FUNdoing - Activities for Team Builders
  • FUNdoing
  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Books
  • Trainings
  • Ricochet
  • Contact
  • Store

Floor Safe (Venn Key Punch Reprise) with Video

2/20/2022

4 Comments

 

Picture

At the recent Association for Challenge Course Technology conference I attended a fun and informative activity workshop, "A Fresh Perspective on Three Favorites" led by KC Ray (thanks KC, so much fun!!). One of the three favorites was Key Punch (Rohnke, Quicksilver). KC shared the Venn Key Punch setup I learned a while back from a fellow facilitator. (HERE is the original FUNdoing post.)

KC's (purposefully subtle) directions revealed an additional "fresh perspective" involving an added problem-solving opportunity. Here's the take-away I'm calling, the Floor Safe Challenge: 
Picture
Set Up: The picture above is from the original Venn Key Punch post. Each rope circle (above) includes 30 numbered spots. (If I remember correctly, I think each rope in the picture above was 25-feet long. KC indicates the ropes - seen in the video below - are each 30-feet.) I suggest, in this particular write-up, using 24 numbered spots in each rope circle due to the timed challenge. Here are some set up considerations:
  • There will be numbers 1 through 24 in each rope circle. In the overlapping 'eyeball' section of the two circles, the numbers inside are shared by both circles/groups. 
  • The numbers in the eyeball are not sequential. For example, if I use four numbers, I'll put down a 3, 9, 15 & 21. Avoid putting the number 1 in the eyeball. The more numbers in the eyeball, the more coordination between the two groups in play. 
  • The size/diameter of each rope circle in play will determine the level of challenge (based on this write-up). The smaller the rope circles, the easier the challenge. NOTE: In the video below, the groups are able to reach all the numbers (if they wanted to), by leaning into each circles and touching the numbers. If the circles are bigger participants may need to step into them to get to the numbers. Hence, taking more time to complete the task/challenge. 
The Story (if you want one): In front of you, and the rest of your salvage team, is a giant floor safe filled with unimaginable riches. An identical safe was discovered recently half way around the world by your main competitor. They figured out the steps to unlock the safe. One of their team members, disappointed in the cut s/he was going to get, contacted you and offered your team the instructions for double what s/he was going to get. Shortly after you agreed to the terms and encrypted email was sent to you with the instructions to open the safe. [This is where you give the group the Floor Safe Instructions sheet - PDF Download below.] 

You also just found out that your main competitor knows you discovered this identical floor safe. Some of their team are on their way to crack the safe - which means you will only get half of the riches inside since you discovered the safe. Your competitor will get the other half for opening it. They will be arriving to this site in 30 minutes. Will you get all the riches of just half? 

Floor Safe Instructions (This is the information included in the PDF Download (below) that you will hand to the group(s) - handing out multiple copies of the instructions will make the challenge a bit easier.)
  • You have 30 seconds for each attempt at opening the safe. If you fail to open the safe in 30 seconds you will need to wait 60 seconds before the next attempt - the safe seems to be resetting itself. 
  • The two woven ropes around the numbered keys and the numbered keys themselves may not be moved - the safe locks itself down when the ropes or numbers are moved.
  • All the numbered keys inside both keypads must be touched in sequential order starting with the number ones. 
  • Numbered keys must be touched by hand or foot (it doesn't seem to matter) and each numbered key may only be touched once. 
  • The two numbered keypads appear to be weight sensitive. Only one person can touch the surface inside each keypad at a time. In other words, it's okay for two people to be touching inside the keypads - one person in each pad. 
floorsafeinstructions_vennkeypunch.pdf
File Size: 59 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Facilitation Notes:
  • Your role during the challenge is to let the group know whether they opened the safe, or not, in 30 seconds. This is all you can say: "Yes, you did it!" Or, "No, the safe is still locked." 
  • So, this means you are watching for "Instruction" violations. You do not share your violation findings with the group. You wait for the group to finish or until 30 seconds have passed. Then, you share one of the two responses above. 
  • Some of the basic Instructions are easy for the group to catch (or see), like more than one person touching inside a key pad, or the ropes or number keys being moved. The tricky bit involves the number keys inside the 'eye' (overlapping rope sections) which is the "fresh perspective" I picked up from KC. There is an Instruction that states, "...each number key may only be touched once." More often than not, (I'm going to presume) the groups working each keypad will each touch the numbers inside the eye - violating the "once" rule. 
  • When you respond to the group, "No, the safe is still locked," there is nothing more you can say. The group is left to figure out what they (think they) did wrong and fix their plan during the 60 seconds they have to wait before the next safe cracking attempt. (You can be the one to time the 60 seconds.) 
Processing Thoughts: 
  • ​Lots of planning will go (or should go) into this challenge. How was this planning process for each person? Who was involved? Who was not involved? How did this 'sit' with everyone?  
  • What roles and responsibilities were taken on, or given, to participants during the different attempts? What influenced any changes in roles and responsibilities during the challenge? 
  • At any point during the challenge were you 'stuck?' What did being stuck look and sound like to you? If you were able to get un-stuck, what did this take? 
  • What emotions surfaced for you during the challenge? How did you manage these emotions? How did the emotions influence the challenge? 
  • What information do you want to remember from this challenge? 

