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:

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

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

Penny Rafts

Materials

• 10 straws per 2 people
• Masking tape
• 100 pennies
• 1 pan with an inch or two of water for every 8 participants
• One pair of scissors for every 2 people (Optional - do not have to use if you do not feel safe with your clients having scissors)

Pair the students up and give them 10 straws and some masking tape. Tell them they each have 10 minutes (or allow the activity to go as long as they are enjoying it) to build a boat that can float. When the time is up, bring the groups together and have them all put their boats in the pan of water. Then have each group add one penny into their boat at a time until their boat sinks. The total number of pennies in their boat before it sank is their official total.
If you have time, allow them to build a second raft and repeat the process.
*You can make this competitive against each other or have them compete against themselves (compare how many pennies the first raft could hold vs how many pennies the second raft could hold).


Lessons Learned
Teamwork: how their team worked together and what made them successful
Communication: the different ways they communicated with each other
Problem solving: what techniques they used
If you have them compete against themselves, talk about how they may not be great at something the first time but they can get better through trying (talk about endurance, etc.)
Talk about what the pennies can represent: things that they must juggle in life and what might be heavier than other things (especially drugs, alcohol, etc.); pennies could represent the different coping skills they need to use and how to effectively use each of them
Forgiveness: talk about how forgiveness can take a few of those pennies out of their raft and make life better


Photo credit
First: http://pad1.whstatic.com/images/thumb/b/b7/Build-a-Straw-Bridge-Step-1.jpg/670px-Build-a-Straw-Bridge-Step-1.jpg
Second: http://premeditatedleftovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/strawraft.jpg
Third: http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-inline/cme/photography.prod.demandstudios.com/ad0948cb-dd72-4209-b173-b2db2c388997.jpg

Balloon Crab Walk

Materials

• One balloon per person
• One trashcan or something that can act as a goal per every two people

Designate a start and finish line. (Explain the rules to the participants before giving them each a balloon.) They are to do the crab walk from the start to finish line while keeping the balloon off the ground. If the balloon touches the ground, the participant must start over at the start line. Once they get to the finish line, the participant has to get the balloon in the goal.

Once everyone is done, have them partner up. Together, each partnership is to get one balloon from the start line into the goal. (Designate a place for the participants to put the balloon they are not using). The game finishes when everyone has gotten their balloon in their goal.


Variation
Add a string at the start and finish line about one foot high. This creates a new obstacle for the participants.
Make a rule that they can only say uplifting things to each other - I like to do this when participants finish before each other because sometimes they can say rude things. This way they know up front they need to be positive and uplifting.

Lessons Learned
Talk about how difficult it was to complete the task alone.
Ask if it was easier alone or with a partner - talk about the importance of support networks and what their support network is in the facility and at home.
Talk about problem solving - what methods did and did not work, how did they find out the methods that did work, did others help them to solve their problem (either by giving advice or watching a peer do it successfully).
Give them a pen/pencil and a piece of paper. Tell them to think of a time that someone helped them and have the write about that time and how they can pass it forward.

Have you led this game or one similar? How did you implement it? What are other ways you could process this group?

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=kids+doing+crab+walk+with+balloon&client=firefox-a&hs=fED&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=MhQBVOHWGYvNggTMooD4Dw&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=848&bih=425#imgdii=_

What is that?

This task requires a bit of prep work but is totally worth it! In this post, I have the work sheet and all of the images necessary so all you will need to do is print them.

Before the participants come, number each image and tape them around the room (they do not need to be in numerical order). Give each participant a worksheet (a piece of paper with numbers 1-20). Tell them to walk around the room and write down what they think each image represents on the corresponding number on their worksheet. Tell them they get X amount of minutes to work on this task (you can decided based on your time frame - I usually have the participants work on it for 10-15 minutes).

After the time is up, have everyone gather around and ask the participants if they were helping one another and talk about why or why not. After discussing it, tell them to try again. Give them so many minutes to work on it.

After the time is up, call them together and tell them the correct answers. Talk about if they got more correct the first or second time and the lessons they learned.

Life Lessons:
Teamwork
Communication
Helping each other
How to be successful

The Worksheet:

The Answers:

1. Visa logo
2. UPS logo
3. IKEA logo
4. NBC logo
5. Motorola logo
6. Pepsi logo (new and old)
7. Olympics logo
8. Highest freefall sponsored by red bull
9. Royal wedding
10. Napoleon Dynamite
11. Karate Kid
12. SALT
13. Hunger Games
14. Indiana Jones
15. Alvin and the Chipmunks
16. Fast and Furious
17. Giants winning the World Series
18. The Notebook
19. Nike logo
20. Sea Hawks winning the Super Bowl in 2014

Please comment below on how you would use it with your population, thoughts on how it has worked for you, advice for others on how to implement it, and so on! We'd love to hear about it!

