2010 Workshop Calendar Announced
Hi folks,
Good news – my 2010 Public Enrolment Workshops dates are now out!
NEW for this year is the Advanced Facilitation Skills workshop – two awesome days designed for a maximum of 12 people to try out their stuff and receive feedback on their programming, processing and facilitation skills. I promise you, this will be THE MOST significant learning experience that you’ll ever be a part of that WILL enhance your leadership skills. Space is limited, so sign up now.
See you soon, Mark
Moon Walking
The closest people can get to flying without wings
At A Glance
Two people holding the lower arms of a third person whose hands are on his or her hips, physically support the latter as he or she jumps into the air.
What You Need
- 2 – 5 mins
What To Do
Use a variety of Clumps, ending with “THREE” to form random groups of three people. Ask one person to place hands on hips (thumbs pointing backwards) and to hold this stance firm. Instruct the two others of this triad to approach the first person, and grab a lower arm each with their two hands, often placing one hand at the wrist and the other just below the elbow.
Upon engaging in this exercise, allow people to choose where is best for them to place their hands. What is important to stress, however, is gentle but firm grips, and that the middle person maintains a solid stance at all times.
Now, commence the countdown, and ask each of the middle people to jump high into the air. At the same time, their partners will lift their colleagues gently into the air giving extra support to allow for a jump which is higher than can normally be expected. Note, I said “gently” and “extra support” – not fling, heave or toss your jumper into the air!
Depending on your sequence, this could be one of the first occasions in which you have introduced some form of exhilarating physical rush for your participants. It will often elicit much applause and screams (of joy). Apart from the obvious merriment of jumping really high, this is also an excellent activity to introduce your group to the concept of taking care of others – which, in turn, contributes to building a feeling of trust, support and community.
Hence, your sequencing must be spot on. Do not introduce this exercise to your group unless they have already exhibited healthy levels of safety consciousness in your lead-up activities.
Variation
- Same set-up as above, but this time, invite the threesome to move forward five paces, stepping forward in rapid succession with each jump. It will almost feel like flying.
Taken from ‘Count Me In: Large Group Activities That Work’
If you know of a cool variation to this activity, please add a comment…
Great Egg Drop
A purposeful problem-solving team activity that comes with a thrilling climax
At A Glance
Groups are provided with identical resources to build a ‘vehicle’ for an egg to travel from a tall height to the ground, hoping that it will prevent the egg from breaking upon impact.
What You Need
- One egg (not hard-boiled) per team
- 20 plastic straws per team
- 1 metre (3-4’) of masking tape per team
- Paper and pens (optional)
- A large plastic sheet
- 1 -2 hours
What To Do
Like many group activities, you are encouraged to really ham the presentation of this exercise to the max! Develop whatever scenario you care to think of, but be committed and make it fun.
For example, introduce yourself as a famous astro-physicist, and explain that you are seeking the best way for humans to land onto the surface of Mars. You plan to divide your group into competing teams of engineers, who will be charged with the responsibility of building a space-craft that will not only transport humans safely to Mars, but more importantly, help them land in one piece. Whatever…you are now ready to present the task.
Each ‘team’ will be given identical resources – an egg, a set of straws, and a short strip of masking tape. The challenge is to build the strongest vehicle for an egg to safely travel a distance of 3 metres (10’). Why? Because, this is a prototype of the very spacecraft that will carry humans to Mars, of course! However, the distance will be gravity-fed, i.e., it will be dropped from a height, and land with a thud on the ground (that’s why you need the plastic sheet – it’s a landing platform).
Announce that each team’s vehicle will be judged on engineering quality, efficiency of resource use, aesthetics, and naturally, on the survival of the egg. Feel free to add other forms of criteria too. Once all of the questions have been answered, and you have distributed the materials, declare that their time has begun. Allow at least 45 minutes for each team to prepare their craft.
Finally, the program reaches a huge climax when each team returns and, under a veil of secrecy, submits their vehicle for testing. Leading with shouts of “10, 9, 8, 7…” and so on, you drop each vehicle from a height – one at a time (standing on a table works pretty well) – and await the results.