Let us know how this goes for you! Leave us a Comment.

All the best, 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
4 Comments

The A-Files (Vol. 3)

2/10/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture

I run across short activity snippets in my files (both paper and digital) all the time - activity ideas I jotted down containing brief information about something I thought would be useful and/or fun to try. I always say to myself, "Chris, you need to do something with this." Okay, so here is me doing something with these. (Volume 1: HERE, Volume 2: HERE)
Shark Tank (This is a version of Mine/Obstacle Field I picked up at an International Physical Education Conference. Sorry to say, I did not document the speakers name, I was watching from afar while in the convention center. But, after a little resource research I would bet the presenter was a FlagHouse rep based on the gear he was using).

At the time my mental model with Mine Field (I, personally, don't use 'Mine' any more, but it is the traditional vernacular), was that everything inside the Field was something negative. Another "A-Ha" moment and so simple. (And, I liked the frontload/metaphor of a shark tank instead of mines.)

The 'tank' (a large square rope shape on the floor) was full of game spots, stars and SHARKS. (HERE is the FlagHouse link to the set of spots used. FlagHouse also sells just the Sharks.) Here is what I wrote in my notes: A blindfolded person [who is guided by someone outside the tank] is given 3 Oxygens before heading into the tank. Step on a shark, lose one oxygen. Step on a star, gain one oxygen. Step on the other stuff? [You can decide what you will for, "the other stuff."] NOTE: Of course, if you can't invest in the FlagHouse spots, you can designate a certain obstacle in the Field as a shark and another certain obstacle as an oxygen. And have lots of other "stuff" in the Field. 

The one extension/rule option I'm thinking about right now is that when a 'star' (could be any type of spot/object in the Field) is touched, it goes away. So, how will the group as a whole manage the 'positive' resources? Another idea: What if sharks can move? Or be added? (The facilitator can move or add them during the action.)
Pipeline Prop

Here's another quick note I had on my phone (inspired by a Facebook quote by J.K.). Use 'Twisting Balloons' (those balloons used to make balloon animals and other fun shapes) as a super-portable prop for Pipeline.  (HERE is the Amazon link associated with the picture.) 
Picture
Adventures: Blowing up these little skinny balloons is not as easy as you might think - could be the most challenging adventure of all. Once blown up keep them straight for the pipeline activity. You'll need 6 to 12 marbles as well - easy to carry around. (HERE is a video of Immobile Chopsticks - the macro version of this idea using noodles.) Then, use the inflated twisting balloons to build 'The Tallest Tower.' Twist and turn the balloons together as a team to build a tall structure. "We are all a part of the bigger picture." (Clean Up: If popped before discarded, be sure only those with rubber gloves clean up the fragments.) ​
What You Say (without props) 

This was an idea that came to me a while ago, but have yet to try - I think it should work. First, check out THIS FUNdoing POST from 2018 to get the basic idea using playing cards (and yes, this is still my all-time favorite Ice Breaker) and then come back to this no-prop variation.

When participants pair up, there are two ways you can have them play. 1) Each person holds up fingers - 1 to 5 fingers - indicating how many 'things about themselves' they are willing to share about themselves with her/his partner.  Or, 2) The number of fingers held up - 1 to 5 - is how many things the person wants her/his partner to share about her-/himself. Depending on the version, it comes down to asking yourself to do something or asking someone else to do something. 'Something' interesting to explore. (Example: You give yourself one thing to share, but you 'make' someone share five things.) After each person shares the numbered information, each person then (virtually) takes her/his partner's number and goes off to find someone else to share with. (If you try this one, please share your results. I'd love to collect some data on this idea.)
Be well my friend. Keep me posted. 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 

0 Comments

    JOIN
    FUNdoing
    Fridays
    Team Building Activities sent to your email every two weeks! 
    Picture
    FREE Reflection Activity just for signing up! 

    Picture
    Processing for Beginners
    FREE Mini-Course

    Click for Information

    Some Team Building Tools at the STORE! 
    Picture
    Details & Purchase
    Picture


    Details & Purchase
    Picture
    Details & Purchase

    Blog Author

    Dr. Chris Cavert is an internationally known author, speaker, and trainer in the area of adventure-based activity programming and its relation to community and pro-social behavior development.

    Blog Purpose

    This blog is a space for hands-on programable fun - energetic activities and ideas that can be used as a means to bring people together; activities and ideas we as educators can add to our social development curriculums. 

    Categories

    All
    Action Songs
    Activities
    A Files
    A-Files
    Challenge Course
    Chiji Cards
    CUP Activities
    Ed Tech 4 Adv Ed
    Facilitation
    Fun Props
    Lessons
    Let's Talk About
    List Play
    Noodles
    No Props
    On Pedagogy
    Print N Play
    Processing
    Programming
    Puzzles
    Read This
    Repurposed
    Resources
    Small Group Activities
    Tools For Team Builders
    Top 10 Activities
    Variations
    Videos
    Virtual
    What? & Why?

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly