Games Songs (1)

8/4/2019 Games Songs (1)

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2002 Operation Snowball, Inc. 1

Operation Snowball

Activities & Songs



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Table of Contents

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 2GETTING ACQUAINTED............................................................................................................ 6

Outburst....................................................................................................................................... 6The M & M Game....................................................................................................................... 6Partner Interviews ....................................................................................................................... 6Who Am I?.................................................................................................................................. 6Communication........................................................................................................................... 6Free Choice Game....................................................................................................................... 7I Can’t ... I Won’t........................................................................................................................ 7Rogerian Listening...................................................................................................................... 8Circle the Circle .......................................................................................................................... 8

Me Switch ................................................................................................................................... 8This is My Nose .......................................................................................................................... 9Burst the Balloon ........................................................................................................................ 9How Do You Do? ....................................................................................................................... 9Person to Person........................................................................................................................ 10Shoe Factory ............................................................................................................................. 10Smaug’s Jewels......................................................................................................................... 10Zen Clap.................................................................................................................................... 11Who Are We ............................................................................................................................. 11If I Could Be. . . ........................................................................................................................ 11Human Treasure Hunt #1: A Baker’s Dozen............................................................................ 12

Human Treasure Hunt #2 A Baker’s Dozen ............................................................................. 12Group Juggling.......................................................................................................................... 13Values Continuum .................................................................................................................... 13Making the Difference .............................................................................................................. 13One And Only ........................................................................................................................... 14Bill of Rights Revisited............................................................................................................. 14Alternative Search..................................................................................................................... 15Action Research + Action Search ............................................................................................. 15Adjective Name Game.............................................................................................................. 16Lifeline...................................................................................................................................... 16My Favorite Place ..................................................................................................................... 16

I’m Going To Tahiti.................................................................................................................. 16Ha, Ha, Ha................................................................................................................................. 17Animal Friends.......................................................................................................................... 17Hand Dancing ........................................................................................................................... 17

TRUST BUILDING...................................................................................................................... 17Experiencing Culture ................................................................................................................ 17The Card Game ......................................................................................................................... 17Freeze........................................................................................................................................ 18



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Labeling .................................................................................................................................... 18The Ties That Bind Us.............................................................................................................. 19Yurt Circle ................................................................................................................................ 19Happy Landing.......................................................................................................................... 19Secrets ....................................................................................................................................... 20

Do Your Own Think ................................................................................................................. 20Group Polarities ........................................................................................................................ 21The Protector............................................................................................................................. 21Defuzzing Wheel ...................................................................................................................... 21Rope Grope ............................................................................................................................... 22Sherpa Walk.............................................................................................................................. 22Rabid Nugget Rescue................................................................................................................ 22Emergency ................................................................................................................................ 23Prui............................................................................................................................................ 23Money On A Book—Trust Walk.............................................................................................. 23Driver’s Ed—Trust Walk.......................................................................................................... 24

Amoeba—Group Trust Walk.................................................................................................... 24The Glob ................................................................................................................................... 24Cover The Space ....................................................................................................................... 24Blind.......................................................................................................................................... 24Cookie Machine ........................................................................................................................ 25Rattler........................................................................................................................................ 25

TEAM BUILDING....................................................................................................................... 25Blind Line Up ........................................................................................................................... 25Monster ..................................................................................................................................... 25The Farmer And The River....................................................................................................... 26All Aboard ................................................................................................................................ 26Poetry In Motion ....................................................................................................................... 26The Human Knot....................................................................................................................... 26The Electric Fence .................................................................................................................... 27The Diminishing Lead Problem................................................................................................ 27Cross the Great Divide.............................................................................................................. 27Airport....................................................................................................................................... 27The Great Escape ...................................................................................................................... 28Bridge It .................................................................................................................................... 28Business .................................................................................................................................... 29Excuse Me, I am Looking For ... .............................................................................................. 29Tug of Friendship...................................................................................................................... 29The Shrinking Ship ................................................................................................................... 29Dream-Building ........................................................................................................................ 30Everybody Up ........................................................................................................................... 30Lap Sit, Step, Touch, Clap ........................................................................................................ 30Natures Towers ......................................................................................................................... 31Popsicle Push-Up...................................................................................................................... 31Stork Stretch.............................................................................................................................. 31River Crossing (Poison Peanut Butter River) ........................................................................... 31



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I like to Eat Apples and Bananas .............................................................................................. 44How do you Feel? ..................................................................................................................... 44Lion Hunt .................................................................................................................................. 44Announcements......................................................................................................................... 44Par, rump, rump, rump.............................................................................................................. 46

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean .............................................................................................. 46Boom Chicka Boom.................................................................................................................. 46Fast Food................................................................................................................................... 46Little Bunny Foo Foo................................................................................................................ 47Skips Got A Head Like A Ping Pong Ball................................................................................ 48Cool Cat .................................................................................................................................... 48Little Sally Walker.................................................................................................................... 48Recycle...................................................................................................................................... 49Flee Fly ..................................................................................................................................... 49The Pony Song.......................................................................................................................... 49Noble Captain Kirk ................................................................................................................... 49

Banana Dance ........................................................................................................................... 50Peanut Butter............................................................................................................................. 50Bootie Rock .............................................................................................................................. 50OS Monkeys.............................................................................................................................. 51OS Spirit Song .......................................................................................................................... 51Get Down.................................................................................................................................. 51Bugaloo ..................................................................................................................................... 51Who’s the Best? ........................................................................................................................ 52In the Zoo (“The Farmer in The Dell”)..................................................................................... 52Dino Ditty, Ditty Dum Ditty Do (“Do Wah Diddy Diddy”) ........................................................... 52

Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................... 52



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GETTING ACQUAINTEDThe following activities are suggested to allow group members to get acquainted and practice effectivecommunication techniques with each other. This includes the first discussion group. It may be necessary to use thistype of activity at the beginning of each group meeting to get things started and create the right atmosphere.

Outburst

Have group members take turns introducing themselves by saying their name, where they are from and singing aline from their favorite song.

The M & M Game

Pass a bag of M & M’s around the circle and ask everyone to take as many as they think they need. (Request that noone eats their M & M’s before receiving all of the instructions!) After the bag has made its way around the circle,ask each participant to share one thing about themselves for every M & M they have taken. This game can also be

done with toilet paper!

Partner Interviews

Ask participants to pair up with someone in the group that they do not know. This includes facilitators. The task is tointerview their partner and find out as many unique things about him or her as possible. Once the pairs are throughinterviewing, they come back to the group and introduce their partner with the knowledge they have gained. (Takingnotes is an option, but doesn’t make the game as much fun!)

Who Am I?

Give each group member an index card. Instruct them to write or draw answers to the following on the card:

Top left hand corner — describe yourself as a cookie;Top right hand corner — describe yourself as a tree;Bottom left hand corner — describe yourself as an animal;Bottom right hand corner — describe yourself as a feeling;Front center — describe yourself as a weather forecast;Back — describe your favorite memory.

Have group members pair up and share their cards, describing each of the items and why they chose them. Bring the

group back together when partners are done sharing and discuss what observations people made. Was their acommon twist among the group’s cards? (Ex. — Everyone’s favorite memory was of family.)

Communication

Ask group members to pair up and sit on the floor back to back. Instruct the group that this is a nonverbal activity.Give each person five different objects. The partners should have matching objects. For example, Lou gets 1 yellow



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block, 1 brown crayon, 1 purple sheet of paper, 1 paper clip and 1 blue ball. Lou’s partner Maria gets 1 of each of the exact same objects.

Partners need to decide who will design first. The designer should arrange all of the objects in a pattern in front of her/him. WITHOUT TALKING OR TURNING AROUND, the designer must communicate to the partner thedesign the objects have been placed in. The partner also cannot talk or turn around. When the pair feels that bothdesigns are exact duplicates they can each turn around. Give partners the opportunity to switch roles. Ask the grouphow they adapted to not being able to talk. What other methods did they use to communicate the shape, size, colorand position of the objects?

Free Choice Game

This game requires that individuals divide into groups of three. One person is the focus person, one is the monitorand the third is the helper. The focus person should select a choice in her/his life that she/he would like to discusswith a small group of good listeners. The helper’s job is to help the focus person make her/his own best choice. Thehelper will do this by asking questions. The helper may not make a statement unless he/she first asks permission of the focus person. Generally, the questions follow a five-step progression:

1. Understanding: They ask questions to gain enough information so they feel they have a good understanding of thefocus person’s choice dilemma.2. Clarifying: They ask thought-provoking questions to test out some of their own hypotheses and to help the focusperson think more deeply about his situation.3. Exploring alternatives: They inquire about alternatives the focus person sees open to him. With permission, theysuggest other alternatives the focus person might want to consider.4. Exploring consequences: They ask questions which cause the focus person to explore the consequences of thealternatives open to him.5. Exploring feelings and choosing: They ask questions which encourage the focus person to explore his feelingsabout the alternatives and their consequences, and to think about what choice he is leaning towards at that point.This format is not inflexible. Groups will naturally jump back and forth among the five stages of decision-making.The focus person is in control. He can end the game at any time. He can and should tell the others if he feelspressured by their questions — if, for example he feels they are trying to persuade him toward a given choice. The

monitor’s job is to encourage the group to follow the five-step process if he senses they are putting the cart beforethe horse. The monitor also steps in if he senses people are making statements disguised as questions, (e.g., “don’tyou feel it would be wiser to ...”). The role play can go on for about a half-hour to forty minutes.

I Can’t ... I Won’t

Have the participants make a list of “I can’t...” statements. Ask them to consider their school life, social life, homelife, etc., as possible areas from which to draw these statements. They should have at least 15 items on the list. Oncetheir list is complete, they should choose a partner. Both partners will take turns saying aloud their “I can’t...”statements, with appropriate feeling. Once all pairs are finished, ask them to go back and say their statements outloud with one correction. This time they will substitute the words “I won’t...” for “I can’t...”. Explain that this may

feel funny at first, but each person should try to use the same amount of feeling on the “I won’t...” statements. Bringthe group back together and discuss the difference between “can’t” and “won’t.” Are their “I can’t” statements reallystatements of something impossible, or are they statements of something possible that they simply refuse to do?Discuss the need for people to be aware of their power of refusal. “I can’t” implies being unable, crippled andcontrolled from the outside. “I won’t” affirms the responsibility for their actions. Often this reaffirmation of responsibility even leads to the transformation of an “I cant” to an “I will.” After you have used this exercise ingroup, make a habit of correcting people who say “I can’t.” Ask them to repeat whatever they have said with thewords “I won’t.”



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Rogerian Listening

This listening exercise is named after Carl Rogers, a pioneer in the counseling field. It can be done in groups of threeor more participants. One person serves as monitor, the others are discussants. The monitor helps the discussant finda subject of mutual interest, but on which the discussants have different views or feelings. The first discussant states

his position on the issue and a discussion follows. In typical discussion, we are so concerned with what we are goingto say next, or so involved with planning our responses, that we often tune out or miss the full meaning of what isbeing said. In this exercise, before any discussant offers his own point of view, he must summarize the essence of the previous speaker’s statement, so that the previous speaker honestly feels his statement has been understood. It isthe monitor’s role to see that this process takes place. Example:

Fred: ... and that’s why I’m in favor of a guaranteed, minimum annual income.Jerry: Okay, you’re saying you favor the guaranteed income because you think it will break the cycle of peoplestaying on welfare and because it will put more money in circulation and thus create more jobs. Is that right?Fred: You got it.Jerry: Okay, but I think just the opposite would happen. You’d have people knowing they’d get a decent wage if they didn’t work so ....Fran: But that’s ridiculous, why would ....Monitor: Hold it Fran. Jerry didn’t finish his point and you didn’t restate it before responding.

