Read This: Unity, Community & Connection

My good friend, fellow author and experiential educator and trainer Jim Cain recently released his new book, 100 Activities that Build Unity, Community & Connection. It's a great collection of Icebreakers, Energizers, Openings, Closings and Teachable Moment activities. 

You can find your copy at the American Camping Association bookstore. Jim was kind enough to let me share one of my most recent favorites found in the book - the icebreaker called, Walking & Talking. In the activity pairs of players walk arm-in-arm around the open space taking about the answers to specific prompts given by the facilitator. Here's how it works: 

Begin by inviting everyone to find a partner and link elbows. Next, instruct each pair to take a stroll together and find three things they have in common - the more unique or unusual the commonalities, the better, This combination of walking and talking is an active way to move a group and encourage the group to focus on what they have in common. You can also use this activity when you are moving a group from Point A to Point B. Explain the activity and then invite them to find commonalities as they walk from here to there. 

Other than commonalities I've asked pairs to talk about what they like to do when they have free time, or talk about favorite things like movies, vacations, holidays, or restaurants. Other topics could be hopes and dreams, fears and failures (with the right groups), or what would they do if they didn't have to work or go to school every/all day. The act of "strolling" around side-by-side together seems to help open up the mind to truthful sharing. Check out the blog post from John Dupre called Side-by-Side on this context of communication. (Thanks Linda, a FUN Follower, for sharing this thought provoking post!) 

Pick up Jim's latest book and let me know what you think. Leave a comment below. 

Have FUN out there my friends. 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.