Group Juggling

Equipment: one ball for each person in the group

Objectives

First, ask your group who can demonstrate juggling (There is usually at least one person who can juggle). Ask, “Who can juggle the most balls?” Two or three balls are usually the limit.

Now have everyone (usually best with 8-12 people) stand in a circle about arm’s length apart.
Ask the participants to throw the ball to someone in the circle that is not standing next to them. each person catches the ball only once except it must start and end with the same person. tell them you are creating a pattern; they need to remember to whom they threw the ball and who threw it to them.

After the ball has made it around the group once, send in more balls until there are two less than the number of people in the group, or until they start dropping a lot. Try it two or three times. Ask them to be more efficient each time.

Discussion

How much more can a group accomplish than an individual?
What happens to the process when one person drops a ball? How does the group compensate?

Whose responsibility is it?

What does it take for a team to be successful?

Variations

Use stuffed animals instead of ball and use the story of Noah’s Arc and tell them water is coming in and we must juggle the animals to keep them from falling in the water.

 Image Credit:

Group Sit

Equipment: a rope tied in a circle

How to Play:
Put the rope on the ground. Have the participants grab the rope and pick it up to waist level. (You can have the rope tangled and tell them to untangle it at this point if you want to make it more challenging). Tell the participants to walk back until the rope is tight and to spread out evenly on the rope. Now, they are to sit down together as a team without ever moving their feet.

Discussion:
Discuss the importance of every member of the team
Teamwork
Communication
Feeling of Accomplishment
Enduring (not giving up even when it seems impossible)
Problem Solving
If someone stepped up to be a leader during the task, talk about leadership skills
If the group became frustrated, talk about healthy ways to deal with frustrations

Please Share:
What variations have you seen done with this activity?
How would you discuss this with your group?

Image Credit: http://hative.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/team-building/12-team-building.jpg

Lava River

Objective: participants work together to move entire group across simulated “lava river”

Emphasis

·      Develop cohesion and teamwork

·      Enhance communication skills

·      Stimulate care and concern for others through individual and group responsibility

·      Identify or improve leadership potential

·      Establish support systems

Materials

·      A large open area, a hallway or gymnasium floor

·      One block, brick or rock for each participant (various sizes of cut 2”x4” work very well. Pick up scrap lumber, different shaped wood from a construction site or a piece of paper if you are really low on budget/time)

Instructions

·      Mark a start and finish line on the field

·      Give each participant one block. Explain the only place a team member can step is on the blocks

·      Team members lay down the blocks one at a time in a line toward the finish point, with team members standing on the blocks. It will be necessary to share blocks in order that an extra block is made available

·      Pass the extra block to the front team member who places it on the ground in front of him

·      Repeat this process until all have crossed the “lava river”

Variations

·      Have each member choose a block that represents them. then allow each member to share with the group the attributes that the block possesses that are similar to the individual. Do not give any instructions as to how to complete the task. Remind them the block represents themselves and others and they need to learn and practice using themselves and others as a support system

·      Teach social responsibility by establishing the rule that if one team member steps off the blocks or has some other miscue where the floor is touched, the entire team must return to the beginning to start the exercise again

·      Divide large groups into competing teams and challenge each other to the finish line, or race against set time

·      Give an extra block to the group, or take one block away

·      Blindfold a member of the group to increase care and responsibility for one another

·      Individuals must step on the blocks and not skate across the area on them

·      Do not give specific instructions, but tell group to figure out possibilities

The group must get everyone through an electric tunnel. No one can touch any of the interior or exterior sides of the tunnel or anything that is touching those sides. The group is provided with some “insulated blocks.” Location should be any open area where a tunnel can be improvised out of boxes, etc. or an area where a tunnel area

Image credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O1D-3RK-FCODUOUGrWnSDhDGxzyAiY3WvVV8MLp8KthusIvKK93UaXPNmnHuMupkhxG43d4ucf6RkvPMKuLXzmCXsZd6I7MDH7f6Jid5TD3mEZVhiIY1PobBqmxLSFBn2AJCLnXE3yE/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG

Mine Field

Equipment: blindfolds, variety of obstacles, boundaries

Rules

·      Put numerous obstacles on the ground in a path about 10-15 feet wide and 25 feet long. Natural obstacles are fine, but make sure it is safe.

·      Several people are blindfolded and expected to make it to the end of the dangerous minefield without touching any of the objects or “mines.”