Fran: Sorry.Jerry: My point was, if somebody thinks he doesn’t have to work and will get paid anyway, why work?Fran: Well, I’ll tell you, he’ll work because ...Monitor: Wait. Jerry, are you satisfied that Fran understands your argument?Jerry: No.Monitor: Fran, do you want to try again, or do you want Jerry to repeat his point?

This exercise can last as long as the group seems interested and involved in their discussion. Every now and then,the facilitator asks the monitor to change roles with one of the discussants.

Circle the Circle

Ask the group (12-30) to form a hand-in-hand circle. Place two large hoops together between two people (resting ontheir grasped hands). See how quickly the participants in the circle can cause the hoops to travel around the circle(over the people) in opposite directions, through each other (i.e., hoop through hoop) and back to the originatingpoint. Use fairly large hoops for this activity — they are sold in different diameters.

It’s interesting to see what the group’s response is when you ask, “Who won?” after both hoops have circled thecircle. It takes some thought to realize that the entire group is working as a team. No losers. No winners.

Me Switch

First, we must master the game’s three signals: (1) hands angled above the eyebrows; (2) one hand pointed up andthe other sideways, touching the opposite elbow; (3) both hands crossed in front of the chest. One of us starts bysaying, “Me, switch!” At the word switch, we snap into one of the three signals. The object is for the caller to traphis opponent into making the same signal he did.

If there’s no match, we switch roles, and whoever was the non-caller immediately starts the next round with, “Me,switch!” We each snap into one of the signals again, and the call keeps alternating until there is a match. Threematches by one of us wins (if we’re playing for baseball cards).



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This game is best played ultra-fast, with each “Me, switch!” “Me, switch!” “Me, Switch!” coming right after theother. It quickly becomes such an eyeball-to-eyeball psych-out showdown that we may find ourselves playing coastto coast.

This is My Nose

How should we respond when someone approaches us, sticks his finger in his ear and says “This is my nose?”Chances are, he’s not attempting to transmit an obscure message, but merely extending an invitation to play this newgame.

One of us could quite properly respond to him by tugging her chin and saying “This is my chin,” and she might thepat her elbow and insist, “This is my head.”

Undoubtedly, some onlooker will wisecrack that these two are in bad shape if they can’t tell one end from the other.We should explain to him that the object of this ultimate text of hand-eye-mouth coordination is to say the body partthe other person has just pointed to, while pointing to another part. Then we should challenge him to a game and seehow long he can keep the chain going before his tongue gets twisted with his anatomy.

Burst the Balloon

What do we need? 30-40 balloons, pencil and paper for scorekeeper. The balloons are blown up and scattered on thefloor. Players stand in scatter formation. On GO, the object is to break as many balloons as possible, by sitting onthem! When a person breaks a balloon, he shouts “I Score!” and must put his hand in the air. The scorekeeper thenruns up to the person whose hand is in the air, and marks a point down on his tally sheet. The player then tries tobreak another balloon and earn more points. When all balloons are broken, scores are added up and a winner isdeclared.

Variations: Break the balloons by putting them between the knees and squeezing them until they break. Burstballoons by jumping on them with both feet. Burst balloons by squeezing them between two people.

How Do You Do?

We attended this game as party guests, standing in a circle and facing the center. One of us volunteers to be the host.He walks around the outside of the circle, behind our backs, and selects one player by tapping her on the shoulder.Now the formal pleasantries begin. The host shakes the hand of the selected guest, introducing himself andinquiring, ever so solicitously, “How do you do?” She tells him her name and responds to his inquiry in her mostgenteel manner: “Fine, thank you!” But the host proves to be exceedingly gracious (or perhaps just hard of hearing),for he asks again, “How do you do?” whereupon the guest replies, again, “Fine, thank you!” The overly gracioushost now asks for a third time, “How do you do?” all the while shaking the guest’s hand. When she answers for thethird time. “Fine, thank you!” all propriety is finally abandoned and the action begins. The host dashes around the

outside of the circle in the direction he was originally going, while the guest runs in the opposite direction. It is acontest to see who can get back to the starting place — home first. However, when their paths cross somewhere onthe other side of the circle, the host and the guest must stop, shake hands again, and go through the formalities threemore times: “How do you do?” “Fine, thank you!” “How do you do?” “Fine, thank you!” “How do you do?” “Fine,thank you!” Then they continue on around the circle. Whoever gets beaten in the race home gets to host the party forthe next round.

Can we add even more lift to this madcap affair? How about specifying different forms of locomotion for the triparound the circle — hopping, skipping, or sidestepping, perhaps. Or how about making the host and the guest get



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around the circle walking backward or with their eyes closed? Or we could exchange pleasantries and race aroundthe circle in pairs, just to add to the formal frenzy.

Person to Person

This game helps bring players closer together in some pretty unusual ways.

1. Each player selects a partner while one person remains free to be the Caller.2. The Caller names two body parts which the partners must then try to have touch each other. For example, “nose toknee” would have the two partners bent over with their noses touching each other’s knees. The contortions maybecome comically complicated.3. If the Caller says “person to person,” everyone must change partners and the Caller selects a partner also. Theperson left without a partner after the change becomes the new Caller. If some players are inclined to remain Callerfor too long, impose a time limit for each Caller.

Shoe Factory

We start by standing in a circle, and with the high ritual that this game deserves, we remove our shoes and placethem in a ceremonial pile in the center. Next, we all take three giant steps toward the pile, and everyone selects anunmatched pair of shoes, neither of which are his own.

Now we have two options. One is to close our eyes and try to identify the owners of the shows we’ve selected. (Thename of this game is actually Olfactory.) Most people, however, upon being given this option, choose the second,which requires each player to put on the shoes he has selected. If he has selected a sleek new High Techno brandrunning shoe, size 6A, and he is blessed with a 13EEE foot, he should just slip his toes in the shoe so he doesn’t turnit into a Low Trashmo. Once we’re all standing around wearing two strange shoes, the peak pedal experience begins.As we all chant, “Shoe! Shoe! Shoe!” we shuffle around and try to find the people who are wearing the mates to ourshoes. When we do find them, we keep the matching feet together so that all the shoes are in proper pairs. Thisprocess will probably result in a tangled living sculpture that’s a veritable orthopedic Gordian Knot, but ideally, we

should find ourselves in some semblance of a circle. “But where are my shoes?” We can answer that question with asingle elegant move. We simply slip out of our captive footwear, leaving two dozen neatly arranged pairs of shoeswaiting to be reclaimed by their rightful and grateful owners.

Smaug’s Jewels

One person chosen as Smaug stands guard over his jewels. (A handkerchief placed on the ground is a less glamorousbut eminently more practical substitute.) Everyone else forms a circle around him and tries to steal the treasurewithout being tagged. A good roar and some fancy footwork on the part of the dragon can be nearly as impressive asdeath breath and thunderbolt tails.

Smaug the Mighty can range as far from his jewels as he dares. If you get touched by him, you are instantly frozenin place until the end of the game. But don’t worry — it’s a rare dragon that reigns for more than thirty seconds.A popular strategy for treasure-snatching is to sneak up behind and reach between the dragon’s legs to grab the jewels. Or if you make believe you’re frozen, you might catch Smaug unaware. And then there’s always the masscharge where most get sacrificed but one gets the treasure. This at least gives everyone the opportunity to confront anew dragon, for the old one is replaced by the treasure-snatcher.

If by chance Smaug manages to get everyone before they get his jewels, he has the option to leave you all frozen,solid as bones, for the next 500 years. Dragons are not known for mercy.



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Zen Clap

We all sit in a circle, facing each other. One of us starts the action by placing either hand, with fingers extended, ontop of her head, saying “Yin”. Whoever goes next depends on which way the starter’s fingers are pointing. If sheused her left hand, her fingers would be pointing to the person in the direction to the right, and so that person would

go next. If she used her right hand, her fingers would point to the left, and so the person to the left of the starterwould continue the game. What does that next person do? She places either hand, with fingers extended, under herchin and says, “Yang.” And whichever way her fingers are pointing, left or right, indicates who in the circle goesnext. Now the third player has the best part of all. She performs a one-handed clap by pointing her fingertips towardanyone else in the circle while saying nothing at all. (That’s the sound of the well-known Zen clap, as far as weknow.) Whichever way her fingertips point indicates a new starter, who gets the whole process rolling again byplacing one hand on top of his head and saying, “Yin”. The game continues “Yin!” “Yang!” silent clap — at asrapid a pace as possible, until some distracted soul makes the wrong motion, says the wrong word, or goes out of turn.

For such a transgression, the daydreamer is banished from the circle of Zen masters. However, in true New Gamesstyle, he gets to remain in the game, as a satori heckler. In this role, he’s allowed to stand just outside the circle anddo or say anything (short of touching a player or blocking her vision) to try to make someone else miss. Whoevergoofs joins the ranks of hecklers, until there are just a few Zen masters trying to stay centered amidst the confusion.

When there are only three masters left, it’s time for a new round. But first ask them, “Who has won the game beforeit starts?”

Who Are We

Ask the students to sit in a circle with you. Start the discussion by asking the question: Who are we? How would youanswer that question if a Martian were to ask that of us, right now, as we sit here in our circle? This exercise hasbeen used very successfully with elementary school students. Some examples of what they have said are: We arehuman beings. We can think, talk and do stuff. We are people who can move and think but we can’t make magic.We are different from each other. They never once mentioned that they were “children” or “young people!” Highschool students and college students can handle this exercise profitably as well. After the group seems to have

exhausted the “Who are we?” question you may want to switch your focus to an individual (with his or herpermission, of course).

If I Could Be. . .

This exercise is another way of helping students clarify who they are, what they want to be, and what they want todo. Have the students work in pairs and talk about their written responses to such questions as, “If I could be anyanimal (bird, insect, flower, food, etc.), I’d be an _________ because . . . “ This done, have them form larger groupsto share their choices and reasons. Here are some ideas to start with:

If I could be any animal, I’d be a(n) _______________ because . . .

If I could be a bird, I’d be a(n) _____________ because . . .If I could be an insect, I’d be a(n) _______________ because . . .If I could be a flower, I’d be a(n) ______________ because . . .If I could be a tree, I’d be a(n) ________________ because . . .If I could be a piece of furniture, I’d be a(n) ______________ because . . .If I could be a musical instrument, I’d be a(n) __________________ because . . .If I could be a building, I’d be a(n) ___________________ because . . .If I could be a car, I’d be a(n) _____________________ because . . .If I could be a street, I’d be _____________________ because . . .If I could be a stage, I’d be ______________________ because . . .



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If I could be a foreign country, I’d be ______________ because . . .If I could be a game, I’d be _______________ because . . .If I could be a record, I’d be ___________________ because . . .If I could be a TV show, I’d be _________________because . . .If I could be a movie, I’d be ______________________________________ because . . .If I could be a food, I’d be __________________________because . . .If I could be a part of speech, I’d be ____________________ because . . .If I could be any color, I’d be ______________________ because . . .

Human Treasure Hunt #1: A Baker’s Dozen

The purpose of this activity is for you to catch up on what has been happening in the lives of those people youalready know and to get acquainted with people you don’t know. Fill out as many as you can of the items on thesheet which I hand to each of you. Speak to the people — please do not use prior knowledge that you have aboutsomeone. Put the appropriate name in the space provided. Try to fill in one item for each person you contact . . .

