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Tipping Towers (video)

5/14/2026

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Note from Chris: This video is over 6 minutes. I kept in more content in this one so you could listen to the verbal communication of this team in action. They made the journey look easy with a good dose of task focus and thoughtful communication. 

I've been a fan of the 3D Bull Ring Tube. However, I've also been wanting to figure out how to get the people on the bottom strings of the tube more engaged – the strings at the top of the traditional version do more of the work. 

This new design hit me recently. The 'top' strings are places just below the center of the 10-inch tube (1.5-inch diameter tube). Now, the bottom strings need to provide the leverage for the ball to stay on top of the tube.  

The Objective: Get the tennis ball, that starts out on top of the 'Wide' tower, on top of the 'Narrow' tower (1-inch tube with couplings at each end). 

Needs & Numbers: One set of Tipping Towers (two towers per set) plays well with 6 to 12 participants. (You can find the three-pack set at Training Wheels, enough strings for 36 people.)  

Process: Set down the Wide Tower (with the strings spread out away from the tower) on the floor about 12 feet from the Narrow tower that is set standing on the floor. 

Rules:​
  • All strings must be held at the knot located at the end of each string.
  • Once the Wide Tower is off the ground, strings may not touch the ground until after the ball is successfully placed on top of the Narrow Tower.
  • For safety reasons, strings may not be wrapped or folder around anything.
  • The ball may only be touched by the Wide Tower and the Narrow Tower.
  • Towers may not be touched by participants in any way.
  • If the ball falls off either Tower, a restart is required.  

 
Possible Reflection Questions:
  • What was your first impression of the activity after hearing about it? Did your impression change after starting? It what way? How is this like meeting new people?
  • Let’s think about and discuss the activity in three parts. 1) Describe what you remember about starting the challenge – picking the Wide Tower up off the ground. What worked well, what didn’t? 2) Describe the portion of the challenge where you were moving the Wide Tower towards the Narrow Tower. What worked well for you and what didn’t? 3) Describe the final part of the challenge – placing the Wide Tower down over the Narrow Tower. What worked well for you as a team and what didn’t?
  • What emotions surfaced for you during the challenge? How did these emotions influence the way you participated in the experience?
  • In your opinion, what is the best thing you did as a team during the challenge?
  • In your opinion, what is one thing you believe your team can do better when it comes to working together?

With a simple change, the next level of challenge is achieved. It's been fun to watch and valuable to learn from. 

So far we've tried it starting at floor level and tabletop level. The tabletop start and finish seem to be easier – the standing and squatting start and end from the floor involve more dynamic movements which have dislodged the ball more frequently. 

I hope you get the opportunity to try it out.

All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.   
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Tabletop Blind Mouse Maze

4/27/2026

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My friend West and I led a workshop that included this tabletop mouse maze. It was super exciting with rich takeaways (see the Reflection Questions below). We used 6-foot round tables and divided the surface in quarters using blue painters tape (easier to remove at the end). Each quarter included a zig-zag maze (outlined with blue tape), three 'cat' stickers, two victor mouse traps, and an oversized yellow die – the cheese. 
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Below is a close up of the Traps and Cheese. We were working with adults so we chose to place the loaded mousetraps close to the cheese. The traps can be placed further away to reduce some stress if needed. We use oversized foam dice (because we had them) for the prize. The elevation made the perch higher than the traps to mitigate some of the perceived and actual risk. If you don't have the dice you could cut up some 1.5- x 1.5-inch dowel rods or or pvc for perches. The cat stickers we found at a craft store (e.g., Michael's) and the soft mice at a pet store.  
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The Objective: Slide the mouse through the maze unsighted, avoiding the walls, cats and traps and place it on top of the cheese in the center of the table. 

Each quarter of the table was used by a pair. One person was sighted, one person had their eyes closed. The person with their eyes closed was guided by their partner through the maze, avoiding the walls (blue tape) and the cats (stickers). The mouse is slid along the table until it reaches the entrance to the traps area. Then, using detailed verbal communication, the sighted partner directs their blind partner to pick up and put the mouse on top of the cheese. 

If the mouse were to fall into the trap area, without setting off a trap, the sighted partner can continue to provide directions for the safe removal of the mouse by their unsighted partner. And ultimately make a successful perch of the mouse onto the cheese. 

After a maze trip, partners talk to each other about the experience, sharing what went well and what could have made the experience better. Then, partners switch roles. 

TRAP WARNING: Yes, loaded mousetraps provide a heightened level of risk - use this activity with groups that exhibit good verbal communication skills. If you know how to use mousetrap activities within a teambuilding program, you could do a warm up experiences like the Mousetrap Trust Sequence (see the book Raptor, by Sam Sikes). 

