ROLL PLAYING
Equipment: 1-3 or 4 balls, any kind and
size
Objective: working together, creating a
rhythm
Object: to move the ball around the circle
as quickly as possible, from lap to lap without using the hands.
All sit in a tight circle, touching your
neighbor, with the legs extended toward the middle. Place a basketball
on the lap of one person in the circle. Move the ball around the circle
as quickly as possible, from lap to lap but you can not use your hands.
Add a couple of signals like: reverse, go, slow motion. You may add more
balls. Add a smaller ball (like a softball or tennis ball and eventually
a golf ball or ping pong ball).
FOUR UP
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation, focus on each other
Object: to have exactly four people standing
at all times
Start with everyone sitting down. Anyone
can stand up whenever they want to but you cannot remain standing for more
than five seconds at a time before you sit down again. Then you can get
right up again if you want to. The object is to have exactly four people
standing up at all times. This game usually lasts about a minute, but what
pandemonium and laughter is generated in that minute!
WHITEWATER CASCADE
Equipment: none
Objective: trust, cooperation, communication
Object: move a person along the "river on
the laps of the seated people to the end
Form a long, double line, facing each other.
Sit opposite, with feet straight out and next to the side of the other’s
hips. Tighten up the total line so everyone is snug. The line can curve.
This works better outside and on a gentle slope of a hill. Now, people
"enter the river by laying flat on their backs, head down river.
The lines begin to move the person along
the rapids, with hands underneath and with knees raised as necessary to
move the person along. Reflect feelings at the end and then join the river
at the end
COOKIE MACHINE
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation, trust, communication
Object: successfully bring one person from
one end of the "oven to the other end of the oven.
Form two lines that face each other, all
standing shoulder to shoulder with elbows bent and forearms in front, palms
up. The forearms should alternate, one player’s arm should each be flanked
by the arms of players across from them. Everyone must bunch together very
closely, with one foot forward and one foot back for balance. Now, a solidly
built oven with a conveyer belt running down the middle has been built.
Make sure all watches, rings and anything sharp are removed from the oven
and glasses and belts from the cookie. The cookie stands at one end of
the oven, announces what kind of cookie they want to be and slides themselves
into the oven. The rest of the class are bakers and chant their cookie
choice (Chocolate chip, chocolate chip ) as they bounce them along the
conveyor belt, turning them over halfway through, until they pop out the
other end, freshly baked. Make sure there are two strong bakers available
to ease each cookie out of the oven. After the cookie is done they join
the oven.
SLIPPED DISC
Equipment: frisbee, plastic plate or metal
cover
Objective: cooperation, communication
Object: pass the frisbee around the circle
without using hands
Everyone forms a circle on hands and knees
with heads facing inward. A frisbee is placed in the middle of one person’s
back. The object of the game is to pass the object around the circle, from
back to back, without using hands. If the object falls, it is picked up
by hand and placed on the back of the last person who had it. The game
continues until the disc is passed successfully around the entire circle.
FOX AND SQUIRREL
Equipment: 2 balls alike, 1 ball that is
different
Objective: passing skills, communication,
thinking strategies
Object: for the foxes to catch the squirrel
by tagging whoever is holding the squirrel ball with one (or both) of the
fox balls.
Everyone stands in a circle and begins passing
the fox balls from player to player. You may change directions but may
only pass to the person next to you. You may throw the squirrel across
the circle. Call out Fox or Squirrel each time you pass one of the balls.
You may also pass the squirrel to your neighbor.
GROUP JUGGLING
Equipment: 1 ball per person (5-8 in a group)
Objective: cooperation, tossing and catching
skills Object: to pass the ball to all participants once, eventually add
a ball per person
Have everyone stand in a circle. First a
pattern/throwing routine must be established. The first one throws the
object to another person (not the one next to him/her). Then that person
throws the object to another person.
Once the pattern is made you must remember
who you throw it to and who throws to you. The next step is to increase
a ball with each pattern repetition.
LINE-UPS
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation, communication
Object: line up by the way told, either
communicating, non-verbal Line up by age: non-verbally, verbally
2. Line up by height: non-verbally, time
them
3. Do these blindfolded
BODY SNATCHERS
Equipment: none (could use blindfolds)
Objective: trust
Object: avoid being snatched by the Body
Snatcher
Choose one player as the evil invader from
outer space and the rest go around with their eyes closed. The invading
body snatcher gets to keep their eyes open. They creep up t an unsuspecting
citizen and make whatever blood-curdling sound they want and that person
becomes a new body snatcher. The last one left gets to be the new body
snatcher.
MINEFIELD
Equipment: paper balls, socks, plastic balls
or anything that resembles a ball, mousetraps!!!, blindfolds for each pair
Objective: communication
Object: verbally guide the blindfolded person
across the minefield in as little time as possible.
Make the boundaries and spread out the mines.
Find a partner and go to opposite sides of the minefield. One player is
blindfolded and the other verbally tells them how to go through the field.
If a mine is blown up (touched) a ten second time penalty is added to their
final time. You can do this alone or the whole
group together. It makes for better listening!