1 Find four people who wonder what they “want to be when they grow up.”2 Find three people who see themselves more as a “funnybone” than as a “backbone.”

3 Find five people who have ways of showing caring in their own families that you like.4 Find two people who feel that they have a good balance between their “work life” and “home life.” Find out howthey maintain their balance.5. Find someone who feels that “you can’t fight city hall.”6. Find three people who feel the same kind of stress on the job as you do.7. Find four people who are religious readers of the PEANUTS comic strip.8. Find three people who work at least 10 hours each day. Found out what they enjoy the most about their jobs.9. Find four people who have had a good laugh in the past week. What brought on the laughter?10. Find someone who has “bombed” once in working with a group. Sit him/her or your lap while listening to thestory.11. Find five people who have heart at least three “put-downs” today.12. Find three people who have gotten into a “yelling argument” with their child(ren)/parents at some point in thepast. Have them whisper in your ear what it was about.

13. Find two people who see themselves as creative. Discover the key to their creativity.

Human Treasure Hunt #2 A Baker’s Dozen

The purpose of this activity is for you to catch up on what has been happening in the lives of those people youalready know and to get acquainted with people you don’t know. Fill out as many as you can of the items on theitems on the sheet which I hand to each of you. Speak to the people — please do not use prior knowledge that youhave about someone. Put the appropriate name in the space provided. Try to fill in one item for each person youcontact . . .

1. Find someone who wears some item of clothing the same size as you do. Switch clothes with them.

2. Find someone who would like to have an uplifting experience this week. Give it to ‘em!3. Find someone who can sing three TV commercials. Lend ‘em an ear.4. Find someone whom you don’t know. Do something about that.5. Find someone who has a special place. Find out what makes it special.6. Find someone who has something for lunch that you would like a bit of. . . bite on!7. Find someone who needs a shot in the arm. Give it to ‘em (figuratively).8. Find someone who remembers a favorite game from age seven. Learn it!9. Find someone who can spit watermelon seeds as far as you can.10. Find someone who is presently wrestling with a values dilemma in his/her own life. Lend a listening ear.11. Find someone who tends to get carried away in groups. Carry ‘em away.



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12. Find someone who has the same size thumb as you do.13. Find someone who wouldn’t mind getting a back rub from a total stranger.

Group Juggling

This simplistic, by-the-numbers, macro-meter activity has been around for years because it’s easy to teach and fun toaccomplish. Ask your large group to break up into smaller groups of 5-7; meanwhile, have available enoughcomparatively soft, throwable objects (nerf balls, softies, beanbags, tennis balls) so that there are a few more thanone per person. Have the group stand in a circle facing one another and so that the circle’s diameter is no more than12-15 feet. One person in a group of six keeps the throwable objects nearby and lobs one of them to a person acrossthe circle. That person lobs the ball to a person opposite from him/her and this continues until a person-to-personsequence is set. Do no throw to the person next to you. Once everyone knows whom to throw to and receive from,the initiator starts the ball again, but this time includes another ball and eventually another until there are six ballsbeing kept aloft simultaneously. Try reversing the sequence; i.e., throwing to the person you formerly received from.Try keeping the objects going with only six people throwing — now that’s juggling!

Values Continuum

The continuum can be a real or an imaginary line right down the center of the classroom, with each side of the roomrepresenting a different extreme. The students place themselves on the line and negotiate with the people to theirright and left to ascertain the correctness of their position. Students who are at the two opposite ends might profitfrom discussing their differences.

• How far would you go to be popular with your group?• How much personal freedom do you have?• How much freedom do you want?• How do you feel about fighting?• How are you at decisions?• How do you feel about competition?

• How much do you want from the family?• How do you feel about school?• How much do you talk to other people?• What percentage of the time are you happy?• How do you feel about teacher and pupil appearance?

Making the Difference

What is values exploration all about? Making a difference. Making a difference in the quality of life . . . making ourlives more valuable. In order to do that, we need to move from “I understand” to “take a stand.” This activitysuggests a seemingly simple (to understand), but often-times very difficult (to do) way of taking a stand — writing a

letter to the editor.

Think about an issue of importance to you. Express your thoughts, feelings, values around this issue in a letter to theeditor — or your local newspaper, a camp newspaper, a school district newsletter, or magazine. You may want toturn the letter into a petition — it could be a values clarifying experience for the staff and participants in yourprogram to be presented with the option of signing their names to it.

You may want to encourage the staff and participants to come up with their own letters as well. As our nation movesinto its third century, we will need active, thinking and questioning citizens who have the courage to take a stand, toaddress important social values and who have the ability to make a difference.



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ChangeRead the following: “Ills exist in society. Victims press for change, or perhaps the advantaged persons feel guiltyand feels things should be changed. But change is difficult. Sometimes it means changing habits or giving up somepersonal advantage, or just hard work. Part of us doesn’t want to change. We may be content with merely expressingour concern, merely taking a picture of the problem, merely writing a report. But if someone is hungry, he willcontinue to be hungry. Social injustices do not go away just because we think about them.”

Questions for the group to discuss:1. What are your reactions to the above?2. Do you see yourself as doing something about some of the ills of society? What? When?3. Do you believe that “if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem?4. What could others do to support you if you were to try to change a habit? What habit would you like toexperiment with giving up? What habit would be hardest for you to give up?5. Write a dialogue (or role play it) between the part of you that wants change and the part of you that prefers not tochange.6. Do you see any injustices in your school or camp? If so, what might you do about them?

One And Only

Each of us is unique, but in what ways do we shot it? Here’s a chance for players to reveal what sets them apart fromeveryone else.

Directions:1. Give players file cards and pencils and ask them to write descriptions of themselves. The descriptions must pointout their unique qualities, experiences, or accomplishments — the things that make them unlike any other person inthe group. It’s better to describe personality than physical appearance. Players should not sign their names.2. Collect file cards and shuffle them. Players form a circle and sit on the floor. File cards are passed out. If a playerreceives his or her own card, players close their eyes and switch cards.3. One by one, players read the cards they are holding. After each reading, the group tries to guess who wrote it. Thegoal is to try to guess as quickly as possible the identity of the unique person.

Bill of Rights Revisited

Materials: a copy or copies of the Bill of Rights.

Use the Bill of Rights to clarify your values related to social issues: (a) first try ranking the ten amendments in theorder of their personal importance to you. You might also want to rank them according to which rights seem closestto being abridged today and which are most secure. With regards to your own program, which rights are mostimportant — this might suggest another ranking for you to do; (b) It might be intriguing to join with staff and/orparticipants to discuss or seek consensus on the Bill of Rights — what other “rights do you think are crucial topeople in our country? In the world? In your program?

A group of high school students suggested these rights:1. Right to a good education;2. Right to be responsible;3. Right to be able to distribute political literature;4. Right to voice opinions with no penalty;5. Right to evaluate staff;6. Right to express oneself emotionally;7. Right to freedom on learning;8. Right to be seen as human;



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9. Right to not be put in category;10. Right to dress as one wants;11. Right to have staff have confidence in us.

This particular activity can help you, staff, and participants in your program to establish a just community, basedupon a mutual understanding of one another’s rights and responsibilities. At the same time, this activity could serveas a microcosm for creating a just “world community” and for negotiating the attendant values issues.It might be interesting for you to take an inventory of the rights/rules/laws of nature. What parallels do you seebetween these and human rights/rules/laws? What “rights of the natural environment” do you want topreserve/protect in the rules of your program? Perhaps you could title your list an “Ecological Bill of Rights.”

Alternative Search

The teacher may start out by saying that for many people life is just a collection of accumulated habits. This shouldlead to discussion of life styles and of the importance of considering alternatives to the way we live. He thenpresents the students with a values issue or life problem — little or big — that may touch their lives. This is asample list.

1. Way to save time.2. Things to do on a weekend in this town.3. Ways to celebrate spring (autumn, winter, summer).4. Creative ways to give presents.5. Ways to earn (save) money.6. Where to go on a date.7. Things to do to improve race relations in our school.

The students are asked to individually brainstorm as many alternatives to the problem as they can think of in thetime allotted — generally from three to five minutes or a little longer, depending upon how long it takes the studentsto run dry.

The students are then formed into groups of three or four. Acting as a team, they are to develop a list of alternative

solutions by combining their individual lists and by adding any solution generated in the group setting.When the groups exhaust all the alternatives they can think of within the time allotted — about 10 minutes — theyare to choose the three alternatives they like the best and rank the order.

The groups are then to report their results to the class as a whole. Discussion to follow. The teacher may ask if anyof the students would consider using any of the new alternatives in their lives. They might agree to write Self Concepts at this point.

Action Research + Action Search

This strategy is designed to help you act on your good intentions. Start by Listing examples of injustices, oppression,

and/or violations of your or your program’s bill of rights.

1. Textbooks which exclude or distort minority contributions to America;2. Forbidding girls to play in summer baseball leagues;3. People who constantly litter.

Now it’s time to search for actions to speak to the problems which you research has uncovered. Taking one problemat a time, brainstorm what you can do to address it. What we suggest is that if you fly with the DOVE, then yourbrainstorming sessions will also soar:



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Defer Judgment — All ideas are acceptable, avoid killer statements like “that’s stupid,” take a positive focus onevery idea that comes up, hold off criticisms.

Offbeat — Try to generate as many weird, strange, different ideas as possible, off beat ideas can lead to humor andlaughter (ha, ha), which, in turn can spark creative ideas (aha).

Vast Number — the more ideas, the better chance you have of finding good ideas.

Expand — Try to build on the contributions of your peers, cooperation and energy, rather than competition, areencouraged.

Follow the DOVE guidelines, generate a list of possible solutions to the problem at hand. When you have your list,take a moment to analyze it by using the following coding: place a “T” next to those actions which you would feelcomfortable/effective in trying; place a “C” next to those actions which you would consider pursuing; and put an“N” beside those behaviors which you would prefer not to try at this point in time. In order to increase theprobability of success in carrying out your good intentions, you may find it helpful to commit yourself to writing acontract with yourself (and/or) with another person, who could support you as you seek to implement your contract).Example of contract might include: “I will write a letter to the local paper and to my representatives making themaware of the pollution caused by the local industries. I will write these letters by next Tuesday, signed Gail...I willsupport Gail by gently nudging her — I will do this by kidding with her whenever I see her, like asking her if she’s

written here “smelly” letters yet, signed Helen.”

Adjective Name Game Each person is to identify a positive adjective that begins with the first letter of that person’s first name. The activitybegins with the leader starting by introducing him or herself. The next person then identifies him or herself, as wellas reciting the leader’s name and adjective. This cycle is repeated until the last person in the group is introduced andtells the adjectives and names of everyone else in the group.

Lifeline

Have members draw a horizontal time line beginning with birth to currentage. Have each one then mark off years, and then have students writedown significant events that have effected their lives. Encourage studentsto share the significant parts of their lives with the others in the group.

My Favorite Place Have each member imagine their most favorite place or situation, with whom, where, when, time, what they wouldbe doing, smelling, hearing, tasting, saying, seeing, etc. Have them share with others.

I’m Going To Tahiti Each member begins by saying the phrase, “ Hi, my name is _________, and I’m going to Tahiti, and I’m takingwith me _____________________. The leader then tells them whether or not they can go to Tahiti or not.Individuals can only go if they take items that begin with the letter that their first name begins with.



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Ha, Ha, Ha

Group members lie on the floor with their head on another person’s stomach. Number one person begins by saying,laughing, uttering, etc. the word “Ha.” The second person says: two “Ha’s” : Ha, Ha,. The third person says three“Ha’s” and so on. When laughing breaks out, the group must start over.