The Images:

 

 

 

(cut off the part that says "Hunger Games")

Image Credits

1. Visa logo: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2010/05/visa-logo.jpg
2. UPS logo: http://www.logodesignsense.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/UPS-Logo.png
3. IKEA logo: http://www.globalinternships.se/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ikea-logo.jpg
4. NBC logo: http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120109171309/memoryalpha/en/images/9/97/NBC_logo.png
5. Motorola logo: http://www.mobiletopsoft.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/motorola-logo.jpg
6. Pepsi logo (new and old): https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSzX92wTJ2tErq3q01jZle58nUAFbArhsvKi7cNRCL7lKNzkRKAPw
7. Olympics logo: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQS6VRMUS-8taw9mTwJFbnb7z3ZDmCxIGykvOGF9Y2ITDS_H5K7
8. Highest freefall sponsored by red bull: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS2Za6dkkBoBZZCaDyikO7ItG53e-zjCWf02ZoE_SC8JmBiASmA
9. Royal wedding: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTMrVSsURZkV7KWhY9Jzc-fttq3Wz-fQ5vlWfYd66P9TLd9EwjA
10. Napoleon Dynamite: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQfCUJKwpkfzrvKDG-g-ZSVsV6YF3Qqaav-KhzIsAJ4TqP3bdLr_A
11. Karate Kid: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR-Pkrxw6PfL6CszUgBMnjhB08_YPxCFebsyxdu_tvX6u2aS7b_
12. SALT: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQw6TW9cweJdl6gV7MHmasr7FTUD_32C7dJkRPjX-WpMiAJmbGYVA
13. Hunger Games: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTUoj2Hw3mypFnjkB997zBXn4V9DmEDTQY4qGahxG5KbwW8e-pI
14. Indiana Jones: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWEl81owMCnxgV5m6KpXcyg3DvG3atwVswN0IG6qbsgHTr0PSG
15. Alvin and the Chipmunks: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKHgz24darcxRb2q0U-JYK1PKHXZcIADi8vm_vu4ZxYCwYuTmTMQ
16. Fast and Furious: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQJr7plu92nYwY4agBNKR--jeiMB_-Qcl-rQBfg4zf7EbiwpO5VXA
17. Giants winning the World Series: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR9xwUZ5zvme7h10Fjs8v2HHITxZ1z8W0jrmA3vqeTTG04_vnBjDg
18. The Notebook: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQAbeqPSHa7A63hoGtmZ8QOkzmiHR1-djHPz6sirU9OdjH6tIKHsw
19. Nike logo: http://brandirectory.com/images/profile/logo/nike_swoosh_big.jpg
20. Seahawks winning the Superbowl in 2014: http://cmsimg.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20140205&Category=PKR0101&ArtNo=140205038&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Packers-could-open-2014-season-vs-Super-Bowl-champ-Seahawks

Nitro Straws

Tell this story (or a similar one): “You are scientists working in a laboratory with nitroglycerin in test tubes. Somebody was walking along with a tray full of tubes and tripped, making the tubes fly. You all rushed together and caught the tubes in your hands as you have them now. You had to catch them in this way because the sides are very fragile, and if you touched them they would likely break and cause a huge explosion. Such an extraordinary feat caught the attention of the press, and they would like a photo of you, but they need to see your faces. As a collective group you need to turn around so you end up facing outward. You need to do this without dropping the straws or touching the sides, otherwise everything blows up, and you must begin again.”

Everyone stands in a circle facing inward. Each participant points both fingers (arms at their sides with elbows bent at a ninety degree angle). The right palm should be facing up, and the left palm should be facing down. Place a straw in between the boys’ fingers (one boy’s finger on top and another boy’s finger on bottom and so on around the circle). They must figure out how to turn around without touching the sides of the straws or dropping them. If they accidentally do, they must restart.  

Variation:
Blindfold a participant if they are getting it too quickly or one person is always the leader, and you want someone else to step up.

Life Lessons:
This game is very frustrating so talk about their frustration, what they did, what they could have done better, what worked, etc.
Teamwork
Communication
Problem Solving

Please Comment Below: Have you used this activity or one similar to it? What was your experience with it? I'd love to hear any ways that you have adapted it or processed it!

Photo Credit: http://m7.i.pbase.com/u35/sleeper55/upload/23113917.Straws.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