HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES
Helium Stick
Summary
- Deceptively simple teamwork activity. Form two lines facing each other. Lay a long, thin rod on the
group's index fingers. Goal: Lower to ground. Reality: It goes up!
Group Size
- 8 to 12 ideal, but can be done with 6 to 14
Time
(Total time ~25 mins)
- ~5 minute briefing and set up
- ~10-15 minutes of active problem-solving (until success)
- ~10 minutes discussion
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Deceptively simple but powerful exercise for learning how to work
together and communicate in small to medium sized groups.
Line up in two rows which face each other.
Introduce the Helium Stick - a long, thin, light rod.
Ask participants to point their index fingers and hold their arms out.
Lay the Helium Stick down on their fingers. Get the group to adjust
their finger heights until the Helium Stick is horizontal and everyone's
index fingers are touching the stick.
Explain that the challenge is to lower the Helium Stick to the ground.
The catch: Each person's fingers must be in contact with the Helium
Stick at all times. Pinching or grabbing the pole in not allowed - it
must rest on top of fingers.
 Reiterate to the group that
if anyone's finger is caught
not touching the Helium
Stick, the task will be restarted. Let the task begin....
 Warning: Particularly in the early stages, the Helium Stick
has a habit of mysteriously 'floating' up rather than coming
down, causing much laughter. A bit of clever humouring can
help - e.g., act surprised and ask what are they doing raising
the Helium Stick instead of lowering it! For added drama,
jump up and pull it down!
 Participants may be confused initially about the paradoxical
behaviour of the Helium Stick.
 Some groups or individuals (most often larger size groups)
after 5 to 10 minutes of trying may be inclined to give up,
believing it not to be possible or that it is too hard.
The facilitator can offer direct suggestions or suggest the group stops the task, discusses their
strategy, and then has another go.
Less often, a group may appear to be succeeding too fast. In response, be particularly vigilant about
fingers not touching the pole. Also make sure participants lower the pole all the way onto the ground.
You can add further difficulty by adding a large washer to each end of the stick and explain that the
washers should not fall off during the exercise, otherwise it's a restart.
Eventually the group needs to calm down, concentrate, and very slowly, patiently lower the Helium
Stick - easier said than done.
How Does it Work?
 The stick does not contain helium. The secret (keep it to yourself) is that the collective upwards
pressure created by everyone's fingers tends to be greater than the weight of the stick. As a result,
the more a group tries, the more the stick tends to 'float' upwards.
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
Processing Ideas
 What was the initial reaction of the group?
 How well did the group cope with this challenge?
 What skills did it take to be successful as a group?
 What creative solutions were suggested and how were they received?
 What would an outside observer have seen as the strengths and weaknesses of the group?
 What did each group member learn about him/her self as an individual?
 What other situations (e.g., at school, home or work) are like the Helium Stick?
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
Toxic Waste
Equipment
- 1 bucket filled with “Toxic Waste” (balls)
- Ropes/Bungee/Cords
- 1 neutralisation bucket
- Blindfolds (optional)
- Red herring objects (optional)
Summary
Equipped with a bungee cord and rope, a group must work out how to transport a bucket of "Toxic Waste"
and tip it into the neutralization bucket. Toxic Waste can be used to highlight almost any aspect of
teamwork or leadership.
Time
Total time ~30-50 minutes, consisting of:
~5 minute briefing
~5 minutes group planning time, no action
~15-30 minutes of active problem-solving
~10 minutes discussion/debrief
Group Size
- Group sizes of approximately 7 to 9 are ideal, but the activity can be done with as few as 4 or as many as
12
The Activity
 This is a popular, engaging small group initiative activity which
always "works", providing a rich teamwork challenge for about 30-45
minutes. Involves thinking, imagination, action, fantasy, risk and an
attractive solution.
 The challenge is to move the toxic waste contents to the
neutralization container using minimal equipment and maintaining a
safe distance within a time limit.
 Moderately difficult - avoid using with groups who are still in the
early stages of group development. Works best towards the end of a program and/or after the group
has come together and dealt with basic teamwork issues.
 Can be done indoors or outdoors; outdoors is more dramatic because water can be used as the "toxic
waste" instead of balls.
Set-Up
 Use the rope to create a circle at least 2.5m in diameter on the ground to
represent the toxic waste radiation zone. The larger the radiation zone, the
more difficult the activity.
