Memory Lane is a giant game of Chinese whispers where communication and cooperation are essential for success. To complete the challenge, the team must describe a hidden structure to each other to see if the final person can reconstruct the same structure.
Equipment Required:
- 2 x barriers (wind shields with guy ropes)
- 2 x identical sets of 15 varying shapes in two separate containers
- 8 x wooden pegs
- 10 x metal pegs
- Mine tape
Space Required: Large. Indoors or outdoors.
Group Size: 8 to 20.
Total Time: 15 minutes
- 2 minutes to brief and set up
- 10 minutes to achieve outcome
- 3 minutes to review
Memory Lane Team Challenge Instructions
- The team need to relay a coded message from one side of ‘no man’s land’ to another
- The team are spaced out across the open space, and must remain in position to pass the message on
- The team will have to keep really quiet so as not to alert the enemy to their position
- The code is in the form of a 3D shape, which needs to be relayed and reconstructed on the other side of ‘no man’s land’
Rules
- Only use the equipment provided
- Once in position team members cannot move
- Team members in ‘no man’s land’ cannot see the shapes on either side of the barriers
- Each person is only able to talk to the section next to them and it must be a whisper otherwise the team will have to start again with a new and harder shape
- Only team members in the first section can see the original shape
- There can be no more than 2 people in any one section
Initially you need to put no more than 2 people into each section. The adult leader then goes behind the first barrier and constructs a simple shape, using the blocks provided. Once complete, the team members describe the shape to the people in the next compartment, who in turn describe it to the people in the next compartment etc… It is important that they whisper so that everyone does not hear. Once the description reaches the people behind the final barrier, they must reconstruct the shape. If they have communicated well, the shape will be the same. Start simply to ensure success.
Suggested Learning Outcomes
- Communication
- Listening Skills
- Cooperation
- Dexterity