Possible Reflection Questions:
  • What were some of the concerns you and your partner had with the maze before the mouse started moving? What did you discuss and address about the concerns before starting? 
  • What was important about the plan you had with your partner before starting? What were some of the specifics you included in your plan? Why were these specifics important? 
  • What were the hazards you needed to plan for? What hazards in your day-to-day life do you need to plan for? 
  • What concerns did you have about the loaded mouse traps? How did you address your concerns? What sort of traps are you around in your day-to-day lives? What are some of the ways you address these traps? 
  • If a trap was set off during the experience, how did it influence your future actions? 
  • How was trust related to this experience? What behaviors did your partner exhibit to build trust? What behaviors did you experience that did not build trust? 
  • What lessons can we take away from this experience? 

I hope you have the opportunity to try this one. We spent about 30 minutes with it the first time we tried. It was about 10 minutes with the frontload, 20 minutes for the activity (moving the mouse), and about 10 to ask questions about learnings. 

All the best, 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
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Bullring Monkeys (Video)

2/12/2026

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I learned this activity from my friend Chris Ortiz may years ago. Recently, I got to play it again during a workshop he led at ACCT. It’s one of those ‘simple’ but not easy tasks. Groups do not travel so they don’t need a lot of room. And it’s a nice ‘tabletop’ activity when working with participants seated at Rounds.

Here’s what I like about it:
  • Barrel of Monkeys! Who doesn’t get excited about hooking those monkeys?! So, there's good energy throughout the experience. 
  • Each person has some autonomy through their string – how much will they use it.
  • This can be a small group (e.g., 3 people) or larger group (e.g., five groups of 8 people) activity. 
  • Leadership behaviors emerge as the group navigates what monkey to go for and how to position themselves to get that monkey. 
  • There are opportunities for goal setting – both process-oriented and product-oriented. And does the group set goals? What are the benefits? Drawbacks?  
  • Success and failure are obvious – losing monkeys (progress) helps to refocus on the task.
  • Communication behaviors surface. How do group members talk to each other? Are ideas suggested? Forced? Held back?
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I like Chris’s micro ring apparatus. It’s made with (what I’m guessing is) a small brass ring about 1-inch in diameter. (Any traditional Bullring apparatus will work for this activity. See this FUNdoing Post with video, to learn how to make your own Bullring.) He used cotton string about an 1/8-inch in diameter – it has a good feel to it – with an overhand knot tied at the ends. Each string is about 8-feet long and then girthed to the ring, making eight 4-foot strands to hold. Group size can range from 3 to 8 people. 

Leading Bullring Monkeys

There are a variety of ways to lead this activity depending on group outcomes. Chris’s workshop was about exploring some of the different ways a facilitator might influence a group’s experience. After using Bullring Monkeys we discussed, with Chris, some facilitator impact. (Maybe I can get Chris to share more about his work and pass it on to you. I’ll keep you posted.)

Here’s what we were instructed to do:
  • Each person in a group is invited to hold the end of one of the strings of the bullring apparatus at the knot. If there are extras, some people can hold two strings.
  • When the strings are pulled tight, hook one of the monkeys from your pile onto the ring of your apparatus.
  • When ready, pick up the monkeys.

We played for about 10-minutes before we stopped to discuss facilitator influences.
Prop Notes: 'Barrel of Monkeys' is easy to find in the States. Typically, there are 12 Monkeys in the Barrel (from Hasbro). I like to give each group a big pile of 16 to 20 monkeys, it just looks better.

I've seen creative configurations with paper clips that can be linked up. And I've used 'Chain Repair Lap Links' (below) with a bullring. When linked together, the strand can get very heavy! A great discussion point about what happens when we 'pick up' too many things and how we manage them. 
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Have fun out there! Why Not?!

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
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Phraseology Cards, Set 2 (Print-N-Play)

1/15/2026

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First and Foremost, Happy New Year! I hope your 2026 adventures are memorable. 

Back in 2019 Phraseology Cards were introduced. I use them regualrly to spark thinking, meaning, and creativey. And I've heard from other team builders who love them just as much as I do. If you are new to Phraseology Cards please head over to the ORIGINAL POST for the main details about leading the activity and to download Set 1. (FYI: The original download, and the download included here, are almost the same – other than the phrases themselves.)

You can now use either Set, or combine the two for additional talking points. Here's what I share in this second download: 

Using Both Sets Together When setting up the activity and counting out your card/phrase needs, include an equal number of phrases from both Sets – with the understanding that each Set of cards is a different color (e.g., Set 1 is yellow, Set 2 is green). During ‘phrasing’ ask participants to only pair up with card colors that are the same (‘sameness’). Share meanings when matches are found. Then, during Re-Phrasing, ask participants to pair up with a different colored card and share meanings when discovered. One talking point can be about diversity – stepping out of sameness can be beneficial, providing opportunities that are not possible if we don’t. 

​Your new Set:

Phraseology Cards, Set 2 (Thers is a preview first before you choose to download.)
phraseologycards_set2.pdf
File Size: 516 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Please let us know how this second Set influences your Phraseology Experience. Leave us a Comment. 