Animal Friends

Provide each group member with a piece of paper and a writing utensil and ask them to write the name of the animalthey would like to be. Then have each participant tape the paper onto their chests with the writing facing them.Then have everyone act and sound out the animal they have written on their paper. Have student then seek out otheranimals who are like them. Upon approaching each other, turn signs, and if both are the same animal, the two thenpair up looking for others. If there are no exact animal matches, participants should be encouraged to join withothers who are similar. After groups are formed they move around as a group acting in the manner they would toanimal’s enemies.

Hand Dancing

Divide participants into pairs, with them standing approximately two feet apart. Have them position their handsupright, at shoulder height with their palms facing forward about one inch apart from the other person’s palms. Oneperson starts off as the hand dancer, the other is the mirror. Start the music and tell the hand dancers to move theirhands and bodies in rhythm to the music. After a minute, reverse roles. Switch tempo, genres, etc of music to addexcitement.

TRUST BUILDINGThe following activities are suggested for use as trust building activities. The trust activities are designated as lowand medium risk. Groups should not attempt medium risk activities before completing low risk activities. Please donot engage in any high risk trust activities that involve heights or other dangerous aspects.

Experiencing Culture

Pass out paper and crayons or markers. Ask each participant to draw on a sheet of paper something that symbolizestheir cultural background (keep in mind that culture includes characteristics like ethnicity, gender, environment, age,

etc.). When participants finish, ask each of them to share their pictures with the group. Process the activity bydiscussing what was learned about each individual and the group as a whole.

The Card Game

You and your co-facilitator will need to make up a set of cards prior to the group meeting. The cards should havethings listed on them from the following categories:



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• Issues of concern to youth today• Global issues of concern;• Feelings;• Situations that youth commonly get into

The cards should be passed around the group, with each member taking one card. Group members take turnsresponding to the situation, word or concept on their card. Following the cardholder’s response, other groupmembers may share their own view or opinion, but there should be no debate. Each person’s opinion will beaccepted, and no attempt to change someone’s opinion should be made. Remember, we can all learn from each otherwithout being forced to believe what someone else believes.

Freeze

This is an impromptu acting game where everyone is encouraged to take a positiverisk. The rules — no more than three people in a scene and the scene should be allowedto move for a reasonable amount of time before being frozen. Once frozen, one personreplaces an actor on the “stage.” (You can’t change all of the actors.) To “freeze” thescene, a member of the audience shouts “freeze” and raises his or her hand. The actors

on the “stage” must “freeze” in the exact position they were in at the moment of “freezing”, for their actual position may have caused the brainstorm of the “freezer”! The object of “freezing” is tocome in to the scene and create a totally different story, forcing the actors already on the stage to adapt and become“impromptu” actors! Guidelines can also be set on topics — for instance, no role-playing of drinking situations, nosexual behavior, no putdowns of other cultures. These guidelines will not ruin the game, but will make it safe andfun for everyone to play without risk of being hurt or offended.

Labeling

The purpose of this game is to allow people to step into someone else’s shoes and “see what they see, feel what theyfeel”. As a facilitator, be very careful not to stereotype individuals, or leave someone feeling badly at the end of the

activity. Make enough cards for each member in the group. Be sure you cannot see through the cards. On each cardwrite a different label that is often given to a group of people. Examples are: jock, clown, nerd, brain, leader, bully,brown noser, druggie. Each group member should receive a card, but should not look at what the card says. It is bestfor you as the facilitator to pass out the cards, being very careful not to reinforce already existing labels by assigninga role to someone who may be classified in that sub-group back home. The group should be sitting in a circle. Whenthey have received a card, they are to hold it up to their forehead, without looking at it. The group members will beable to read each other’s labels. The group is to pretend that they are from the same school, and someone has beencaught drinking on school grounds. They have been called in by the principal (you) to share their ideas and advisethe school about what action should be taken. The following rules apply:

• Group members are to treat each individual according to the label on his or her forehead.• They should not reveal what the labels are by direct or indirect comments.• They should not try to guess what label they are wearing.

As the principal, observe body language, facial expressions, interaction and the position people take in the circle.Use these observations as the basis of a discussion later. At the end of the role play, approach each person, askinghim or her the following: How are you feeling right now and why? How are others reacting to you? Do you think you would want to continue your conversation with this group? Why or why not? What do you think your card says?If anyone appears to be having a hard time, validate them. Announce that no one should be called by these labels just because they were wearing them. As a group, discuss what labels feel like, why we give them to people and howwe can avoid labeling.



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The Ties That Bind Us

Divide the group into pairs. Each person receives a 3-foot rope. One person ties the ends of the rope to each wrist.The second partner loops his or her cord through his/her partner’s cord and then ties the ends of the rope to his/herown wrists. The two partners are now connected.

The challenge, as I am sure you have figured out, is to untangle the cords withoutuntying them. Ask the group members who may have figured it out or think theyknow the solution to keep it to themselves.

The key is to reassure people that it is possible. Easy, no; possible, yes.

Processing Topics:• patience• creative thinking• perseverance• observation

Yurt Circle

The name of this game derives from that ingenious Mongolian nomads’ tent in which the roof pushes against thewalls in perfect equilibrium, keeping the structure standing. If we all work together, we can get our own yurtsupporting itself in no time.

We form a circle with an even number of players. All of us face the center, standing almost shoulder to shoulder andholding hands. We then go around the circle and one person says, “In”, the next says, “Out”, and so on. When we’refinished, each In should be standing between two Outs and vice versa.

Then we count to three, and the Ins lean toward the center of the circle while the Outs lean back. We all keep ourfeet stationary and support ourselves with our held hands. With a bit of practice, we can lean amazingly far forward

and backward without falling. Once our yurt is stable, we can try counting to three and having the Ins and Outsswitch roles while we continue holding hands. If we get really proficient, we can try switching back and forth inrhythm.

A yurt stays upright because each part is responsible for supporting the whole, with an interplay of forces inopposition and in harmony at the same time. What could be a better metaphor for New Games?

Happy Landing

Equipment: One blindfold, a chair.

Explain to the class that this a group activity designated to test their concentration and ability to give and takedirections. Tell them you will need two volunteers — one a rower and the other a dock worker. The rower will betrying to maneuver his boat through a rock-strewn channel and land at the dock. Explain that the rower is the lonesurvivor from a ship that exploded. He was blinded in the explosion but escaped in a small rowboat. The dock worker who saw the explosion is now trying to guide the blind rower to safety.

The other students are to be the rocks and channel sides. Some of them should stand in two lines along the channel(boundaries), while the others (rocks) may stand, kneel or sit at random in the channel area. When the rower dockssuccessfully, or bumps into a rock or channel boundary, both he and the dock worker lose their turn and must choose



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replacements. While the new rower is putting on his blindfold, the “rocks” should change positions in the channel.The game continues until everyone has had a turn at being rower or dock worker.

Procedure: Set up the boundaries for the channel — sides and length. Have the rower stand at one end wearing ablindfold and standing with his back to the dock worker who will be at the other end of the channel standing on achair. The other students should place themselves at random in the channel area to be the rocks and channel sides.Processing: How did it feel to be the rower blindfolded and walking backwards? Which commands were easiest tounderstand? Which were hardest? Did the rowers trust the dock workers? Did the “rocks” want the rowers to makeit? Which rowers went furthest? What accounts for this?

Secrets

Each member is given a piece of paper and asked to write a secret feeling, goal or though about or thought aboutthemselves which they are willing to share. Papers are folded and put in a bag or in a pile in the center of the table.Each member draws a slip of paper. One by one, each member reads aloud the secret he or she has drawn and givesfeelings and viewpoints about it, then opens it up for group discussion. The author of the “secret” may or may notidentify him/herself and share his/her feelings, but often this does occur.

Do Your Own Think

We sometimes call this ritual “status quo-tations.” That is because we place much value/status in using quotations asthought-provokers, feeling-provokers and action-provokers. You might like to set up a “quotes-wall” in the roomand encourage participants to create a quotes quilt relating to self-esteem.

You might choose to start your quilt by drawing from the quotes interwoven throughout this book. Or, the quotesthat follow may give you some kind food. Of course, we encourage you to do your own think — you think up yourown quotes and add them to the quilt:

To try and fail is at least to learn; to fail to try is to suffer the inestimable loss of what might have been (Chester

Barnard)

Just as we can throttle our imagination, we can likewise accelerate it. (Alex Osborn)

Behold the turtle — he only makes progress when he sticks his neck out. Failure is the line of least persistence.(Alfred Brandt)

The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your arm.

Luck is the residue of design. (Branch Rickey)

The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those whothink differently. (Nietzche)

We found each other and we are beautiful/and/you go your way/and/I go my way. You are not in this world to gomy way/and/I am not in this world to go your way. You do not stand still/and/I do not stand still/and/ If by chance orplan we meet again/Let Us Be Now! (Dick Krajeski)

People are like tea bags — they don’t know their own strength until they get into hot water.There are no strangers in the world — only friends you have yet to meet.

Wishing doesn’t make it happen, but it won’t happen if you don’t wish.



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Group Polarities

This exercise can be used at the beginning of a group or throughout a group’s time together. At times polarities willdevelop within your group, e.g., trust/mistrust.

Select two polarities within your group, and ask the individual members to physically place themselves along ahorizontal line that represents the two extremes, e.g.,

Trust MistrustI trust people very easily. I don’t trust people at all.

Some surprises may arise which should be checked out. Ask the group membersto place themselves along the horizontal line where they would like to be, andthen discuss their concerns and look at what changes would be needed. Thesechanges can be enacted in role plays.

Variation: Identify a polarity, e.g., Shy/Confident, and ask for a volunteer toplace others on the horizontal between the polarities.

The group members should then be encouraged to respond to where they havebeen placed. Statements can then be created, such as:

“Other people see me as..., but truthfully, I always feel...”“My parents always said I was..., but I always felt...”

The Protector

This exercise is a variation of Dodgeball designed to enhance cooperation and provide an experience of a dependentversus a protector. This should not be attempted until there is a base level of trust. The group forms a circle aroundtwo volunteers who start by standing in the center. Present a large foam ball, explain that the group working together

is to tag one of the two people in the center (who will be identified as “it”). They are to tag “it” by throwing the balland hitting “it” below the knees. The other center person will be “it’s” protector, and this person is to try to stop thegroup from hitting “it.” When “it” is tagged, he/she joins the group, or switches roles with the protector (dependingon whether he/she needs a rest). Give everyone, if possible, an opportunity to play both roles. Discussion questions:What was the difference between the two roles? What was similar between the two roles? Does anyone findhim/herself in these roles in their lives?

Defuzzing Wheel

Many value-loaded words are fuzzy concepts — they mean many things to different people. In order to becomeaware of and explicit about your own definitions, thoughts, feeling and associations around value-rich issues, we

invite you to use the defuzzing wheel ... “Ride on!” To start your ride, draw a circle with spokes coming out from it.Place the word or concept to be defuzzed (e.g., racism) in the center of the circle. Now freely associate to thisconcept by placing any thoughts, feelings, behaviors, individuals, conditions, etc. on the spoke leading out from thecircle. Please feel free to jot down anything that comes to your mind — individual words, phrases, completesentences, pictures. It is important for you not to censor or prejudge any of your ideas — these is no right answer tothis.

The defuzzing wheel is an incredibly flexible vehicle. For instance, you could use it to focus on such concepts as:sexism, competition, wise use of resources, drug abuse, citizenship, or good camp. It is an excellent way to open upareas for exploration.



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Prioritizing Of all the data now on your defuzzing wheel (your original wheel plus the added ideas from your partners), whatstands out the most for you? Which spoke of your wheel seems to get at the heart of the concept, which associationseems to cover the most ground? Place an asterisk next to that spoke, and note (either in your mind and/or on paper)what makes that association the most significant one for you.

Rope Grope

Location: Outdoors (rope between trees); indoors (rope between chairs).Equipment/Materials: 50' to 100' of 1/2" diameter rope; 1 blindfold per person.

Lay out a course with rope around trees, over limbs, through bushes and shrubs, over logs, through grass, etc. Mark each end of the rope with a different distinctive feature. Use something with a distinctive feel, smell, shape. Do notallow the participants to see the course. Have all of the participants put on blindfolds and get in a line. Everyonegrabs on the rope in front of them, leading them to an end of the rope. Tell them to find the other end of the rope byusing their hands to move along the rope. No one is allowed to talk. Tell them they should go to the other end of therope. When they have reached the other end of the rope, they are finished.

Variation: Start half of the group at one end and half of the group at the other end. Do not tell them you are doingthis.

Sherpa Walk

Ask the entire group (8, no more than 15) to tie on blindfolds.

The problem: Tell your blindfolded travelers that two participants will lead them blindfolded through the course.Lightly tap two members of the group on the head and tell them to come with you so that you can point out theroute. Explain to the remainder of the group that you will return within 5 minutes and that they should take this time

to arrange themselves in some way for sightless traveling.

Take your chosen leaders (blindfolds now off) and point out a pre-selected route through which you would like themto lead the group. Spend some time, prior to the group’s initial meeting, to establish a challenging and enjoyableroute. Include: bashing through some bushes, having to crawl under and over something, walking next to water(which you can splash threateningly), etc. Explain to the leaders (and eventually the group) that they are not allowedto say anything (language, inflections) that the group will understand, but can make whatever other sounds they like:whistles, clucking, clapping, etc. Guides are not allowed to touch any members of the group. So, obviously, a meansof communications must be established in a minimum amount of time. Give the leaders a couple of minutes todiscuss communication strategies while you walk back and explain the situation to the now highly organized (?)travelers.

Assure the group that you and one other proctor will be silently attending this walk to provide spotting in case of any

potentially risky moves. As you see the leaders approach, say “The next semi-human sounds you hear will comefrom your leaders.” Try to end up the walk in an area that allows the group to be physically close together.

Rabid Nugget Rescue

Use as a lead-up to Blindfold Soccer; helps develop trust and cooperation.

Partner throws a “rabid nugget” (tennis ball) as far as possible and then verbally (no physical contact) guides his/her



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blindfolded partner to the ball. Once retrieved, the ball is brought back and placed in a rabid nugget hospital (box).Task complete, switch roles. This exercise is particularly intense if a lot of trees or ground dips are part of the searchroute.

Emergency

Directions: Read each of the following problems to the group, and ask each student to come up with a solution.After a few minutes ask them to share their ideas in turn, giving anyone the right to pass. If the group is too large,then split into more manageable groups. It is often fun to ask the students if they would change any of their ideasafter they have heard what others have to say. The teacher should also participate.

Procedure:1. You have just been notified that the dam behind the town where you live has been badly damaged by lightning.The town must be evacuated. (Your family and pets are safe, but your family has no household insurance.) Whatwould you take?2. Your group has decided to complete a 30 mile hike in one day. It is now late at night and raining. You are hungry,cold, tired and almost there. Suddenly your best friend whispers, “I’m not going any further and I don’t care.” Yourfriend falls down and just lies there. Somehow the other kids sense it’s a fake and start cursing. You think they

might get violent in a minute. What would you do?3. In a long range test of human survival, you have volunteered to spend the next ten years of your life in an isolatedarctic outpost. For your efforts you will be well paid and become famous. All your needs for food, warm clothingand shelter will be met. You ill also have TV, radio and movies available. You may take with you a single crate of personal possessions not to exceed 100 pounds (animals and people excluded). What would you take?4. In an energy crisis, you have been instructed to eliminate the ten least useful appliances in your house (irons,dishwasher, clocks, TV’s, etc. are included). List in order of least usefulness the things your family would dowithout.

Prui

The Prui (pronounced proo-ee) is a gentle, friendly creature that grows. If you want to get people in touch andfeeling comfortable with each other, introduce them to the Prui.

Unlike the Blob, which everyone avoids, everybody wants to find and become a part of the Prui. To do this,everyone stands in a group, closes their eyes (or uses blindfolds) and begins milling about. When you bump intosomeone, shake his or her hand and ask, “Prui?” If the other person asks “Prui?” back, then you have not found thePrui. Move on to another person.

When everybody is bumping about, shaking hands, with strains of “Prui? Prui? Prui?” floating around the crowd, thereferee whispers to one of the players that he or she is the Prui. Since the Prui can see, this person opens their eyes.It seems that the Prui is also a smiling mute, for when someone bumps into him or her, shakes hands and asks thatgentle question, the Prui doesn’t respond. Ask one more time just to be sure. Eureka! You have found the Prui atlast! Now you can open your eyes and become a part of the Prui to by holding hands. When someone bumps into

you, if you have a free hand, shake their hand but do not respond. When someone bumps into two clasped hands,they know they have joined the Prui somewhere in the middle and must find their way to the end.

Money On A Book—Trust Walk

As with a normal trust walk pairing, one person is blindfolded while the other is expected to guide and lead theblindfolded student. The walk is made a little trickier by having the pair pick up a telephone book with a penny oneach quarter, and then move along a path chosen by the non-blindfolded student.



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Cookie Machine

Participants are first asked to remove all jewelry, watches, and other clothing accessories that could scratch or pokesomeone. Two lines are then formed, with members standing shoulder to shoulder. Elbows should be bent withforearms placed in front of body, with palms facing up. Forearms should be alternated, with one player’s arms

flanked by the arms of the players in front of him/her. The group then draws closer together, and each memberplaces one foot forward, and one backwards to maintain balance. The group member who is to be the cookieshould also have removed all clothing accessories (glasses, belts) and begins by announcing what type of cookie heor she wants to be, and then slides into the oven. The rest of the group, who serve as bakers, gleefully sing whatkind of cookie the person is, and then bounce the cookie along the conveyor belt. Two strong bakers should beplaced at the end of the oven to assist the cookie out of it. The cookie then becomes a baker, and one of the bakersbecome a cookie.

Rattler

The group forms a circle. Two individuals are selected and blindfolded. Each person is given a bottle filled withcoins, a baby rattle – something that makes noise. One person is designated as the hunter, the other as the pray. The

hunter and pray are taken to opposite ends of the circle and spun to disorient them. The two players are allowed tomove freely within the circle. The members forming the circle provide safety, and prevent the players from leavingthe circle. The hunter shakes his rattle in an attempt to locate the prey. For every rattle the hunter makes, the preymust respond. The hunter then attempts to locate the prey by following the sound. When the hunter locates the preyby tagging, the prey becomes a hunter, and the hunter selects a person from the circle to become a prey.

TEAM BUILDINGThe following activities are suggested for use as team building initiatives.

Blind Line Up

Before giving any instructions, ask each group member to put on a blindfold. (Old sheets or bandannas work well.)Once everyone has become “legally blind,” ask the participants, without talking, to line up chronologically bybirthdate — month, day and year. You may offer a little assistance by telling them which side of the room theyoungest person should be on and which side the “most experienced” person should be on. As observer, watch whotakes leadership in the activity. Pay attention to the different methods people use to communicate their month, dayand year to each other. Take time to discuss the activity afterwards, asking the participants what it felt like to be

blind, and what perceptions they had while working on the activity. Share your observations.

Monster

The group task is to create a monster, within the following guidelines:

• The monster must be made up of all the group members, and they must all be connected.



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• The monster must have five feet on the ground, no more, no less. It can have only five arms waving in the air liketentacles, no more, no less. (To figure out the number of feet and arms, divide the group in half and add one. (i.e..- agroup of ten, divided in half would be five. They get six legs and six arms.)• The monster must make three noises.• The monster must be able to move from one spot to another with arms waving, feet moving and noises sounding,without falling apart! (You may want to make tape marks on the floor. Make the distance challenging, but notunattainable!)

Some additional challenges — if certain individuals are taking charge and monopolizing the planning process, it ispossible for lightning to strike and take their voice away! Other individuals can be made blind (close their eyes orblindfold them).

Process this activity by discussing who took leadership, how the group solved the problem, and if anything couldhave been done differently.

The Farmer And The River

Break your group into smaller groups of four. In each group of four, the members must decide who will play the

following roles — farmer, chicken, fox and bag of grain. Once the roles are established, each group of four has tofigure out the following problem: The farmer has to get the fox, the chicken and the bag of grain across a wide, deepriver in a rowboat which will only hold two at a time. However, if he leaves the fox alone with the chicken, the foxwill feast, and likewise, the chicken would eat the grain if left behind unattended. There are no trick answers. For thesake of any facilitator who does not have the answer, the farmer must take the chicken over, come back for the fox,take the fox across and bring the chicken back, take the grain across to the fox, then come back again for thechicken!

All Aboard

Mark a one foot by one foot square on the floor with masking tape. This square has just become a spaceship. Your

group members are astronauts, and they must get into the spaceship before it blasts off. This means that the entiregroup must stand in the spaceship (the square), without any part of their bodies touching the ground outside of thespaceship for a count of 30. If anyone falls out during the count of 30, the group must start over. VERYIMPORTANT: In order to keep the activity safe, there should be no standing or sitting on people’s shoulders. Whenprocessing this activity, ask how people felt when they had to start over. How many times did they change the planand why? Who were the leaders? How did it feel to get frustrated, and how did people deal with that frustration?How does this activity relate to real life?

Poetry In Motion

The group works together to create a poem, with each member contributing one line. The group then sets the poem

to motion, creating a mini-skit!

The Human Knot

The group stands in a circle, facing in, shoulders touching. Each person puts in his or her right hand and takessomeone else’s right hand. The only restriction is you cannot hold the hand of the person standing next to you. Eachperson then puts in his or her left hand and takes someone else’s left hand. The only restrictions here are you cannottake the hand of the person standing next to you, and you cannot take the left hand of the person who’s right hand



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you are already holding. Without breaking hands, the group must untangle the knot of hands, arms and bodies byclimbing over, under and through, until they are left standing in a circle, two separate circles, or a figure eight.

The Electric Fence

Object: To transport a group over an “electrified” wire or fence using only themselves and a conductive beam.Rules: (1) If a participant touches the fence (rope), he is “dead” and must attempt the crossing again. Any persontouching the individual as he touches the wire must also return for another crossing. (2) If the conductive beam (asmall diameter log) touches the wire, all those in contact with that beam are “dead” and must attempt anothercrossing. (3) An “electric field” extends from the wire to the ground and cannot be penetrated. (4) The trees or othersupports which hold up the “wire” cannot be safely touched and so cannot be of assistance in the problem.

Caution: (1) Be careful not to let the more enthusiastic people literally throw other participants 7-8' in the air overthe rope, injury will result! (2) Do not let the last person perform a head first dive into the shoulder roll.

The Diminishing Lead Problem

Object: To move a group or series of groups (teams) across an open field as quickly as possible. The distance canvary with the estimated strength of the groups. The width of a football field is a very physical distance.Rules: (1) To cross the open area a person must be carried. (2) The carrier must return and be carried himself. (3)The only person allowed to walk (run) across the open area is the last person. (4) If the carried person touches theground while being transported, both members must return to the start. (5) The number of people being carried andcarrying can vary with the strength and/or imagination of the group; i.e., one-to-one is not the only way.

