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Make Dice: Ed Tech for Adv Ed

6/26/2012

"Make Dice" is a fun app (iPhone, iPad & iPod touch) for adventure educators - especially if you have access to, or bring mobile i-devices with you to a program. When the environment is safe and clean (e.g., being indoors or having access to a clean shelter at the end of a program), and I am working with a smaller group I bring out my iPhone or iPad (sometimes both) and open up my dice.

Basically, you get to add words or numbers to a six-sided template of a die. You can even choose from a variety of colored backgrounds to identify each die. As with any new app you want to be sure to work with it for a while to discover its features - Make Dice has some pre-made dice for chore assignments and decision making (which you can switch off), as well as basic "pip" dice for your favorite dice games. It doesn't take long to master this one.

My three favorite dice and their six representative sides:

Story Die (Icebreaker): Snow, Boat, Island, Night, Bird, Bike.
Tell the group a short story that includes the item that turns up on the die.

Favorite Die (Icebreaker): Toy, Food, Song, Movie, Trip. Pet.
Share with the group about the favorite item that turns up on the die.

Idea Die (Processing): Old Idea, Crazy Idea, New Idea, Top Idea, Fun Idea, Bad Idea.
Looking back on the program we shared together, let's explore some of the ideas that turned up for us during some of the activities. How did these ideas work out for us? How did these ideas surface - what did it take to get them out?

For a bit more online information see: MakeDice.com (Or, visit the Apple Store and search for "Make Dice".)

What other useful dice can we make for our adventure programs? Leave us the six sides in a comment below.

All the best,

Chris Chris, Ed.D.
(Updated 5/20/23)

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Group Juggle (Setting Up Variation)

6/18/2012

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On my list of top-ten interesting things I've experienced as an adventure education teacher/trainer have been the complexities groups get themselves into while creating the initial "pattern" for the activity Group Juggle (Rohnke). (HERES a detailed video of the basics.) When using this activity, I consider this initial pattern set up as an activity in and of itself, so I tend to include the set up creation process in the reflection of the experience.

However, there are times when I choose to cut to the case (or juggle) and get the pattern figured out right away. I discovered a fast and efficient way to set up a group juggle pattern from a fellow team builder.

Circle up your group. Count off in sequence from "1" all the way around the circle. (If you want, or if needed, hand off a tossable from #1, one player at a time, all the way around in numerical order to learn names.) When everyone has a (different) number, ask all the players in the circle to form a new circle without standing next to anyone within numerical sequence of their own number (in other words, make a new circle but inform everyone to remember their number).

Within this new circle, have player #1 start the juggle tossing to player #2, then #2 to #3 and so on - the highest numbered player tosses back to player #1. NOTE: If you notice a player tossing to someone next to them, stop the action, reshuffle the circle and try again. In the best Juggle, players do not toss to someone next to them.

Hope this is a revelation to some of you - it sure was for me! ("WOW, how easy was that?!")

Do you know any other ways to set up the juggle? Leave us a Comment below.

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.
(Updated 5/20/23)

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RePurposed: Spot It Group Challenge

6/1/2012

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RePurposed Activity: Using existing props from one game or activity to play another.

My nieces introduced me to Spot It Classic (Called Dobble in the European marketplace – and the origin of the game) in early 2012. An ingenious little card game. There are 55 cards in the metal tin, each card is decorated with eight symbols. Any two cards pulled from the deck will have one "and only one" matching symbol.

Since that first Spot It deck, many more 'themed' decks have been introduced. There's a Camping deck, a Fishing deck, a Marvel deck, a Star Wars deck (rare now), a Harry Potter deck and more! The favorite 'adventure education' deck comes from high 5 called Ubuntu. (You can pick up an activity guide for the Ubuntu deck with instructions for lots of teambuilding fun – HERES a post with a short list of activities using Spot It or Ubuntu cards, and a post with details on Spot It/Ubuntu Steal.) This deck and other Spot It versions can be used for the Icebreaker below – use decks that have images you can tell stories about. (My favorites: Ubuntu, Camping, and the Classic Spot It)

Icebreaker Activity: For a group of 10 to 55 people, give each person a Spot It card (A good activity for those times when participants do not all arrive to a program or workshop at the same time - after the game begins and new players arrive, give them a card and ask them to go into the crowd and find someone to help them understand how the game is played). Back to it!

Players pair up after raising their hands and finding someone else doing the same thing. Once face-to-face, players exchange names (introductions) and then reveal the symbols on their cards. You can introduce a little bit of excitement by saying, "See who can find the matching symbol first." There is no particular reward for finding it first - just some motivational energy.

After finding the matching symbol one or both of the players try to find a "story" from their lives that is prompted by the symbol. After one or both share, players exchange cards, raise a hand and look for someone else to face up with, find the match and share a story (or two).

Be sure to jump in and play as well so you can get to know some of your participants and they can get to know you a little. Keep an eye on the energy of the group and conclude the activity before it runs out of fun.

Any other playful ideas for the Spot It or Ubuntu cards? Leave us a Comment below.

Have fun out there!

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.
(updated 3/26/25)

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Make Dice: Ed Tech for Adv Ed

Group Juggle (Setting Up Variation)

RePurposed: Spot It Group Challenge

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