HAGOO
Equipment: none
Objective: fun
Object: to travel across a distance without
laughing/ to make someone from the other team laugh Hagoo means come here
in Tlingit Indians of Alaska. Two teams face each other, about 3 feet apart.
Two players, one for each team, who stand at the opposite ends of the lines
are challengers. They step forward and face each other down the length
of the gauntlet. With a bow and the invitation Hagoo, they walk towards
each other, breaking neither their eye contact nor their reserve. In the
middle, they pass and continue to the end, determined to suppress their
smile. The rest of the players may engage in any form of facial movements
or noises but no touching. If you make it the whole length then you stay
with your team. If you smile or laugh you join the other team. You play
until everyone has done it or there is only one team.
ROPE KNOTS
Equipment: length of rope about forty to
fifty feet long
Objective: communication, cooperation
Object: for the group to untie the knots
without letting go of the rope Tie three simple slip through knots at about
the quarter, half and three-quarter points. Instruct people to take hold
of the rope with one hand, making sure that there are 2,3,4 people along
each quarter of the rope. The task is then to untie the knots without letting
go of the rope.
COUNTDOWN
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation
Object: someone must start at the top of
the numbers (if there are 10 in the group then the number is 10) and then
someone else (not sitting next to that person) must say the next lower
number. You must countdown to 1.
Do not sit in a circle and there are no
assigned numbers. The leader says, countdown and someone starts with the
highest number. If to people call the same number at the same time, the
leader calls out Cancel the Launch, and they start over. If there is too
long a pause in the countdown the leader can cancel the launch.
MOBIL TEE PEE
Equipment: bell or gong, mats, stop watch
Objective: cooperation
Object: form a human tee pee in 120 seconds
and move it
Give the ten people 120 seconds to build
a human tee pee using all ten people. Next is for the group to move the
human tee pee from one point to another without breaking the tee pee formation.
Have spotters.
SQUARE FORM
Equipment: ball of yarn, blindfolds
Objective: communication, cooperation
Object: to form a circle while holding the
yarn and blindfolded
Have the players line up by their birthdays
(month and date) starting with January. Put on a blindfold and give them
the yarn and ask them to hold it and then as a group form a perfect circle.
Take off the blindfolds when you think you have one.
THE SHRINKING SHIP
Equipment: 6-8 foot rope, stop watch
Objective: team building, cooperation
Object: put everyone’s feet in the circle
Make the perimeter of the circle large enough
to guarantee success. Everyone’s feet must be inside of the circle in fifteen
seconds. Once they have experienced success from the first round, ask them
if they would be willing to make the circle smaller. Continue as long as
the group is willing.
HOOP-DE-DOO
Equipment: hula hoop, rope, ball, weight
Objective: tossing and catching skills,
cooperation
Object: toss the ball through the hoop and
someone catches it Hang a hoop and tie a weight at the bottom to steady
it. Divide the group, with half going to opposite sides of the hoop. Have
them toss the ball through the hoop and someone catch it on the other side.
Do this until everyone has tossed and caught. Now the leader winds
up the hoop so that it begins to spin. Begin the tossing and catching again.
After a person has done the task they go to the end of the line on the
other side of the hoop.
WALK-A-HOOP
Equipment: two hula hoops
Objective: cooperation, communication
Objective: group to walk across the space
without dropping either hoop without using their hands.
Use 6-9 people and divide them into 3 groups.
The group at the center places their left leg inside one hula hoop, and
right leg inside a second hoop. The side groups then connect to the opposite
sides oh the hoops. The leader raises the hoops to knee level and tells
them to put tension on it to hold it above the ground. They then
have to walk across the assigned space without dropping either hoop. If
the group drops the hoop, then have them return to the starting point and
start again. **
HULA HOOP PASS
Equipment: hula hoop
Objective: cooperation, communication
Object: get the hoop around the circle of
hand held people without letting go of hands
Form a circle and all join hands. Put the
hoop on the grasped hands of two players. See how fast you can pass the
hoop around the people in the circle without letting go of hands. You can
add another hoop and make it go the other way.
TEAM ACROSS
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation, communication
Object: team must move across the field
as quickly as possible, with the following rules.
A minimum of one team members’entire body
must be off the ground at all times. The entire group must be connected
at all times. No one is allowed to run. If the person or persons being
carried touch the ground at all or team members become disconnected then
the entire team is disqualified. Works best in large groups of 15-20
CROSS THE GREAT
DIVIDE
Equipment: none except boundary lines
Objective: communication, cooperation
Object: to cross the area without becoming
detached
Players line up with sides of feet touching.
Group has an area which everyone must get around or across without feet
becoming detached. If their feet become detached, the group must begin
again.
RING CROSS
Equipment: carpet squares for everyone,
boundary lines
Objective: cooperation, communication
Object: line up by birthday and reverse
the order by stepping on carpet squares
Each member gets one square. They may not
touch the ground. The squares may not touch each other. Have the group
line up by the order of their birthdays. They are to cross the area
so they land on the other side in the reverse order. In crossing they may
only step on the squares and the squares must not touch each other or they
start over again. You may step on someone else’s square.
BODY PARTS MOVING
Equipment: record : Hap Palmer, Movin,
Objective: enhance body and spatial awareness,
cooperation
Object: in groups of three move through
space attempting to follow challenges
Move with: three feet touching the ground
with hands on ankles Five body parts on the ground Some body parts at a
medium level and some parts at a low level, All players on their side and
connected to each other One person at a low level and two persons at a
high level All players making a round and low shape, Lots of noise without
using feet or mouths, All backs touching and very fast, Body parts being
used so the group looks like a spider
TAKETAK TIE
Equipment: one hula hoop for each student
Objective: cooperation, awareness
Object: to spin a hoop so it falls on the
ground at the same time as our partner’s hoop
Pairs of students, each with a hoop, try
to spin hoops with the same speed and force so the hoops fall on the ground
and stop at the same time.
TELEPHONE NUMBER
DANCE
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation, communication, creativity
Object: to create a group dance based on
a seven-digit telephone number.
Students are divided into groups of 14 or
7 and given a 7 digit telephone number. Each pair of students within each
group receives a telephone number digit and is responsible for creating
movement to represent this digit. For example, 3 might be three arm circles.
Each pair of students teaches its number movement to the rest of the group.
After each group practices performing all seven-movements in sequence,
they perform their dance for the rest of the class, and the class tries
to guess the telephone number.
KNOTS
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation
Object: to form a knot by holding hands
in a group and untie it
To form the knot, stand in a circle, shoulder-to-shoulder,
and place your hands in the center. Now everybody grab a couple of hands.
Do not hold hands of the person standing next to you or the same hands
of one person. Now untie it. You may have a leader point to one at a time
to do something to untie or just do it as a group.
RED HANDED
Equipment: marble or something equally small
Objective: cooperation
Object: pass the marble without the it knowing
who has it
Form a circle and put the it in the middle
with their eyes closed. Give someone the marble and they start passing
it from person to person. The best method of passing is to hold the marble
in one fist, palm down, and drop it into the palm-up hand of the next person.
Then s/he passes it from one fist to the other and on. The it tries to
see who has the marble and taps the fist. If wrong they get to guess again.
If right that person becomes the new it.
WANDS
Equipment: pair of 12-48inch wooden dowels
or wands for each player Objective: rhythm, cooperation
Object: develop a rhythmic pattern of tapping
sticks to a chant or music
Stand in a circle holding the stick vertically
in front of you. Establish a rhythm and begin adding variations. Maintaining
the rhythm, click your two sticks together every few beats. Then, between
touching them to the ground, click one or both of them against your partner’s
sticks or your neighbors’ on either side. Try various combinations of all
these. You may begin tossing sticks through the air to each other in time
with the rhythm.
CATERPILLAR
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation
Object: to roll over bodies lying side by
side and move as a group to a designated spot
Everyone lies on their stomachs, side-by-side.
Make sure you’re packed really closely together. Now have the person on
the end roll over onto her/his neighbor and keep rolling down the road
of bodies. When s/he gets to the end of the line, s/he lies on her/his
stomach, and the next person at the other end starts rolling.
THE REVERSING PYRAMID
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation
Object: reverse the pyramid by moving only
three people
Divide your class into groups of 10 and
ask those 10 people to arrange themselves into a 4-3-2-1 standing pyramid,
like this Once pyramidally arranged, ask that symmetrical group of 10 to
reverse the apex and base of the pyramid (triangle) by moving only three
people. (page 109 The Bottomless Bag)
GIMME A LEG TO STAND
ON
Equipment: mats and spotters
Objective: cooperation
Object: see how many anatomical contact
points are necessary to support a group of 10-12 people off the floor.
Get a group of 10-12 people on a mat and
tell them to have as few as possible body parts touching the ground.
EVERYBODY UP
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation
Object: to gradually keep adding people
to the group so that while holding hands, feet touching, starting in a
seated position to stand upright together
Start with two people facing one another
so that the bottoms of their feet are opposed, knees bent, and grasping
each other’s hands. From this position try to pull up to a standing position.
Ask someone to join and keep doing it. To be successful you must: have
hands grasped, feet in contact, and all buttocks are off the ground at
about the same time.
POPSICLE PUSH-UPS
Equipment: none
Objective: arm strength, cooperation
Object: try to get your entire group supported
off the ground with only the participant’s hands touching the ground- hands
only.
You may just say the above directions or
demonstrate having one person lie down on the ground as it to do a push-up.
The second person lies face down, perpendicular to the first person, so
that the tops of his/her feet are on top of the first person’s lower back.
Each person does the same. On a signal, everyone does a push-up and, if
done together, there will be four raised bodies, with only eight hands
touching the ground.
HULA HOOP PASS
Equipment: hula hoop attached to stances
or poles of some kind or suspended from basketball goal
Objective: cooperation
Object: get everyone through the hoop without
touching the hoop Have mats under you for protection. Try to get the entire
group through the hoop without touching it.
FLYING HOOP JUMP
Equipment: climbing rope, 5 hoops, box or
pile of mats 2-3 feet high
Objective: cooperation
Object: for all of the students to get into
the hoops without stepping out or falling
Have the group stand on a box or mats. A
climbing rope is within grasping reach. Five hoops are placed 3-4 feet
in front of the mat. The object is for all of the students to get into
the hoops without stepping out or falling. Once they accomplish this, remove
a hoop.
CONE TOWER
Equipment: box of ice cream cones, or cardboard
cones or cups, ball, ruler
Objective: cooperation
Object: have the team create a tower as
high as they can that will still allow a ball to pass underneath
Using the cones or cups build a tower as
high as you can but still allow a ball to pass underneath. Measure it with
the ruler to see who has the highest.
RIVER CROSSING
Equipment: 2 scooters, rope, 2 rubber rings
Objective: cooperation
Object: team to cross the area without touching
the floor
Give the students the scooters and rope
and rings and have them transport themselves across the river without touching
the floor. If they do they have to go back.
CIRCLE SIT
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation
Object: to have everyone sitting on each
other’s laps in a circle
Have the students get in a circle all facing
one direction. The object is for everyone to sit on the person’s lap behind
them without the group falling. It works if everyone sits down at the same
time, but that’s the part they need to figure out for themselves. Once
they have figured out how to do it, you can see how long they can hold
themselves there without falling, each time trying to beat their own time.
HUMAN LADDER
Equipment: one dowel rod for every 2 students.
Dowel rods should be approximately 18 long and * -1 in diameter.
Objective: cooperation
Object: one will attempt to walk across
the ladder held by their teammates
Students should find a partner. Have each
partner group hold a dowel rod between them at about waist high level.
Each partner group should face each other
and stand shoulder to shoulder with another
partner group. You can split the class up into small partner groups (3-5)
or group the entire class together. The formation will appear as a ladder
with students being the rails, and the dowel rods being the rungs. One
student will then attempt to walk across the ladder. The walker should
be instructed not to stay on any one rung for a long amount of time, but
the walker also should not run. One variation on this is to have the pairs
at the beginning of the ladder move to the end of the ladder as soon as
their rung has been walked. This will make a never-ending ladder. Use mats
and spotters.
TARANTULA CHALLENGE
Equipment: clothesline, two volleyball standards
and wall rings, mats
Objective: cooperation
Object: to travel through the web without
waking the tarantulas
The 3D spider web is made of clothes line,
two volleyball standards and the wall rings attached to the wall. The two
standards were approximately 5 feet apart and 6 feet from the wall. Attach
the rope to the rings on the wall initially then out to each standard.
The web is obviously in a triangular formation which gives it the 3D effect.
Place mats on the floor and hang spiders from the web using fishing line.
Every member of the group has to travel through a 3 dimensional spider
web without waking the sleeping tarantulas. All members must successfully
cross through in order to complete the task. If any person wakes the spider,
the whole group must start over.
WHITE WATER RAFTING
Equipment: trapezoid (or folded mat), 2
pillo polo sticks (or plungers), 30 white wiffle balls (or any small ball)
Objective: cooperation
Object: to travel across the white water
without tipping over or touching the floor
The water is rougher than a normal river.
Your group has to travel on the raft (mat), using oars (plungers or polo
sticks), on the white water (balls) underneath the raft. The key is keeping
the balls underneath the raft at all times. As the balls roll out the back,
they need to be gathered and passed to the front of the raft.
TUG OF PEACE
Equipment: tug-of-war rope
Objective: cooperation
Object: all holding the rope, two teams
facing each other, and balanced
Two teams are arranged as if they are going
to play tug-of-war, but they try to achieve a static balance with the rope
instead. All players try to lean back far enough so that they are out of
balance, but the two teams stay balanced.
COMET CHASE
Equipment: cage ball
Objective: cooperation, teamwork
Object: avoid being touched by the cage
ball
The players are divided into two teams with
one team having two-thirds of the players. The team with two-thirds of
the players evenly spreads apart (5-7 feet) forming a large circle. The
team with one-third of the players forms a smaller inner circle spaced
approximately 4 feet away from the outer larger circle. The cage ball is
approximately 4 feet away from the outer larger circle. The cage ball is
placed in the Comet’s Path . A player is selected and placed approximately
8-10 feet in front of the cage ball. On the teacher’s command, the player
begins running and the rest of the players start moving the cage ball and
try to catch the running player.
SUGGESTIONS: Rotate the players from the
inside circle to the outside circle. Rotate runners. Reverse the game by
having the runner attempt to catch the cage ball. Have the students try
the game in a kneeling position.
SECRET HANDSHAKE
Equipment: a small container with about
20 to 40 cards, each with a body-part word or action written on it, one
word or phrase per card (examples: nose,
elbow, twirl, knees, shout, jump, clap,
skip, crab walk, karate kick, hip, jog, hands, etc.)
Objective: cooperation
Object: come up with their own personalized
Secret Handshake using the three actions or body parts
Have one child in the class reach into the
small container containing the different phrases or words. The child pulls
out three cards to be included in the Secret Handshake. The activity cards
have one body part or motion on them. For instance, one card might say
hands, and another crab walk, and another karate kick. The students are
then paired up and given a few minutes to come up with their own personalized
Secret Handshake using the three actions or body parts-put into any order—which
were chosen at the beginning of the activity. The partners should be able
to repeat their handshake at least three times with it looking the same
each time. At the end of a few minutes, have half of the class show off
their handshake to the other half, then repeat so all students have had
the chance to show their handshake.
THROW AND GO
Equipment: hula hoop per set of students,
a different throwing object in each hoop (es. Nerf balls, tennis balls,
foam dice, deck rings, footballs, bean bags, etc.)
Objective: throwing and catching, teamwork
Object: throw and catch with a partner
Line the hula hoops in a straight line with
1 throwing object in each hoop. Have students get back-to-back with a partner,
then get on each side of the hoops.
On Go students throw object back and forth
to each other until the whistle (or music stops). On the whistle, each
set shifts to the left leaving the last set on the left to run to the first
hoop which is now empty. If the running set of partners gets to the first
hoop and all the throwing objects are in their respective hoop before 10
seconds the class gets a point, if not the teacher gets the point.
DON'T TOUCH ME
Equipment: eight inch spot for 5-16 people,
or a cone for 18-26 people, or a hula hoop for larger groups, stopwatch
Objective: cooperation, communication
Object: for everyone to touch the object
in the middle and switch places with his partner as fast as possible without
touching anyone.
Place the spot, cone, or hoop on the ground
in the center of the circle of people. Pick a partner from across the circle.
Each person should have his/her own partner. The object of this game is
for everyone to touch the spot and switch places with their partner as
quickly as possible without touching anyone in the process. While you are
in motion, say Don’t touch me! like you mean it until you have reached
your partner’s position. Time the overall time it takes the group to accomplish
the task. Each time someone touches someone else, one second is added to
the group’s overall time.
Variation: round one as in above,.
Round two: each person finds another spot
across the circle, once found look down at the floor, repeat the crossing
without a touch and without looking up.
Round three: each person finds another spot,
they also pick someone standing across from them, this time when they cross
they need to walk up to their selected person and greet them, don’t touch
anyone else.
Round four: place a hula hoop or small circle
on the ground in the center of the circled group. Round four is timed.
Each person finds a spot across the circle.
This time on the signal the group must switch
sides without touching and each person must step in the hula hoop as they
cross. There is a five second penalty for each touch. After the group has
tried once, determine their first try time. Allow the group time to problem
solve and come up with their plan to better their time.
ANOTHER SUGGESTED ROUND: have the participants
pick a spot, put their hands up in front of them for bumpers and then close
their eyes. Try to cross without any touches. Allow the group to problem
solve and come up with a plan.
KNOT
Equipment: ten foot rope, 30-50 foot rope
which is a different type from the 10 foot rope
Objective: cooperation
Object: team ties an overhand knot at the
secured end of a long rope without touching the secured end.
Tie the two ropes securely together to make
a longer rope. Tie the other end of the shorter rope to a stationary object
such as a column, doorway or post. Start the activity asking, How many
people know how to tie a simple overhand knot? Ask everyone in the group
to line up and grab the long rope with one hand. No one should be
holding the shorter rope that is attached to the longer rope and secured
at the end. The goal of the group is to tie a simple overhand knot in the
short rope without touching the short rope in the process. The leader should
be able to easily identify the knot when you are done. Everyone can slide
along the long rope, but cannot let go of it or trade places with anyone
in the line. The short rope cannot be touched. The long and short ropes
cannot be untied.
One solution strategy: The whole team should
slide toward the loose end of the long rope to create some unoccupied space
on the long rope. The person closest to the short and long rope connection
forms a loop in the excess long rope and steps through the loop. The rest
of the group will also have to step through he loop just like the first
person. When everyone is through, the team should have a loosely tied overhand
knot. The team can maneuver the loose knot toward the short rope and pull
it tight in the short rope with a little work. Most teams seem to send
the person at the loose end of the long rope around the group to form the
knot. That strategy will work, but may be more confusing.
FING FONG FOOEY
Equipment: none
Objective: math skills
Object: creates a way for a group to decide
who will do or get something.
The activity starts off like the Rock, Paper,
Scissors game except that each person will hold out 1,2,or 3 fingers after
the count. With everyone in a circle, count off (fists striding open hands)
fing, fong, fooey and end with everyone’s fingers pointing showing their
choice of 1,2,or 3. Add the number of fingers exposed. Then, starting with
yourself, count each person around the circle until you reach the total
number fingers counted. The last person counted is it. For example: You
have five people in a group and all together you say fing, fong, fooey.
Add the number of fingers showing (let’s say it’s 10) then count each person
around the circle until you reach 10. In this case, the person right next
to you is it .
GIANT TEXAS LIZARD
EGG
Equipment: 1 bowling ball, at least one
3-6 foot rope per participant, a milk crate or canvass bag.
Objective: cooperation
Object: move a bowling ball across the floor
and into a basket using ropes.