 Place the small bucket in the centre of the radiation zone and fill it with
water or balls to represent the toxic waste.
 Place the neutralization bucket approximately 10-15m away. The greater
the distance, the more difficult the activity.
 Put all other equipment (i.e., bungee, cords, and red herring objects
(optional)) in a pile near the rope circle.
Directions
 The challenge is for the group to work out how to transfer the toxic waste from the small bucket into
the large bucket where it will be "neutralized", using only the equipment provided and within a time
frame. The waste will blow up and destroy the world after 20 minutes if it is not neutralized.
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
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Anyone who ventures into the radiation zone will suffer injury and possibly even
death, and spillage will create partial death and destruction. Therefore, the group should aim to save
the world and do so without injury to any group members.
The rope circle represents the radiation zone emanating from the toxic waste in the bucket.
Emphasize that everyone must maintain a distance (circle radius) from the toxic waste wherever it
goes, otherwise they will suffer severe injury, such as loss of a limb or even death.
Give the group some planning time with no action e.g. 5 mins, then start the clock and indicate its time
for action, e.g., 15 or 20 mins.
Facilitator Notes
 Toxic Waste is not an easy exercise and most groups will benefit from some coaching along the way.
 The solution involves attaching the cords to the bungee loop, then guiding the bungee with the strings
to sit around and grab the toxic waste bucket. Then with everyone pulling on their cord and with good
coordination and care, the toxic waste bucket can be lifted, moved and tipped into the empty
neutralizing bucket.
 If someone breaches the toxic waste zone, indicated by the circle, enforce an appropriate penalty e.g.,
loss of limbs (hand behind back) or function (e.g., blindfolds if a head enters the zone) that lasts for
the rest of the game. If a whole person enters the zone, they die and must then sit out for the rest of
the activity.
 If the group struggles to work out what to do, freeze the action and help them discuss.
 If the group spills the waste entirely, make a big deal about catastrophic failure (everyone dies), invite
them to discuss what went wrong and how they can do better, then refill the container and let them
have another go.
 Ideas for varying the level difficulty of the activity:
o Adjust timeframe
o Adjust distance between the buckets
o Include obstacles between the buckets
o Include red herring objects in available equipment
Processing Ideas
 There are invariably plenty of key communications and decisions during the exercise that provide for
fruitful debriefing.
 The exercise will tend to naturally expose processes and issues related to many aspects of teamwork,
including cooperation, communication, trust, empowerment, risk-taking, support, problem-solving,
decision-making, and leadership.
 Can be videoed for subsequent analysis and debriefing.
 How successful was the group? e.g. consider:
o How long did it take?
o Was there any spillage?
o Were there any injuries? (Often in the euphoria of finishing participants will overlook their
errors and seem unconcerned about injuries and deaths caused by carelessness along the
way. Make sure there is an objective evaluation of performance - it is rarely 'perfect'.)
 How well did the group cope with this challenge? (e.g., out of 10?)
 What was the initial reaction of the group?
 What skills did it take for the group to be successful?
 What would an outside observer have seen as the strengths and weaknesses of the group?
 How did the group come up with its best ideas?
 What did each group member learn about him/her self as a group member?
 What lessons did the group learn from this exercise which could be applied to future situations?
Variations
 Can be used with large groups (with multiple kits and divided into small groups).
 The toxic waste bucket can be used upside down, with a ball balanced on top.
 The activity can be framed in many different ways, e.g., instead of waste, it could presented as a
desirable substance, such as a life saving serum which needs be carefully transported.
 Divide the group into leaders and workers. Leaders can talk but not touch equipment. Workers cannot
talk but can touch equipment.
 For added drama, the toxic waste can be floated on a platform in a swimming pool
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
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A chemical reaction can be created by putting baking soda in the neutralization
container and vinegar in the toxic waste container. When combined, they froth.
Object Retrieval is a variation in which a group needs to retrieve a heavy object from the middle of a
circle, without touching the ground in the surrounding circle
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
Zoom & Re-Zoom
Equipment
- “Zoom” and/or “Re-Zoom” books by Istvan Banyai.