All the best, 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
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Order Puzzles (with Playing Cards)

12/11/2025

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Recently I was rewriting the instructions to 'Order Puzzle' – a small group activity I included in the Activity Manual for the POSSIBLESbag Teambuilding Kit, when I had this idea. Before I share the new idea, let me give you a recap. Order Puzzle is one of those "low risk people practice" activities I talked about in the House Puzzle of String post. Participants ease into problem-solving with a less people, so they get the feel for the process. 

Order Puzzle

Needs & Numbers: 1 standard deck of (52) playing cards for up to 12 participants. More than 12? Use more decks. From a group management perspective, I use this activity with up to 24 participants if I'm on my own. 

Time: 15-20 minutes

Set Up: First you need to create three 'puzzle sets' (of 16 cards) from a standard deck of playing cards. Take out the four 10s (not needed), then create your sets:
  • Puzzle Set 1: 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s;
  • Puzzle Set 2: 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s;
  • Puzzle Set 3: Aces, Js, Qs, Ks.

Then divide your group into smaller groups of 2 to 4 participants. (Again, If you have more then 12 people in your group you just need more playing cards to make more sets.)
Process: Give each small group a Puzzle Set (16 cards), a place to lay out their puzzle, and the following challenge:

Using all 16 cards in your set, create a 4 by 4 grid of cards, showing face up, where no row or column of the grid has the same suit in it or the same rank in it (face value).

For your reference, the picture shows one solution using Puzzle Set 3. 
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Clarify any questions about the directions. (You can, or may need to, lay out a 4 by 4 grid for a visual – you can use the visual to clarify what's expected in the rows and columns as well.) Then let the groups start. Mingle around to answer questions (without solving problems) and check answers. When one group solves the puzzle, give the remaining groups (if there are any) 60 seconds to solve the puzzle or get as far as they can.

Here are the questions I included in the recent update of the activity:
  • What was difficult about this activity for you?
  • What strategies did you and your team come up with to be successful?
  • Describe the behaviors you saw and heard within your group during the challenge? Which behaviors did you like? Which behaviors would you have changed?
  • On a scale of 1 to 5, how did your group do at listening to each other? A 1 is not very well and 5 is really well. If you didn’t give your group a 5, what would they need to do to raise their score one point?
  • How many of you had an idea to share about solving the puzzle? How did you communicate your ideas to others? Were all your ideas listened to during the challenge? What could have been better about your idea sharing process?
  • What feelings surfaced for you during the challenge? How did these feelings influence the way you participated?
(Thanks to Michelle Cummings and Training Wheels for letting me share.)

Again, this short, small group, low-risk activity is about people practice – fewer people working on a task is less complex than a larger group task. There's more opportunity to share verbally and participate physically and 'problem solving' usually takes less time. There's 'more' direct experience for each person. 
Order Puzzles

Okay. Here's my new idea. There will still be a level of autonomy for each group with the possible opportunity to collaborate between groups (but we don't tell them about the collaboration part – we hope it becomes obvious [or necessary?]). 

Needs & Numbers: You will be grouping three smaller groups together (2 to 4 people in a smaller group) – let's call this grouping a 'pod'. Each pod needs a deck of cards with the four 10s removed. I think I could manage three pods at once. (?) So, up to 36 participants. 
Set Up: Find a nice area for each pod to play (the diagram to the right is a pod) – each small group in a pod needs a flat(ish) surface to build their puzzle. Position each small group in a pod as points of a triangle – small groups are at least 5 feet from the card pool and each other. Then give each pod their (shuffled) deck of cards (with 10s removed). Each group is asked to spread out their cards in the middle area of their triangle – this will be the 'card pool'.
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I've been thinking about three options for the card pool set up. Here's my favorite at this time. Ask each group to divide their deck of cards in half – this can be their best guesstimate or they can count out the top 24 cards. Then, one pile will be spread out in the pool face up and the other pile will be spread out face down. The two piles can be mixed around together or stay separated. (My thinking: The face cards will be the first to get picked up, then the 'blind' pile will be picked up – or maybe not. More below.) The other two options: All cards spread out face up or all cards spread out face down. Each set up will have its own dynamics – you choose. 

Process: When all the pods are set up, explain that the goal for each pod is to have each small group build an Order Puzzle (as described above - a 4 by 4 grid with nothing identical in the rows and columns). To be successful, a pod will have three completed Order Puzzles. (Maybe we have an extra Puzzle Set of cards to demonstrate what the grid looks like and note the expectations of the rows and columns?) 

When the challenge begins, in turn, someone from each small group can go to the pod's card pool, pick up one card, and bring it back to their group. The small group then decides where to place the card within the grid. Then, a different person is sent to the card pool for another card to bring back. Each person within a small group must take a first turn before taking a second turn. Then take a second turn before anyone takes a third turn and so on.  

Share these rules without any more details:
  • A card taken from the card pool may not be returned to the card pool.
  • A small group within a pod may not pick up another card from the pool until the one they have is placed in a puzzle – cards are either in the pool or in a puzzle. 
(This is where, I'm imagining, there will need to be some collaboration between groups, as they build their puzzles. But we don't tell them this. When they ask if they can work with other groups, answer: "It's not against the rules.")

