Category: Variations

Group Juggle Variations (RC & MGJ)

6/12/2020

My friend Don told me about a couple of Group Juggle variations he likes - one each from our friends, Ari Carol and Deb Kulcsar. (Here's one of my favorite variations I posted back in 2014: http://www.fundoing.com/blog/double-group-juggle. I think you'll like these next two options.

Remote Control (Ari Carol)
Have your group of 10 to 14 players set up a Group Juggle tossing pattern (Check out this super-slick way to set up a pattern quickly: http://www.fundoing.com/blog/group-juggle-setting-up).

Basically, to set up a pattern, everyone tosses and catches the (soft tossable) object in play one time - the first player to toss the object is the last player to catch it. (You are not permitted to toss the object to a person standing next to you.) Once the group has a good rhythm, pull out the 'Remote Control' (if you have an old one as a prop, that would be cool). Variety: Before going into RC mode, you could add one or two more objects.

As the group is tossing through their pattern, call out Remote Control buttons:

Stop - stops all tosses
Play - tossing in the 'forward' initial pattern
Reverse - objects tossed in the other direction
Mute - tossing still happens, but with no talking
Fast Forward - while tossing, the group walks (it's faster than standing) in a clockwise direction
What other buttons are on the RC?

I can envision a lot of good discussion topics surfacing: Resource management, communication, handling mistakes, asking for help, behaviors that were working or not working, multi-tasking - and how was that going?

MGJ (Multiple Group Juggle) (Deb Kulcsar via Eric Tedstrom)
When Deb has a larger group, 15 to 21 players, she divides them up into three small groups - each forming their own circle. Then, each group is assigned to create a group juggle tossing pattern (as detailed above). Each group is after mastery of the tossing craft with three tossable objects - smooth and confident actions (you and the group can decide what mastery will look like). And, of course, no drops. (NOTE: Each group will need three of the same kind of object (e.g., 3 tennis balls, 3 stuffed animals, 3 Thumballs. Each group must have a different looking set of objects.)

When the three groups have reached mastery, they are integrated together into one big circle. The objective: Each set of (three) objects must go through the tossing pattern of the group (the objects belong to) and through the tossing pattern of one other group - then, set down on the ground. Remember, objects may not be tossed to someone standing next to the tosser.

This is a timed activity and multiple rounds are expected to see if there can be process improvement. You can play it to where there is a stop-restart if an object is dropped or have the group figure out how they will manage the drops (e.g., an object drops it stays on the ground and 10 seconds is added to the overall time).

This one too, I see lots to talk about: Planning and practice, acceptance, patience, leadership, integrating ideas, success & failure, accomplishment (or not) and celebrating the wins!

Let us know how it goes! And, share, in the Comments, a favorite Group Juggle variation if you have one.

All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Across Toss: Making Agreements (Pre-Full Value Contract)

7/18/2019

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Hello my Team Building friend. This is a long one - a long-form post as they say in the biz. So, grab a favorite beverage and give yourself about 20-minutes to digest this one. Or, read the What? today and the Why? tomorrow - and let me know what you think.

Across Toss is a true mash up of influences. Mainly, All Catch (detailed in the footnote below) from Karl Rohnke's, The Bottomless Bag (1988), Falling Star, in my book, Portable Teambuilding Activities (inspired by another Rohnke activity called 7-Up), the phrase (and philosophy) "Keep your agreements" from my friend West and the way I use the activity (I call) Have You Seen My Lunch - I play it the way described to me by Scott Goldsmith when he uses it to talk about agreements - how we make, keep and break them.

I first tried Across Toss (last week) with a group of 6th & 7th graders. I wanted to weave in the idea of making agreements (i.e., norming, Full Value Contracting), understanding agreements, keeping agreements and sharing voice or 'speaking up' as I framed it. (There can also be some work on how we manage and treat mistakes within the group - this was a secondary focus for me.)

In this What? & Why? format, I'll break the activity down step-by-step. (There are more What? & Why? activity breakdowns at this blog site if you are interested in this format. Go to Categories - down the right side of this page - and click on What? & Why? If you want the philosophy behind What? & Why? - spoiler: a training resource - read the intro to Name Card Return: What? & Why?)

Reality Check: In reality, real time, I spent about 15 minutes on this activity (of the 90-minute team building activity portion of the program - three more hours were spent on the high course where 'making agreements' carried over) in order to make the learning points - mainly, making and keeping agreements. It's amazing to me how much (decision-making) goes into facilitating such a short activity.

What?
(This section is about What I did, and will generally do, when leading Across Toss)

1. I have a game spot and two safe tossables for each participant ready to go. (My tossables were stress balls, a squeaky penguin and some inflatable orbs a little bigger than a softball.)

2. I gave everyone a game spot and asked them to circle up - about a one-arm length apart from each other - and then instructed them to stand on their spot.

3. There were eight participants in the group, including me (I played as well). I chose to start with three tossables. I handed out the tossables to three different people.

4. I frontloaded the activity with this information: "This activity is about making agreements with your group members. For example, one will be, who will agree to catch the object you have to toss - if you have an object to toss. Another one I'm going to ask you to make is to agree to speak up if you are unsure of anything during the activity."

5. I interject here: "Throughout our program together, I'm going to be asking you to make other kinds of agreements. We'll have the opportunity to discuss the agreements before you commit to them. And, maybe there will be some agreements you can't make - and that's okay. We will work through this as well."

6. I go on to ask for one agreement now: "So, can you all agree to speak up any time you are unsure about something during the activity? This might be difficult to do, but I'm asking you to try. Can I get a thumbs up if you agree?"