Summary
- A group tries to create a unified story from a set of sequential pictures. The pictures are randomly ordered
and handed out. Each person has a picture but cannot show it to others. Requires patience,
communication, and perspective taking in order to recreate the story's sequence.
Group Size
- 20 to 30 ideal, but can be done with fewer (see variations)
Time
Total time~20-30 minutes
 ~5 mins set up and brief the group
 ~15 mins active problem solving
 ~5-10 minutes debrief
The Activity
 This engaging group activity helps develop communication skills,
perspective taking, and problem solving skills.
 Based on the intriguing, wordless, picture books "Zoom" and "ReZoom" by Istvan Banyai which consist of 30 sequential "pictures within
pictures". The Zoom narrative moves from a rooster to a ship to a
city street to a desert island and outer space. Zoom has been
published in 18 countries. The Re-Zoom narrative moves from an
Egyptian hieroglyphic to a film set to an elephant ride to a billboard to
a train.
 Hand out one picture per person (make sure a continuous sequence is
used).
 Explain that participants may only look at their own pictures and must
keep their pictures hidden from others.
 Encourage participants to study their picture, since it contains
important information to help solve a problem.
 The challenge is for the group to sequence the pictures in the correct order without looking at one
another's pictures.
 Participants will generally mill around talking to others to see whether their pictures have anything in
common. Sometimes leadership efforts will emerge to try to understand the overall story.
 When the group believes they have all the pictures in order (usually after ~15 minutes), the pictures
can be turned over for everyone to see.
Facilitator's Notes
 Works with any age group, including corporate groups.
 Can be done indoors or outdoors.
 Once the challenge is finished, allow everyone to see the pictures and encourage participants to sort
out any mistakes in the order (can be done on a table or the floor), then let everyone walk around
view the pictures in sequence so they understand the full story.
Variations
 Use as a novel icebreaker by handing each participant a picture on arrival. When everyone has
arrived, explain that each person is holding part of a story and that the group task is to find out what
the story is by putting their pictures in sequence.
 Use a time limit to increase difficulty and enhance focus on teamwork.
 Team performance can be measured (e.g., for a competition) by counting how many pictures are out
of sequence.
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
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If there are a few more people than cards, then pair people up.
For larger groups, if there is enough people then have 2 or more groups running the activity at the
same time or use a sequence of cards to suit the group size.
For smaller groups, try disallowing talking. This increases the difficulty and creates the need for
expressive sign language. In general, allow large groups to talk because there is enough complexity
sorting out all the pictures.
Another way to increase complexity with small groups is to give each person more than one picture.
To reduce complexity for young groups (e.g., pre-school), allow a small group to look through all
pictures and organize the story from beginning to end.
Processing Ideas
 There is usually much potential for debriefing and discussion.
 Why was it hard to get the story together?
(everyone had a piece, but no-one had the big picture)
 What type of communication was used in attempting to solve the problem?
 What communication methods might have worked better? e.g., Imagine if, at the outset, the group
had taken the time to let each person describe his/her picture to the rest of the group. What would
have happened then? Would the solution have been found faster? What prevented such strategies
from being considered?
 Did you try to "second position" (i.e., see one's communications from the perspective of others)?
 What kind of leadership was used to tackle the problem?
 Who were the leaders? Why?
 What style of leadership might have worked best?
 If you were to tackle a similar activity again, what do you think this group could do differently?
 What real life activities are similar to this activity?
References
 Banyai, I. (1995).Zoom New York: Viking / Penguin.
 Banyai, I. (1998). Re-Zoom New York: Viking / Penguin.
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
ZOOM ANSWER SHEET
1. Close up of large red rooster comb
2. Rooster head and neck
3. Rooster with children in foreground
4. Rooster in distance, children in foreground in a room with an open door
5. View of farmhouse and children in a room with open door, animals in foreground in yard
6. Aerial view of farm buildings, trees, animals
7. Aerial view of model farm, with hands and side of box
8. Girl playing with a model farm, half a sign in top left corner
9. Girl playing with a model farm (with fingers in top right corner), whole sign in top left
corner reads TOYS