You have found yourselves in the middle
of a crisis. An egg from a giant Texas lizard has rolled from its nest
and needs to be replaced before the mother returns. Unfortunately, the
shell of the lizard egg has properties of the adult lizard’s tail: it emits
a sweet odor but is highly toxic. Fortunately for you, a game warden has
left some specially treated ropes nearby for just such an incident. The
ropes have been treated with radiation to eliminate the possibility of
a premature hatching. The radiation is at tolerable levels, however, over-exposure
causes instant and terrible side effects such as blindness, muteness, or
confusion. Over-exposure occurs when a person touches his own rope with
more than one hand. Somehow you must discover a way to move the egg, without
breaking it, back into its nest before the mother returns. Be sure not
to contact the egg with anything but the treated ropes. Don’t over-expose
yourselves…. And don’t even try moving that nest. Giant Texas lizards are
especially sensitive to movement of their nests.
RADIATION CONTAMINATED
MATERIAL
Equipment: strings, large elastic band,
pin or styrofoam cylinder, crate or box
Objective: cooperation, communication
Object: move the contaminated material to
the box without touching it and only using the string and elasticband
Get 8 people and have 4 hold the strings,
while facing each other, equally distanced from each other. The stings
are attached to and elastic band. The four that are holding the strings
should close their eyes or have blindfolds. The other 4 get a partner of
the string holders and act as their eyes. The pin is in the middle of the
4 people with the strings. Pull on the strings and the elastic will open
so you can put it over the pin and pick it up to bring it to the box. Each
non-blindfolded person is telling their partner how much to pull and which
way to go.
GUTTERBALL
Equipment: inexpensive quarter-round sticks
(the wooden or plastic trim sticks that are used to cover the edges of
wall corners). Any hardware store will have a selection. Buy the cheapest
the store has. The simulated wood is best because it bends instead of breaking.
A steel ball, or marble, a stop watch
Objective: cooperation
Object: roll a ball from person to person
as quickly as possible without dropping it.
Everyone stands in a circle, and has a gutter.
(You can pair up and share a gutter.) Use the gutters you have to transport
this ball from the first person to the next all the way around and then
back to the first person. Now that you have the feel for the task, try
to send the ball through the process as fast as you can, beginning and
ending on the first person’s gutter. This time there will be a few constraints
for solving the problem. No one’s gutter can be skipped. Gutters cannot
touch each other. Gutter per person method-your own pinkies must be touching
each other all the time. Gutter per pair method- Each person must choose
one end of the gutter to hold and hold it within three inches of the end.
People cannot touch the ball as it travels from beginning, through the
process and back to the beginning. If the ball falls from a gutter, the
process must be restarted.
THE HOUSE
Equipment: one 30-40 foot rope. A retired
climbing rope works well.
Objective: cooperation
Object: Use a rope to form a house.
Ask the group to pick up the rope. Tell
them they can slide their hands along the rope, but they can’t let go and
/or trade places in the 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.
(Page 79, Zircon Gorilla)
PHOTO FINISH
Equipment: rope for start or finish line
(optional), Polaroid camera (optional)
Objective: cooperation
Object: everyone on a team crosses a finish
line at exactly the same time.
Everyone must start behind he starting line
and go toward the finish line and cross the finish line at exactly the
same time. If someone finishes before or after anyone else, the whole team
tries again from behind the starting line. The team has an unlimited number
of tries.
PLASTIC WRAP
Equipment: a roll of very inexpensive plastic
wrap cut to four inches wide.
Objective: cooperation
Object: a group moves from one side of a
room to another as fast as they can as a unit wrapped by plastic wrap.
The group gathers in a tight clump, shoulder
to shoulder. Take the four inch wide roll of plastic wrap and begin wrapping
it around the whole group at about waist height. Make about 5 rounds while
emphasizing to the group that they should not break the band holding them
together and they should not take it off the group. Once they are wrapped
up, ask them how fast they think they can get from one side of the room
and touch the other side of the room. When they have guessed, time their
travel and celebrate the effort regardless. Ask them if they could travel
the same distance in a shorter time. Yes is almost always immediately the
reply. Time them again when they have problem solved enough. Ask everyone
to move to the center of the room and back away from the center of the
circle until the band breaks or they just can’t move back anymore. When
you use good stretchy plastic wrap, the circle often stretches 30 feet
in diameter or more and people see that they just had to stretch their
boundaries to accomplish their goal.
PORTABLE ZIG-ZAG
Equipment: three portable zig-zag boards,
at least fourteen 8 * inch rubber or carpet spots. Each of the three zig
zag boards consists of a long 2x 4 board, two eight-inch 2x4 boards, two
eight inch in diameter circular boards, and a four-inch 2x4 and with a
four-inch piece of board from the same type of wood as the circles. All
the pieces are fastened together with dry wall screws. Each long 2x4 board
is a different length.
Objective: cooperation
Object: team uses the zig-zag boards to
travel from point A to point B on the spots without touching the ground.