7. I provide the challenge at this point: "Here's how the activity works. As a group, our objective is to catch as many objects as we can - twice in a row. I'll explain this in a moment. We play the game in a series of Rounds. For Round 1 we have three objects to toss - hold up your object if you have one in your hand. Cool, thanks.

Each Round will have at least two toss attempts, maybe more. I, for now, will begin each toss attempt by saying, 1, 2, 3, toss. On the word 'toss' everyone must toss his or her object to someone else in the group - you are not allowed to toss an object to yourself. If all the objects are caught on this first toss, we go for another toss with these three objects. I will say again, 1, 2, 3, toss. All objects must be tossed at the same time - objects can't be tossed to yourself AND you may not toss it back to the person who just tossed it to you. Now, if we catch all the objects this second time, we will add another object to the challenge - this is what I mean by catching the objects in play twice in a row. When we add an object, we move into the next Round.

Again, the challenge is to see how many objects we can catch twice in a row. So, the more Rounds we play, the more objects we catch.

If an object drops to the ground after a toss, we simply try again. We can view a drop as a mistake - will it be okay to make a mistake during the activity? Who's made a mistake before? How do you like to be treated after making a mistake? How do you treat yourself after making a mistake? How do we want to treat ourselves and each other after making a mistake? Again, if a drop happens we get to try again. The bottom line is that we will play each Round until we can catch the object in play twice in a row."

During this first attempt at Across Toss, I did take a little time to 'check in' on the drops. I asked if there if they could tell me why the object dropped and what could be done to prevent this type of drop in the future - again, a quick check.

8. I let the everyone know, "I am part of the group for this activity, so I am available to make an agreement."

9. At this point I ask if there are any questions about the challenge or directions.

10. It's time to toss. "Okay, let's give this a try. Everyone with an object, please make an agreement with someone in the group that will try to catch your toss. Then, you all let me know when you are ready for the toss."

11. I confirm, "Is everyone ready? Are you sure? Tossers, who is your agreement with?" I have them each point out who they have an agreement with. "Okay, here we go. 1, 2, 3, toss." At this point, we play this round with me calling the toss, until the group catches the objects twice in a row.

12. When the group is successful, we celebrate with hoots and claps!!

13. Here I ask, "Just to check in, what agreements did you make so far? Were you able to keep your agreements? What happened if an agreement was not kept? Are there any questions or concerns about our agreements so far?

14. Now, before moving on I ask everyone to make another agreement. "Before moving on, I'd like to ask you to make another agreement with me and the group. I would like you to agree to speak your truth as we move on through the activity. There might be times when your truth is different than those of other group members - so it might be really difficult to speak your truth, but I'm asking you to try. Do you have any questions about what I'm asking? Please give me a thumbs up if you can agree to try and speak your truth."

15. After our new agreement I introduce another object. I ask, "Do you all want to add in another object, all the same rules apply, or do you think that three objects is our best effort at this time? What is your truth on this?" From this point we go to the next Round or decide together to stop and move on to another activity. If the group decides to move on to the next activity, we process our Across Toss experience (see below, Step 17) before moving on.

16. Playing the next Rounds: Rounds continue until the group 'agrees' that they have done the best they can, at that particular time, and want to move to another activity. For each Round the rules are the same - when you have an object (or two) to toss, make an agreement with a catcher (or catchers). Then, everyone tosses on the word 'toss.' The group makes tosses until they can catch the objects twice in a row OR they decide, during a Round, they have achieved their best effort.

17. Processing Across Toss: In the end, I focused on one area of understanding, making and keeping agreements. Even though I did bring up some other learning moments - how will we treat each other when a mistake is made and preventing future drops (problem solving), I focused on the one topic for take aways. Here are some of the questions I used (to the best of my recollection):

What were the agreements we made for this activity?
How did you, specifically, do keeping your agreements?
If you couldn't keep an agreement, what happened? Did any feelings show up for you? Which ones and why do you think they showed up?
What was it like for you to keep an agreement? What feelings showed up for you after keeping an agreement?
What agreements are you in right now in your life outside this program? Are they easy? Are they difficult? Are they important?
If we can't keep an agreement, what are some good ways to handle this situation?
Does anyone have an idea for an agreement we would want to make as a group moving forward today?

Why?
(In this section I give you the Why behind what I did for each step.)

1. I like use games spots if I have them - they provide clear information about where to stand when I want to keep this a constant. For Across Toss you don't need game spots.

I chose to use a variety of tossable objects. I like the visual diversity and it provides an opportunity for participants to speak their truth. For example, in this first attempt at Across Toss one of the participants (during Round 4 I think) did ask if someone else would be willing to make an agreement with her tosser because the ball he had was small (stress ball) and hard to catch. To solve this, someone in the group traded objects with the tosser so he could have a larger object - the catcher was then comfortable enough to make an agreement with her tosser. Good Stuff!!

2. The circle with one-arm spacing is good, in my opinion, for tossing-types of activities - players are not tossing over anyone. I decided if they asked to resize the circle I would let them, but if they ask to change the shape of their formation, I would not let them. In my thinking, I took away some problem-solving options (not an objective I was working on at the moment) in order to focus on the topic of making agreements.

3. Handing out three objects at the start, in my mind, saved some time - we could have started with one object, progressing from there. But, I believed the group could handle three at the get-go. To start, I would go up to half the group starting out with an object, so half are catching and half are tossing. However, I wanted to have a couple Rounds of practice, and confidence building, before someone in the group had to both toss and then catch. And, I included myself in the action because this one seemed easy to observe while playing due to the controlled nature of tosses. I felt confident that I could, toss, catch and observe all at the same time if needed.