Typically, the egg will erupt with a fit of yellow and white splatter. Even a tiny flow of yolk will be sufficient for the crowd to go wild. Sunny-side up, anyone?
Variations
- Add a variety of materials to those above, such as balloons, rubber bands, cotton wool, etc.
- Ask each group, as part of their overall objective, to prepare a short presentation to accompany the launch of their ‘vehicle.’ Paper and pens can be used to design a ‘marketing campaign.’ Points are further awarded for creativity, originality and believability of their spiel.
Taken from ‘Count Me In: Large Group Activities That Work’
If you know of a cool variation to this activity, please add a comment…
Mintie Game
An awesome mixer that is as effective as it is delicious
At A Glance
Starting with 10 treats each, people aim to earn more treats by causing as many people as possible to say the word “YES” in their ensuing conversations.
What You Need
- 10 ‘Minties’ or other sweet treats (preferably wrapped), per person
- 5 – 10 mins
What To Do
Ohhhh, this seems so easy to do, but I swear the simple exercise of not saying “YES” is so hard.
I first played this game with ‘Minties’ (refreshingly chewy mint lolly), but it works just as well with any sweet treat. Distribute an exact number, say 10, to everyone in your group, and then just as quickly, tell them not to eat them – just yet!
Now, invite your group to mix and mingle with each other, engaging in conversation as often as possible. Encourage them to introduce themselves, exchange pleasantries etc, etc, and then engage in the fine art of conversation. But this is not just any form of conversation; your goal is to cause the other to say the word “YES.” Every time your partner utters this pleasantly uncomplicated word, you gain a Mintie. The person with the most Minties at the end ‘wins.’
My favourite line to gain a quick Mintie? I spy anyone on their own, approach them and calmly ask “Do you have any Minties left? “Yes I do, er…arghhhhhh..” Works like a charm.
Variation
- Substitute the word “YES” with other colloquially popular words such as “LIKE,” and if you want to make it really difficult – the word “AND.” It’s near impossible!
Taken from ‘Count Me In: Large Group Activities That Work!
If you know of a cool variation to this activity, please add a comment…
Clumps
Zany, fast-paced energiser designed to mix people frequently
At A Glance
People quickly form a series of temporary groups matching the number called by the leader.
What You Need
- 5 – 10 mins
What To Do
This is so simple, yet so good. Gather your group around you, and explain that, in a moment, you will shout out a number – any number from, say one to ten (the bigger your group, the bigger you can make the top end). Immediately, everyone must form a group consisting of that number of people. In my experience, groups get very huggy at this point, and form little fortresses with their bodies to prevent others from joining their little huddle.
Naturally, you will often get a few poor souls left over, the so-called remainder, if we speak in the language of long division. At this moment, you have several options. You can eliminate these folks, move them to the side, and continue with the next shouted number, and so on until you get the lucky ‘winners.’ This is fine; however, I think it’s best to simply shout another number. It keeps the energy up, is much less competitive, and more fun for everyone. And the look on the faces of the ‘dejected’ when they hear the next number called (‘I’m saved’) is priceless.
Move from five to three, then up to nine and back down to four so that a high degree of mixing occurs. Shout “ONE!” just to see what happens.
Variations
- Add the proviso that when a new number is called, a person cannot form a group with anyone who was in their previous group (as much as is possible). This tweaking of the rules will spoil the plans of those crafty individuals who prefer to stick together, simply opting to ebb and flow in terms of their membership number at any point in time.
- Form a group according to a simple, easily-accessible category, such as dark-coloured tops, brand of running shoes, gender, colour of eyes, etc. Similar to Categories.
- Once formed, instruct the newly-created groups to use their collective bodies to make the shape of a letter of the alphabet, or numeral, or object, e.g., table, house, car, etc.
Taken from ‘Count Me In: Large Group Activities That Work’
If you know of a cool variation to this exercise, please add a comment…
Quick Shuffle
A good introductory, success-oriented exercise.
At A Glance
A group works together to re-shuffle seven people back to their original positions of a line in which they were standing prior to the group closing and then re-opening their eyes.
What You Need
- An open space.