Variations: The object can be to move the entire group across the distance in as few trips as possible (this changesthe emphasis from speed to efficiently). To include more of a trust factor, require that everyone wears blindfolds.Have at least three people available as spotters.

Cross the Great Divide

Location: Indoor or Outdoor — any open space with a marked-of area. Participants form a line with sides of feettouching. Group has an area which everyone must get around or across without feet becoming detached. If their feetbecome detached, the group must begin again.

Airport

When large airliners land, they use radar and complicated instruments rather than relying only on the vision of thepilot. In this activity, players rely on senses other than sight.

Materials: Objects found in the room (chairs, books, boxes, shoes and so forth), a blindfold.

Directions:1. Divide the group into pairs. One person becomes the “pilot” while the other partner is the “air traffic controller.”One pair runs the course. The rest of the players become the runway by forming two lines about eight feet apart withthe lines facing each other.2. Obstacles, such as chairs, books, boxes, shoes and so on, are placed on the runway. Be careful not to use objectsthat will be harmful if stepped on or bumped into.3. The air traffic controller stands at one end of the runway. The pilot is blindfolded and stands at the opposite end.



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The controller verbally guides the pilot down the runway so that the pilot avoids obstacles and the people on eitherside.

The Great Escape

This exercise can bring about some lively conversation. It can be used as a tool in working toward improvisation,decision-making and creativity. The group is told they are trapped in a hut in the middle of a large forest, food ispretty much gone and to stay there would probably mean that they would perish.

To reach safety, they will need to overcome the following obstacles:1. Break out of thick walled hut.2. Climb over a 20 foot smooth barricade.3. Negotiate an intense barbed wire fence.4. Cross a treacherous, murky river.5. Travel through an entangled, deep tropical forest.6. Cross a malarial swamp.

The group is to decide on three things that would be useful to their escape. They will have nothing else at their

disposal. The group cannot use things like helicopters or magical devices like laser guns.

Bridge It

You will need the following props x 2; i.e., one set for each group: 4 styrofoam cups, 8 - 8" small diameter sticks (tobe gathered previously by the participants), 1 roll of masking tape, 1 small box of LEGO or Tinker Toys or the like,1 paper and pencil (or pen), 1 set of terminology. You will also need the following items to be used by both group: 2card tables, 1 sheet or blanket, 1 chair for each person, 2 rooms.

Set-up: Place all props for each group on separate tables. The terminology change papers should read something likethis: Side A, the word top means bottom, side means under and laugh means high; Side B, the word tape means

wide, sticking out your tongue means how many and crisscross means parallel.

Procedure: Explain to both groups that the tangible purpose of this exercise is for each separate group to build abridge toward the other group (sheet) so that the bridges meet and look as much alike as possible. Do not offer anyguidelines except to say that only the offered props may be used. Try fabricating a story about two countries that areseparated by a body of water but want to establish a trade and cultural relationship. The river is plagued by badweather and almost constant fog. The countries have a common language but the dialects differ considerably. Inorder to establish a necessary dialogue between groups, three five-minute meetings have been arranged (be verystrict on the timing) at a common meeting site (another room). As the members adjourn to the meeting room, remindthem that they must not look on the other side of the sheet, offer blindfolds if necessary. Only one member fromeach group may talk at each meeting, and these two individuals sit facing one another, separate from the otherpeople in the room. No comments from the group are allowed during this time (only laughter!). The timing of theplanning and building sessions should look like this: Separate groups are shown their building area and props and

are given seven minutes to talk over the problems of building the bridge (amongst themselves, not with the othergroup) and to begin construction if they choose to. First 5 min. meeting of the chosen group representative in aseparate room, a new representative should be chosen each time, 7 min. discussion and building time back at thesite. Second 5 min. representative meeting, 5 min. discussion and building time. Third (final) 5 min. representativemeeting. 10 min. race to get the work accomplished.



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Business

Your group (keep the numbers small: 4-5) is charged with construction of a freestanding tower of any shape or sizeusing only the provided building materials. The company you own won an invitation to build a small scale tower toprove that your architects and builders can do it for the least cost and the highest profit. Obviously other invited

contractors will be clawing to the same mercenary gains. There are two stages to this problem. These two stages arestructured to allow enough time to complete the problem in a class period (45-50 minutes).

Stage One (20 minutes). Plan your tower (architects) and practice building a prototype or two (builders). You maytake the blocks from the container and build as many practice towers as you like (lots of trial and error), but at theend of this stage all the blocks must be disengaged and place back in the box.

Stage Two (16 minutes). From the START, your group must construct a freestanding tower (erect enough to bemeasured by the judge). This building period is timed. After recording the final time, number of blocks, and theheight of the tower, the three BIG BUSINESS GRAPHS are used to determine your result: the profit.

Clarification and Real Life $ Hints.Allow 200 LEGO blocks (or a facsimile) per team. Include more small blocks than large ones.

Excuse Me, I am Looking For ...

This is an exercise in persuasion and compromise. Split your group into pairs and then send each half to oppositeends of your room. One-half is told that they work in a clothes shop, and their wages are based on a commission.When their partner comes into their shop to buy something, they find that they just don’t have it in stock. They areto then convince the customer to purchase something similar.

The other partner is informed that they want to purchase something very specific. They are to consider the reasonsthey want it, e.g., color, size, style, material. Give the pairs a set time for this role play. Encourage them to come to aconclusion one way or another. There can be a discussion afterward on other possible outcomes.

Tug of Friendship

A large group of people sit in a circle holding on to a thick rope that is inside the circle in front of their feet. Therope is tied together to make a large loop. If everyone pulls in harmony, the entire group should be able to come upto a standing position. Tug of Friendship can also be played by stretching the rope out straight and having people siton both sides of it, facing each other in two lines. If everyone pulls on the rope, equally, they can help each other up.It’s a great cooperative alternative to Tug of War.

The Shrinking Ship

This is a great activity for team building and decision making. You can use either a 6-8 foot rope, newspaper orsegmented hula hoop (4 segments). Instruct the group to stand inside of your circle or square; everyone’s feet mustbe inside of the perimeter for a predetermined time, e.g., 15 seconds. Make the first perimeter large enough toguarantee success. Once they have experienced success from the first round, ask the group if they would be willingto make the circle smaller. Have them decide on the actual size. If they succeed again, ask them to consider an evensmaller circle. Continue this as long as the group is willing.



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Dream-Building

When a man starts out to build a world,He starts first with himself. . .Then the mind starts seeking a way.

Then the hand seeks other hands to help. . .Thus the dream becomes not one man’s dream,But a community dream. . .Not my world alone,But your world and my world,Belonging to all the hands who build.

by Langston Hughes

Questions1. What is something which you have “started out to build” in your own life.2. What ways have you found to be effective in “inviting” other to share your dream?3. Are there any dreams which you now have that you would like the staff and/or participants of this program toshare in?4. Do you have any ideas about how to build a better sense of “community” in this program?

5. Martin Luther King had a dream which he did not live to see fulfilled What dream do you want to realize in yourlifetime?

Everybody Up

Using this initiative exercise is a useful way to introduce the concept of group cooperation. Ask two people of approximately the same size to sit on the ground (gym floor) facing one another so that the bottoms of their feet areopposed, knees are bent, and hands are tightly grasped. From this stylized sitting position, ask the duo to try and pullthemselves into an upright standing positions.

If the pair is successful (most are), ask them to seek another partner and try standing up with three people, then four,

etc., until the entire group eventually makes an attempt.

Criteria for a successful attempt are: (1) Hands grasped so that an electric current could pass through the group; (2)Foot contact with the same electrical set-up; (3) All derrieres off the ground at the same time. Something that beganas a simple cooperative stunt becomes an initiative problem that includes the entire group.An alternate or additional way to present this problem is to ask the participants to sit back-to-back and try to stand asa pair, a trio, etc. Do not allow interlocked arms for safety reasons (shoulder dislocation possibilities).

Lap Sit, Step, Touch, Clap

A group of players form a tight circle, standing shoulder to shoulder, and then everyone turns to their right (or left).

Each person holds the waist of the one directly in front of him, everyone takes one side step toward the center of thecircle to tighten it. The players then try to sit on the knees (not the thighs) of the player behind them, creating asitting circle. The real fun of the game starts after the sitting circle has been formed, by using a variety of collectiveactions suggested and attempted by the players: holding arms out to the side, clapping three times, touching theground outside the circle, taking three steps backwards. This last task usually leaves the entire group in a cheerfulheap on the floor. It is possible to get whole schools in a single circle, but the stepping challenge becomes muchmore difficult. Regardless of who wins, the players or gravity, it’s a wonderful way to bring a group together to enda session.



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Natures Towers

Form small groups of four to eight people. Each group goes outside and finds objects to use in building a tower. Thetowers can be judged for the highest, best looking, most sturdy and most ecologically sound. One person is selectedfrom each group to form a panel of judges. One observer is selected from each group to observe and report on how

their group completed the task. The only materials provided each group are a ball of string, a roll of masking tapeand some airplane glue. The task is to be completed in twenty minutes and each group is given an additional fiveminutes to plan. After the planning session, the rest of the task is to be completed without talking. After the twentyminutes of tower building is completed and judged, each group, builders, observers and judges can talk about theirfeelings and thoughts stemming from the activity.

Popsicle Push-Up

This cooperative activity can be used as a simple four-person stunt, or you can continue to add people ending upwith a useful large group initiative problem.

To set up the initial four-person attempt, ask for four volunteers, who can do at least one push-up. Ask one person to

lie face down on the ground, as if preparing to do a push-up. The second person lies face down, at right angles to thefirst person so that the tops of his/her feet are on top of the first person’s lower back. The third person repeats theprocedure, using the second person as their foot rest. The fourth person fits in this weave so as to connect everyonein a square configuration. All four should be face down with their instep on someone’s back. On a signal, everybodydoes a push-up. If done together, there will be four raised bodies, with only eight hands touching the ground; simplebut impressive.

If one of the participants has trouble getting up (foot pressure on their back might cause a problem), tell him/her thatyou will give a 1-2-3 Go count, and that the “permanently prone” individual should attempt a push-up on the countof two, offering the advantage of a head start. After your groups of four have had some fun with this quartet push-up(including a 360 degree rotation attempt while in the up position — doomed for failure, but worth a laugh or two),ask the group to continue to add people to one of the quad arrangements in an attempt to include the whole group (4to infinity) in a mass popsicle push-up. There is more than one solution.

Stork Stretch

Do a few back-of-the-leg warm-up activities and individual limberness exercises before trying this triad stretch.Split into groups of three, stand facing each other in a triangular configuration. One person raises his/her right legand places the right foot on the right though of the person to their right, as that person continues the identical actionto their right. Right!

So, it’s everyone’s right leg as parallel to the ground as possible, as the right leg is supported to the right handpartner’s thigh. The left legs (3 of them in most groups) support the trio. After achieving this unique balancedposition, all try to lean over and place their head on their right knee (or depending upon the triangular rapport, on

their partner’s knee). As you attempt this movement, a certain tightening of the hamstring will occur, accompaniedby various deep-throated guttural sounds. This “stretcher” is not designed for everyone’s body, but the cooperativeresults are worth an attempt.

