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Block It Out (Beta)

9/26/2017

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After receiving my new Blocked Perspective activity from High 5 the other day (I'm so excited to try it out), blocks have been on my mind. Nate Folan, a friend and fellow team builder, inspired the Lotsa Blocks post back in April of 2015 - a series of six different activities using blocks. Block It Out is my latest development. 
So far, in the beta testing phase, Block It Out is a table-top activity for six to twelve participants (but as you know, feel free to adjust this one to meet your needs).

Numbers: Six to twelve participants in a group - multiple groups can play. 

Equipment: Masking tape, 12 wooden building blocks for each group (with pictures, numbers, and letters on the sides of the blocks), and a timing device for each group. 

Set Up: You'll need a solid surface (e.g., end of a table) for each group. Stick down a 12-inch piece of masking tape on the surface you are using. Build two block towers (for each group), six blocks each, like in the first picture above. 

The Challenge: The group is/groups are tasked to move the "Two Towers" into the "Pyramids" (picture 2) then into "The Wall" (picture 3) as quickly as possible. You will be giving them three attempts to get their best (lowest) time. 
Rules: 
  • Time will begin as soon as someone touches a block from the Two Towers structures. 
  • Each participant in the group must move at least one block into each of the two structure builds - into the Pyramids and into The Wall. (Note: If you are working with less than 12 participants, some will be moving more than one block.) 
  • All structures must be built on the strip of tape. 
  • The top of the Pyramids must show a "hammer" image and a "helicopter" image. (Note: These images match the ones shown in picture 2 above - you can require any two images from the blocks you are using.) 
  • All fingers must be off of the Pyramid structures (blocks) before moving the blocks into The Wall structure. 
  • The Wall must show the numbers 1, 2, 3, & 4 sequentially across the top. (Note: If you don't have numbers on your blocks you could require sequential letters or other images.) 
  • When all fingers are off of The Wall structure, time will stop. 

Variations: 
  • Vary the length of the masking tape. If the piece of tape is smaller than 12 inches the group will have less space (harder version) to work around. If it's longer (easier version), there will be more space to work around. 
  • Add the rule: All blocks must be off of the tape at the same time before the Pyramids build and The Wall build. 
  • When you build the Two Towers, you can have the required images for the Pyramids showing (easier version) or hide them (harder version). 
  • Provide an image card of the Pyramids and The Wall so the participants can see what they are tasked to build. Using only verbal directions of your expectations will most likely prompt questions about the requirements. (Will everyone be on the same page? Have the same mental model?) 
  • Add more blocks to the build - everyone has more than one block to move. 
Processing Questions: 
  • Describe your planning session before you started - what did you hear and see within the group during this time?
  • Were you able to plan for all situations encountered during your process of building the Pyramids and The Wall?
  • What showed up for you during the process that you didn't plan for? 
  • In what ways, if any, were the planning sessions different before the second and third builds? 
  • What role did each of you have during the process and did you completely understand this role before you began? 
  • If you were not clear about your role before and/or during the process, what did you do about this situation?
  • What prevents people from reaching role clarity before starting a task with others? 
  • In what ways did you measure your success for this activity? 
  • In what ways did you fail during this activity?
  • What information did you gain from your failures? How did you use this information? 
  • If you were given one more attempt at this challenge, what would you do differently? 
Let me know how this one goes for you! What needs to change to make it better? What can we add to make it better? 

​Keep me posted. 

All the best!

​Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
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Relationships Too: Chiji Cards

9/11/2017

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In The Chiji Guidebook: A Collection of Experiential Activities and Ideas for Using Chiji Cards (I co-authored with Steve Simpson), there is an object lesson activity called Relationships. In this activity you spread the deck of image cards out on the floor or table and ask your participants to scan the cards and look for "relationships" between two or three cards. When they find cards that relate they call out "RELATIONSHIP" and then pull out the two or three cards and share what relationship they see. After the share, the cards are placed back into the mix and more relationships are called.

For example, looking at the cards above, I see an eagle and an ostrich. They are both birds. (I cannot say they both fly since the ostrich is a flightless bird.) Or, I could pick out the lamp and the fire - the lamp can hold a flame, or they both provide light. 

The facilitated objective behind the Relationships activity is to open up a conversation with participants about relationships. After you "play the game" for a while you can present questions like: What is important to you in a relationship? What do you bring to a relationship? What strains a relationship? What sorts of relationships are there? How can we fix relationships when they seem broken? An so on. 
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Recently I came up with Relationships Too. I wanted the interaction with the cards to be more random, a bit more challenging. I wanted to force more creative thinking sooner in the activity process (since, when I used this activity for the first time with a small group of corporate adults, I had little time to reach the "innovative thinking" objective I was asked to cover). 