- Minimum of 10 people.
- 10 – 15 minutes.
What To Do
Be careful not to reveal too much in this briefing, lest you give your group a clue as to what’s about to happen. It’s not critical, because you can always up the challenge, but it’s good to preserve the adventure for as long as possible.
Ask seven people from your group to stand in one line, side-by-side, in front of the rest of your group, and then ask the latter to simply look at the former for about 10 or so seconds. Now, instruct those who are doing the looking, to close their eyes for 15 to 20 seconds, during which time the chosen seven will totally shuffle their positions. No one leaves the line, each person simply moves to a new spot within it.
As you will have guessed, the group now opens their eyes and is charged with the responsibility of re-shuffling the group back to their original configuration. It is quite likely that not even the seven people will recall their original positions correctly – because they didn’t see what was coming either, and that’s OK.
The guts of this activity is about the looking group working together co-operatively to solve the problem. Like most initiatives, it’s not always about getting the right answer. To this end, and to prevent a “hero” from doing all of the shuffling, be sure to frame this simple exercise as a “group” problem, and suggest that every “looking” person takes a turn in making one shuffle at a time. The chosen seven should remain silent at all times during the shuffling process.
Of course, after the first round, everyone is attuned to memorising the formation of the line when the activity is repeated, but there’s still plenty of room for disagreement. Naturally, applaud the idea of using pen and paper, but disallow it!
Variations
- If you have a large group, create several sets of seven, with matching groups of three to five people to do the looking and re-shuffling.
- Experiment with larger look-at-me lines, of say 10 or more people.
- Moving only one person at a time, record how many moves it takes for a line to be correctly reshuffled.
Taken from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’
If you know of a cool variation to this activity, please add a comment…
Toe Tag
A hop-step-and-jump tag game that quickly raises the energy of your group.
At A Glance
Starting back to back, two partners spin around on “go” and try to “tag” the toe of their partner before they get tagged.
What You Need
- A flat, open space to accommodate lots of frenetic activity.
- Minimum of 2 toe-taggers.
- 2 – 5 minutes.
What To Do
This is a perfect 2 minute filler that has the power to transform your mopey group into a ball of energy.
You need groups of two people. Ask everyone to start with their backs to their partner, and on an appropriate signal like “go”, both partners spin around 180 degrees to face one another and engage in a dance-like combat. Each person attempts to “tag” the toe of their partner gently before one of their own feet gets tagged.
Be sure to remind your group that you said “tagged” and not “stomped” – this will make all the difference between many fun rounds, and a lot of sore feet. Play best of three rounds, but if you lose the first two, better make it five!
Variations
- If too much energy is expended chasing your partner, a less aerobic version is to start by facing your partner and holding their hands.
- Form a circle with your group holding hands. Each person attempts to “tag” the feet of their immediate neighbours. As soon as a person has had both feet tagged, they retreat from the circle, the group re-joins, and the game continues until the final two “toe taggers” duel.
Taken from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’
If you know of a cool variation to this tag game, please add a comment…
Do You Have Something To Share?
Hi folks,
This space is reserved especially for people like YOU to give and receive feedback about my books and PD workshops. If you like them, great – tell everyone about the value you’ve gained. If you don’t, say that too!
So, if you’re thinking of purchasing No Props or Count Me In, or attending one of my Public Enrolment Workshops, this space would be an awesome spot to learn what others have been saying before you make a decision.
Or, if you already have my books or have been to one of my workshops, keep it short and simple, and write what you think other people oughta know.
<< TO ADD A COMMENT >> Click the ‘Comments’ link located directly above. The most recent comments appear at the bottom.
Thanks for sharing,
Mark
Mirror Image
Filed under: De-inhibitizers, Warm-Ups & Stretches
Excellent for stimulating mutual co-operation and plenty of unself-conscious stretching.
At A Glance
Facing each other, one person will reproduce the “mirror image” of the moves of their partner.
What You Need
- A flat, open space.
- Minimum of 2 people.
- 5 minutes.
