Me You You Me

May 9, 2012 by · 1 Comment
Filed under: Ice-Breakers 


(You’ll note a few NEW features in this activity write-up,
just a precursor to what’s in store in my new online activity resource
www.playmeo.com – launching July 2012).

At A Glance

Walking inside the perimeter of a circle, each person introduces his or her name and repeats the name of every other person they are greeting in a particular sequence.

Benefits

A know-your-own-name-game classic in the making

  • Triggers spontaneous laughter
  • Highly interactive
  • Deceptively simple

What You Need

  • 5 minutes
  • Nil equipment
  • Recommend 10 – 20 people

What To Do

Start by asking your group to form a circle. Using your example as a demonstration, step in front of the person who was standing to your left. Shake this person’s hand, and simply say your own name. Nothing else, no “How do you do,” or “My name is…,” simply state your name. Next, whilst still shaking hands, instruct your partner to say his or her name. Pretty easy so far, but it’s not over. Here comes the fun part.

The person who first introduced him or her self (you in the case of this demonstration), now repeats (says) the name of the person they are greeting (you’re still shaking hands by the way). Again, nothing more, just repeat their name. And, to finish, your partner repeats (says) your name back to you.

That’s it, you can now unclasp sweaty hands, and move on to the next person to your right in the circle. So, if I were starting, and the name of my left-hand side neighbour was Ruby, our exchange would sound like this – “MARK,” “RUBY,” “RUBY,” “MARK.”

This exact process of back-and-forth greetings continues with each greeter (you, initially) moving to his or her right, and shaking the hands of the next person in the circle. And, as they do, this movement causes the outside of the circle (which has just been greeted) to follow behind the first person (you) effectively curling inside itself. For example, by the time you get to the third person in the circle, the first person you greeted will have joined you inside the circle and started to greet the second person in line. Get it?

In essence, everyone gets to walk on the inside of the circle and greet everyone once, and then resume their original position in the circle. At which point, every other person will greet them a second time as these folks step inside the circle and return to their original spot in the circle.

Trust me, this really is very simple, it’s just not very easy to comprehend when you are only readings words off a page. And I can almost guarantee, inside the time it takes for the first few exchanges to occur, the group will erupt in guffaws as one or more people mix up their names. It’s astonishing how often people say the wrong name at the wrong time.

Leadership Tips

You’d be mistaken to think that this exercise was all about learning names. Yes, some folks may pick up a few names, but it’s all about taking subtle risks, sharing and above all, laughing.

With especially large groups (see variation described below), as the two tails of the inner circle meet and start to pass each other, one of two events may occur – (a) the action stops because no one knows how to deal with the chaos, or (b) the group will battle on trying to successfully greet everyone per the rules. Either way, it doesn’t matter, provided you generated lots of non-threatening interaction and laughter.

Variations

  • Got a large group of say 30 or 50 people? Two options (a) you can split this number into several smaller groups (and continue as above), or (b) if you would prefer to keep them all together, start the initial greetings to the left and right direction of the break in the circle at the same time. That is, you get one ‘snake’ started off to your left, and then after a few exchanges, leave the head of that snake and start a new one on the right hand side of the circle from whence you were standing. The two snakes will eventually meet in the middle and collide, and chaos will reign. But that’s OK, some groups will persist to make it work, others will just look to you and say “HELP!” Just smile.
  • Exchange the use of a name with something interesting about yourself, eg honest, fun, thirty-two, Brazilian, etc. That was not meant to sound like a personal ad, but you get the idea. So, it may sound like “BUFFED,” “FINNISH,” “FINNISH,” “BUFFED.”

Framing Ideas

How often have you just been introduced to someone new, or that person told you their name, and literally three seconds later, you realise you’ve forgotten their name? It’s as if you never even heard it! Embarrassing, I know! And the truth is, most of us would prefer to avoid that person (for the rest of the party, or work shift, etc) than face the ignominy of fessing up and admitting to have forgotten that person’s name. This exercise says it’s OK to forget someone’s name, and that it’s OK to ask someone to repeat their name to remind you.

Most people are inclined to suggest that they are not very good at remembering people’s names. I don’t think this is true, but most of us would rather lower people’s expectations than face the embarrassment of getting a name wrong. This exercise re-frames this awkward social phenomenon by saying that it’s OK to ask someone to repeat their name, because this interaction says “I care to know your name”, and not that “I’m stupid and forgot.”