Here's the idea. Shuffle the deck of Chiji Cards and set the deck on the table. Then, place two cards (drawn from the top of the deck) to one side of the deck (see pictures above). Ask the group, "What relationships can you make between the two cards showing?" After an answer I ask, "Is there another relationship?" And again, "Is there another relationship?" I go on with this question until someone (or more than someone) tells me there are no more relationships they can see (Note: There is often some frustration that surfaces in the first round or two over my "incessant" question - good stuff to talk about!). After determining there are no more relationships between the two cars, someone in the group can flip over another card and place it on top of either of the two cards showing. Then, play continues. "What relationships can you make between the two cards showing?" "Is there another relationship?" 

In both versions of Relationships (for me), the "easy" connections are identified right away. Then, over time, more complex relationships emerge. How many relationships can you make between the Farm card and the Rainbow card? How about the Farm and the Rabbit cards? (Is it only a Rabbit?) Again, both versions allow me to explore the complexities of relationships AND they help me emphasize that after we get past the "easy" answers, more complex and innovative ideas can emerge. 
Resource Notes: 
Find your copy of The Chiji Guidebook and Cards HERE.
Change up Relationships with Climer Cards. Find them HERE. 
Go to Wood 'N' Barnes Publishing for a FREE Chiji Card Processing Activity HERE.
Have FUN out there my friends. Keep me posted. 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 

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Bull Ring: Hole in the Wall (Video)

9/5/2017

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I do like the Bull Ring activity, popularized by my friend Dr. Jim Cain. There are lots of fun adaptations of the Bull Ring contraption (including the 3-D version SHOWN HERE). And, there are lots of challenges that can be presented with any of the Bull Rings. One of my favorites is, "Hole in the Wall". 

Here are my rules and the three-part progression to this challenge. (The participants in the video below are college students in a management-related masters degree program.):

RULES
  • Each Part starts with the strings on the ground, the ring touching the base of the pedestal, and the ball on top of the pedestal - this is called the Home Position (left picture below). 
  • When the ball is moving, each participant must be holding the end of at least one string (holding the small knot tied at the end of each string), and all strings must be tight. 
  • For safety reasons, strings may not be wrapped around any part of the body (any body).
  • The ball may not be tied to or held down onto the ring.
  • If the ball falls off of the ring the attempt must begin again from the Home Position of the Part (1, 2 or 3) being attempted. 
NOTE: The picture below, on the right, is a typical set up. The Bull Ring contraption is set up in Home Position (near the bottom of the picture). The second pedestal is about 30 to 40 feet from the first. (I put a ball on the second pedestal so you can see it - the ball comes off before the activity begins.) After Part 1 the hula-hoop is placed between the two pedestals  FYI: The pedestals are large thread spools. 
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PART 1: The group is challenged to move the Ball, using the Bull Ring contraption, from one pedestal to the other. 

PART 2: The group is challenged to move the Ball, using the Bull Ring contraption, from one pedestal to the other. Before placing the Ball on the second pedestal, all the participants and the Bull Ring contraption must pass through a hula-hoop being held up vertically by the facilitator. 

PART 3: The group is challenged to move the Ball, using the Bull Ring contraption, from one pedestal to the other. Before placing the Ball on the second pedestal, all the participants and the Bull Ring contraption must pass through a hula-hoop. This time the group must figure out how to manage the hula-hoop without the facilitators help. (This Part is shown in the video below.) 
I describe the hula-hoop to the group as a hole in a wall. A hole in a wall is in a vertical orientation and our hole in the wall has special powers - it can move around within the imaginary wall but it must stay in the vertical position.

When I am holding the hoop for the group (in Part 2), each participant can tell me how high they would like me to hold it and if they want it moved at any point during their passage through it. The hoop works the same way  in Part 3, but the group members have to figure out how to manipulate the hoop following the Rules of play. 
In the video below the group is (obviously) attempting Part 3. Noticed they have figured out a way, following the rules, to get through the hoop together after loosening the strings - remember, when the Ball is in motion the strings must be tight. (Now, does the Ball "move" during the loosening of the strings? We did talk about this during the processing session.)  

NOTE: I've titled the "Part 3" video below, Bull Ring Hooped since it's also on my YouTube channel by itself without a description. I didn't add any music to this video so you could listen to the participants work their plan. 
What's your favorite Bull Ring challenge? Leave us a Comment below. 

Have FUN out there!

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
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    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.

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    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. 

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