What To Do
Ask people to find a partner who is about their height, and gather around. Start with a demonstration, inviting a volunteer to face you standing about half a metre apart. You initiate the action while the other person becomes your “mirror image”. Get that, it’s a mirror image, so if I extend my left arm out to my left-side, my partner will extend their right arm out to their right-side.
The intention is to make your movements interesting and slow enough for the other person to mime as if they were a full-length mirror. The enjoyment level is definitely enhanced by an initial zany presentation of unself-conscious stretching. Try not to succumb to typical “star jump” types of stretches – rather, for example, invent an innovative and fun morning “wake up” routine that includes having a shower, dressing in stretchy trousers and a long-sleeve angora sweater, etc.
Got a few laughs, it’s now time to turn it over to the group. The facial and physical gymnastics that result lets you see people like you’ve never seen them before. Swap roles after an appropriate time.
Variations
- After each partner has had their turn, ask them to try the anti-mirror (or reverse) image – during which the follower tries to mime exactly the opposite of their partner’s movement. Classic moves and total confusion are sure to follow.
- Repeat in groups of three or four people (all but one are the mirrors), but not too many more lest people get a little self-conscious.
Taken from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’
If you know of a cool variation to this stretch, please add a comment…
Pairs Compass Walk
Filed under: De-inhibitizers, Problem-Solving, Trust Exercises
Marvel at people’s amazing ability to completely lose their sense of direction.
At A Glance
A blind-folded person attempts to walk directly in a straight line towards a target about 50 metres away.
What You Need
- A wide, open but not necessarily flat space.
- Minimum of 2 people.
- 10 – 20 minutes.
What To Do
Ask your group to divide into pairs. To start, one person identifies a distant object from across the space – a tree, a rock, a door, etc – and announces the object to their partner. With their eyes completely closed (no peeking) they begin to move directly towards it. Their aim is to walk “straight” to the object, in pursuit of the lofty ideals of accurate distance and direction.
To ensure a safe arrival, the sighted partner follows the blinded silently from behind. They can not verbally or physically assist their partner, rather their role is to prevent them from encountering any “unplanned” obstacles by stopping them just short of a collision, ie they are a spotter.. To this end, it may seem to make more sense to protect one’s partner from the front or side, but in my experience, this practice tends to crookedly influence the blind person’s direction and is therefore not recommended.
This activity works best if the targets are at least 50 – 100 metres away. Instruct the “spotters” to observe and note the tendency for their partners to veer either left or right, and to what extent. The looks on people’s faces when they discover how far off they were from their target is worth bottling. Full circles are not uncommon.
Follow-up with a good-natured discussion about what helped and hindered the process of travelling to the target and the consequential development of trust. A typical result – if your compass says to go one way, and your gut feeling strongly suggests another, trust the compass!
Variations
- Ask two people (possibly with opposite biases) to walk hand in hand. In this case, their original partners will walk directly behind these two co-joined people and note and ensure their safe progress.
- See Group Compass Walk (No Props p149), where you bring your entire group together in an attempt to walk as a group “blind-folded” towards a common object.
Taken from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’
If you know of a cool variation to this activity, please add a comment…
Let Me Introduce
An exercise where you introduce everyone else but yourself
At A Glance
Each person approaches as many people as possible within a specified time limit, introducing each of them to another person in the group.
What You Need
- 2 – 5 mins
What To Do
I’ve found this simple re-working of the traditional form of introductions a brilliant way to rid my group of a lot of that tension that most people experience when they first get together. It won’t evaporate all of the awkward feelings, but it is fun and is guaranteed to create a ton of energy.
With your group milling about, ask them to casually approach any other person in the group – whether they know their name or not – greet them, and ask for their name. Embodied with a lively demonstration, it will sound something like this. “Hi, what’s your name?” The doe-eyed person you have just approached says “Simon,” and you reply with “Hi Simon, come with me, I’d like to you to meet somebody.” At which point you lead Simon with you over to another unsuspecting group member, and say “Hi, what’s your name?” and it might be Vijay this time. “Hi Vijay. I’d like you to meet Simon. Simon this is Vijay.”
Having done the job of the Introducer, explain that each person now moves on to either seek a new person to greet, or submit to another person’s invitation to be part of their introduction, and so on. Get the idea?