I'm guessing right now that this 'new idea' won't take too much longer than the original process (15-20 minutes), that is, if the pods figure out they can collaborate. The dynamic of sharing resources is what interests me. The inverse is also possible. It might take longer than I imagine. The final pieces (cards) of all the puzzles in a pod might take a lot of verbal communication to sort out what everyone needs. Depending on my programming windows, I might set a time limit on the work and the discuss what it took to get as far as they did. 

Explore this question along with the others above:
  • What did it take from you to reach your pod's goal? (There is a lot to dissect with this question. Stick with it for deeper take aways.)

Consideration: Since all three small groups have access to all of the cards (and are not restricted to four ranks), the need for collaboration might not exist. Let's find out.

Please let us know what you discover (I will too). Leave us a Comment below. 

Here's to the wonder of it all!! 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
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52 by 4: Team Sheet for Large Groups with Playing Cards (Print-N-Play)

11/27/2025

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I'm often asked about 'team building' activities for larger groups. Facilitators, from what I have encountered, ease into large group work with connection activities (e.g., pair-and-shares, handshakes, and small group discussions) and then work their way into more complex problem-solving tasks. But, what kinds of tasks and how do we process these large group experiences? 

Sam Sikes, Faith Evans and I wrote a book (The More The Merrier) about the complexities of the large group experience – how to prepare, activities that work (over 100), and how to process for useful take-aways. I want to share a team building activity from the book we call a Team Sheet.

When working with large groups aimed at outcomes related to group dynamics, problem-solving and specific concepts like effective communication and leadership, we form smaller groups of various sizes and give all the groups the same task. (There is also the 'rotate to different stations' method). One of the logistical considerations with this approach is timing – what happens when some groups finish before others? Team Sheets are one solution to this concern. 
You will get a printable 'preview' of this document before you choose to download it.
52by4_tmtmteamsheet_cavert.pdf
File Size: 476 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
The 'Team Sheet' given to the participants is the last two pages of this document printed back-to-back.
Team Sheet Logistics

Here's the snapshot of how it works (there are more specifics in the book). In 52 by 4 the large group is creatively divided into teams of four or five people. Each team chooses a 'representative' that will attend a quick training about the activity. Then the facilitator announces a 'group discussion' question each team will discuss while the representative is at the training. The representatives are then invited to the training with the facilitator as the teams start discussing the question. With the representatives, the facilitator provides a quick overview of the expectations detailed in the Team Sheet, answers questions, and then provides the representatives with all the materials they need to bring back to their teams and the time-budget for the team sheet activity. (This should take about four minutes.)

Discussion Questions: Connection types of questions can be asked for teams to discuss or a question related to a Team Sheet focused concept can be used to frontload the participant-centered reflection after the activity. In 52 by 4, Planning and Leadership are the two focused concepts. Other Team Sheet concepts include Challenge, Integrity, Success, Perception, Risk, Change and others. (There are eight more Team Sheets in the book.) 

Team Sheet Play 

Once the representatives return to their teams, the allotted time-budget starts. For 52 by 4 the time budget is typically 15 minutes. This means all groups have a 15-minute window to learn, plan, practice (optional), and perform the task. As you can see in the (bottom half of the) Team Sheet above, there is data space for seven attempts at the task (and teams can make more attempts if there is still time left in the budget). The idea is for the groups to work out 'problems' through each attempt in order to complete the task as quickly as possible. 

The facilitators role during this time is to mingle around throughout the groups and answer clarifying questions – without solving problems. 

When the time-budget expires, direct the group to turn over their Team Sheet and discuss the processing questions. You can limit their discussion to one of the two concepts or both. The 52 by 4 concepts are 'planning' and 'leadership'.

Provide a time-budget for this processing experience as well – 10 to 15 minutes for one concept and up to 20 minutes if you want them to work through the questions for both. Say something like, "You have about 15 minutes to discuss the leadership questions before we come back together as a whole group to share some insights." (If all teams are still dialed into their discussions, give them more time.)   

During this participant-centered processing session, mingle around the groups. Drop in to listen to some of the discussions with a few groups to pick up some connections/learnings you can bring up during the 10-minute all-group session where participants share some main insights from their experiences. 

Team Sheets Summary Overview
  • The larger group is divided into smaller groups (5 minutes).
  • Groups choose a representative to attend training (1 min). 
  • Groups are provide with a discussion question (1 minute). 
  • Representatives are invited to join the facilitator for a quick training while groups discuss the question provided (4 minutes). 
  • Representatives return to their groups and begin working on the task (15 minutes). 
  • Groups are invited to work through the processing questions on the back of the Team Sheet (10 to 20 minutes). 
  • The whole group gathers back together to share some overall insights. (10 minutes). 

Team Sheets, in my experience, have been a great way for me to team build with larger groups giving everyone the opportunity to plan, problem-solve, and work together on a task and process the learnings. I don't get to hear all the discussions, but each team gets to form their own take-aways. 

Let me know if you have questions. Leave a Comment below.

All the best, 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

P.S. Paper Transporter is another activity presented like Team Sheets (video included).
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Double-ZOOM (and Dialogue)

10/8/2025

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Editorial Note from Chris: One of my goals for the FUNdoing Blog is to share activities and ideas that the majority of readers can utilize – either no equipment needed or the equipment is easy to access. There are times where only a minority of readers will be able to make and use an activity, but I want to share it for more than utilization. There is a creative twist or unique way to use props or people. And maybe others will be able to see a way to use the idea or process. Double-ZOOM will fit into this category. The access to a copy machine and colored copies is needed.

So, let’s put on our thinking caps. What else can we do with this idea? I’ll start: Word Circlers, how about using two Word Circle Puzzles on index cards?  
Our FUNdoing friend Gal and I had this dialogue about his crafted experience with the Zoom and ReZoom books (by Istvan Banyai). The Zoom (red cover) picture book experience with teams has been used for years to illustrate the importance of detailed commination. Banyai’s second book, ReZoom (blue cover) can be used in the same way. 
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I wrote a historical teambuilding perspective of Zoom in my book, Portable Teambuilding Activities. (Check out the ‘Categories’ in the right sidebar of the FUNdoing Blog for the ‘Zoom’ activities/variations I’ve posted at FUNdoing.)

I chose to share my dialogue with Gal, with limited edits, so you can experience a little of what I got from my first read of Gal's initial email.

Thought Experiment: Before reading my response, after reading Gal's initial email, think about what you would have asked Gal], and then check out the path I followed for clarification and thoughts I had during my reflection on this Zoom/ReZoom adventure (What I'm calling: Double-ZOOM).

Let’s go…
9/1/25
Hi Chris.
I wanted to share with you a game I recently tried in my workshops that uses the Zoom picture books…pictures that must be arranged in chronological order from the first page to the last.
 
I made a double-sided version of the game that combines the Zoom and ReZoom books that came out in such a way that after arranging all the pictures in order, if you turn them over, you will discover the second story, which is also in order. [From Chris on Copyright: Making a copy of each book for educational purposes, and not for resale, can be seen as a fair use of the material.]
 
The rules of the game itself are as follows:
  • The group must connect all 30 pages…into chronological order.
  • Since it’s a wordless picture book, the group [may not] use verbal communication during the task.
  • The group has 10 minutes to complete the task.

The group [is introduced to] all the pages mixed [around on the floor with] half of the pages [of one book’s storyline] turned upside down – [in other words] part of [both] stories are exposed. But the group does not know [yet] that there are two stories here. [Edits I (Chris) made here are clarified below, but I wanted to share them here to avoid some re-learning.]

[Back to Gal] At first, [I observed] participants approach [the pages] separately and try to start finding connections and [then] connecting different pages. They…soon discover[ed] that these are double-sided pages with a picture on both sides. At this point, they [had] to actually make a decision, which side to continue with. Once a decision is made, the group will focus on one story and find all its pages in a row.
 
In the elaboration [Reflection] of the exercise, of course, you can approach the issue of micro and macro, or the fact that at first things do not seem clear until you gradually understand the full picture, or the issue of perspective of how we look at things in our lives from different perspectives, or even the ability to zoom in or zoom out from different situations.

[In] this version of the game there is an additional element. What story do I choose to tell myself? What happens the moment I choose to focus on one story and not necessarily the other? [Chris' emphasis] The focus is on the issue of choice and its future consequences and how each choice we make creates a new story in our lives. What would have happened if we had…chosen the second story? Where have we lived? Have there been times when we stood at a crossroads and made a decision that changed the story of our lives?
 
I invite you to try the exercise and see where else you can take the adaptation.
 
Gal
9/13/25
 
Hello Gal, thanks for sharing your version of ZOOM! 
 
Right after I got your email, I read through it quickly, but I didn't have time to 'think' about it. The other day I had more time to dive in. I really like it, especially from a resource management perspective – know your resources. In this case, what's on the other side? (A great metaphor right there!) 
 
With time to think into this version I realized you place the pages down on the floor – with "half the pages turned upside down..." This is my favorite twist. Now, I get no words in the book, so no talking. I don't yet know what the learning is with no talking – how do you link this non-verbal lesson to everyday life? (Something just came to me – maybe it's simply a constraint to work with? "How did you all work around the constraint of no talking?") The 'elaborations' you use are very useful and I'm sure lead to good conversations (reflection). I love the "what story do I choose to tell myself" and what happens when I choose one story over another? (More rich metaphors.)
 
If you are willing (and can spare the time), I would love to find out how you introduced this version to your group – what is the (general) script you used and what constraints did you set. For example, no talking is one, what else did you allow or limit?
 
After thought I'm having: The no-talking is growing on me. Say I look at the other side of a page to discover another picture. I now have 'powerful' information. Do I share this information? Do I keep the secret to myself? (If I could talk, would I tell anyone?) Do I go around and turn over the pages to reveal just one story – 'make' others follow my story? More METAPHOR! 
 