10. Young person sitting (partial head shown only), wearing khaki t-shirt and green shorts
holding a magazine in left hand with a picture of a girl playing with a model farm
11. Young person with blonde hair in a deckchair holding a magazine, yellow railings in
background
12. Deck with yellow railings, person in a deckchair holding magazine, boy in shorts and
flippers and snorkel standing by a swimming pool with 3 people in it
13. Side of large white boat showing deck with one swimming pool, people on deck above,
yellow funnel
14. Section of a white ocean cruise liner with people on 3 different decks, 2 yellow funnels,
large red funnels on right hand side, partial black sign with letters ‘ng’ on top left side
15. Picture of ocean cruise liner with bus windows at top, taxi and one other car in foreground
16. Busy city street with bus showing California Cruise Line advertisement
17. Busy city street framed by television, one toe of a boot in left foreground
18. Cowboy watching TV showing busy city street
19. Cowboy watching TV in the desert
20. Cowboy watching TV in the desert on an Arizona stamp
21. Hand holding a letter with a stamp on it, island in background
22. Pacific islander receiving mail
23. Pacific islanders waving to the mailman who is getting in/out of a small dingy
24. Pacific island with pilot's head on left,
25. Cockpit of light aeroplane, with island in background.
26. Yellow and red aeroplane, with island below
27. Blue ocean, with island and a yellow and red aeroplane, with some clouds
28. Part of Earth with clouds and very small yellow aeroplane, black background
29. Blue/white part of planet Earth
30. Small planet Earth on black background
31. Small white dot on black background
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
RE-ZOOM ANSWER SHEET
1. Close-up of red figure with bow and arrow
2. Red figure with bow and arrow
3. Wrist watch with red figure on hairy wrist
4. Arm of person with wrist watch, white paper, hieroglyphics in background
5. Person wearing a watch and a Felix the cat T-shirt taking an imprint from hieroglyphics
6. Aerial view of person and wall of hieroglyphics, ladder in foreground right
7. Looking down a long corridor, view of top of hieroglyphics wall with sky in background
8. Small rectangle with blue and beige inlay, triangular peak with blue background
9. Top of an obelix (column) with hieroglyphic inscriptions below a triangular peak
10. Obelix (column) with city scene and Good Year Blimp
11. Man with a monocle looking at a poster of Napoleon on a pillar, lady in foreground
12. Film set with a pillar, a car on the left, and detail of Eiffel Tower in background
13. Film set with palm trees, white camera in foreground right
14. Film set with lots of palm trees, half of face of a blue man in foreground right
15. 3 people sitting on brown object, palm tree tops in background
16. 3 people sitting on brown elephant
17. Picture of 3 people sitting on brown elephant on an orange chest, assorted melons in foreground
18. Orange chest and melons on a long narrow boat, paddler at front with a pole, small tall ship in
background right
19. Small boy beside a pond pushing a model paddle steamer, long narrow boat in foreground, 2 other tall
ships in pond
20. Man sitting on a stool painting a picture of a pond, castle and horse riders
21. Close up aerial view of artist’s studio, girl looking at paintings
22. Aerial view of two storey building with person standing on roof top and artist’s studio visible
23. Scenery- includes blue bird in top right, two storey building with red car in centre, red Japanese style
bridge in centre foreground between 2 hills
24. Japanese woman wearing yellow walkman holding fan with picture of scenery on it
25. Cars in foreground, billboard with Japanese woman and 1 (800) RE-ZOOM
26. One page of a book with picture of cars and people, hand holding book foreground left
27. Two pages of a book with picture of cars and people watching a rocket launch, 2 hands holding book,
feet and legs of other people in background
28. People sitting on a train
29. People sitting inside a train, framed by outside of carriage window
30. Back of train, black background
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
Survival Scenario Exercises
Overview - Group Survival Scenario Exercise
 A classic group communication and decision making exercise, with many
variations.
 Works for a wide variety of ages and purposes, indoors or outdoors.
 There are two classic types of "paper & pencil" group survival scenarios
(selecting equipment and selecting people). In each case:
o Provide instructions & hand out materials
o Set a time limit (~15-30 minutes)
o Let the group go - answer questions, watch, & observe!
o Debrief
Recommended Group Size
 5-10
Time
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Total ~45-100 mins
5-10 minutes briefing
15-30 minutes exercise time
5-10 minutes scoring (for select equipment scenarios)
20-30 minutes debrief & discussion
Scenario Type 1: Choose Survival Equipment
Your plane crashed...your group needs to choose the 12 most useful items to survive...
Choose
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/ rank equipment items in terms of their relative survival value:
Participants choose/rank the items individually
Discuss choices/rankings in small group and come to a group consensus
Score answers against "expert" opinion
Possible scenarios:
o Lost at sea (described below) or island survival (shipwreck)
o Desert (plane crash)
o Space or Moon
Sample Scenario: Lost at Sea
 You and your team have chartered a yacht.
 None of you have any previous sailing experience, and you have hired an experienced skipper and
two-person crew.
 As you sail through the Southern Pacific Ocean a fire breaks out and much of the yacht and its
contents are destroyed.
 The yacht is slowly sinking.
 Your location is unclear because vital navigational and radio equipment has been damaged.
 The yacht skipper and crew have been lost whilst trying to fight the fire.
 Your best guestimate is that you are approximately 1000 miles South West of the nearest landfall.
 You and your friends have managed to save the following 15 items, undamaged and intact after
the fire.
1. A sextant
2. A shaving mirror
3. A quantity of mosquito netting
4. A 5 gallon can of water
5. A case of army rations
6. Maps of the Pacific Ocean
7. A floating seat cushion
8. A 2 gallon can of oil/petrol mixture
9. A small transistor radio
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
10.
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20 square feet of Opaque plastic sheeting
Shark repellent
One quart of 160 per cent proof rum
15ft nylon rope
2 boxes of chocolate bars
A fishing kit
In addition to the above, you have salvaged a four man rubber life craft.
The total contents of your combined pocket’s amounts to a packet of cigarettes, three boxes of
matches and 3 $10 notes.
Scenario Type 2: People Survival Scenario (Who will be saved?)
A nuclear bomb has been dropped...a radiation-free shelter is available, but can only take 6 people; choose
who will survive...
Choose / rank people in terms of who will get to live or die in situations with limited survival resources:
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Participants role play characters (a bit like a Murder Mystery)
Can lead to high emotions; people get intensely engaged, particularly when choosing who will survive,
and none of the decisions are easy.
No right answers - any so-called "correct" answers are based on debatable values (e.g., ageism,
sexism, racism)
Highlights individual's dispositions, group processes and decision making
Possible scenarios:
o Nuclear war shelter
o Oxygen dwindling (space, moon, mars)
o Lifeboat (described below) / Sinking ship (sea)
Sample Scenario- Lifeboat
A small aircraft crashes in the shark infested waters of the Pacific Ocean. There is damage to the
aircraft on impact with the water which causes the electronic systems within to be damaged. The
resulting radio failure means that no may-day message can be sent.
Of the sixteen passengers on the plane there are nine survivors. The location of the crash is
approximately one and a half days from the nearest land. The life raft on one side of the airplane can
be used, however there is only room for four persons in it.
Your group must reach a decision as to which four persons can enter the life raft. You have
approximately 30 minutes to reach this decision before the aircraft sinks.
The following are the details of the nine survivors.
1 'Ace' Browning. Ace was the pilot at the time of the crash and it was his expertise which landed
the aircraft in one piece, enabling it to float. 'Ace' received his pilot training and nickname when he
was in the Airforce. He is the son of an Air Vice-Marshall and a decorated Gulf veteran. He is a keen
golfer and collects theatre memorabilia. Recently, there has been some concern amongst his
colleagues that he is showing signs of a drinking problem. He is one of a team of volunteer pilots who
carry out mercy missions which drop food and medical aid in places of crises.
2 Geoff McGraw. Geoff was returning from a medical conference where he gave a paper on "Rebuilding Facial Features Following Accidents". He is a recent divorcee with four grown up children. At
57 he owns a plastic surgery clinic in California from which he has made a considerable fortune. Geoff
has established a charitable programme which helps children with facial injuries. His hobbies include
collecting vintage cars, deep sea fishing.
The Butler family - James, Patience and Prudence
3 James Butler is a 40 year old church minister. He has been a missionary in Papua New Guinea for
the past 15 years. He is keen to take up the challenge of a new post in Haiti, but has not discussed the
move with his wife, Patience, as he is aware that she is anxious to return to the UK and start a career.
He is also torn by the wish to spend more time with his two older children. James' hobbies are bridge
and fishing.
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
4 Patience Butler (35) did a lot of voluntary work whilst in Papua New Guinea. She established a
youth club which developed skills such as orienteering and homecrafts in young people. For many
years Patience has wanted to start a career; she has the manuscript of a first book which she intends
to take to a publisher. Her book explores issues relating to helping indigenous peoples and their way of
life survive the 21st century. She has three children.
5 Prudence Butler. Prudence Butler, an epileptic, was travelling from Papua New Guinea to London
with her parents at the time of the accident. She is a very intelligent 10 year old girl and shows great
talent at music and languages. She has two siblings, a fourteen year old brother and a 12 year old
sister who are both at boarding school in the UK. Prudence did not want to take time out of school for
this trip but her father felt that it was important that she visit her brother and sister.
6 Donald Heap. Donald Heap is a 45 year old married man with two children. He is the Conservative
member for Happiburgh and currently resides on the back bench following a brief, but very public
period as Junior Minister in the Department for Defence. Donald resigned from this position because of
a scandal involving insider dealing. Donald is a self-made man, having made his fortune in sports
clothing. He is an Olympic medallist in track events and used his world-wide reputation as a sportsman
in marketing his goods. His hobbies include sailing, squash and growing hothouse orchids.
7 Sam Comfort. Sam is a 29 year old nurse and a member of Greenpeace. He abandoned plans to
marry three years ago and took up a post as Nursing Officer at an Antarctic research station where he
carried out work on hypothermia. He got on very well with the rest of the team at the research station
and would like to renew his contract and return there. Sam is a very gifted musician, he plays the
violin and enjoys swimming and badminton.
8 Professor Mu Chado. Professor Chado has been Professor of Microbiology at the University of
Barkington for the past 10 years. He has developed an antibody to the HIV virus that has proved
successful in combating illness in experimental animals. He is 60 years old and a bachelor. He was
physically disabled when he was 30 in a riding accident and has since then been confined to a
wheelchair. His hobbies include water colour painting
9 Philippa Lowes-Harrington. Philippa Lowes-Harrington is a Performance Director in the energy
industry. She is a 50 year old married woman with no children. Philippa spent 12 years in the army and
retired at the age of 30 at the rank of Captain. Her hobbies include skiing and collecting objet d'art.
She has been involved in negotiations where the Victoria and Albert Museum acquired a number of
valuable pieces of British art from Japan and the United State. Currently she is the Chair of a working
group which is considering how art may be used to improve inner-city environments. Philippa has
recently been diagnosed as HIV positive.
Variations
 Appoint a time keeper in each group and encourage them to be the person who monitors the progress
of the group towards achieving consensus within the time frame.
 To emphasise individual versus group decision making, split the session into three parts:
o Individuals make their own selections first, on paper (5-10 minutes)
o Groups (or sub-groups) then discuss and create a group decision
o Compare individual and group performances, e.g.,:
 For equipment scenarios, group decisions are usually more accurate than individual
answers, helping to illustrate the importance of collaborative group decision-making.
 For people scenarios, score individuals according to how close the group's decision was
to their own selections of who is to live and die (an indicator of each person's influence
over the group).
Possible Debrief Questions
 How were decisions made?
 Who influenced the decisions and how?
 How could better decisions have been made?
 How was conflict managed?
 How did people feel about the decisions?
 How satisfied was each person with the decision (ask each participant to rate his / her satisfaction out
of 10, then obtain a group average and compare / discuss with other groups' satisfaction levels)
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
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What have you learnt about the functioning of this group?
How would you do the activity differently if you were asked to do it again?
What situations at work/home/school do you think are like this exercise?
Mine Field
Equipment
- Markers or lengths of rope to indicate the boundaries (e.g., 50 yard rectangular field)
- Bowling pins or many soft objects, such as larger balls and stuff - the more the better
- Blind folds (can be optional)
Summary
- Objects are scattered in an indoor or outdoor place. In pairs, one person verbally guides his/her partner,
whose eyes are closed or blindfolded, through the "minefield".
Time
- ~20 minutes to set up
- ~5-10 minutes to brief
- ~5 minutes planning/discussion
- ~15-30 minutes activity
- ~5-30 minutes debrief
Group Size
- 2 to 30 is possible; works well with larger groups e.g., 16 to 24.
The Activity