·      Other people are appointed to lead them through safely with only verbal commands.

·      If the blindfolded participant touches a mine they must start over.

Variations

·      Appoint someone to give them false information or distractions.

·      If they step on a mine, have them switch with their partner.

·      Mine Field II: the first partner is blind, deaf, and mute. The second partner can see but is deaf, mute, and cannot use their legs. The partners must go together through the field (Partner one ends up carrying partner two. They will have to create a way to communicate with one another non-verbally).

Discussion

·      Why was it difficult for the person to make it through the mine field?

·      What methods of communication did you use to help your partner?

·      How is the communication in this game like that in your family?

·      Why was it important to rely on your partner? How is this like life? 
·   How can the mines in this activity be like the boundaries in life?

Image Credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_nPfvHJD9w5OnkJj4BHwceO2GADmB9dtCdxulHkzgfybE3lBhIbVFq84ukcxBGQhrIXl_Hfo_nJxXZkgfUV3aNVOj2lPQfWbL9ypvzxnAel5CrNdvyPUU8ONn6ggpN7mZRkChWnxosHy/s320/19.Crossing.Mine.Field.jpg

Tarp Maze

Equipment

• Tarp with a grid on it
• Make the grid as big or small as your group will need it
• Pen
• Piece of paper

Objectives
Place the tarp on a flat surface with the grid side facing up. Select one member of the group to be the guide. Draw a grid on the piece of paper the same as the one on the tarp. The guide then chooses a course through the maze using 8-15 steps, and draws the course on the piece of paper using numbers.

 
The rest of the team lines up on one side of the maze and tries to guess their way through the course without the map. As the first person steps into a square, the guide will tell them whether or not that square matches the #1 on the map. If they are wrong, the guide makes a buzzing sound, and they must go to the end of the line and let someone else try. If they guess correctly, they can keep moving until they make a mistake. The team must try to remember the pattern on the map to eventually make it through the maze.

*The guide can be the CTRS/leader of the activity or you can assign a group member to do this.

Variation
Time them secretly on the first try. After successfully completing the course, tell them their time and then have them try it again (with a different way through the maze), timing them again. Discuss the differences.

Discussion

• How many times did you make a mistake because you couldn’t see the map?
• Do we live life by trial and error, or do we follow others advice/example?
• Why was there such a difference between the two times? Discuss urgency.
• Was this frustrating? How did you handle the frustration?
• Did anyone step forward to be the leader? How did they lead? How would this have worked out if no one stepped up to be the leader?
• Did everyone listen to each other? 
• Could this have been solved if no one paid attention to their teammates going through? 

Freeze-Tag Toss

Materials

• Soft item/ball

How to Play
Have a team of taggers and a team of people to be frozen (about a 1:5 ratio). The team that can be frozen will have a soft item/ball. The taggers try to freeze everyone. The only way to be unfrozen is to receive a high-5 from someone who is holding the soft item/ball (cannot throw it at the frozen person). The team that can be frozen can pass the soft item/ball to people who are not frozen. If the person holding the soft ball/item is frozen, s/he must drop the soft item/ball, and another player will have to pick it up. The taggers can never touch or hold the soft item/ball. The round is complete when everyone is frozen except the taggers. Then select new taggers and start over until you run out of time!

Lessons Learned
Communication - How did you know who to pass the soft item/ball to?
Instant Gratification - Did you always get the soft item/ball when you wanted it?
Teamwork
Problem Solving - Did y'all have a strategy of who to throw the soft item/ball to? (ex. pass it to a person closest to a frozen player) Did your strategy always work out? How did you adapt it?
Sharing - Did anyone refuse to pass the item/ball?

How would you use this activity? Do you know other tag variations?

Other Variations on Playing Tag
Triangle Tag
Animal Tag
Spot Tag 
Coping Skills Freeze Tag

Photo Credit: http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=JrL-3-mT86rDVM&tbnid=sDAYSBxLeQrMOM:&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.annthegran.com%2Fpost%2F2008%2F04%2F24%2Fa-magic-bookshelf-game-what-are-tags-and-how-do-i-use-them&ei=OggyVMG8IcGnyATtz4DIBA&bvm=bv.76802529,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNH1uYIbzguxRbn9d5ydLMCqpccTPQ&ust=1412651446497669

No-Outs Dodgeball

The rules are the same as dodgeball, but there are no outs!