Sourced from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’ and adapted for use in playmeo.

Want to make a comment, or pass on a fun variation? Please let me and the world know by clicking here…

 

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Fifty Things To Do Before You’re 11…

April 17, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General 

Did you know that fewer than one in 10 children regularly play in wild places, compared with almost half a generation ago?

This is the finding of a report commissioned by Britain’s National Trust, which also found that a third of children have never climbed a tree! Really? I thought this was core curriculum for every kid. Not so, apparently.

In response to a world suffocated by “screen” time, the Trust compiled a list of 50 things every kid under 11 years of age should do.

This list includes simple outdoor pleasures such as:

  • running around in the rain,
  • bug hunting,
  • snail racing
  • flying a kite, etc.

So, … when was the last time you rolled down a hill, climbed a tree, or even played a tag game?

A great article, and one that reminds me not to neglect the simplest pleasures of “being a kid” (no matter how old we are).

My favourite thing to do as a kid?build cubby huts, and discover rock pools at the beach…

Click HERE, to tell me your favourite outdoor activity when you were 11 years old …

 

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How To Involve & Engage Difficult Kids?

March 25, 2012 by · 3 Comments
Filed under: Leadership Tips 

This was a question sent to me from a participant who attended one of my recent workshops…

Q: What activities do you think would be well suited to students who are hard to work with and disengaged from participation? – Duncan (WA)

Here’s a part of my response…

… I can totally understand the “resistance” issue with the kids you’re working with especially. However, the principle is the same as with any other group – it’s all about preparation. If at any time they resist, it’s just a signal that they are not comfortable, and need more preparation. Most of the time, your groups are going to need LOTS more preparation, esp in terms of “sharing” and trusting one another.

However, that said, these groups are often the quickest to embrace the power of these interactions once they ‘get over’ themselves. And that’s part of our job. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m not saying that this is a lottery, but a play and adventure-based learning approach is just one tool in your arsenal, there is NO magic trick.

So, to your questions about what activities are good to introduce with these kids – well, pretty much anything that involves their WHOLE body – keep them moving, and subtly, invite them into “safe” places to share. An hour of running around, having a laugh, and raising heart beats goes a long way to helping kids feel more effective at sharing. It’s often baby steps at first (there’s a LOT of ice to break with these kids), but over time, you should start to see some kids get the idea, and feel safer to share and thereby open the door to learning and trusting.

Final word of advice… I often also spend some considerable time and effort “framing” my experiences before I invite challenging groups to “risk” playing. Sometimes this is a conversation, but often it can be just the way I behave or the type of activities I introduce that communicates “what is expected around here.” If it seems like rules, they’ll buck up. But, if the fun is really obvious, it’s often hard for kids to step away from it. And as I often say, it’s hard to look “cool” when every one else is having a fun time.

 

Do you have a leadership or programming question for Mark?

Click here to Ask Mark your most pressing question…

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Ubuntu Cards

March 13, 2012 by · 4 Comments
Filed under: FUNN Games, Ice-Breakers 

One of the most exciting NEW props you can use to invite interaction and fun

At A Glance

A set of unique double-sided picture cards which present an endless array of conversation starters and opportunities to interact within a group.

What You Need

What To Do

These cards are my latest #1 favourite prop – here’s just one of a zillion of ways to use them…

Distribute one card (there’s 54 in the pack) to each person in your group. Describe that that there are two sides to each card, every one of them different.

On one side, there is a large picture of a unique object such as a hammer, a rubber chook or a model train. On the other side, there are 8 smaller images selected from the 54 larger items. Somehow (and I’m not a mathematician) any two cards will have one item in common among these 8 images. Crazy, I know! But it works every time.

Ask everyone to mingle and find a partner. On the count of “1, 2, 3″ each person flashes the 8-image side of their card to their partner. The first person to identify the common image / object, earns a brownie point!

From this point, you can take one of many routes. For example, once the match is identified, ask each partnership to have a quick chat to discover at least one thing that they have in common – but – encourage them to look beyond the obvious. Then, each person swaps Ubuntu cards, and returns to mingling and seeks out a new partner. And repeat many times.

Variations

If you are already using Ubuntu cards, why not post your favourite variation by clicking here

Click here if you want to get your own Ubuntu card set?