A popular and engaging game involving communication and trust. The task is very flexible, works for
groups of various types and sizes, and can be adapted to youth, adults, corporate, etc.

Select an appropriate area. Go outside, if possible. Can be done inside, even in rooms with fixed
furniture (which can become objects to be avoided).

Distribute "mines" e.g., balls or other objects such as bowling
pins, cones, foam noodles, etc.

Establish a concentrating and caring tone for this activity.
Trust exercises require a serious atmosphere to help develop a
genuine sense of trust and safety.

Participants operate in pairs. Consider how the pairs are
formed - it's a chance to work on relationships. One person is
blind-folded (or keeps eyes closed) and cannot talk (optional).
The other person can see and talk, but cannot enter the field or
touch the person.

The challenge is for each blind-folded person to walk from one
side of the field to the other, avoiding the "mines", by listening
to the verbal instructions of their partners.

Allow participants a short period (e.g., 3 minutes) of planning time to decide on their communication
commands, then begin the activity.

Be wary of blindfolded people bumping into each other. The instructor(s) can float around the playing
area to help prevent collisions.

Decide on the penalty for hitting a "mine". It could be a restart (serious consequence) or time penalty
or simply a count of hits, but without penalty.

It can help participants if you suggest that they each develop a unique communication system. When
participants swap roles, give participants some review and planning time to refine their communication
method.
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK

Allow participants to swap over and even have several attempts, until a real,
satisfied sense of skill and competence in being able to guide a partner through the "minefield"
develops.

The activity can be conducted one pair at a time (e.g., in a therapeutic situation), or with all pairs at
once (creates a more demanding exercise due to the extra noise/confusion).

Can be conducted as a competitive task - e.g., which pair is the quickest or has the fewest hits?

The facilitator plays an important role in creating an optimal level of challenge, e.g. consider
introducing more items or removing items if it seems too easy or too hard. Also consider coaching
participants with communication methods (e.g., for younger students, hint that they could benefit from
coming up with clear commands for stop, forward, left, right, etc.).

Be cautious about blind-folding people - it can provoke trust and care issues and trigger post-traumatic
reactions. Minimize this risk by sequencing Mine Field within a longer program involving other get-toknow-you and trust building activities before Mine Field.
Variations

Minefield in a Circle: Blindfolded people start on the outside of a large rope circle, go into middle, get
an item ("treasure", e.g., a small ball or bean bag), then return to the outside; continue to see who
can get the most objects within a time period.

Metaphorical Framing: Some set ups for minefield get very elaborate and metaphor-rich, e.g., hanging
objects which metaphorically reflect the participants' background and/or issues. For example, items
which represent drugs, peer pressure, talking with parents about the problem, etc. have been used in
a family adventure therapy program (Gillis & Simpson, 1994).

Participants can begin by trying to cross the field by themselves. In a second round, participants can
then ask someone else to help them traverse the field by "talking" them through the field.

To increase the difficulty, you can have other people calling out. The blindfolded person must
concentrate on their partner's voice amidst all the other voices that could distract them from the task.

Be aware that some participants may object to, or have previous traumatic experience around the
metaphor of explosive mines which have caused and continue to cause much harm and suffering. It
may be preferable to rename the activity, for example, as an "obstacle course" or "navigation course".
Alternatively, the activity could be used to heighten awareness about the effect of land mines on the
lives of people in countries such as Afghanistan and Nicaragua Processing Ideas

How much did you trust your partner (out of 10) at the start?

How much did you trust your partner (out of 10) at the end?

What is the difference between going alone and being guided by another?

What ingredients are needed when trusting and working with someone else?

What did your partner do to help you feel safe and secure?

What could your partner have done to help make you feel more safe/secure?

