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Life Skills Memory Match (Set 1 & Set 2) Print-N-Play

10/30/2020

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You know those times when you go into a situation with no real expectations and you come out the other side saying, "That was really fun!" Well, I had one of those experiences with Karen Whittaker and some of the Base Camp Challenge Center staff recently. Karen reached out and wanted to give back to the community of Fun Followers that we are. We set up a ZOOM call and I expected that Karen and I were going to simply talk out some of the activities they use during their programs. Well, "little did he know..." (movie reference)...I was surprised with a small group ready to play and 'show' me the activities. Needless to say, I learned a lot from these amazing educators! (Thank you my friends!!) 
Life Skills Memory Match is one of the (processing) activities they shared - one I knew I could get out to you right away (and I know how much some of you like the print-n-plays!). The Base Camp Challenge Center (among other things) team builds with high school ages. During their programs they align activities with the Michigan Technical Education Essential Standards, what we can call life skills. Karen and the staff work from a specific list of traits and skills they can address based on the standards. Life Skills Memory Match is most often used as a processing activity at the end of a series of high school student programs to review many of the traits and skills the students learned and practiced while at the Base Camp Challenge Center.  
Karen provided us with two sets of Memory Match activities (downloads below). Each set includes an answer key. She shared with me that a 4 by 5 grid is a good size to work with - more choices takes longer. And, there is certainly the option to mix the pairs from each set to make another 'set' - just be sure you have an answer sheet for your new set. Thinking through this resource, if I have the same group over different days (like the Base Camp groups), I would put a set of memory match cards together to review the traits and skills we practiced during different parts of the program (e.g. after the second program of four). Then, as a final processing activity I'd put a game together with the most relevant pairs to review in the mix. Lots of potential versions to create with this one.  
Basic Play for Life Skills Memory Match
Karen provide a set of the Memory Match directions (at right). The directions outline a competitive way to play with a review of the pairs after the 'match.' And, I like how it says, "You can allow a team to match 'wrong' as long as they can tell you why they think the cards match, then..." 

basicmemorymatch_directions_competiiotn.pdf
File Size: 104 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Of course, you can also play cooperatively and work together to find the matches (...as long as they can tell you why...). When a positive match is found, take a moment to reflect on the learning behind the match. Then, continue to search for the next combination.) ​
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Set Up
As Karen shared, a good size for play is a 4 by 5 grid of cards (10 pairs to find). NOTE: I set up the example images in Google Slides with 'covers' over the cards (and yes, we could play virtually). Please consider the covers to be the backs of a cards so we'll 'flip' the card over, uncovering it in Slides.

Play
Two players go to the grid, either from the same team, if competing, or from the group if playing cooperatively. Each player turns over a card...
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If the cards do not match (and the group cannot "tell you why" they match), the cards are flipped back over (words down - you might need to include this specific phrasing due to the creative nature of some groups - what is a flip?). 
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If the cards do match (correct answer or a good reason why), the 'team' pulls the pair out and play continues (same team plays again, or next team goes? Up to you....), or (as I - Chris - might play), we would take some time to talk about the significance of the pair then take the cards out of the grid, place them off to the side and continue playing. (I like the idea of taking the found pairs out of the grid so it doesn't become distracting as other pairs are found.)  
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Most of us have played a 'Matching' game of some sort, so I'm guessing you know how it plays out over the long run. Be sure to adapt the game to meet your specific needs. Does the grid need to be a 'square/rectangle' grid? No. Could I have some 'distracter' cards in the mix? Yes. Can my grid contain more cards? Yes. Can we jump up and down in celebration when we find a match? Yes!! Reviewing our learning is an important part of what we do as team builders. Make it the best for your situation. 

Another BIG THANKS to Karen and her colleagues for taking the time to share with us. And, there is more on the way from these amazing educators. 