One more thought: What if we made a set of pages where the two stories do not fall into the same sequence? So, lay out one story in order. Then, if you flip the pages over, the second story is not in order. Would this add anything to the experience? 
 
WOW, thanks again for sharing. This one is really making my brain work!!
 
Chris
9/13/25

Hi Chris.
​
I'll start with the instructions for the exercise:
  • The group must arrange the pages of the book in chronological order from the first page to the last. The book is 30 pages long.
  • Each page [except for the last one] has a follow-up picture in the form of a zoom in or out like a camera zoom.
  • The group has 10 minutes for the task.
  • And the twist is of course that the book is wordless and so will the game be…silently.
  • And the rule that enforces it is that if [anyone] speaks then the time is shortened for the group by 30 seconds.
 
The idea of ​​time is to create a sense of pressure to solve the puzzle before time runs out. The idea behind the wordless, besides introducing a challenging limit of non-verbal communication into the game, is also to create exactly the situation where at some point one participant will realize that there are two sides to the story, and this is where the group work actually begins.
 
Up until this point, each participant has been working alone in an attempt to understand what is on the pages. Here are a number of situations that can happen:
  • The participant will try to communicate this to others non-verbally.
  • [They] will choose to sacrifice 30 seconds to communicate it more quickly with the group
  • [They] will simply make a decision for [themselves] and choose which story to focus on and start running with it and gradually others will join in.

It very much depends on the participant.
 
In the adaptation, you can later question that participant [about how they] acted once [they] realized that there were two stories here. And what was the decision based on which story to choose?
 
Now about the idea of ​​doing the story on the other side not in sequence. I thought about that too. But in the end I actually liked the twist where I turn all the pages in front of everyone and reveal to them the story that is not told and talk about it. Sometimes every story in our lives has two sides. There is the story that we choose to tell ourselves. There are these quarters of "What if I had acted differently at the moment of the decision?"
 
I'm glad you delved deeper and liked the exercise. I have been using it recently with teenagers and also with workshops for reservists in the context of them living a double life with the story of returning to citizenship and the story of being called up again to serve.
 
Gal
So, what did this dialogue spark in your mind? Leave us a Comment to extend the thinking. 

All the best, 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 

P.S. After writing this point I wondered, "How many participants will be a good number for this ZOOM version?" 
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Group Memory

9/4/2025

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Recently I ran across the activity, Team Memory in, Playing with a Full Deck: 52 Team Activities Using a Deck of Cards, by Michelle Cummings. It's a cousin to Flip and Find where a small team of 4 to 6 players are trying to solve a task with the help of collective memory (click HERE for the Flip and Find video). Then getting better over several rounds as they improve their strategies. Flip and Find and Team Memory are good small team process improvement activities. And multiple small teams can play at the same time.   

An idea popped into my head to make Team Memory more collaborative – using the collective efforts of multiple teams in play at the same time. Hence, Group Memory.

Needs & Numbers:
1 - 50-foot Activity Rope (or four cones to mark the corners of a square)
1 – Deck of Standard Playing Cards ('Jumbo' Cards are my favorite)
4 – Game Spots of some sort (e.g., poly-spots, carpet squares, a piece of paper)
[If playing cards are not appropriate, make your own set of numbered cards with index cards – use two different colors when numbering the four sets of 12 or 13 cards. HERE'S a set of print-n-play cards. Be sure to use thicker paper so numbers don't show through.]

I believe this can work with one small group of six up to a larger group of 16 players. With smaller groups (six to 11 players), consider taking out the Face cards. This will limit the number of cards to turn over, saving some time to completion. 

Set Up:
Above is a graphic of my initial thinking about the set up. The activity rope circle (it could be a square) is filled with a full deck of playing cards placed face (rank side) down. The four grey circles (Game Spots) you see I call 'tables' – they will be used as a place for the collected cards.

Process: 
  • I would use this one with no less than six players, no more than 16 in the 'group', on three or four 'teams'. For example, three teams of two, up to four teams of four. Teams do not need to be equal sizes. There could be two teams of four and two teams of three.
  • The Objective The group (the collective of teams in play) is challenged to collect pairs of cards equal to the number of people in the group. For example, if there are 12 people in the group (four teams of three), collectively they need to bring out 12 pairs of cards. When there are six players, they need to bring out six pairs. A Pair: Two cards of the same rank. For example, two Aces; two fours, two Kings.
  • The Tables and the Rope may not be reconfigured. 
  • Only one member of each team is allowed to be inside the (rope) pool of cards at a time. 
  • After entering the pool of cards, a player is allowed to turn over, face up, two cards. Cards are turned over and placed down in their same location (i.e., cards may not be relocated within the pool).  
  • After turning over two cards, a player is allowed to either 1) pick up a pair to take out of the pool, OR 2) flip two cards back over face down in their same location. Then they can exit the pool. 
  • After a pair of cards is taken out of the pool they are placed on one of the tables.
  • ​The group time will start when the first player crosses the line of the pool of cards. Time stops when 12 pairs of cards are resting on the tables.
  • If any of the guidelines are violated, the round is stopped, cards are collected and then redistributed inside the pool for a restart. (Example: Reaching over the line, pointing at a card, will often put two players from the same team 'inside' the pool of cards – if this is defined as such.)  
  • Allow for enough program time for at least three rounds to explore improving the process and strategies in order to clock a fast time. 
Facilitator Notes: 
I have yet to try out this idea. I'd love to hear from you if you do. I'll let you know how it goes when I get the chance. 