 

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The Maze

March 8, 2012 by · 2 Comments
Filed under: Problem-Solving 

Dynamic problem-solving initiative that can be linked powerfully to real life

At A Glance

A group attempts to navigate the correct path across a series of spots on the ground.

What You Need

  • Bunch of rubber spots / carpet tiles / chalk circles
  • Pen & paper

What To Do

This is an ideal probelm-solving exericsewhen you don’t have a lot of room to use.

In advance, lay a series of rubber gym spots /carpet tiles or simply draw chalk circles on the floor, arranged in rows and columns (see photograph). There’s no magic number, but the more spots, the more difficult the task will be.

Start your group at one end of the spots, and explain that you would like the group to navigate their way through the maze – one step at a time – to identify the secret pathway. The correct path starts with one of the spots in the top row (closest to the  group ), and will finish with one of the spots which form the final row. How the path travels between those two points is a secret.

As with electricity, suggest that the secret pathway will follow the path of least resistance, so it will not run in a straight line, and may turn in any direction, but it will never cross itself, nor use any spot twice (see sample below). Also explain that once identified, the path will not change.

Instruct your group that only one person is entitled to enter the area of the spots at any point in time. To this end, the group may choose to task several people to enter the area to navigate the path, but only ever one person at a time. Explain that every time a spot is stepped on (with both feet), you will either give the thumbs up (yes, part of the path) or thumbs down (no, not the correct path). Tally the number of “errors,” challenging the group to navigate the path with as few errors as possible.

This is the basic set-up. To add extra spice, add one or more of the variations described below.

Note, like many problem-solving activities, this activity and its execution are wonderfully applicable to many a metaphor. For example, the maze represents a journey (or the life of a group), because it has a start and an end and many unknowns in between, and to be successful the whole group must work together, etc.

Variations

  • Each time an error is made (stepped on wrong spot, or perhaps in wrong sequence), require the stepper to retrace their correct steps back out of the maze returning to the start.
  • Establish a maximum number of “errors” the group can incur to be “successful.” Based on the maze I often use ( illustrated at right), most groups are able to be “successful” in 30 or less errors.
  • Ask the group to complete the task silently, ie no verbal communication once the spotted area is entered for the first time. This may mean that they group can talk during their designated planning time.
  • For groups still developing their social skills, use less spots or a greater number of allowable errors.

Do you have other ideas about this exercise? If so, let me and the world know by clicking here…

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Stop Stealing Dreams

February 28, 2012 by · 6 Comments
Filed under: General 

The economy has changed, probably forever. School hasn’t.

Everyone asks “What do you think we ought to do about education?” Seth Godin responds by asking “What is school for?”

I regard Seth Godin as one of the most passionate and brilliant thinkers of our time. His manifesto ‘Stop Stealing Dreams‘ is dedicated to every teacher who cares enough to change the system, and to every student brave enough to stand up and speak up.

I urge you to click the link below, download his manifesto, and start thinking about what is possible.

CLICK HERE to download the ‘Stop Stealing Dreams’ pdf

As Seth says.. “…Ultimately, our future belongs to a generation that decides to be passionate about learning and shipping (ie creating and producing), and great teachers are the foundation for that…”

And when you’re done, come back here and add a comment, share your ideas….

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Follow Me

February 24, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General 

Add @markcollard to your Twitter account…
… and become one of the first to know about the latest & greatest group activity ideas I’m sharing with the world…

Spectrums Debrief

February 23, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Debrief Strategies 

Simple, quick & non-verbal technique to debrief a group’s experience

At A Glance

People respond to a series of questions by standing between two points of a spectrum.

What You Need

  • Ample room to assemble your group in a line.

What To Do

Position your group so that they can see a line (imaginary or otherwise) marked on the ground about 5 to 8 metres long (depending on how many people are in your group). Or, place two items this distance apart and suggest that there is an imaginary line between them.

It may sound like… “Imagine that this end of the line means Extremely Easy, and this other end of the line means Impossible, and all other levels of easy to hard fit in between this spectrum. Thinking about our lesson today balancing on your surfboard in the water, where would you stand on this line in regards the relative ease of that task – at one end, or the other, or somewhere in between?”

Variations

  • Introduce two or more ‘spectrums’ in a row.
  • Invite kids who happen to be standing close to one another, to share why they are standing where they are standing.

 

Click here to make a comment, or share a variation of this technique…

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Paired Shares Debrief

February 23, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Debrief Strategies 

Brilliant method to invite more sharing & generate lots of energy.