Materials:

• 10-15 dodgeballs
• 5-8 cones

Set Up: Split the court in half and spread the balls on the half-court line evenly. Use the cones to create a line on both halves of the playing field. When a player is hit, they have to stand behind the line of cones on their side of the court and cannot cross it. They can still throw balls to hit the other team to get them out. If a player who can still cross the cones catches a ball, a player who was stuck behind the cones can become unstuck. If any player (including those who are stuck behind the cones) catches a ball, the person who threw the ball is now stuck behind the cones. The team left with players able to cross the cones wins.

Here is a drawing of how the court looks when set-up:

The triangles represent the cones and the circles are the dodgeballs.

Lessons Learned
Teamwork
Communication - did those who could cross the line give balls to those who could not?
Keep trying - even if we get "hit with a dodgeball", we can still do our best and help others
Work with our limitations

Picture Credit: http://socalmusicservices.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/dodgeball.jpg

Pipeline

Tell the participants the rules and have them figure out their order. Once they have that down, put the marble in the first pipe, and the participants will try to figure out how to continue moving it to the bowl. If the marble hits the floor, they must start over – give them a few moments to come up with a strategy. Ask what did and did not work to help them get going.

Rules:

·       Alike pipes cannot touch

·       Cannot touch others’ pipes with your hands/feet/etc.

·       Cannot touch marble

·       Must stay in the same order throughout the whole activity

·       Marble must move through the pipe

·       Once the marble is in a pipe, that pipe cannot move towards the bowl

Materials:

·       A PVC pipe for each participant (Half should be completely round and the other half should have the top cut off)

·       One marble

·       A bowl

 Life Lessons:
Importance of working together-no one could have done this by themselves just as they cannot reach all of their goals by themselves
Talk about how they approached this activity and how this compares to how they approach their treatment 
 Communication 
 Speed of the activity: was it easier when they went slow or fast? 
 Leadership


Please Comment Below: Do you have any tips or words of advice for running this activity or one similar?


Picture Credit: http://myparadigmshift.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/pipeline-pic1.jpg
 

Managing Large Groups and Choosing Teams

This past semester, I took a class called Social Recreation Leadership. In this class, we learned the importance of creatively choosing teams, how to involve everyone, and keep the fun going. My professor has taught this class for 25 years, and these are his guidelines for leading activities. This is the fifth post out of five about guidelines for leading activities.

These guidelines are not intended to work in all situations. Guideline application requires leadership. You must decide what activities to use in different conditions. Leaders must be alert to potential problems and adjust quickly. Maximum fun and participation in a safe environment is the goal.

Choosing Sides, Teams, or Partners

            Choosing sides can be an embarrassing and anxious experience for many people. Avoid friend-choosing-friend and leaving someone out. Be creative and fun in dividing people into groups. Here are a few ideas on how to choose sides, teams, or partners:

• Clasp hands – the hand on top is in a group and the hand on bottom is in a group
• Name tags - different colors to signify different teams
• Birthdays
• Clothing/jewelry items
• Hold up fingers
• Left thumb/right pinky
• Fold arms/left arm on top is one group, etc.
• Number of letters in first name – odds/evens
• Eye color
• Height
• Wink – left or right
• Animal sounds
• Choices of fruits, vacations, etc.
• Folders/scrunchers
• Count off by 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, etc.

            Once groups are formed, you can put the groups together in various combinations throughout the program. Groups make formations easier.

If a Relay is Moving too Slow

• Make teams smaller
• Use shuttle relays
• Half the team is on one side and half on the other side. The relay moves twice as fast and doubles the participation. 

Promoting Team Spirit

• Have a 'team yell' competition
• Use group leaders to foster team spirit
• Use lots of team skits, cheers, and group contests

Creative Ways to Finish Group Races

• Form a pyramid
• Sit down and raise hands
• Sing a song

Teams are not Even in Number

• Have some people run more than once
• Use group leaders/staff members to even the teams

People are Standing around and Watching

            While we cannot force everyone to participate, you should make every effort to involve him/her, sometimes without him/her realizing it. If you are doing the activities for a larger group, try a test run with a few people to hopefully find any possible problems and fix them. Here are some ideas on how to keep people from standing around and watching:

• Make groups smaller
• Example: In a group of 100, more will participate if the group is divided into 10 smaller groups with one leader over each rather than 10 leaders over a group of 100.
• Have participants help you. Make them judges and officials
• Modify the rules
• Quickly change games

Please share your insights on leading groups and choosing teams in comments below.