Jeremy uses a free online QR Code generator (here's the one I use) and goes to Dictionary.com to put in his words for the puzzle. Once a word is defined Jeremy copies the URL for that word and pastes it into the generator. When a QR Code is generated he has a document template for Avery printable business cards set up - he copies and then pastes one QR Code per business card and then prints out the page when it's full. You could easily make cards in a Word document like I do - I can get about eight rectangle images on one page. From there I can drop in a word, or now a QR Code, into each rectangle and print them out after I make a set of cards. 

Jeremy did warn us to label our QR Code puzzle card sets in some way so that if we make a number of different QR Code sets you know which cards go together. In the picture above you see Jeremy has outlined the QR Codes in green. With a little effort you too can produce a very interesting puzzle challenge that brings tech and face-to-face together! 

Here are some new Word Circle Puzzles for your team building adventures. (I've mixed them up of course so you can figure them out on your own if desired (write out each word on an index card so you can shuffle them around to solve), The answers are included after the puzzles. (New to Word Circle Puzzles? Go Here. After more WCP? Use the Search box in the right side bar on this page - type in Word Circle Puzzles to find other installments and presentation ideas.)

SOME, HIT, NIGHT, GOING, TIME, ON, SWITCH, OVER, LIGHT, HER...(10 Words)

HOLD, NECK, CARD, STAGE, SMART, LACE, BACK, STREET, CREW, HOUSE, OFF, WORK...(12 Words)

​STREET, POWER, PLANT, CONE, SMART, FLOWER, PITCH, PLAY, MONEY, BACK, STAND, PINE, FAST... (13 Words)

​BOTTOM, STAMP, GAME, COACH, SCHOOL, MAN, LINE, LESS, DATE, PAYMENT, BELL, DOWN, BOARD, LAW, PLAN, ON...

SPOILER ALERT - ANSWERS BELOW
10 Words: NIGHT, LIGHT, SOME, TIME, SWITCH, HIT, HER, ON, GOING, OVER...
12 Words: STREET, SMART, CARD, HOUSE, HOLD, BACK, STAGE, CREW, NECK, LACE, WORK, OFF...
13 Words: PINE, CONE, FLOWER, POWER, PLAY, BACK, STREET, SMART, MONEY, PLANT, STAND, FAST, PITCH...
16 Words: GAME, LAW, SCHOOL, BELL, BOTTOM, LINE, COACH, MAN, DATE, STAMP, DOWN, PAYMENT, PLAN, LESS, ON, BOARD...

Have fun out there!

​Chris Cavert

Back in 2012 I shared a nice little app called Make Dice. Recently I noticed there has been a nice little upgrade to the app - you can now add pictures to the sides of the dice. As I jumped in to play around with this new feature it dawned on me that there were also some other options to make dice through the smart phone keyboard. Using the wide variety of emojis the range of dice options explodes. Here are a few dice ideas I'm trying out: 

Get to Know You
Number Die: 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4
Word Die: Likes, Dislikes, Wishes, Goals, Fears, Thanks
Roll the dice - The number is how many things to say in relation to the word die. 

Body Parts Debriefing: Create a set of dice (2 or 3) with a variety of Emoji body parts: Ear - What did you hear today that was important to you; Eyes - What did you see today that was important to you; Mouth - What did you say today that was helpful; Hand - How did you lend a hand today; Clapping Hands - What was worth celebrating today; Making a Bicep Muscle - When did you feel strong today; Heart - Share a feeling you had today. 
Roll the dice - Out of the three body parts, choose the body part you want to share with the group. 

Feeling Debriefing: Create a set of dice (2 or 3) with a variety of Emoji emotion faces: Happy, Sad, Frustrated, Confused, Angry, Sleepy, Surprised, Nervous, Crying, Bored. 
Roll the dice - Choose a feeling from the dice and share the situation with the group.  