At A Glance

Pose a question for groups of two or three people to discuss.

What You Need

Groups of pairs situated within ear-shot of you.

What To Do

Ask your group to form groups of two (or three) people. Depending on how long you wish to occupy them, the pairs can either stand or sit. Position yourself so that all groups can hear you.

It may sound like… “With just your partner(s), I would like you to share … (enter question)…”

Variation

  • After a minute or two, invite several small groups to volunteer what they shared with the whole group.

 

Click here to make a comment, or share a variation of this technique…

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Up The Challenge

February 10, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Problem-Solving 

Hi folks,

This is not a full write-up, but I wanted to quickly share a great idea I came across which was posted on a list-server I’m subscribed to…

Many people are familiar with The Great Egg Drop problem-solving activity, but it’s been around for a while, and so the question was asked – What else is out there?

Try this – inflate a bunch of balloons using helium. Distribute one (or more) to each person or small group. The task is for each person/group to attach whatever they choose (or you could limit the resources) to the base of the balloon(s) with the objective of becoming the last balloon to reach the ceiling/roof.

The only condition is that to “win” a balloon must eventually reach the ceiling/roof.

This exercise kind of reminds me of the plot from the film ‘Up.

Awesome! Try it out, and tell me what you think by adding a comment

Have FUNN :-)

 

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Exercise As Brain Food

January 10, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General 

In the past 12 months there has been a growing mountain of research that has generated a lot of excitement in PE and adventure-based learning circles which speaks to the CRITICAL VALUE of integrating play and exercise in our lives, every day! Especially for kids.

Click the image at right to read this short article.

As John Ratey says in his book ‘Spark,‘ exercise and play are as essential to human development and health as sleep and nutrition. I highly recommend reading his book for more details.

So… how often did you exercise / move your body today? That’s what it’s designed for.

Coloured Ball Debrief

January 10, 2012 by · 1 Comment
Filed under: Debrief Strategies 

Wonderfully creative and random way to debrief your group’s experience.

At A Glance

Participants are asked to randomly pull a ball out of a bag, the colour of which will direct the focus of their response.

What You Need

  • Selection of balls (different colours) or other multi-coloured items.
  • Form one large or several small groups.
  • Everyone standing or sitting in a circle.

What To Do

I love to use this technique because it’s creative and produces totally random results.

It may sound like… “In a moment, I will pull a series of balls out of this hat. Each of the balls is a different colour, and each colour represents something in particular about today’s lesson. For example, when I pull a yellow ball out of the hat I want you to share a highlight, if I pull a black ball I want you to share something about today you didn’t like, if I pull a red ball I want you to share something you saw someone else do today, or if I pull a blue ball, I want you to share something you learned today. Okay, our first ball is…”

Variations

  • Choose to direct each question for the whole group to answer.
  • Pass the bag around the circle so each person can pull their own coloured ball.
  • Return the ball back into the bag after each response.

Click here to make a comment, or share a variation of this exercise…

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One Minute Debrief

January 8, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Debrief Strategies 

One of the quickest and easiest debriefing techniques ever devised!

At A Glance

A group is asked to respond rapidly to one or more questions in no more than sixty seconds.

What You Need

  • Form one large or several small groups.
  • Everyone standing or sitting in a circle.

What To Do

This is perfect for those moments when you have very little time to debrief your group’s experrience.

It may sound like this… “Using my watch, you have exactly 60 seconds to share whatever you’re thinking about two important questions (or topics). Are you ready? Okay, your first question is … (enter question, time elapses) … ten seconds remaining … Okay, second question is .. (enter question) .. quick, less than ten seconds to go …”

Variation

  • Use this timed strategy with the Whip Around technique, to encourage everyone to participate.

Click here to make a comment, or share a variation of this exercise…

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End Of Year Gifts

December 16, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General 

In the spirit of Xmas, here are three gifts I’d like to pass onto you.

