One Duck
Another one in a long line of hilarious it-should-be-so-easy-to-do activities.
At A Glance
Sitting in a circle, each person recites one part of a four-part phrase which multiplies each time it is completed, until the group has recited each part five times in a row without mistake.
What You Need
- A comfortable, open space possibly with chairs.
- Minimum of 8 and up to 15 people.
- 10 – 15 minutes
What To Do
Form your group into a circle and ask the participants to repeat the words “One duck – fell in – the pond – kerplunk”. The punctuation is deliberate, and should be reflected in the way you recite the verse the first time, ie it goes something like this “one duck” (pause) “fell in” (pause) “the pond” (pause) “kerplunk”. Consider it a stanza comprising four parts.
Instruct the group that you would now like them to repeat this verse – one person at a time in a clockwise direction – saying only one part at a time. For example, the first person will say “One duck”, and the person to his / her left will then say “fell in”, and so on.
Now for the tricky bit. When you get to “kerplunk”, the verse is repeated again, but this time, each part of the stanza is said twice. So, the next person (ie fifth person in turn) says “One duck”, followed by their neighbour repeating “One duck”, then passing to the next person who says “fell in”, and the next repeats “fell in”, etc, etc. Keep going, until you get to the “kerplunk” and “kerplunk” parts.
No prizes for guessing what happens next (I told you this was easy). The verse continues around the circle, this time with each part being repeated three times, then four times, and to achieve the all-time world’s record, a climactic fifth time!! One duck, one duck, one duck, one duck, one duck, fell in, fell in, fell in, and so on and on it goes. If your group can make it to this level, you all deserve a huge round of applause, or a long lie down!
Explosions of incredulous laughter will break out when someone, typically, forgets how many of which part of the verse has already been uttered. It seems so easy to count to five, yet after many failed world record attempts, I totally understand why the record is so elusive. Give it a go.
Variations
- Have the verse circle the group in the opposite direction.
- Make up your own little verse, with perhaps five, six or even seven parts. Arghhhh…..
Taken from ‘No Props: Great Games with No Equipment’
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…
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…
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.
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