4. Here I simply told them about what we would be working on during the activity so they could anticipate (a bit), what they would be talking about. This can be considered the, 'WHY they are doing this' part of the introduction. Providing a couple examples then jump-starts the brain towards what to expect. I also knew that this middle school age group would understand what an agreement is so I didn't go into defining an agreement - but, this could be done.

5. This 'interjection' is also another anticipatory set (education theory term). Using Across Toss to introduce agreements would give me some experience to go back to during the program when we made new agreements or were still keeping our initial agreements. For example, I used this during the high course part of the day, "Remember during Across Toss I asked you to make the agreement to speak your truth, even if it would be difficult to do? Well, I'm still asking you to keep this agreement - to speak your truth about the Leap of Faith. What is your truth?" (This participant was feeling pressured by a friend to climb the pole, but I could tell he really didn't want to. So, I asked him for his truth.) He chose not to climb and to be the anchor for the belay team. Again, good stuff!

6. Here I asked them to make their first agreement. I felt it was a reasonable first step - basically asking them to ask questions if they had them. In my experience, this is a pretty easy agreement to make (sure I can ask questions), but it is sometimes difficult to really keep (I'll look stupid to others if I ask this question). This makes for a good processing question - "How many of you had a question or a concern you wanted to voice, but didn't? Why do you think that is?" A good thread to tease out.

7. This step is about flushing out the directions. I chose to start out saying the countdown, 1, 2, 3, toss, so I could model this role. In my plan, I was prepared to pass on this role to someone in the group - giving the group, as a whole, more responsibility. However, it didn't feel right to pass this role on with this group. (By all means, pass this role off if it feels good to do so.)

I didn't (and usually don't) get into to super detail with the rules, I want to get them playing. Playing allows the group the chance to collect some data and then ask better questions.

When talking about drops, I don't spend tons of time here - I don't/didn't make a big deal about it. I did tell my group that, yes, a drop can be seen as a mistake - so how will we treat each other if this happens. Good. Let's move on. Again, my focus for the activity is/was on making agreements. One of the agreements is/was to TRY and catch a toss - so, essentially, catching is/was not required, only a try-to-catch. Now, with that said, could there be some embarrassment around not catching? Yes. But a reminder about making the try is what's important. "Did you try?" Awesome. Then you kept your agreement. Now, we get to TRY again - we get more practice. Isn't this great?!"

8. Here I remind everyone I get to play as well - I can make agreements with them. I also share here that I will not always get to play because my responsibilities will change depending on what we're doing. But, whenever I can, I'll play. I believe 'playing' with the group provides me with the opportunity to build rapport - be a part of the successes and limitations. We can be in it together. And, adults are great resources and very willing to make agreements and show (sharing experience) that it's hard for us, as well, to keep agreements all the time. For example.... I share stories about myself so my participants will (hopefully) get the scenes that I'm human, just like them.

9. I believe it's always important to provide the group opportunities to ask questions - and, this was an agreement I asked them to make. My process is this - after asking if anyone has any questions, I look to everyone in the circle, making eye contact with each person for about three seconds. I go around twice (the second time a bit faster). This allows time for everyone to think about a question they have and then formulate how they want to phrase their question. I find this process produces more interaction from the group - they are more willing to share if they have a little time to think and decide.

10. Here I'm asking them to make there first agreement with someone in the group. I don't tell them how to do this - I want them to figure this part out. And, it's not easy for everyone 'ask' something of other people. This is part of the learning. If a solid agreement isn't made, there is confusion and drops. So, I let this play out on its own.

11. Now, before we tossed, I asked everyone to confirm who they made an agreement with. I wanted to hold them accountable for at least Round 1. I did not ask for confirmation in the subsequent Rounds and more drops occurred. And, they did come to realize that without a clear agreement drops were more likely.

Round 1 only needed two tosses - I believe checking in with their agreements helped. We were able to clear up any misunderstandings before tossing. I facilitated the process.

12. We celebrate after the first Round - I celebrated a bit more than they did, they didn't think it was a big deal, yet. And, we did take some time to talk about the importance of celebration and what celebrating can do for motivation. Not a ton of time on this, just planting seeds for later.

13. Here we did a little check in to see where we stood. We had two agreements so far - agreeing to speak up if they had questions or concerns and making agreements between a tosser and a catcher. Then we talked, briefly, about how everyone did with their agreements. After the first successful Round with no drops, everyone felt they kept there agreements. We were feeling good.

14. Before moving into the second Round, I introduced the group to a new process in the challenge. I'm telling them at this time because this is where it's most relevant. I didn't ask them to make this new agreement at the beginning - they didn't need to at the beginning. So, I saved time in the beginning - I didn't overload them with information. Give some in the beginning and add as you go.

At this point they are asked to make another agreement about speaking their truth - even if it's difficult to do. Others might have a different truth. It's about reaching consensus as a group - everyone agreeing to keep going or stop and move on to the next activity.

15. So, when adding one more object to the challenge with each new Round, I asked everyone to speak their truth, whether or not they thought they could be successful - two catches in a row - with another object. Or, were they at their best number of objects.

16. In this first game of Across Toss, the group had no issues with adding another object - up to Round 4 where some participants were now tossing and catching objects. There were drops in Rounds 2 and 3, but the group quickly realized their agreements were not always clear, leading to 'mistakes.' they did a good job supporting each other, as well, as they tried again. I facilitated some questions about agreements to help them consider solutions.

During Round 4, there were successful catches, but then failed second attempts. After six failed twice-in-a-row attempts, I asked if this was the best they could do at this time. Some were very vocal about staying the course and trying again, other stepped up and spoke their truth, stating they though this was good enough and they would like to move on to something new.