Place spots on the floor at intervals that
will exactly match your beams. A bit of masking tape under each spot will
help it stay in place. The spots will be placed in pairs, side-by-side,
except for the single spot at the beginning and the end. A pattern of long-short-medium-long-medium-short-medium
(14 spots) works well in most spaces and gives the activity a variety of
dynamics such as planning, space issues, individualism vs teamwork, etc.
Feel free to place the spots around corners to increase the communication
difficulty and make the end of the journey a surprise. The team members
cannot touch the ground and the teams cannot touch the ground. The spots
protect the beam pads from the ground, but the stationery spots cannot
be touched by the participants. Spots cannot be moved. The whole team must
cross from here to there maintaining physical contact the whole way.
THE STAR
Equipment: 40-50 foot rope tied to itself
to form a large circle
Objective: cooperation
Object: the whole group creates a five pointed
star (the kind that crisscrosses in the middle) with a circle of rope.
Everyone in the group grabs the rope and
gets into a circle. Inform everyone that they cannot let go of the rope
or trade places with the people next to them to accomplish this challenging
task (although they can slide along the rope). The goal of this activity
is for the whole group to create a five pointed star with the rope (the
kind that crisscrosses in the middle). Once they think the task is complete,
ask them to slowly lower the star to the ground and step back to admire
their work.
BARN YARD
Equipment: none (blindfolds)
Objective: cooperation
Object: the participants are asked to form
their animal groups without talking
A great activity to form small groups (stress
safety). Each participant is privately assigned an animal, if four groups
are needed * of the group would be assigned dog, * of the group cow, *
frog and * cat. Once all have been assigned an animal the group is blindfolded
or asked to close their eyes, hands up for bumpers. The participants are
asked to form their animal groups without talking, they can only make the
proper animal noise to locate the others in their group.
DIMINISHING LOAD
PROBLEM
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation
Object: to get all participants across this
void
A line is drawn as a boundary or start in
front of the group. A second line is drawn 15-20 yards away, the finish.
Each line goes on for infinity therefore it is impossible to go around
the void between the start and finish . The object is to get all participants
across this void. Anyone that touches the ground must return to the start.
The only person to walk across and stay is the last. Do this in the least
amount of trips.
FOUR QUAD (FORK
WAD)
Equipment: two ropes (stretch cord works
well), enough colored balls so that each participant will have two and
the balls will be of four different colors
(colored paper rolled into balls and taped
will do), bag, stop watch
Objective: tossing and catching skills,
cooperation
Object: see how long it takes the group
to separate the balls by color into the four grids.
Split the group into four equal subgroups.
Each group is assigned a square, the squares are arranged similar to a
four square court with no outside boundaries. Four volunteers hold
up two ropes tightly separating the four groups approximately chin height.
Each participant is asked to take two balls out of a bag without regard
for the color.
The problem: on the instructors signal the
objective is to see how long it takes the group to separate the balls by
color into the four grids. The rules: the balls must be exchanged by a
toss over the dividing line, the balls may only be held by the hands (no
underarm stuffing), each dropped ball is a five second penalty and remains
on the ground for a final count, each touch of the dividing line is a ten
second penalty.
READY AIM FIRE
Equipment: two soft balls (nerf balls, rolled
paper balls, sock balls) per pair, pins
Objective: cooperation, communication, tossing
Object: knock down all the pins
Have the group get into pairs which ever
way you prefer. Designate one partner as the launcher and one as the weapons
guidance system. The launcher is equipped with two soft objects. The launcher
is also blind folded )or eyes closed). On the signal, the weapons guidance
directs their launcher into position to fire on any pin. Once the launcher
has been readied and aimed the guidance announces fire and a missile is
launched. Once the launcher has fired both missiles the guidance system
must direct their launcher to retrieve any discarded missiles and continue
to launch.
Rules: each launch must be from the chest
out, no over arm throws, the guidance system may not touch the launcher
or the missiles. After the allotted time cease fire and compare pins. Switch
roles and play again.
NUCLEAR TRANSFER
Equipment: frisbee or disc with 10-15 eight
foot ropes connected around its rim, a 2 liter soda bottle and a start
and finish area designated
Objective: cooperation
Object: to lift the bottle (nuclear safe
area) with the disc using only the ropes and transfer it to the finish
area (nuclear safe area).
8 students hold onto the ends of the ropes
and attempt to transfer the bottle to the finish line. If the bottle falls
the group starts again.
BIG TURTLE
Equipment: mat per group
Objective: cooperation
Object: to walk on hands and knees together
with the turtle shell on your backs
A group of about 7 or8 children get on their
hands and knees under a large turtle shell and try to make the turtle move
in one direction. Younger kids lay down
first and need to be given extra directions
about working together. The older ones can try to get the turtle to go
over a mountain (bench) or through an obstacle
course without losing the shell.
BIG SNAKE
Equipment: none
Objective: cooperation
Object: get the snake to be connected to
everyone in the class, roll over and curl up and sleep
The children start by stretching out on
their stomachs and holding the ankles of the person in front of them to
make a two-people snake that slithers across the floor on its belly. They
soon connect up for a four-people snake, and eight-people snake, and so
on, until the whole group is on Big Snake. At various lengths, the children
like to see if they can turn the whole snake over on its back without its
coming apart. The snake can also go over mountains, through holes, or up
trees, or may curl up and go to sleep. I takes a coordinated snake to do
these last two feats.
