP tel: 0121 212 9838

website: www.ufa.org.uk

The UFA is a national educational charity that during the past ten years has worked with over half a million young people to provide enriching and challenging learning activities. We work in partnership to develop the capacity of others to enable and encourage the potential of young people. Find out more about what we do by logging on to: www.ufa.org.uk

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MORE THAN ENOUGH WAYS TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED WITH NCSice... · MORE THAN ENOUGH WAYS TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED WITH NCS ... programme grow and there will be more than 600 adults ... The