After processing a little around the point of 'making agreements' they all felt they got the message and were ready to move on to something new. I stepped in with processing due to the limited time we had with our team building portion of the program. Another choice I can make in the future is to let the group hash out their truths a bit longer to see if they can come to a decision on their own - keep trying or move on.

17. After deciding to move on we processed for about five minutes. Again, only focusing on agreements - this is/was the first lesson I wanted to take forward with this group because more agreements were ahead. And, we were still going to keep our agreements of asking questions and speaking out truth!

Programming Notes: This was the first time I tried this activity, and it met my expectations - my desired outcome. To talk about agreements.

Now, I don't know how far a group can get with this one. We were a group of eight and got to six objects (to Round 4). That was two people tossing and catching. So, what is possible? This has yet to be determined. Let me know how far you get.

Footnote:
All Catch (original verbatim version) from Karl Rohnke (The Bottomless Bag): The group stands in the jump circle in the center of the gym. Group numbers about 25 and holds 10 balls. When the instructor calls "Throw," all release the balls (volleyball type) up to a height of at least 10 feet. If you throw a ball, you cannot catch a ball. Throws are made only on command. Only catchers have to be in the circle. If a ball touches the floor, it is out of play. When three balls are left, the game is over. Count the number of catches made to establish a score.

Have FUN out there my friends! Keep me posted.

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Coiled Rope & Knot My Problem (Human Knot Variations)

7/4/2019

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*Programming Note from Chris: Below you have access to three videos related to the Human Knot. Here is the order of difficulty I give to these activities: Knot My Problem, Coiled Rope, Human Knot. You will need to decide which one (or two) you use with your group based on their readiness to play - i.e., how close they will feel comfortable getting next to each other.

Coiled Rope

I learned this variation of Human Knot (rope version) years ago from my good friend, Mike Spiller (HERE's a video of the original set up for Human Knot - no rope - if you don't know about this one). Historical Reference: The earliest documentation of "Knots" that I know of is in, The New Games Book, 1976.

The full write up of Coiled Rope is included in my book, Portable Teambuilding Activities: Games, Initiatives and Team Challenges for Any Space. (Find it HERE). It's actually part of a 'Trilogy' activity with 5-Point Star and Shooting Star.

From the video you will get the idea of how to play. But I do want to share a little bit about the set up before you watch. I use a 50-foot activity rope for each group of 8 to 10 players. (If you don't have a retired rope around, my favorite inexpensive 50-foot rope is the 3/8 Utility rope from AtWoodRope - it has a great feel, lots of cool colors and it keeps its shape even after it gets wet. The site is a little confusing - the rope I get is shown at the top of their home page. Look for the group that has the names, Blue Force, Liberty & Black Lightning. These are the ones I get).

I tie a single fisherman's knot with the two ends making a big rope circle, then I coil the rope with about a 24-inch diameter. Players reach across the rope coil to grab a bight from the other side of the coil in which they are standing.

Note: The video included below will show you the start of the activity and progress through to some of the untangling. We did this one after the, Knot My Problem video shoot (below) and had to cut this one short due to lightning in the area. You'll get the idea though!

Knot My Problem

This variation of the Human Knot is found in the book, Tinker: Building Purposeful Experiences from Classic Adventure Activities (2017) from my friends at High 5 (find your copy HERE). I read the entire book recently and really - quick read - and enjoyed getting reacquainted with some of my old favorites (and learning a few new ones I didn't know about) - I got a lot from the commentary about the activities from the High 5 authors.

The set up for this version is much simpler and you can get more people involved with one rope since you don't have that 'leaning in' reach included with Coiled Rope (above). As noted above, I think this is the easiest one-rope variation of Human Knot.

Have fun out there my friends! Keep me posted.

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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What Can You Get? (A Spider Web Variation)

6/6/2019

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The Spider Web is a common low element on every challenge course I've been a part of and I've seen a variety of fun variations along the way (e.g., string an activity rope through all the holes without the rope touching the web). I came up with "What Can You Get" recently (in my area of the world) and I have used it ever since.

Why I like this one:

It provides everyone in the group an opportunity to contribute (points) to the challenge /task.
Everyone chooses his/her Web opening based on what they believe they can can do, either on their own or with the help of the group - so, there is an option for those who want to try going through the Web on their own. (This honors everyones level of comfort).
The process allows for multiple attempts in order to reach the groups full potential - reach the highest score they know they can accomplish. A nice goal setting opportunity.

My Process So Far:

Before my program starts I draw a quick outline of the Spider Web at the course I'm working on and then assign a point value to each usable hole (as shown in one of my more recent drawings above - always on my program outline/list of activities I plan to use).
When (and if I want to use it) I bring my group to the Spider Web and ask them what they believe they need to accomplish for this challenge. They pretty much figure out they have to go through the Web to the other side. And, someone usually guesses people have to be lifted through the upper holes.
(Note: I have not gone though a lift sequence with them, yet.)
I confirm their guess(es), that reaching the other side is the objective, but each person has the option to decide how to get there.
I show them the numbered scoring map of the Spider Web. I ask them, how many points, as a group, they believe they can acquire getting to the other side? (What Can You Get?) Each person in the group 'gets' to choose for themselves, how many points they believe they can contribute to the group's score on their first attempt. Any hole can be used more than once, however, if a string is touched during an attempt to go through a hole, the person going through will only receive 5 points for trying. Then I tell them, they (the group) will have the opportunity to make another attempt if they all agree to do so.
Once the group begins their process, anyone can change his/her hole preference - either a higher, lower, or the same score. (Once they see how the group is performing together they might want to pick an easier or more challenging hole.)
After the group score/goal is established, I let them start. If someone in the group is willing to be lifted through any of the holes, I will then teach them my expectations of lifting each other, and we will do some skill development training/practice before going through the Web. (In my experience, there have been two groups, so far, that did not choose to use the higher holes - and they were alright with this. We had a good conversations with both groups about why they chose what they did.)
As always with the Spider Web, I placed myself in critical spotting areas as they worked in order to keep my hands near the person being lifted.
After the first attempt, we find out the score. They can meet their goal, exceed their goal or fall short. We have a conversation about where they ended up.
After the processing, I ask them if they would like another attempt in order to improve their score or do they think this is the best score they want to accept at this time? We work through each person's choice and honor what we hear. We then make another Web attempt or move on to the next activity.

