Like Chinese Whispers. One person starts off by pulling an expression and shows it to the next person in line, they then pass it on to the next person in the group, this continues until it gets to the end of the line. Minimum Group Size: 8 Equipment Requirements: None
Author: David Priestley
This only works if you have a large group of children (at least 15). Before you start to play, it’s important that everyone knows one another’s names. Someone is chosen to do the guessing and has to stand away from everyone else with their eyes closed. Everyone else has to crouch down. The leader then has to put a blanket/cover over someone and then invite the guesser to come back and guess who is underneath the blanket. They only get three guesses. Minimum Group Size: 15 Equipment Requirements: Cover
Lay out a few hoops or draw chalk circles as the islands. The area around the hoops is known as the shark-infested sea. The children must walk around the hoops, with no one standing still or hanging around only one hoop, etc. The leader then shouts ‘Sharks’ and gives chase. All the children must take refuge in a hoop, with as many as possible in each hoop. Any child caught by the shark (the leader) are out of the game. Once the leader shouts ‘all clear’, the children start to walk around again. Repeat, and remove hoops each time around…
The children have to stand in a circle and throw the ball (bomb) to each other. The bomb is safe until it’s activated, but as soon as it is dropped, it starts a countdown to explosion (from 10 or 20). Once the countdown has started, it cannot be stopped and the children must continue to throw the ball to one another. Whoever has the ball when it explodes is out of the game. Minimum Group Size: 8 Equipment Requirements: Soft play ball
Sit everybody on chairs around the circle. Ask for a volunteer to stand in the middle, leaving just one chair empty. The person in the circle has to try and regain a seat – the group prevents this by moving clockwise, one place at a time to constantly fill the space. If the centre person gets a seat, the person who let them have it (to the left) takes the middle. Minimum Group Size: 8 Equipment Requirements: Chairs
Everyone stands in a circle with one person in the centre to start. Each child is given a number. The person in the middle throws the ball up high in the air and shouts a number. The child, whose number is called out has to run into the circle and catch the ball. They then throw the ball again and shout another number. If anyone drops the ball they are out of the game. Minimum Group Size: 8 Equipment Requirements: Soft play ball
The group forms a circle, with the leader standing in the middle. The leader throws the ball to one of the children in the circle. The leader has to shout either, ‘head it’ or ‘catch it’ with the child in the circle doing the opposite. If they get it wrong then they are then out of the game. You can also include the three-strike rule in this game. Minimum Group Size: 8 Equipment Requirements: Soft play ball
In this game, the children sit in a circle. One person is selected to be the player by the leader in the game. This player walks around the outside of the circle, touching everyone on the head as they go around. As they touch a person’s head, they must say either ‘duck’ or ‘goose’. If they say ‘duck’, the child sitting remains seated, if they say ‘goose’, the child sitting has to get up and then chase them around the circle. The child who chased the player must try to get back to their place before the player takes it.…
If you’re a manager looking for something to motivate employees or maybe a team leader looking for ways to improve communication and cooperation within the team, then a simple ten-minute team-building exercise could prove the ideal solution. Before delivering the exercise, it is important you take your time to plan each training session. Every session should be developed from two or three goals that have been identified for that session with the participants in mind. Once you have identified the learning outcomes then find an exercise that helps you achieve those outcomes. Here are a few quick and easy challenges:…
10 minute reviews may allow time to explore issues, but is there enough time for everyone to have their say and end on a positive note. Extend or combine some of the shorter reviews or try some of longer reviews listed below. Rounds and Orbits Take it in turns to complete a sentence with the beginning of the sentence chosen by you or the group. End with appreciation or looking forwards. Memory Game (Story Telling) The challenge is to talk through what happened in detail. One person starts in the storytellers chair and continues until they are challenged or give…
If you have five minutes to spare at the end of the session (or allocated) then the 5 minute reviews below a great for everybody to have some form of input in the reviewing process. You may also want to add a few open questions to the mix but beware that with a group of ten, this still only allows only 30 seconds per person. Fortunately, Unfortunately The group tell the story of the last activity, taking it in turns to say just one sentence beginning with “Fortunately”…. or “Unfortunately…” Go round the circle one at a time allow passing this is…
If you only have two minutes, say very little, keep things simple and focus on positives. Story Telling in Rounds Without practice or planning and against the clock the group are challenged to tell the story of the last activity in rounds. Each person may say only one word (or punctuation mark) when it is their turn. This is a fun communication exercise requiring a lot of concentration. Post Cards and Photos Have a selection of postcards or photos with different images on. Get each participant to choose one to describe how they feel about the experience they have had.…