Right now, there is no rule about 'taking turns' going into the pool of cards. I want to explore/observe how teams decide to share roles and responsibilities. I'm guessing, first it will be within the teams, then (I'm hoping) it will be across the group (e.g., some players will be in charge of memorizing cards). 

As for the 'team' and 'group' dynamic, I'm only emphasizing that the goal is to bring out 12 pairs, then the time stops. If they ask me, "are we working together" my response will be (like other activities of this nature), "I'll leave that up to you." I would like them to discover collaborative behaviors on their own, if, in fact, they find the need to be collaborative. 

Here is the BIG DISCOVERY IDEA in my head. There is nothing in the guidelines that stipulates how long someone can stay in the pool of cards. My guess is, a player will flip over two cards. If they are not a match they will flip the two back over and exit. Now, this will give the teams/group data, for sure, so helping others can come into play. What if, best case, four players initially went into the pool, one from each team, and each flipped over two cards? That's eight cards up. The possibility of pairs showing are increased. Some players can take out the pairs, other players will need to flip over two cards before exiting. Then, another four enter the pool. Now, we also have some 'team memory' in play. Players can take turns flip two cards each – with the help of memory these flips can be more calculated, increasing the chance of turning up pairs. This might be the most efficient way (??) to reach the lowest time. We won't know until we go...
The Things I Like About This Kind of Activity
  • The activity is adjustable to different sized groups.
  • The degree of difficulty is adjustable: Take out some of the cards (eaiser); require less than 12 pairs to be collected (easier & fast); require more pairs (takes longer, more challenging; require pairs of cards to be the same color (more challenging). 
  • There is the potential for at least two mental model shifts: From 'teams' to the 'group' and 'when' to leave the pool of cards. 
  • There are enough discoverable roles and responsibilities to keep everyone engaged. 

Possible Discussions:
  • In what ways did your 'team' work well together? What were you doing and saying? What could have been better about your team work? 
  • In what ways did the 'group' work well together? What led you to the idea that the teams could work together to accomplish the task? Who was all for helping each other? Who wanted to just focus on the efforts of their team? 
  • What roles and responsibilities evolved over the different rounds of play? What was important about each role and responsibility?
  • What ways of thinking, or mental models, changed during the different rounds? How did these changes influence your outcomes? What do we know about 'mental models'? What are some of the pros and cons of mental models? 
  • What do we want to remember about mental models as we continue our work together? 

Let us know how Group Memory goes for you. Changes? Additions? Leave a Comment below.

​All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
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House Puzzle of String (a Paired Activity) with Video

8/19/2025

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[NOTE from Chris: Before you watch the video, if you want to participate in a little 'Thought Experiment' check out my invitation below.]  

Several months ago, I started purposefully collecting and documenting problem-solving activities for pairs. I like using concentric circles* with groups giving all pairs icebreaker questions to answer. Then, moving one circle "to the left" three people forms new pairs quickly. Now, instead of just using icebreaker questions, why not throw some fun problem-solving into the mix where two people work together on a task? Mixing it up makes for good engagement and a bit more complex interaction.

*Concentric Circles – an 'outside' circle of people facing towards the center of the circle and another 'inside' circle with each person facing someone from the outside circle. 

A couple weeks ago in the FUNdoing Fridays email I shared a quick idea I had for a paired activity calling it the House Puzzle of String. Sam Sikes, in his 1995 book, Feeding the Zircon Gorilla and Other Team Building Activities, calls it The House – he uses a long activity rope. Here's a little snapshot of history:
Picture
Sam's Instructions (brevity brilliance): "Ask the group to pick up the rope." [An untied 40- to 50-foot rope for up to 12 participants lying in a pile on the ground.] "Tell them they can slide their hands along the rope, but they can't let go and/or trade places in line. Their task is to form a house or an envelope, whichever they prefer, without the rope doubling back on itself. You may need to provide a sketch of the end product for them to see." [I love the reference of the 'envelope.' I wonder if that's a recognizable image now.]
Picture
Picture
The image on the left would be the 'sketch' of the end product. So the group, everyone holding onto the rope, is challenged to form the house puzzle like the solution in the picture above. (After the group in the picture above solved the puzzle, they set it on the ground.)