If you give this one a try, let me know how it goes and if you make any changes or additions.

All the best! Have FUN out there my friends.

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Stepping Stones 3.0 (A Historical Journey)

5/10/2019

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Stepping Stones 1.0
I've been using Stepping Stones (introduced to me as Magic Stones) since I learned it during my first Project Adventure workshop in the early 90s. Diving into my library, the earliest write-up I could find is in Karl Rohnke's, The Bottomless Bag (1991). (FYI: This book is a compilation of activities Karl shared through, The Bottomless Bag (paper) Newsletter he wrote, 'mimeographed' and sent out to his 'mailing list' - like, through the mail USPS style - during the 70s and 80s. So, I'm guessing Stepping Stones began before the 90s at some point?)

In, The Bottomless Bag, there is less than a half-page description:

Divide your group into smaller groups of five. Each group is given 4 rubber (plastic) gym spots [these basic 'poly' spots, we call them now, are about 10 inches in diameter]. Ask all the groups to physically cross the width of a basketball court as quickly (timed) as possible.

Then there are a few Rules:

Only the spots can be stepped on.
No one may touch the spots with their heels - ball of the foot only.
If someone inadvertently touches the floor, he/she must return to the start, and anyone touching them must also return.

This was the first introduction to Stepping Stones (that I know of). Things required and implied in the directions:

Players are on their tippy-toes the entire time!! (Have you ever done it this way?!)
The 'start' of the challenge is at one side of the basketball court - so, if you are not using a basketball court, set up a traveling distance with cones or ropes about the width of the court.
If a player, or more, need to go back, the spots are left with the traveling group - they need to go back with spots and pick up the ones who went back. The challenge is for "all the groups to cross."
The directions never said the smaller groups could not help each other.
Since it's being timed, another round could be presented in order to better the time.

Stepping Stones 2.0
The next write-up I found (now, 1.5 pages long) is by Steve Butler in the book, Quicksilver (by Steve and Karl Rohnke), published in 1995. First Steve says, "This seemingly simple activity is fast becoming one of my favorites." So, he picked up the first description and added his ideas.

First he suggests some alternative props that can be used:

Rug Pads - 12-inch square 'samples', we used to call them (if you could score the samples with the sewn edges you were golden!). Or, odd-shaped rug pieces big enough for 2-4 feet.
18-inch long, 4-inch x 4-inch pieces of lumber. [These are challenging!!]
Rubber spots - as required in Version 1.0

Steve changes up the activity to one group and "before time runs out." In his words, "People are assembled at Point A, given one prop less than their number (e.g., nine people get eight props) and told to arrive safely with the entire group at Point B before time runs out." He then goes into a fantastical story about traveling through space to another planet and the props are their "life-support vehicles," and any vehicle can support as many people as can stand on it.

His Rules:

Anyone touching the ground in space (between points A & B), must return to the home planet for decontamination and spiritual healing. All travelers are expected to arrive safely at the new planet. [No more tippy-toes required, but might be needed.]
For a life-support vehicle to function, someone must be touching it at all times. If a life-support vehicle is untouched for even an instant, it ceases to function and it is immediately removed from the activity.
Advanced Rule: Life-support vehicles only move in a forward direction. [This implies, if someone touches the ground in space, the challenge will have to be re-started.] Steve uses this rule to "prohibit the solution of having people 'shuffle" across space using two props as skates then sending them back for someone else to use."

About the boundaries: Steve shares, "It makes sense to set the boundaries far enough apart so that the group will need to recycle some of their props in order to cross the gap."

About time: There is no reference to how much time is given in Steve's directions. I like the idea of beating a set time. In my (Chris) thinking, I would provide a long window to start. Then, ask the group to set a goal for traveling back (to their home planet). A nice activity when working on goals and goal setting.

Variation from Steve:

Divide the group in half. Each group starts from a different side of the A to B crossing. (Or, Steve says, "each group starts at a different planet.") The groups are challenged to exchange places. Each group gets one less prop than people. We don't say this, but the groups can share props. "The focus of the problem suddenly becomes one of identifying whether two different goals can be pursued simultaneously for a common good, or will the two groups operate independently and/or competitively."

Stepping Stones 3.0
As far as I know, I thought of this version during a program planning session - I have several sets of Teamplay Tubes to use for hurdles. (And, this does not mean I'm the first one to use this idea - their are TONs of creative souls out their thinking up the same stuff!! Someone could have been doing this years before me.) If you don't have PVC tubes and fittings for the hurdles, use any sort of prop to step over and then set up something to go through/under (e.g., Hula-Hoops) - creativity is on your side.

It's the same challenge - get from point A to B. Everyone going one way, or start at both sides.