River Crossing (Poison Peanut Butter River)

Your group is now going to attempt to cross a poison peanut butter river, it’s width to be determined by you, thefacilitator. There is only one way to cross this river without being poisoned — on magic floating folders (manila



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folders, that is, stapled shut so they can’t be spread out). To determine the number of folders you need, count thenumber of group members and divide in half. If you have any full grown people in your group you may want to addone or two folders. It is always better to start with too many than not enough! Now, beginning on the bank, thegroup must cross the poison peanut butter river on the folders, abiding by the following rules:

1. The group must all cross at the same time. The first persona may not get off on the far bank until the last person issafely on board.2. If a group member happens to dip a foot in the poison peanut butter the whole group must begin again on thebank. (You can make is a little more challenging by making the person who has been poisoned now cross on onefoot!)3. The group must keep all members safe at all times!4. No other props can be used.As facilitator, you can make the activity more challenging by sending a “paper shark” to eat one or even two of themanila folders, thereby forcing the group to make the crossing on the remaining folders. You can also blindfold onemember of the group.

A Bag Full Of Props

Give the group one bag of props consisting of 5-10 items (Example: cup, keys, food items, toys, tools, schoolsupplies) and assign them the task of creating a short skit using all the props provided. Be sure to stress thateveryone in the group must be part of the skit.

Group Art

Tell group members that you will all together draw a picture. Provide everyone with a sheet of paper, and have eachmember put their name on it. With their eyes closed, then have them turn the paper over and draw the outline of ahouse without windows or doors. Ask them to open their eyes and pass their paper to the person next to them.Following the same procedure as the group to draw windows, a door, a sun in the sky, a fence, flowers, and adog/cat in the yard.

House Of Cards

Provide the group with a package of index cards and a role of tape. Instruct them that they are to engineer and builda fortress capable of withstanding the harsh environment (wind, earthquakes, etc.) Provide the group with areasonable amount of time to create the house. Afterwards, blow on the house or shake the table, etc., to see if youcan “bring it down”

Pitch A Tent

Divide the group into subgroups of five. Give each group a pile of newspapers and a roll of masking tape. Instructthe group, including every member, to “pitch a tent” using the materials. The tent should be large enough to protectthe entire group. Allow the group 3-5 minutes of brainstorming before touching the materials. Allow the group 5-7minutes to construct the tent.



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Carrot Sticks

This activity can serve as a group teambuilder or as a relay event. The group gets into a circle (or straight line if relay) with one person having a carrot between his/her knees. The carrot is to be passed from one person’s knees tothe next, using only the knees, nothing else. If the carrot is dropped, the group must start all over. If the group is

successful, tear off a chunk of the carrot and begin again.

What’s Our Logo

Allow your group to select a group name and then ask the group to develop a logo that will portray who and whatthey are to the other event’s groups

What’s On A Penny

Divide the group into pairs and ask each pair to list all the distinguishable characteristics of a common penny

Word Formation

Provide students with a word (for example: help, care, love, trust, share, pal, ) and have them spell the word bystanding in a way that they letters are recognizable.

Story Acting

Pick a children’s picture/story book, and have the group select one person to read the story. As the story is being

read, the rest of the group must then act out the story.

Freeze

In this activity, impromptu theatre methods are used. A scene is created, and no more than three people act out thescene until another group member yells “FREEZE” and then enters the scene and replaces one of the actorscurrently in the scene. The new actor then alters the story and the scene by bringing a new twist to the situation.

N-Numbered Opera Singer/Storyteller

Inspired by the popular television show “Who’s Line Is It Anyway,” the group comprised of n-numbered individualseither tells a story or sings a song about a particular topic with each individual providing one word, followed by thenext person who provides the next word.



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ABC Scavenger Hunt

Members are asked to get out their wallets, purses, bookbags, and as a group try to find at least one item that beginswith each individual letter of the alphabet.

Silent Line-Ups

Ask group members to line up according to age, birthdate, height, last name, first name, middle name, ect. withoutspeaking.

Paper Chase

Provide a piece of paper to each group and ask them to brainstorm a list of uses of that piece of paper.

Zip, Zap, Zop

The group forms a circle, and everyone repeats the words, “Zip, Zap, Zop” three to four times. The game is startedwhen the leader acts as if there is a bolt of energy in his or her hands and with a forward motion sends the boltstraight at one of the other group members. While doing this the leader says, “Zip.” The member to whom the Zipis being sent, receives it with their whole body and sends it to another group member in the same fashion, but says“Zap,” that person passes it on with a “zop”/ The game then continues.

Number Tag

This game is like High Chair, Low Chair, except numbers are used instead of names. All members are placed in acircle, and then numbered off. The game begins by Number One stating the number of another player. This numbercan be any number, Number 1 wants with the exception of Number 2 and the Number of the last player, who is onthe other side of number one. If One calls Number 5, 5 can call any number within the circle except for 4 and 6 (if there are 6 or more players). One messes up by saying their own number, a number greater than the number of players playing, saying a number to either their left or right, taking too long to say a number, responding to thewrong number, etc., that person moves to the end of the line, and those behind him/her move up one position.Number 1 begins a new round by calling out the number. The game is made difficult because players are responsiblefor keeping track of their new number. The goal of the game is to become Number 1.

Marshmallows And Toothpicks

Pair individuals up and provide each individual in each pair with an identical number and type of toothpicks (color)and marshmallows (color and size). Have the pair sit back to back, and have one of the pair construct a model usingthe marshmallows and toothpicks. As the person constructs the model, that individual provides verbal instruction tohis or her partner. The partner then attempts to duplicate the model through the verbal instruction.



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Situp

Place two members back to back, arms locked together, knees bent. Pushing off of each other the two must rise.After this combine pairs to make a quad. Combine quads to make a group of eight.

CLOSUREThe following activities are suggested for use in closing a group. These activities should be used in the next to thelast group meeting to prepare participants for saying good-bye and in the last group meeting for wrapping things upand sharing ideas on how individuals and teams will make the transition from OS to home.

The Gift Box

Have a wrapped box ready with a slit in the middle. Ask the group to write anonymous gifts (positive comments,feedback) on a slip of paper for other group members. The name of the person receiving the gift should be writtenon the top or outside of the note. (Co-facilitators, be sure to each give a gist to every group member, to ensure that

no one is left without.) At the last group session, someone should read the gifts aloud.

Positive Bombardment

The group should be seated in a circle. Ask for a volunteer to turn their back to the group. Once this person issituated, group members will talk about the individual, sharing positive comments as if s/he were not in the room.The group may want to set a time limit for each person of two or three minutes, depending on the size of the group.This will give everyone equal opportunity and ensure that you end on time. Give each person the opportunity to bepositively bombarded!

Warm Fuzzies

Each person writes his or her name on the top of a sheet of paper or on a paper bag. Group members write a positivemessage to every person in the group on their sheets or on a slip of paper (to be dropped in the bag). These shouldnot be read until the participants leave OS.

Personal Action Plan

On a sheet of paper, each person writes a statement, in contract form, of what she/he plans to do with the knowledgeand experience gained at OS upon returning home. Each action plan should be dated, signed by the person writing it,

and signed by a witness. Group members can also write their names, addresses and phone numbers on the back of the contract, so they may check in with each other in one month or three months to see if the action plans/contractswere completed!

A Letter To Myself

Ask each group member to write a positive letter to him/herself. Provide each group member with an envelope, onwhich they should write their home address. One of the group facilitators then collects the sealed envelopes and tells



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the group that they will be mailed to them in one month. Only use this activity if you are sure you will remember tomail the letters!

Balloons, Balloons!

Give each group member a balloon and a slip of paper. They are to write a general, positive message which could bereceived by anyone in the group. (The messages should be written on small slips of paper.) Once written, eachmember should slip his or her message into the balloon, blow it up and tie it. The balloons are then put in the centerof the circle, and each group member picks a balloon (other than their own). When everyone has a balloon, s/heshould pop it and read the message inside!

Left-Handed Compliments

When it comes to saying “good-bye” to people with whom you are close (e.g., when camp ends for the summer,when the school year comes to a close, when a visit from friends or relatives is over), you may want to find a ritualthat brings closure and that brings you closer to the people. We have to hand it to you...our left hand, that is.

One light and lively way of saying good-bye is to extend to each other left-handed compliments. Unlike left-handedcompliments (which leave kookie monster crumbs all over you), left-handed compliments leave you feeling morecomplete. If you gotta go, you gotta go. It’s better to go feeling complete. So, extend yourself and your left hand . . .while you are shaking hands left-handed, share an appreciation/validation with the other person that will leavehim/her feeling more complete. Shaking left-handed may lead you to shake with laughter — sometimes it’s fun todo things differently — it can play an important part in adding lightness to departures.

Your Turn

We turn now to an activity that will help you to focus on your dreams and goals. Inevitably, up the road “a piece,”

you will encounter choice points and potential turning points. Learning from your past mistakes, and moreimportantly, from your past successes, may give you some clues about which way to turn.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler,Long I stood to where it bent in the undergrowth.Then took the other, as just as fairAnd having perhaps the better claimBecause it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for that thePassing there had worn them really about the same.And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black

Oh, I kept the first for another dayYet knowing how way leads on to wayI doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhereAges and ages hence;Two roads diverged in a woodAnd I took the one less traveled byAnd that made all the difference.by Robert Frost



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In a sense every moment of our lives is a potential turning point. Take some time to think about, write about, and/ordiscuss the following questions: (1) How many major turning points can you identify in your own life? (2) Whatmade them turning points — and what “trail makers” do they leave to help you identify future turning points? (3)Did you know that they were turning points at the time — or only in hindsight? (4) If you had to project, whatchoice points will you be facing in the future? (5) What from your previous experience will help you when youencounter them? (6) What might you begin to do now — or continue to do — to prepare for these future turningpoints?

The point around which this exercise turns is that you have control (and responsibility for) over what happens toyou.

Inverse Paranoid Projects

Here are some unique and enjoyable action projects that aim to create more inverse paranoids in the world — peoplewho think the world is out to do them no good, by creating some positive self-fulfilling prophecies, we can aidpeople in developing their own and others’ self-esteem. It might be helpful to have “teams” of people who carry outeach project. They could then get together afterwards and discuss their own and other people’s reactions andlearning from the project. Here s a taste of some positive seed planting activities you could undertake:

1. Verbally validate (appreciate) five or more people in your school, camp or program.2. Plan a meal for someone new (to your school, camp or program).3. Find in your wallet one symbol of a “success” you’ve had — and see what others find in their wallets.4. Clip out or draw a cartoon that you think will make someone laugh — and give it or send it to that person.5. Send a special greeting card to someone who might not expect one from you.6. Write a letter to the local newspaper (or school or camp paper).7. Do something nice for someone and keep it a secret.8. The next time someone brings up a new idea in a discussion try to say “yes, and ...” rather than “yes, but ...”9. Sing or play a recording of your favorite song to someone.10. On the turnpike, pay the toll for the car in back of you.11. Give an apple to a toll collector.12. In a classroom, build in a ritual for a “secret friend” or “secret Santa.”

13. Send someone an anonymous positive note.14. Say hello to ten strangers in one day.15. Help carry packages at the grocery store — for free.16. Throw a surprise “unbirthday” party for someone you know.17. Make one positive phone call per day.18. Say “thanks” five times each day.19. During a conversation with someone else, say “to be perfectly honest with you ...” — and complete the sentencewith something positive rather than negative.20. Bring a favorite possession and keep it around for the year.

Wiggle Handshake

Directions to the players: Now it’s time to say good-bye...to all our play family...and what better way to do it thanwith a ritual we’ll all remember: an unforgettable handshake! Now, for many people, parting really is sweet sorrow— it can be hard to say good-bye to people with whom you’ve been having fun. The WIGGLE HANDSHAKE is agreat way to take with you the memories of the good times we’ve had together. Can I have a volunteer todemonstrate the handshake with me? . . . OK, Susan come on up and we’ll show everyone how to focus on the sweetpart of parting.

