Group Juggle

Group Juggle

Group Juggle

Running Time: 10 minutes Group Size: +5 Materials: 4-6 assorted balls

Setup

  1. Organize participants into a circle
  2. Have participants create a pattern by tossing one ball from person to person
    1. start and end with the same person
    2. everyone gets the ball once
    3. you can’t pass it to the person next to you

Objectives

“Juggle” as many balls as possible through the pattern around the circle.

Rules/Instructions

  1. Start passing one ball in your pattern
  2. You can add another ball after a successful round if your team all agrees
  3. If any ball falls, you must start over again with one ball.

Debrief

Notes

  • Encourage teams to set goals, keeping track of progress on a white board.

Tags

Energizer, physical, goals, challenge

Count to 20

Count to 20

Count to 20

Running Time: 5 minutes Group Size: 5-20 Materials: None

 

Frame

A great activity to start a Communication block.  Force a group to re-think how they communicate as a unit.

Setup

Organize the group into one big circle

Objectives

Count to twenty as a group.

Rules/Instructions

To Begin

  1. One person begins by saying the number “1” out loud.
  2. Someone else says, “2” and so on until the group reaches 20.

Restrictions

  • The next person to say a number can’t be sitting next to the person who just spoke.
  • Two people can’t speak at the same time.
  • The group can’t speak except to call out the next number.
  • If any of these rules are broken, the group has to start over.
  • [optional] Everyone must close their eyes.
  • [optional] …

Debrief

  • How did you end up communicating with each other?
  • Why was that activity difficult?

Notes

  • You can add more restrictions and try again depending on the group’s responsiveness.

Tags

energizer, communication, quick, no materials

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Birdy on a Perch

Birdy on a Perch

Birdy on a Perch

Running Time: 10 minutes Group Size: 10 Minimum Materials: None

Frame

A great activity to get a group acting silly together. This is perfect for the beginning of a program.

Setup

  1. Organize the group into two concentric circles.
  2. Have participants partner with someone in the opposite circle.

Objectives

Work quickly with your partner to be the last pair left in the game.

Rules/Instructions

  • First describe the three moves:
    • Monkeys in the Jungle: the pair links arms and jumps around like monkeys while making monkey sounds.
    • Birdy on a Perch: one person gets on one knee, and their partner sits on it, flap their arms and “tweet! tweet!”s like a bird.
    • Lions in the Jungle: one partner gets on their knees  on the floor and holds their hands up as if they were ready to scratch, and the other stands behind their partner with their hands in the same position. Both partners roar like a lion.
  • To start the round, both circles start jogging in opposite directions, all singing, “Animals in the Jungle EH OH, EH OH!…”
  • When facilitator will call out a move, “BIRDY ON A PERCH!” the participants find their partner and act out the move as quickly as possible.
  • The last pair to do the move is eliminated. They can help the facilitator judge.
  • Continue until there is only one pair left.

 

Debrief

  • Was it hard to be silly in front of your friends? Why? Did it get easier?

Notes

Tags

icebreaker, silly, no materials,

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Board Storm

Board Storm

Board Storm

Running Time: 10 minutes Group Size: 5-12 Materials: Music, Colored Markers, Flip-chart Paper

Frame

A chance to reflect on what we learned about today/during the program.  You get to see the experience you created for yourself

Setup

  • Flipcharts will positioned all around the room/gym, wherever there is a flipchart a group will positioned to face it. (you can mark this starting line by taping a piece of tape a few feet away from the flipchart.)
  • Have participants line up in their groups behind a flipchart (usually easiest to have a “double-file” line, i.e., two single file lines parallel to each other), hand markers to the first 2-3 people per group

Objectives

Fill up the flipchart paper with your ideas and reflections based on the prompt.

Rules/Instructions

  • Just like a brainstorm – an opportunity to dump out all the ideas in your head
  • Introduce prompt, e.g., What are the most impotant things your’re going to take away from today?  What is one thing that surprised you about the program?
  • When the music plays the first person can run up and start writing their reflections on the flipchart.
  • When they’re done, go and hand the marker to the next person in line and head to the back of the line, like a relay race
  • Keep going until the music stops!
  • Its fine if someone wrote something they thought of already

Debrief

  • Have your group gather around the paper.  What do you see?  What surprises you?
  • Boardstorm Highlight: As a group, circle the 3-5 things you wrote that you think are the most important to remember.  Why are these important?  What do they tell you about the outcomes and impact of the program?