Props: Any of the props suggested above can work, my new favorite:

12-inche long by 2-inch by 6-inch boards (seen in the pictures)

Rules: All the rules above can apply. Here are my additions:

If someone touches the ground, this person goes back to the start and brings a board with him/her.
If someone touches one of the obstacles, this person goes back to the start and brings a board with him/her.
Everyone is required to go over the low obstacle and through/under the high obstacle.

I like this version because it adds a little more suspense to the journey.

WOW! Thanks for joining me on this (unexpectedly long) historical Stepping Stones trip. If you know of any other historical details about Stepping Stones please let me know and I'll amend or add to the documentation. And, please feel free to share any of your own variations in the Comments below.

Have FUN out their my friends!

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Immobile Chopsticks (with Video)

11/1/2018

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If you know me, you know I love team building with noodles!! Noodles are the most versatile activity prop on the planet! My good friend and team builder Sam Sikes and I wrote a couple of books on the subject - you can find 50 Ways to Use Your Noodle and 50 More Ways... HERE.

Immobile Chopsticks is from our book, 50 Ways... It's a variation of the classic Pipeline activity. (I've written about Pipeline Variations in the past. And, another related, called Bridges & Traits.)

In this noodle version here, it takes two players to make the channel needed to allow the tennis ball to travel from one point to another. And, multiple pairs of noodled players to get somewhere. Here are the basic rules in this version (video below) of Immobile Chopsticks.

Rules:

Each player is allowed to touch/use one, and only one, noodle prop.
Tennis balls (six of them), start 60 feet from a set of six cups (Volcano Tops) circled together - cups are open-side down.
If a tennis ball is touching a players noodle, that play may not move his/her feet in the direction of the cups. So, no tennis ball touching your noodle, you can move in any direction.
Only one tennis ball is allowed to touch a pair of noodles at any time.
If a tennis ball drops to the ground/floor, this tennis ball is returned to the start (a player is allowed to pick up the ball and return it to the start).
When all the Volcanos (cups) have been capped, you have successfully completed the task.

Adjustments:

The closer the cups, the more challenge.
Players can move their feet if they have their eyes closed.
Turn the cups over and drop the tennis balls inside (a bit easier) - if they don't let the cups tip over.

Why I Like This Team Building Activity:

You can run this one with any size group - if you have enough equipment.
I can break the group up into smaller groups, from four to twelve in a group.
I can use it as a competitive activity - First, Second & Third places.
I can use it as a cooperative activity - "All the Volcanos in the room must be capped as soon as possible."
I can vary th replacement of the cups (Volcanos) - in a small or larger circle, or randomly around the room.
And, noodles make anything fun!!

Let me know how it goes. Leave us a Comment below.

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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1, 2, 3, More Activities with Rope (FUN Shares!)

8/16/2018

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Thanks to some amazing FUN Followers (Ben, Floyd & Dave), here are three more team-builders to lead with a long activity rope.

In the last FUNdoing Blog post, 50-Foot Activity Rope: What Are You Doing? I shared a favorite of mine and asked for some shares back. And, we got a few takers.

ONE!

Hey Chris,
My favorite rope activity is “Knot or Not” [credited to Dr. Jim Cain] I take a mess of a rope and pull the ends out a little bit and put it on the ground in front of the group.

[The Objective] Without touching the rope, the group must unanimously decide [reach consensus] if when the two ends of the rope are pulled, will there be a knot in the rope or not (no knot).

When they think they all agree, we do a blind vote [close their eyes] where they vote for a knot or no knot. If they all agree then they unanimously decided and completed the challenge [the objective]. If they are “not” in total agreement, then they get more time to discuss and make their arguments, and the process continues until they all agree [blind voting], or I have to step in and remind them of the goal and facilitate discussion.

Once they have unanimously decided, I grab the two ends of the rope, holding on to them the whole time (because I know what's going to happen), and start to gather up the rope. I have never been able to pick up the rope completely before they stop me, because they want to know if there is a knot or not.

I ask them what the goal was, and then ask them if there was anything in the goal about being right. Since there wasn’t, I say “Okay,” and continue to gather up the rope. I will always get stopped again.

At this point I start to talk about why we have to know. After a good discussion, I will give them these two options - I will declare you right and we will walk away with being able to say that you were right. Or, we pull the two ends and you could be right, you could be wrong, but you will then know for sure. I tell them that it is a group decision, but [this time] we go with a simple 2/3 majority (although it is usually very close to unanimous). When they decide to pull the ends, I remind them that they all agreed on whatever they agreed on, so that means that they are either all right or all wrong. I then pick two people to pull the ends and we find out. [Another good discussion could be generated after the result.]

Ben

TWO!!

Hey, Chris! I hope things are well! I have a new (maybe new. I like "inventing" activities only to realize later someone else has already made it up. It is part of what I love about this industry!) 50-foot rope activity I have been working on. I've used it a couple of times and it is still in beta testing.

12 Spaces [editor's, Chris', name at this time - Floyd didn't give us one yet.]

Materials: 50-f00t activity rope with ends tied together. Safe tossable(s) [e.g., foam ball or stuffed animal]. Timing device (optional).

Set-Up: Place the activity rope on the ground in a circle. Place the tossable(s) on the ground in or near the rope circle. Have the group stand around the activity rope (not permanent positioning... maybe).

Play: I have been picturing and using this as a timed goal setting activity. The community will set a goal time that represents how long they believe it will take to complete the task.

Time starts when the first piece of activity material (rope or tossable) is touched.
The community is challenged to pick up the rope and create 12 (variable) spaces obviously distinct from each other.
The community is challenged with passing the tossable through each of the 12 created spaces.
Everyone in the community is challenged to either participate in holding the activity rope or in navigating the tossable through each of the spaces (or both).
Once the tossable has completed its journey through space(s), the community is challenged to place the rope and tossable back onto the ground with the rope back in its circle shape.
Time will stop when all materials are on the ground and all hands are off materials.