I have received so much value from each of these three resources during the year, I feel compelled to share them with you too (the first two are free):

  1. Seth Godin’s Blog – Seth is a brilliant thinker. I receive his short blog every day, and it’s always one of the first things I read. I think he’s one of the world’s most brilliant entrepreneurial thinkers, and pushes me to enter my “stretch zone” to be remarkable all the time. Click HERE to subscribe to Seth’s free blog today.
  2. TED (Technology, Entertainment & Design) – This site is all about ideas worth spreading. If you like to be inspired, gob-smacked and down-right moved, then drop into this site on a regular occasion. It’s free and features only the best people and thinkers in their fields.
  3. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science Of Exercise & The Brain (John Ratey) – If you’re interested in how physical activity and play are related to developing more effective learners (think students), then you MUST get this book. I heard John give an address in Boston a few months ago, and there was a standing ovation. We need to hear and heed John’s message. If you live in Australia or New Zealand, you can get his book ‘Spark’ by clicking this link and entering the discount code “Inspire.”

Happy holidays everyone!

PS: See you in the new year, when I launch an exciting NEW initiative – the ultimate on-line resource of games and activities that inspire groups to play, trust and learn!

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Spot The Difference

December 5, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: De-inhibitizers, Trust Exercises 

An activity about noticing what’s different about another.

At A Glance

In pairs, partners take turns to alter a set number of things about their appearance, and then invite the other to identify those changes.

What You Need

  • 5 – 10 minutes.

What To Do

Noticing the little things about people can develop trust and a connection with others in a group. This knowledge and a discussion of the impact the little things have on the effectiveness of a group can often move a group forward.

Break your group into pairs, and invite each partnership to stand with their backs to the other. Taking turns, one person will agree to alter three things of their physical appearance, eg roll up their sleeves, swap an earring to the other ear, and untie a shoe-lace. When ready, both partners will turn around and face each other and the “unaltered” person will try to identify every change in their partner’s appearance. They then switch roles. At first, this is a relatively simple task.

Now, without notice, ask each partnership to repeat the exercise, but this time, altering a further three (or whatever number you desire) physical effects of their appearance. The odds are your group will groan as they cry out they can’t think of anything else to change. But that’s a lie, they just haven’t thought about it thoroughly.

For example, note how many people do not think to alter their facial expression, or if they did, how many of their partners were focused on material changes and missed the bigger than usual smile, or frown.

You could go even further and suggest the thoughts of a person could change too. All of these tangible and intangible effects make a big difference to a group’s process – and are often wonderful talking points.

Variation

  • As above, but invite groups as large as five or more people to alter X number of things about their appearance, inviting another group to identify the changes. Note, not everybody needs to change something.

Taken from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’

If you know of a cool variation to this exercise, please add a comment…

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Copy Claps

October 30, 2011 by · 1 Comment
Filed under: Ice-Breakers 

Wonderfully engaging non-verbal opener for large groups.

At A Glance

Without saying a word, a leader initiates a series of claps – each one slightly more complex than the one before – inviting the group to copy their moves.

What You Need

  • 1 minute
  • A large group, the bigger the better

What To Do

Start by saying nothing. Simply get people’s attention (look at video for a good example) and initiate your first simple, single clap. Make it loud and proud. Most folks will follow suit.

Then, respond with two claps (the group copies) and then three claps. By now, the group will have caught on to what’s going on.

You whole object now is to continue to present a series of increasingly complex (yet still fun) claps and slaps until the group reaches the point of utter bemusement. End with a courteous series of claps that morph into applause.

You will now have your group’s attention, they will be smiling, and are ready to hear what you have to say.

Variations

  • The sky’s the limit – introduce a variety of sounds from whistles, thigh-slaps, hoots and hollering! Just make it fun.
  • See Clapping Game in Count Me In: Large Group Activities That Work (p 86) for another excellent energiser that is guaranteed to raise the energy of your group and make ‘em laugh!

Thanks Nate for sharing this little gem.

Want to make a comment? Please let me and the world know by clicking here…

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Train Station Greetings

October 28, 2011 by · 3 Comments
Filed under: De-inhibitizers, Ice-Breakers 

An hilarious, silly exercise to energise your group.

At A Glance

Two people spy each other on opposite sides of the group and approach one another in ‘slow-motion’ until they are within a metre of each other, and then suddenly they each turn away and look for a new person to start the process over again.

What You Need

  • Large group, of say 30+ people
  • 5 mins

What To Do

Your sequence and framing of this exercise are very important, so approach with care. If you present when the group is not ready to ‘play’ and act a little silly, it could bomb.

With your group huddled around you (or standing in a circle, doesn’t matter), suggest that you would like everyone to imagine that they are waiting on a train platform in the good old days to meet a long lost friend.