In principle, the person arranging the introductions need not say their name, but we are so accustomed to doing so in our culture, it often happens anyway!
To give the exercise a little vivacity, announce that your group has three (or whatever) minutes to introduce everyone to everybody else. Won’t happen, but that’s not the point.
Variation
- Following on from the basic set-up, one of the two people who have just been introduced to each other, now leads the other to a new person. For example, Simon leads Vijay over to meet and greet with Rachel.
Taken from ‘Count Me In: Large Group Activities That Work’
If you know of a cool variation to this exercise, please add a comment …
Categories
The perfect ice-breaker – ideal for mixing people in a fun and non-threatening manner
At A Glance
Your group splits into a variety of smaller groupings, according to a series of categories you announce.
What You Need
- 10 – 20 mins
What To Do
Ask your group to separate according to the categories or groupings you are about to announce. For example, if the category is “Colour of your pants,” everyone wearing blue jeans will group together. Sometimes, individuals may find themselves alone, but in most cases, small groupings of commonality will develop. Upon identifying each of the groups, announce the next split. You can keep splitting folks for as long as they are having fun, or you run out of ideas.
For mixing purposes, alternate between two-group splits and multi-group splits. The idea is to invite your group to meet as many new people as possible. To this end, if you have the time and the inclination, as soon as the groups have formed, give the participants a few moments to say hello to one another, or perhaps share something of relevance to the category, e.g., “What was so cool about being the oldest / youngest / in-between child in your family?”
Here are just a few sample and fun group categories. There are simply hundreds of them out there, so please, don’t hesitate to make up your own, or tempt them from your group.
Simple half-half splits:
- Arm that ends up crossed over the top of the other, when folded on your chest.
- Leg you put into your pants, shorts, underwear, etc. first when dressing.
- Preference for cooking or cleaning up.
- Preference for washing or drying dishes.
- Position of your thumbs, that is left or right on top, when you clasp your hands together so that your fingers interlock.
- Last digit of your home telephone number. All the odd numbers – 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 – get together, and the even numbers do the same.
- When presented with a ‘good news / bad news story,’ which do you prefer to hear first?
- Preference for the way toilet paper spills off the roll – like a waterfall, over the top and forward, or against the back towards the wall.
- Number of street you live at – odds and evens.
Simple multi-group splits:
- Month / zodiac sign in which you were born.
- Number of continents you have visited.
- Number of siblings in your family, including yourself.
- Colour of your eyes, hair, socks, etc.
- Type of shoes you are wearing (not necessarily their brand).
- Which shoulder(s) you hold a carry-bag – right, left or both shoulders.
- How often you shave each week?
- Distance you have travelled to get here (use clumps of distances, such as 0-5 km, 5-10 km, etc.
- Number of items you recycle at home, e.g., plastic, glass, tin, paper, etc.
Variation
Use to divide a large group into roughly random and even teams. If you are looking for an even split, and just don’t seem to find a category that fits, simply use the old scientific method of indiscriminately moving a few people (“Hey, you and you, move over here.”) to even out the groupings.
Taken from ‘Count Me In: Large Group Activities That Work’
If you know of a cool variation to this exercise, please add a comment…
Count Off
Looking for a fun two-minute filler – this is it.
At A Glance
A group attempts to count from 1 to 20 in one shot, where people at random say one number at a time, without establishing a pattern or speaking over another person.
What You Need
- A comfortable, open space.
- Minimum of 5 people.
- 2 – 5 minutes.
What To Do
Invite your group to get comfortable wherever they are, and explain that you would like them to count to twenty. Sounds simple enough, but there are a few catches.
In an effort to count from one to twenty, an individual can only call out one number at a time, ie they can’t call out two numbers in succession, but they can call another number later. Also, any time one or more people call out a number at the same time, the count goes back to zero. The biggest catch is that the group is not permitted to establish a pattern, nor is anyone allowed to indicate / gesture / motion to another that they should call the next number. The sequence of calls is purely determined by chance. That’s what makes this game so contagiously fun.