NOTE: Something I'm thinking about: Place a poly/game spot on the ground under the knot. After completing the task, the knot will be returned to the poly spot and the rope [is placed back into] a circle on the ground. [One more task to organize and complete.]

I have had a lot of fun playing with this in my head and then seeing groups interact with it.

Floyd

THREE!!!

Here's Turnstyle (Dave's spelling) from Dave, already in PDF form. Dave shares his 4-Step process for this "jump-rope" tram builder. Try one or more steps to meet the challenge needs of your group.

turnstyle_davevermilye_2018.pdf
File Size:	711 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Thanks friends!! You are awesome! Love learning from you.

All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Your Numbers Up

4/19/2018

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Recently I was preparing for a conference presentation on processing. I needed to collect a handful of activities that didn't take too long and involved enough interaction so we could practice processing the experiences. I was traveling, so my props needed to be small and light weight - easy to carry around. One of my favorite props is a set of 25 numbered tags. As I was considering some of my old favorites with the tags, I came up with something new for me. I call it, Your Numbers Up. I brought the idea with me to the conference - I didn't try it out before my presentation.

I had 18 participants in my workshop. We were all seated in chairs in a big circle after a fun game of Have You Ever...?. As the energy from the game's processing practice was winding down, I scattered around 12 numbered spots on the floor inside our circle of chairs for all to see. (Numbers were about two feet away from each other so there was room for people to walk through and around them.) After sitting back down in my spot in the circle I presented the challenge like this:

The following task involves touching all 12 numbers once, and only once. If you choose to complete the task you are required to touch the numbers in some sort of logical way - you must be able to prove you touched all 12 numbers once, and only once. After you've touched all the numbers, once, and only once, please sit back down in your chair. The task will start when I say, 'GO', and end when I say, 'The task is over.' I will call the task over when I see that everyone is sitting in their seats. Are there any questions?

Here are the two questions I remember my group asking: 1) "So, do we touch the numbers one through 12 in order?" My response was, "That is one way. As long as you can state some sort of logical way you have touched all the numbers, once and only once, you are good." 2) "Must we touch the numbers with our hand?" My response was, "That is one way to touch the numbers. I'll leave that choice up to you - as long as you make contact with each number, once and only once, you are good."

After I said, "GO", most of the participants stood up and moved through the numbers. Some people chose not to stand up and touch the numbers. The group completed the task in under three minutes. The following are some of the discussion questions I remember from our practice processing session:

Why did you choose to touch the numbers?
Why did you choose not to touch the numbers?
In what "way" did you touch the numbers, once and only once? (There were some really creative ways people moved through the numbers!)
What were the things you had to consider when you were touching the numbers?
What were you thinking about while you watched others touch the numbers?
What "challenges" did you encounter during the task?
Did you challenge yourself in any way during the task?
Did you interact with anyone during the task? In what way(s)?
What made this a "group" task? (I thought this was an insightful processing question - from one of the participants.)
If this task was too easy, how could it be more of a challenge (or more fun)?
What was the "point" of this task?

This last question was one of mine. And it turned out to be an interesting conversation (processing discussion) about how much goes into even simple tasks - there is always something we can reflect upon in order to consider how and why we make the choices we do.

I'm thinking Your Numbers Up might be a nice activity during the beginning of a program in order to model some of the dynamics of team building activities. Especially the expectation of, activity followed be some discussion about possible learnings.

Help me out with this one. Try it. Let me know how it goes.

All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Pressure Play Too (only with Playing Cards)

3/15/2018

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(NOTE: Pressure Play Too, was written up for the first time in my book, Portable Teambuilding Activities. In the original version I use a few props, as shown in the diagram above - I needed some sort of image to catch your eye. In this version I want to let you know how to play using only playing cards.)

Here's why I really like this activity. Using only a deck of playing cards (of any size), I can run this one with 16 to 56 players (However, I have yet to have 56 players to try this with.) It's also a very adaptable activity. I can play it with an even or odd number of participants in a small (or large) space. I can have two, three or four small groups playing at one time - all interacting with each other. This versatility leads to (Facilitated Objective) discussions around focus, planning, resource management, anticipation, collaboration, mental models and innovation.

Card Set Up: First you need to prep your cards. Order them from Aces to Kings - it doesn't matter how you order the suits. Aces will be on top of your deck.

Play Set Up: Ask four volunteers to stand in the center of your playing area and touch right shoes together - four sets of toes touching each other. Now, deal out the cards (Aces first), to all the other players - one card each. (The toe-touching players do not get a card.) Ask the players not to look at the face of their card until you direct them to do so.

Let's Play: (For this description there will be four suits in play and 24 players)

Ask the players with a card to walk around throughout the group and exchange cards with five different people - this is called the "Blind Shuffle". (The toes-together players do not get cards - yet.
Players are asked to not look at the faces of the cards until they are instructed to do so.
As the card exchanges are happening, ask the players touching toes together to decide what suit of cards they each will represent - each toe-touching player will represent a different suit. (Clubs, Spades, Hearts, Diamonds)
After five card exchanges players are required to stop right where they are after this last exchange.
Players are allowed to exchange cards with others after they have stopped moving - you can exchange more than five times, but must stop moving after five exchanges. (This is a bit confusing for some people, so you might need to make sure this is clear before moving on.)
Once everyone has stopped (still, no looking at cards), the toe-touching players each reveal what suit they represent.
When the facilitator says, "GO" s/he will start a stopwatch. At this time players can look at the card they are holding.
The toe-touching players will each go out into the crowd and move to the Ace of the suit they represent. When they find the card they take it from the person holding it and stand in place.
IMPORTANT RULE: You can only move if you DON'T have a card in your hand. In other words, if you have a card in your hand, you CAN'T move.
The players that were holding the Aces go off to find the twos of their suit and take it from the people holding them. These cardless players go off to find the threes of their suit and so on until the highest number is reached.
The players holding the highest number of their suit then move to the middle of the playing area to join toes together.
When there are four toes touching in the center of the playing area (players without cards), the time stops.