Here are the downloads: 
lifeskills_memorymatch_set1.pdf
File Size: 410 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

lifeskillsmemorymatch_answersheet_set1.pdf
File Size: 104 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

lifeskills_memorymatch_set2.pdf
File Size: 479 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

lifeskills_memorymatch_answersheet_set2.pdf
File Size: 140 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

NOTE: If you have any questions about the content in the Sets, email: chris@onteambuilding.com

Be well my friend! 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 

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Thread the Needle Too (with Video)

10/14/2020

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NOTE: This is a re-posting of Thread the Needle (from 2016) with a few updated instructions and an action video. 
​Set Up Set out your Key Pad numbers (numbered index cards, livestock tags, or poly spots) in a pattern similar to the diagram below - odd numbers on one side of center and evens on the other. The wider the number placement the more challenging the task. Between the odds and evens is something for the hoop-holder to stand on or in (I have access to a large carpet square that works great, but you could use a big hula-hoop or tape a square on the floor). The person assigned to be the hoop-holder will also need a hula-hoop. The smaller the hoop the more challenging the task. Then you will need a tossable object. In the picture above we used a small dodgeball, but a rubber animal is fun too (or other safe tossable of course).

Needs & Numbers: This one plays well with 8 to 12 participants in a group with 16 to 24 numbers in the set. Multiple groups can play at the same time. 
 
Objective: The tossable object must be thrown through the sequence of numbers in order from 1 to 24 (or 30, or??). [In the video above, the group is learning the activity using numbers 1 to 12.] Basically, the more numbers, the longer the activity.
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Directions: 
  • ​The roles in this activity include a timer, a hoop-holder (a.ka., The Hoopster), throwers, and catchers. Players are allowed to take on multiple roles, for example, the timer can also be a tosser or catcher, and catchers can be throwers. Exception: The hoop-holder cannot catch or toss the object (but this person could be the timer - tricky, but possible). 
  • THE THROWING RULE: All throws must be made from the appropriate number in the sequence while the thrower is standing ON the number.. 
  • THE CATCHING RULE: Catchers do not have to be standing on a number. 
  • THE HOOP-HOLDER RULE: The hoop-holder must be standing on/in the designated center spot/area at all times while holding the hoop. The holder can move about on/in this area moving the hoop to where it needs to be, but must have both feet on/in this area when the object goes through the hoop from one side to another. (An option can be to require at least "one foot" in the area at all times - this rules is used by the group in the video.)  
  • When throws are made from one side to another (odd to even, or even to odd), the object must go through the hoop. If the object does not make it through the hoop (e.g., misses going through the center of the hoop or hits the hoop itself and the object falls to the ground) it goes back to the thrower (standing on the appropriate number) to make another attempt. Throws are made from the same number until the object goes through the hoop.
  • The object starts in the hand(s) of one person standing on the number 1 spot.
  • Time starts when the timer says "GO!" When one player has the object in hand and is standing on the highest number in the game (after the object has been thrown through the sequence of numbers in order), the time stops.  
As noted above, allow your group multiple attempts to see what improvements they can make. When I have the time, I like to let my groups make as many attempts as they want and stop when they believe they have accomplished their "best" time. I like to ask, "Is this the best this group can do?" It's interesting to see how many attempts are made by a group in order to determine what their 'best' can be (at that moment).
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If you run this activity with multiple teams in play, you could set up some respectful friendly competition. In a 25-minute window have teams plan and practice (after the directions are shared) for five minutes and then give them the next 15 minutes to achieve their best time. I like to chart all times on a white board or flip chart paper, so the data is available for everyone to see. I circle the best times for all teams and then assign places. ​
Let me know how it goes for you! Leave a comment below. 

All the best, 

​Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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See Ya! for Connecting and Processing

10/1/2020

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Recently I led three live workshops sharing, Community Building Activities While Safely Distancing. I pulled See Ya! from one of the Video Replays. It can be used at the beginning of a program as a way to connect players through ice-breaker questions and then it can be used again at the end of a programming to open up discussions with processing questions. 
In the diagramming video, it shows players around a hoop or webbing circle, safely distanced. You can also set out spot-pods safely distanced apart in configurations for three or four players. 

See Ya! can be played with 12 to 100+ people and works well with middle school ages and older. Check it out. And, if you have any questions, let me know. 
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If you'd like a copy of the Assets Package from the workshops, with over 70 safely distancing activity resources (45 described and diagrammed in the three video replays), you can find it over at the FUNdoing Store. 

All the best, 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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    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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