Notes

  • Try to use a high-energy song that isn’t popular participants will lose focus
  • You can use the Boardstorm Debrief or Boardstorm highlight as an introduction to a vision statement or goal setting for the group

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Samurai

Samurai

SAMURAI

Running Time: 10 minutes Group Size: 6-16 Materials: Non

Frame

“One day I was walking along when I met an old man. It turns out he wasn’t just some old man, but a real Samurai. He taught me how to control my energy, and pass it around a circle. I’m about to teach you this ancient Samurai secret…”

A quick energizer that works great in a smaller group. Spread enthusiasm (or at least silliness!) to some of the less engaged participants.

Setup

Organize participants into a standing circle

Objectives

  1. To pass the “Ball of Energy” around the circle, using the correct Samurai moves.
  2. Put more energy into the Ball with each move.

Rules/Instructions

  • “Whenever Samurai get together, they have a specific way of greeting eachother…”
    • demonstrate Samurai UNITE! (see below)
  • “Now I’ll show you the most basic way to pass energy around the circle. Remember to always pass it across your heart, and to add energy each time!”
    • demonstrate HA! (see below) and practice with the group for a minute.
  • “Believe it or not, there’s a way to reverse the flow of energy…”
    • demonstrate soooo and practice soooo and HA!
  • “Finally, there’s one more secret Samurai move to learn. If the energy is stuck on one side of the circle, you can send it across with a Hadouken!”
    • demonstrate Hadouken.
  • “When someone sends a Hadouken your way, you can choose to accept or reject it…”
    • demonstrate Yeahhh and No no no!
  • “Now we’re going to work together as a team to pass the energy around our circle, adding to it so that by the end, we’re all feeling excited and energized. Let’s go!”
  • Invite a student to do Samurai UNITE and start playing Samurai. Encourage the group to try all the moves and go as long as they can without messing up. If they do mess up, have someone UNITE the samurai and start over.

Samurai Moves

  • Samurai UNITE!
    • One samurai shouts, “Samurai UNITE!”
    • Everyone claps their hands together in front of them (like you’re about to pray), bows, and says, “ahhhhhh”
  • HA!
    • “Chop” your hand down across your chest (always over your heart) towards a person next to you and shout, “HA!” (fourth tone).
    • Use this move to pass the energy to the person next to you.
    • You must pass the energy across your heart, continuing in the same direction it came from.
  • soooo!
    • Hold up your hand and say, “soooo!” (first tone)
    • The energy is reflected back to the person who just passed it to you with a HA!
    • You must let the energy cross your heart (i.e. if it came from your left, you have to raise your right hand)
    • You can’t “sooo” a “sooo”
  • Hadouken!
    • Make DIRECT eye contact with someone across from you in the circle.
    • Do the following motion and shout, “HADOUKEN! (hi-DOO-ken!):
  • Yeah…/no no no!
    • If someone does a Hadouken on you, you can either accept or reject it.
    • Yeahhh
      • reach out and take the energy while saying, “yeahhh”
      • keep the energy moving with a HA! to one of your neighbors
    • No no no!
      • wave your finger and say, “no no no!”
      • the person who sent the Hadouken has to pick a new target, or use a HA! instead

Debrief

  • PVC and being comfortable acting silly
  • How do our energy levels affect the group?

Notes

  • You can turn Samurai into a challenge by eliminating people as they mess up, but it can be better to encourage the group to work together a team. If you play elimination-style, you’ll probably notice the least enthusiastic students get out first and have to sit around watching the rest of the group. Keeping everyone involved helps raise the energy of the whole.
  • If you have a big group, split into multiple Samurai circles. Elimination works better here; when someone messes up, they move to another circle and keep playing.

Tags

energizer, icebreaker, no materials,