House Puzzle of String
The image above on the right is the one I created for the House Puzzle of String paired challenge (the full size PDF download is below). The eight pathways in the house I call 'channels'. Using a 48-inch (122 cm) piece of string (or yarn), two people work together to lay out the string inside the channels without the string 'doubling back' on itself. The additional challenge is that the string cannot cross over any of the channel lines.

Video Note: I edited the video down to a about 8.5 minutes. It took my friend Dillon and I a little over 12 minutes to complete the task. (A majority of the time was spent getting the string within the channel lines – moving one part of the string often displaced another part of the string. Run with that metaphor!) 
housepuzzle_diagram_cavert.pdf
File Size: 8 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Thought Experiment: Here's an email from a FUN follower friend of ours. After reading about House Puzzle of String he inquired: 
Tell me please, why do you need a pair to do it with the string? Can you do this alone?
The Experiment: Watch the video and then speculate how I responded to our friend. After a bit more contemplative prose I'll share my response (just a little trivia and a way to hide my response for now).

The House Puzzle is a 'Transum' or 'Path Puzzle' (Dillon discovered this.) Here's an image I swiped from the results of searching 'Transum'. Solve all the shapes (tracing over all the lines and dots) without taking your pen off the paper or doubling any line. 
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One Answer for the House Puzzle of String: 
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What have you speculated? Why would I program this activity for two people? Here's my response: 
Yes, this one can be done solo. However, I'm anticipating the interaction between two people doing this task will be noteworthy – open up some good learning conversations. 

And another Yes. Many tasks are much 'easier' (in some ways) doing them alone – "I'll just do it myself." With this mindset we are losing the practice (and benefits) of working with others....I like to use partner activities for some low risk people practice. 
If you considered another reason for using this activity with pairs, I'd love to know! And, what other solo activities can we turn into a paired experience? Leave us a Comment below. 

People Practice Questions to Ask
  • What parts of the challenge were difficult? What parts of the challenge were easy? 
  • Raise your hand if you could have done this challenge on your own. What changes in a task like this when you are working with someone else?
  • What are some of the things you do and say when you're working well with someone else? 
  • What benefits do you get from knowing how to work with others in a productive way?  


Keep me posted!

​Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
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Card Diagram Builds

7/11/2025

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Raise your hand if you’ve done an activity with pairs that involves sitting back-to-back with each other and each partner has a set of identical materials like popsicle sticks and poker chips or pick up sticks and dominos (nod to Michelle), or toothpicks and M & M’s (my favorite). 

​One partner (the Artist) creates, in front of them, a 2D sculpture of sorts and then communicates the construction directions to their partner (the Builder) with enough details to replicate their work of art. During round one, the Builder may not ask questions of the Artist, simply doing their best to follow directions. When the Artist is finished with instructions the Builder’s replica is compared to the original – including some verbal exchange about the experience between partners. Then, right into round two. (I don’t debrief here.)​

During the second round, the first Builder is now the Artist, the Artist the Builder. However, the Builder is allowed to ask clarifying or confirming questions of the Artist this time. When both Artist and Builder believe an accurate replica has been made, they check the results. Then the debrief of this activity is heavily focused on communication behaviors – which ones were helpful, and which ones were unproductive and, “How can we learn from this experience.” 
I stumbled across ‘Business Team-Building Activities That Use Playing Cards’ at the CHRON. (Don’t ask me how I got there!?) Ms. Measom shared a similar activity using ‘Card Diagrams.’ In the spirit of taking her description to another level (a card flower diagram is good too), I wanted more abstraction to make it more challenging.

So, I created a couple of ‘scapes’ for us to use with our partner-back-to-back-artist-builder communication activity. One is a landscape, the other a seascape. One partner needs a scape, the other a deck of the standard 52 playing cards variety. The scapes (as you can see) are outlines of cards that were set down in a specific way. The objective is for the Builder to lay out the cards, directed by the Artist (holding the scape), to match the outline. (Downloads below.)
Picture
Picture
The Builder in the first round is attempting to set out the cards that would produce the outline of landscape above – the picture below. (The lower left corner is a 'TEN'-T!) 
The Builder in the second round is attempting to set out the cards that would produce the outline of the seascape above – the card picture below. 
Picture
Picture
When I try this one, I’m going to let partners ask questions during both rounds. Each round will be 10-minutes long. After 10 minutes pairs get to see how they did. (This timed aspect ensures all the pairs are transitioning at the same time. Adjust the time if needed.)

Between the rounds I’ll ask the partners to identify the type of questions and the type of instructions that were really helpful. I’ll let them share for about 3 minutes. Going into the second round I will encourage everyone to remember the feedback that was shared in order to improve their communication exchange. For round two, the previous Artist becomes the Builder and the previous Builder, the Artist.

After the second round, I will go into an all-group debrief about communication behaviors and how they influence our interactions with others.

Let us know what you get from this one. And, for sure, what other scapes you create!

All the best, 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
NOTE: These files do not automatically download, you get a preview first. Then you can choose to download. Also, sorry, my scans aren't super clean – you can replicate!
landscape.pdf
File Size: 428 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
seascape.pdf
File Size: 620 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
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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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