By demonstration, you see them (on the other side of the group to where you are standing) and start waving madly and moving towards them – BUT, in slow-motion. All movements, gestures and sounds are in slo-mo.

By way of a volunteer, ask someone (you have spied) to adopt a similar slo-mo approach to you. Then, suddenly when the two of you are about a metre apart, you discover to your mutual horror that this person is not who you thought it was, and quickly look away.

Eah person then randomly spies a new ‘long lost friend’ (on the other side of the group to them) and they resume the same slo-mo approach toward one another, etc, etc.

Variation

  • As above, but perform all of the slo-mo greetings without sounds.

 

Want to make a comment? Please let me and the world know by clicking here…

 

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Who! by Karl Rohnke

October 20, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: De-inhibitizers, Ice-Breakers 

A name game you can play with a large group.

At A Glance

Standing in the centre of a circle of people, a person points to someone and yells “Who” inviting them to trade places, before the new person repeats the sequence.

What You Need

  • 5-10 mins

What To Do

Earlier this month, I visited Boston to be a part of Project Adventure’s 40th Anniversary celebrations. What a blast, especially to mix with the likes of Karl Rohnke and many other awesome PA staff and alumni.

Karl, Nate Folan (PA staffer) and I were invited to share a few games with everyone at the welcoming session, and this was Karl’s opener! Click here to view Clap Trap, another fun activity Karl introduced.

Start by asking your group to form a circle. With you in the centre, point to someone (perhaps, who you don’t know) in the circle and yell loudly ‘Who!” This will invite this person to walk towards you, and as you meet you could shake hands and exchange greetings, perhaps even using one another’s name.

You now move into the circle where the second person was standing, inviting the latter to resume the pointing and greeting routine.

Once it appears that the group has grasped what is going on, randomly introduce a second, third, fourth, etc persons into the centre of the circle to ramp up the energy and participation.

Variation

  • For groups that already have a good level of ‘name-knowingness’, try Fill Me In.

Thanks Karl :-)

If you know of a fun variation to this game, please add a comment here …

 

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Taking Play Seriously

October 12, 2011 by · 3 Comments
Filed under: General 

Hi folks, I was sitting in a plane on Monday heading to Boston (to celebrate Project Adventure’s 40th anniversary this weekend), and read with interest the following newspaper articles from The Age (10/10/11):

And, then today, Don MacDowall passed on a note regarding next week’s forum ‘Taking Play Seriously’ which, sadly, I can’t get to but figured some of you (in VIC) would be interested. Here’s the details (click here for pdf):

Taking Play Seriously forum: encouraging debate on risk and active recreation to assist in identifying the next steps for strategy and policy. Includes international keynote speaker Tim Gill, one of the UK’s leading thinkers on childhood and advocate for change.

Wednesday 19 October 2011, 2:00pm to 4.30pm
State Library, Village Roadshow Theatrette, Entry 3, 179 La Trobe Street, Melbourne
RSVP By Wednesday 12 October to rsvp@vichealth.vic.gov.au or call 0408 147 914

Enjoy!

Ice-Breaker Exchange

September 20, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Ice-Breakers 

Simple, non-threatening game to get people interacting and sharing.

At A Glance

Starting with a question card each, partners ask each other the question on their card, before swapping cards and then seeking a new partner to ask their new question.

What You Need

  • Set of Ice-Breaker Question cards

What To Do

Kids sharing ice-breaker questions ...In advance, prepare a set of ‘ice-breaker’ type questions on a series of index cards – one question per card. There are hundreds of questions you could use, but to save time, click here for a set of 24 great ice-breaker questions ready to print onto index cards. As you develop more questions, make them as open, non-threatening and interesting as possible.

Next, randomly distribute one card per person. Then, ask each person to find a partner who has similar length of hair to them (or any other fun, random way of splitting your group into pairs).

The action starts with each person asking their partner the question on their card. After this person has responded, the partner asks the question on their card. Upon completing this exchange, they swap cards, and then each seek a new partner. Repeat over and over.

Variations

  • Form groups of three or more, inviting each person in the group to respond to each question, before swapping cardsd and forming a new group.
  • For more energetic groups, replace the questions with actions. For example, ‘Perform ten star-jumps in a row,’ ‘Shake the hand of five different people within 30 seconds,’ and ‘Run around the outside of the group as quickly as possible.’

If you know of a fun variation to this game, please add a comment here …

 

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    Hi, I'm Mark Collard.

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    @markcollard