Learning Objectives
• Relate the experience of the
Communication Traps game to basic
principles of communication
• Understand how listening can be an
important part of communication
• Develop strategies to overcome barriers to
communication
• Practice some skills of effective instruction
Materials Needed
• Five mouse traps, 5 blindfolds, and 5 bean
bags
• Two 15-foot pieces of rope
• One toy or old cell phone
• Key points of the session, presented as
flip-chart binder pages
Delivery Method
• Communication game
In today’s face placed world, we
communicate in many different ways.
During the game" Communication traps”
each patrol member is going to experience
various roles in the communication
process.
Delivery Continued
• Communication Traps
10 minutes to play the game and fairly
quickly to leave time for the questions. Not
everyone needs to successfully navigate
the length of the corridor.
Task: To move as many patrol members
through the corridor of mousetraps as
possible in 5 minutes.
Delivery Con’t
• Note: All participants need to wear closed toe
shoes during this activity.
• Set-up: using 2 15 ft. ropes, create a narrow
corridor between 2-3 feet wide. Distribute mouse
traps randomly across the length of the corridor
at varying distances from the sides of the
corridor so that there are obstacles that need
navigating around. Put the cell phone
somewhere in the middle of the mousetrap
corridor.
Delivery Con't
• Have the patrol choose one participant to be the primary
communicator and have him/her stand at the far end of
the corridor facing the patrol. The other members line up
blindfolded at the end of the corridor opposite the
primary communicator. The “communicator” will give
them verbal directions as to how to proceed through the
maze. The TG will call out 30-second penalty if the
members bump into the object or spring the mousetraps.
• The groups goal will be to get as many members through
the communication corridor as possible in 5 minutes.
Game
• How to Play: The TG will introduce the game.
• Before every great team reaches success, there are
often many setbacks. Proper communication is key to
overcoming these barriers.
• Your goal as a team today is to move as many members
of your team through this corridor of obstacles as
possible in 5 minutes. One patrol member will be
selected the primary communicator, while the others will
be blindfolded and guided through this task. members of
the team can only talk to lead communicator by using the
special cell phone in the course.
Game Con’t
• In the game, the setback comes when you
trigger a mousetrap or step on a beanbag. When
this happens you will need to stop and stand still
for 30 seconds. If the primary communicator is
able to guide you to the cell phone in the middle,
you can, while standing still, remove your
blindfold and discuss the strategy with the
primary communicator for 30 seconds. At the
end of 30 seconds, you must put the blindfold
back on and continue the challenge.
Game Con’t
• Once you have made it through the
corridor, you may remove the blindfold and
assist in helping the rest of the team
navigate through the maze of mousetraps.
You may not, however re-enter the
corridor but must stay at the end with the
primary communicator.
• At the end of the time, we will gather
together and debrief your experience.