The glee that strikes a group when two (or more) people speak at the same time after a long silence is what the game is all about. Within a few minutes, you group may not have reached twenty, but some spontaneous fun was had, and you successfully filled in a few moments.
Variations
- Ask your group to close their eyes during the activity.
- Choose any list to recite, such as the alphabet, the chemical tables, months of the year, and numbers of seven (eg 7, 14, 17, 21, 27, 28, etc).
Taken from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’
If you know of a cool variation to this exercise, please add a comment…
Cocktail Party
A quick name reinforcer, and welcome segue to a drink’s break.
At A Glance
People mingle about shaking hands and greeting people by name as quickly as possible.
What You Need
- A flat, open space for mingling.
- As many party-goers as you can muster.
- 2 minutes.
What To Do
Looking for a quick way to wrap up a session, perhaps reinforce a few names people may have just learned, and throw to a drinks break? This is it.
Invite people to bunch around you, capturing the image of palatial surroundings, evening gowns, black ties and cocktails. Suggest that each person holds in their left hand an imaginary drink, or cocktail if they choose. Then, on your signal, everyone is encouraged to meet, shake the hands of and greet as many people at the party as possible, in say, 43.5 seconds (this is not a magic number!).
On “go”, it will sound something like, “Oooohh, darling, so good to see you Peter. I’m having a frightfully good time…..”. Chat for a few moments, discuss drinks, recent holidays to the Swiss alps, and then in typical cocktail party fashion, interrupt the conversation with a “O, petal, must keep moving”. Air kiss, kiss (these are not mandatory), and “…bye bye” off you go to greet another party guest.
Suggest to your group that they should use the other person’s name as often as possible, enquire about the other person’s drink (remember, they are holding on to it), but not spend too long with any one person. For a bit of fun, ask someone for the time and see if they spill their drink!
When you feel like the heat has started to dissipate from the party, quell the action and ask your group what is odd about this activity. Someone usually will remark that “there is no drink in their hands”, which is your cue to say….let’s remedy that situation – time for a break.
Variations
Imagine you are in a swanky Food Hall. Invite people to mingle as they treat themselves to the extraordinary array of fine foods available on people’s trays.
Taken from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’
If you know of a cool variation to this exercise, please add a comment…
Fill Me In
A name reminder game featuring a chaotic combination of movements.
At A Glance
People assume the place of a person standing in the circle whose name they have just called.
What You Need
- A flat, open space.
- Minimum of 10, and up to 30, more if your group has a good level of name-knowingness.
- 10 – 15 minutes.
What To Do
Having formed a circle, the action begins when one person steps into the circle – at the same time announcing the name of someone who is on the other side of the circle to them – and walks toward that person. The first person fills the space of the newly announced person as this second person moves into the centre of the circle and immediately calls out a third person’s name, and the process starts all over again.
In and out, in and out it goes on. At a point you believe the group is ready for more, introduce a second and third person calling out a name across the circle. A series of chaotic and confusing crossings will result. At this time, encourage lots of eye contact and careful movements.
Variations
- Invite the person who has called out a name, to introduce themselves by name to the other, perhaps shake hands, before this other person repeats the process.
- As the movement of people in the centre of the circle gains momentum, invite people to shake the hand and greet (using the name) of someone as they pass them in the middle of the circle.
Taken from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’
If you know of a cool variation to this exercise, please add a comment…
Welcome to Inspire’s NEW Blog
Hi folks! 
This blog has just been set up, with its sole AIM – to promote discussion, sharing and learning about anything to do with group activities, facilitation and programming ideas.
Watch this space for TONS of great ideas that will keep your groups interacting and having FUNN in your programs. Free activities, videos, tutorials, etc and naturally LOTS of chatting and sharing.
If you’ve got an idea, please add a comment!
You’ll see me on here all the time, so I’m all ears…
have FUNN, Mark
Who am I?
Hi, I'm Mark Collard.
This blog shares some of the most successful group games, team-building activities & programming tips I know.
>>> FREE ACTIVITY eBOOK
Enter your name and email address in the form below to receive a FREE 30 page ebook which features ten of the BEST ice-breakers & group games ever!