CATERPILLAR OVER
THE MOUNTAIN
Equipment: mat, bench
Objective: cooperation
Object: to crawl on hands and knees while
holding the ankles of those in front of you and crawl over the mountain
First the children work together either
to construct a mountain or to move it into place. The mountain can consist
of a bench, large playblocks, or anything else that appeals to them. Once
the children have helped move the mountain they again work together to
put the grass on top of the mountain. A mat draped over the mountain makes
good grass. To form the caterpillar, the children line up on their hands
and knees, and hold the ankles of the child in front of them. Four children
can form one sixteen-legged caterpillar, which moves around the room and
over the mountain. Caterpillars can link up with other caterpillars until
one giant caterpillar is formed, which crawls over the mountain and slides
down the other side. A whole-class caterpillar may need more than one mountain
to crawl over. Caterpillars can also coil up or crawl into a cocoon.
THE ROCK
Equipment: 13 inch tire or a heavy-duty
box, several mats
Objective: cooperation
Object: get the entire group on the rock
(or off the floor) for a slow count of five.
All group members must balance on the rock
(or be off the floor) for a slow count of five. The group needs to find
a way to help each other maintain balance; that could mean group members
will experience close encounters with one another. Place the rock in the
middle of the mat away from walls. All group members must be off the floor
(mat) and on the rock. All group members do not have to be touching the
rock as long as they are off the floor. Once you have been on the rock,
touching the floor (or mat) for even an instant means the group must start
over with no one on the rock. No last names or put-down may be used.
THE SNAKE
Equipment: a tug-of-war rope
Objective: cooperation
Object: the group members create the shape
with the rope and they must cover the rope with their bodies.
The group is given a list of shapes such
as numbers, letters, names, words, or designs. The challenge is mastered
when the group completes the number of shapes assigned. Make the shape
using a tug-of-war rope. All group members bust lie on the rope. The tug-of-war
rope must be completely covered by group members. The group must have each
shape approved by the teacher before beginning another shape. No last names
or put-downs. *CJ two sections. You must go back if a rule is broken.
THE POWER LINE
Equipment: horizontal bar set not higher
than the tallest group member. (The bar can be half of an even or uneven
parallel bar system or a rope strung between
two standards.) mats,large crash mat for
landing, 8-foot two-by-four board.
Object: group members try to cross over
a horizontal bar while standing on a board lifted by group members
No group member may touch the Power Line.
The board may not touch the Power Line. Group members who have crossed
over the Power Line may not touch the floor on the beginning side of the
Power Line nor reach under the bar to assist a teammate. All group members
must remain on the floor mats except when going over the Power Line. If
any rule is broken, the person making the mistake and one who has crossed
the bar must return to the starting line
THE ELECTRIC FENCE
Equipment: high balance beam, mats, net
and two standards or poles
Objective: cooperation
Object: all group members must successfully
cross under the fence and stand on the exit ma on the beam.
The students must begin the task by getting
on top of the balance beam. The students, may not touch the floor or mats
between the entry and exit mats. Group members must go under the net without
touching it. The students must get back on the topside of the beam before
getting off the beam. Once a student gets off the beam and onto the exit
mat s/he may not get back onto the beam. Only people on the beam may help
group members hanging under the beam. Any broken rule requires the person
making the mistake and one who has crossed the beam to start over.
THE GRAND CANYON
Equipment: climbing rope, vaulting box (or
four folded mats stacked upon one another), and mats placed around for
safety
Objective: cooperation
Object: all group members cross the Grand
Canyon and are standing on the opposite canyon rim.
The Grand Canyon is the area between the
starting line and the vaulting box. If any member of the group touches
the floor anywhere in the Grand Canyon, a student who has successful crossed
the canyon and the person who touched the floor must start over. If a group
member falls or jumps off the vaulting box, that person and one other person
must start over. The students swing over the Grand Canyon and onto the
vaulting box. The group needs to help one another get onto both the rope
and the vaulting box.
THE WHOLE WORLD
IN THEIR HANDS
Equipment: cage ball, two tires or hula
hoops
Objective: cooperation
Object: move the cage ball from one tire
to the other without touching it with hands or arms and the ball not touching
the floor
Choose an open working space. Group members
start by sitting around the cage ball in a crab walk position. The may
sit on the floor. During the challenge, they may move to other positions.
The cage ball cannot touch the floor. The cage ball cannot touch the hands
or arms of any group member. If a rule is broken, the ball must be returned
to tire 1 and the group must begin the task again. No last names or put
downs.
THE WALL
Equipment: large folding 12" landing mat
standing on end and mats to lay under the12" landing mat.
Objective: cooperation
Object: the entire group has to cross over
the wall
The12" landing mat may not fall over. Students
may not grasp crash pad handles or ropes holding the crash mat together.
Students may not step over the line dividing the mats