What communication strategies worked best?
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
BALLOON ACTIVITIES
Balloon Juggle & Sort
Challenge participants to keep all balloons (1+ per person) in the air.
This gets the group moving and cooperating. Once they've got the
hang of it, make it harder by adding in more balloons or placing
restrictions e.g., no hands to keep balloons up. Ask participants to
keep juggling the balloons, but to sort them into colours (works best
with large groups).
Balloon Frantic
Two to three inflated balloons per person are needed and a
stopwatch. Each person has a balloon, with the rest in a nearby pile.
Everyone begins bouncing their balloons in the air. Every five
seconds, another balloon is added. See how long the group can keep
the balloons bouncing before receiving six penalties. A penalty is
announced loudly (to create stress!) by the leader when a balloon hits
the floor, or once on the floor, if is not got back into play within five
seconds. The leader keeps a cumulative score by shouting out "one",
"two", etc. When the leader gets to "six", time is stopped. After some
discussion, the group tries to better its record with another attempt.
Catch the Balloon
A handy name game. Stand in a circle. Toss a balloon in the air and
call someone's name. That person must catch the balloon before it
touches the ground. If the person succeeds he/she then tosses the
balloon up and calls the next name.
Balloon Bop
An extension of Catch the Balloon. Now the balloon is not caught, but
kept in the air. As well as calling out someone's name, also call out a
body part which that person has to use to keep the balloon in the air
until he/she calls another person's name and body part.
Balloon Blow
Divide into teams. Each team stands in a small circle. See which
team can keep a balloon aloft the longest using only breath. Watch
out for hyperventilation!
Balloon Help
Start off with everyone in a circle, facing inwards, hands behind back.
The objective is for everyone to be in the centre keeping all balloons
afloat. Put between zero and three balloons in people's hands behind
their backs. Participants should not let on to others how many they
have. The leader starts by trying to keep three balloons afloat in the
centre. When it becomes difficult, the leader calls somebody's name
and says "X, I need your help!". That person comes in with all their
balloons and helps until it becomes difficult and then they call "Y, I
need your help!". If a balloon falls on the ground, it must be picked
up by someone in the centre and kept afloat.
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
Great Egg Drop
Equipment
For
-
each group:
~ 4 to 12 straws (number depends on desired difficulty)
masking tape (amount depends on desired difficulty)
fresh egg
any other items for creating the egg package - can also add red herrings
Time
- ~30-45 minutes to build package
- ~15-30 minutes for Great Egg Drop
- ~15-45 minutes cleanup & debrief
Brief Description
Small groups design an egg package to save an egg from breaking when dropped.
Plus a 30 second jingle to sell their package. Followed by the Great Egg Drop-Off.
The Activity
 Engaging small group activity (4 or 5) as part of larger group (e.g., 20 up to 100)
 Can be run as a competition between teams
 Task is to build a single egg package that can sustain a fall of 8ft (top of a supermarket shelf)
 Can be used to highlight any almost aspect of teamwork or leadership
 Lends itself to building a dramatic large group scenario/finale for the Egg Drop Off
 Can include the task of presenting a 30-second advert for the egg package. This increases the
complexity of the activity.
 Lends itself to production line or project management metaphors
Variation
Give no equipment - participants are to find natural materials from the local environment.
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
HOME GROUP ADVISOR HANDBOOK
Amoeba Race
Equipment
- None
Time
-
Approximately 15 mins
Brief description
- A simple, close physical contact group cooperation activity. The group forms the three parts of an
Amoeba: protoplasm, cell wall and nucleus. Then the group travels, splits into two amoebas, and the
amoeba have a race.
The Activity

A fun game, using a basic biology concept of a cell

Requires cooperation, competition and close physical interaction. Useful as a simple activity to help a
group get comfortable with one another.

Explain how to create an amoeba. There are 3 parts:
o
a lot of protoplasm
(people who don't mind being close, gather together)
o
a cell wall
(people who like to contain themselves & others, surround the protoplasm, facing outward,
linking elbows)
o
a nucleus
(someone with good eyesight and the ability to keep on top of things should be the nucleus,
seated on the shoulders of some of the protoplasm)

Once the amoeba is formed, try taking a walk through a field or around the block. A rhythmic chant
might be helpful for coordinating movements. (What sort of sound does a one-celled creature make?)

Finally, try a little cell division. Split into two, create a second nucleus and have an Amoeba Race.
Taken from http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html