The Let's Play rules above are for one round of play. After a round you can share the time the whole group achieved and then lead some discussion over the topics related to your group's program objectives (some Facilitated Objectives are listed above). Consider talking about how the group defines success. Will they want a better "time" (product), a better process, or both?

Another reason I really like this activity. You are already set to start the next round. After your processing discussions you have your four toe-touching players in the center from the last round (if they have untouched, have them re-touch their toes). The players with cards hold the card faces down towards the ground and begin the Blind Shuffle (exchanges). After five exchanges with five different players they stop moving. Ready to play!

Facilitation Note: Your group is free to plan their process before each round if they ask you for time. Keep an open mind with possible processes. If they are playing "by the rules" I let them run with their ideas. For me, three or four rounds have led to some great discussions.

Adaptations: If I have 16 to 18 players I use two suits. If I have 19 to 23 players I use three suits.

Let me know how this one goes for you. Leave a Comment below.

All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Trolley Obstacles (with Video)

1/17/2018

2 Comments

I'm a big fan of Trolleys. The earliest description of this team coordination activity that I could find is in The Bottomless Bag by Karl Rohnke (1988). Classic Trolleys are built with 4 inch by 4 inch boards and rope (my favorite type is retired 11 mm climbing rope). Three quarter inch holes are drilled into the boards about 12 inches apart and counter sunk on the bottom side so when the rope, knotted on one end, is pulled through the holes (up from the bottom) the knot becomes lodged up inside the counter sunk hole. With the knot up out of the way the Trolley will remain flat on the bottom for easy maneuvering.

I've seen Trolleys made for three and on up to 12 participants. No matter how long you make them, be sure you have a place to store them. Here's a picture of "The Trolley Tree" - a solution for storing 12 participant Trolleys (somewhat) out of the way - near the open field where they are most often used.

When I first started using Trolleys the idea was to move your Trolley team from point A to point B as safely and efficiently as possible. In many instances there were multiple Trolleys moving across to the final destination at the same time. Now, when I program Trolleys I never tell my multiple Trolley teams they are racing, but we all know how this ends up! Nowadays, more often than not, I like to add some challenging obstacles to the Trolley travels.

Using colorful game spots (or any other flat prop - please don't use three-three-dimentional obstacles. Trolley boards will be unstable if set down upon the 3-D object), I can place them in a random or straight pattern. If the Trolley touches a spot during the crossing the team is required to stop all movement. Then, each person on the team must circumnavigate their Trolley boards, get back on and continue their movement. (If a participant touches the floor/ground during this Trolley obstacle variation I only require the team to stop until everyone is on the boards - all feet must be on the boards for them to work.)

Placing the spots in more-or-less of a straight line is very similar to Trolleying The Line (below). If you place the spots close together the best (safest) way to avoid the spots is to turn sideways and then lift one Trolley board at a time to clear the spots (you'll see this strategy in the video below). (Consider this: If a Trolley team decides to walk right over the spots (a viable option), every time a Trolley board is lifted and then set on a spot, participants must make their 360 trek around their Trolleys. It's one way to do it, but it takes a while.)

Trolleying The Line (video below):
This is my most recent favorite Trolley challenge - clean and simple. Start the Trolley teams about 20 feet from a long line laid down on the floor/ground (use tape on the floor and a rope outside in the grass - you want to avoid a line the Trolleys could "roll" on. This could cause some added speed to the Trolleys you might want to avoid).

Once the teams know the objective, "Get your team across to the finish area without the Trolley boards touching the line that is in your path" (more rules below), they can orientate their starting position any way. (You will see in the video that two teams decided to start sideways and one starting in the perpendicular position - this is the team that made it to the finish area the fastest. Both strategies are worthy of study.)

Trolleying The Line Set-Up:
The "Journey Area" is 40 feet wide. Set down your tape (indoors) or rope (outdoors in the grass), 20 feet from the starting line. Clearly mark the starting and finishing lines with cones on either end of the invisible line (between the cones).

Trolleying The Line Rules:

Once the first Trolley board crosses over the starting line, your team is "In Play".
Once in play, participants are not allowed to touch the floor/ground. If someone from your team touches the ground, all Trolley movement stops. Your entire team must step off the Trolley boards and move around your boards 360 degrees before you can get back on the boards and continue movement towards the finishing area.
If a Trolley board (or boards) touch the line that is in your path your team must stop all movement, step off the boards, carry the boards back the starting area and begin your journey again.
To complete the journey your team must move both Trolley boards completely over the finishing line (ending up in the finishing area.
All teams will get two attempts to cross the 40 foot expanse. Each attempt will be timed. The additional challenge is to see if you can improve your process and record a faster time for the second attempt.

Below is a picture of the Trolley Team's start and a video of how it plays out. (Note: Before the first journey across the expanse, I had the teams practice moving the Trolleys together for about 10 minutes. I did not tell them about the Trolleying The Line challenge until they were done practicing - this is when two teams decided to start sideways, even though they did not practice going sideways - good stuff to talk about!)