Traffic Sign Connections: Create a set of dice (2 or 3) with Emoji traffic sign diagrams that can be used for pre-viewing, mid-viewing or reviewing and activity: Stop, Yield, Crosswalk, Two-Way Street, One Way, No Parking, Speed Limit, Handicapped Parking - come up with some relevant concepts for the signs your group can discuss. 

Take Pictures: Take pictures of the elements on your course that the group will be attempting during their program. Add them to a set of dice (2 or 3). 
Roll the dice - As a closing review participants choose one of the elements to talk about that made a significant impact on her/him or the group.  

Training Game (Game): When training a group of facilitators/group leaders give small groups of 3 or 4 an opportunity to show a little creativity.  
Equipment Die: Long Rope, Game Spots, Beach Ball(s), Tossables, Webbing, None
Action Die: Running, Circle, Line, Scattered, Connected, Silent 
Theme: Hot Lava, Dark Space, Sharks, Rescue, Speed, Quicksand
Roll the dice - What they see is what they get. Each group uses the equipment, action and theme to come up with an activity to present to the rest of the group.  

If you have other great dice combo ideas share them in the comments below. 

Have fun out there. 

Chris Cavert

Here's a fun App "icardsort" I've been using on my iPad for small group activities and processing sessions. (I'm not sure if this App is available on other operating systems.) You make your own word or number cards - one-word cards have been working out well for me - creating decks for all sorts of applications. 

To the right is a screen shot of a Word Circle Puzzle from WCP 18s Decks. (Don't know about Word Circle Puzzles?  Check out this previous post.) Here's the "sort" part. Once you make your decks you can then touch on a card and move it around the screen. Notice up in the left hand corner of the screen. Cards can be different colors and you can also change the font. Using pinch gestures you can even make the cards bigger of smaller. Great for Word Circle Puzzles!!

I've also started making decks of Debrief Cards. Shown here are some of the cards in my Feelings Deck (notice these cards are much bigger on the screen - again, pinch gestures to resize cards). I originally created this deck for a group specifically working on feelings literacy - navigating their way through understanding the feelings and emotions they've been experiencing in their lives. 

With one of my recent groups I creating one-word cards as I progressed through activities. Words came from one-word Whip Arounds we did, words I heard them say during activities, and words they shared during processing sessions. (I did let the group know at the start of the program what I was doing with the iPad.) Then, for a closing we reviewed the words and were able to reflect on specific experiences. The group also had time to pick out their three most "powerful" words - words they wanted to remember about their program. 

As with anything, the right prop at the right time. So far pulling out the iPad with the right group has been a positive experience for me. I certainly hooked the "Apples" in the crowd and brought in a piece of tech to engage the tech-savey youth. 

Give this one a try - lots of fun! Let me know about your Decks!! Share in the comments below. 

All the best, 

Chris Cavert 

I found Rory's Story Cubes to be a wonderful addition to my light-weight traveling game bag. The nine dice have a variety of images that can be used to prompt discussions for ice breaker and processing sessions. You can find them online at Gamewright (they have a downloadable PDF on the "rules of play" if you want additional information about the original purpose for the cubes - however, at the time of this blog entry I couldn't open it?!) I have also seen the cubes at Barnes & Noble. While looking for images I saw an Action version and a Voyages version of the cubes - do let me know if these other versions are EE playable. 

I also have Rory's Story Cubes on my iPhone - this same app works on my iPad as well (pay once for both devices). I didn't know how much I would actually use the cubes in this tech form, but I've found it to be a hit with some of the adult groups I have worked with (I'm still a bit selective about using my personal technology devices with groups. However, so for, I've had a pretty good sense as to what groups I can count on to be careful.) Some of the most interesting discussions I've had while using technology actually have centered around technology itself and how it has changed the way we communicate and how we spend our time. I'm up for anything that can get a conversation started. I tell my students, "Participants will tend to talk about the things that are at the forefront of their mind, so run with it." 

Please send us more adv ed tech - comment below. 

All the best, Chris

"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. If 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