The WIGGLE HANDSHAKE consists of three actions. First, we shake hands normally ... then, with our thumbsinterlocked, we rotate our four fingers over the other person’s thumb, grasp their hand, and shake again...finally,



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with our thumbs still interlocked, we move our hand until it is parallel to the ground with the fingers pointing to theother person — at this point, just wave good-bye to your partner, and move on to another person with whom you cando the WIGGLE HANDSHAKE. OK, let’s all do it!

Re-Entry Questions

At the closing of a program like OS, it is best to focus on where we are headed from here in a positive light. Here aresome useful re-entry questions.

What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you in the last week? Over the weekend? Yesterday? What isthe most exciting thing you did?

Suppose you have a magic box; it can be any size or shape. In it can be anything you want that would make youhappy. What is in your box that makes you extremely happy?

Share with the group an experience in which you made someone happy. In which someone made you happy.

If you could teach everybody in the world just one thing — an idea, a skill, a precept, a fact — what would it be?

What would you say has been the greatest learning experience of your life? Of the past week?What about this experience will you share with your family? Friends? School? Community?

Wonderful Shuffle

This is a game used by a group called Playfair to finish their cooperative play sessions on a positive note. It was thebrainchild of Pamela Kekich, who seems to have a very special talent for creation within cooperative modes. Thegoal behind the game is to legitimize and encourage the expression of appreciation for one another. We have beentaught to look for flaws and weaknesses and bad points and consequently we are experts at being negative.

However, most of us are not so adept at looking for and pointing out the good or expressing appreciation to others.

To play Wonderful Shuffle, players get into a big circle and put their arms around one another’s waist Each personfinds out the names of the people on both sides of him. The circle then starts to shuffle very slowly to the left andkeeps going until someone says, “Stop!” That person then shares something that made her feel good while playingthat day — something about how she played, interacted playfully, or appreciated how another person interacted withher. When the first person is finished with her brief sharing, she says “Go!” and the circle starts shuffling in theother direction until someone else calls Stop.” He then shares some positive feelings. This continues until the leadersenses that everyone who desires to say something has had an opportunity to do so. If there are ten seconds of silence after asking, “Stop — are we done yet?” everyone knows the game is done. All rush into the middle of thecircle and give themselves a gigantic ovation.

I Wonder Statements

Upon completion of a values activity or discussion, the teacher asks students to complete in writing sentencesbeginning with “I wonder,” such as:

I wonder if ...I wonder how come ...I wonder about ...I wonder why ...I wonder whether...I wonder when...



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Then the teacher goes round and round the room calling on students to share their I Wonder Statements with theclass. Any student may pass, of course.

The teacher should participate, too, and might even start it off with an example or two of his own. There is nodiscussion of the questions raised since the goal is to stimulate inquiry.

Dear Me Letter

It is important for the student to be able to integrate and find meaning in his experiences. A “Dear Me” letter at theend of an exercise or a class can serve this purpose. It can also serve as an effective means of ongoing evaluation forthe teacher.

Ask each student to individually take time to integrate his experience by writing a letter to himself. You can suggestquestions or statements to facilitate the writing, such as:

What was the high point of the session?What was the low point?

I learned that I ...I felt ...I re-learned ...What was unique about your response?What was typical of your behavior?How honest were you when you were sharing?What about your behavior did your like the most?What about your behavior did you like the least?I need ...I am concerned about ...I wonder ...This class would have been better if only ...If only I ...

I appreciated myself for ...

These letters can be written in the journals, or they can be handed in to the teacher. To do both, have the students usea piece of carbon paper. The original stays in the journal, the carbon is handed in to you. Students who wish to keepsome of their responses private might remove the carbon paper while recording these responses.

Reflections and Closure

This is an exercise to end a group session.

Have the entire group stand in a circle holding hands. All are to close their eyes, take a few deep breaths, and think

back to how they felt when they started group... then have them think of moments, experiences, feelings that theyliked and those they do not like, what things puzzled them and left them with questions; what points would they liketo take away from the group, and give further thought to. Have them identify at least one important thing to leavewith.

To bring them back into focus and connect with the group members in the present moment, have them look at eachperson in the circle.

Variation:Members open their eyes and verbalize one particular lesson, insight or feeling which they indicate is worth taking



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with them, e.g., “I am taking away the experience of opening up and taking risks with new people, which I have nothad much success with prior to this experience.”

I Learned Statements

The teacher prepares a chart with the following (or similar) sentence stems. The chart may be posted permanently inthe room or it may be posted just when it is to be used.

I learned that I ... I realized that I ...I re-learned that I ... I was surprised that I ...I noticed that I ... I was pleased that I ...I discovered that I ... I was displeased that I ...

Right after an activity or discussion, the teacher asks the students to think for a minute about what they have justlearned or re-learned about themselves or their values. Then they are to use any one of the sentence stems to sharewith the group one or more of their feelings. Students are not called on, but volunteer to speak whenever they feelcomfortable about it.

Sometimes it is helpful the first time around to have students write down a few I Learned Statements before sharingthem aloud.

Removing the Gauntlet

Do you remember the old game Running the Gauntlet? As first conceived it was a terrible game, consisting of adouble file of men facing one another, who beat or struck the helpless individual who was made to run betweenthem. Sometimes people crawled through your legs as you paddled them on the behind.

In this version of the game, the new objective is to make the person running the gauntlet feel good. Two lines aremade and one person walks or skips between them. She stops at will and looks someone in the eye. That person has

to say or do something to make her feel good: Say “I like you, “You look beautiful” “What I like about you is...,”“You did...well,” or simply give her a warm smile and gentle hug. She can stop anywhere or anytime she desires foran uplifting remark. By the time she exits the gauntlet, she should be feeling even better than when she went in.

MISCELLANEOUS

Money Madne$$ Supplies Needed: Whistle, play money and good sense of humor.

Use of game: Can be used as an icebreaker. You can change any of the items to make them fit better with yourgroup or where ever you might be using this game.

Directions: The moderator needs a whistle and follows the sequence on the paper. Each person gets $3000 to startthe game. Tell the participants that every time they hear the whistle they have to throw a $1000 in the air. If you getit back, great, if not, someone else gets it.

Special Note: Each participant gets one free exchange of money during the game. If they get down to only a $1000they may ask someone else for a $1000. If you get asked for a $1000 you must hand it over. But you only may dothis once during the game, so do it sparingly.



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1. Find someone of the same sex. Add up the letters of your first, middle, and last name. The competitor with thelongest name wins $1000 from the loser.2. Find someone with glasses on, or contacts. Say “AHH” together until one person runs out of breath. Whoever cansay “ahh” the longest wins $1000 from the loser.3. Find anyone you don’t know. Both of you start singing the National Anthem one word at a time alternatingbetween both of you. The first person to make a mistake gives $1000 to the other person.4. Find someone that looks like you. Play the game “Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish…” (You know the gameyou all played when you were young to decide who was it first.) The loser of the game has to give the winner $1000.5. Find someone who has the same color hair as you do. Both of you empty your front two pockets. Whoever has themost junk in them has to give the other person $1000.6. Find someone who is the same heights as you. They must switch money with you!

Saran Wrap Game

Supplies Needed: At least one roll of saran wrap per group (groups should be 5-10 people). Some sort of ball orobject the group can pick up.

Directions:1. Split up groups if need be. It really does not matter the size, but you don’t want it too small.2. Have each group get as close together as they can with their arms at their side.3. Then the facilitator binds each group with saran wrap remembering to cover from the shoulders down to theirarms. Don’t make them too tight, but make them snug.4. Make sure all of the groups are in line and then say “go” and have them move to the other side of the room andretrieve a ball or some object, telling them that the MIDDLE person needs to get the object, not saying that he or shehas to pick it up, but they must have it above their head when they come back.Options to this activity: You may have the groups sing songs as they travel to pick up their object. What also worksis having them pick up a bag at the other end and in that bag could be kazoos or something like that, that they mustplay on their way back. Be creative and use your imagination.Process: How well did the communication work in the group? How did you work together as a group in such tightquarters? Was is too fast or too slow? What did you do about that? If this were a planning committee you were onand it was going too fast or too slow what could you do?

Toxic Waste Dump

ObjectivesTo provide an opportunity for planning and experiencing teamwork, and a live forum for analyzing its prerequisites,processes, and consequences.

Discussion QuestionsWas your team successful? By what measures?What did your team do that helped it succeed?

What did your team members do that caused it to have difficulties?What did you learn from this exercise that you can apply on the job?

Materials2 coffee cans, enough popcorn kernels to fill one can about half way, 6-8 pieces of 7 ½ foot-long rope, and onebicycle tire tube.

BackgroundA can of highly toxic popcorn has contaminated a circle approximately 10 feet in diameter. The toxic area extendsto the ceiling. If the poisonous popcorn is not transferred to a safe container for decontamination, the toxic popcorn



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will contaminate and destroy the population of the entire city. The popcorn is estimated to have a safe life of exactly30 minutes before it explodes. Obviously, there is insufficient time to contact authorities and evacuate the city.Therefore, the lives of thousands of people are in your hands.

Inside the circle you will find two cans. One (unsafe) container is about half full of toxic popcorn. The other (safe)container is available for decontamination.

ObjectiveYou must find a way to safely transfer the toxic popcorn from the unsafe container to the safe container, using onlythe materials provided to you. For your group, this includes a piece of rope for each person, and a bicycle tire tube.

RulesNO participant may cross the plane of the circle with any part of the body. If this occurs, the person must be takento the hospital immediately (removed from play) and may not participate in any form from then on. The group isresponsible for the safety of all its members.NO Participant may sacrifice himself or herself to aid in the transfer of the popcorn.NO spills are allowed, or the popcorn will explode.Participants may only use the materials provided. However, they can be used in any way desired.The popcorn will not spread its toxicity to the safe can, the rope, the tube, or the instruction giver. The participantshave no protection inside the imaginary cylinder created by the 10-foot diameter rope.

The safe container may move anywhere in or outside the circle. The unsafe container must stay inside the circle,and not be moved more than one foot from its center.Remember, the popcorn must be transferred within 30 minutes, or there will be a tremendous disaster.

SONGS

Shark Attack Daddy shark, chomp, chomp… (Big arm movements)Lady swimming, da, da…(both arms swimming)Mama shark, chomp, chomp… (Arms at elbows moving)

Lady swimming, da, da… (One arm swimming, other behind back)Grandpa shark, chomp, chomp… (Movement from wrists, with fingers curled-no teeth)Lady swimming, da, da…(no arms swimming, but still make movement)Baby shark, chomp, chomp … (small movement at wrist to represent a baby)Lady swimming, da, da… (Put head inside shirt)Glug, glug, glug…

Froggy (Do alternating clapping and slapping tops of legs)One or two people say line initially with rest of group repeating. Increase speed

after finishing whole song.DogDog, CatDog, Cat, MouseDog, Cat Mouse, FROGGY!Ittsy, bitsy teeny-weeny little bitty froggy.Jump high catch a fly little bitty froggy.Fleas and flies are scrumptious and delicious.Oh how I love swimming with the fishes.Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit, croak, croak, croak.



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Singing in the Rain Refrain:

Just singing in the rain,Just singing in the rain,

What a glorious feeling,Teeter, totter, teeter, totter, teeter, ta, ta, whoo!Teeter, totter, teeter, totter, teeter, ta, ta, whoo!Verses:Thumbs up, Elbows back,Heels together, Knees together,Butt out, Chest out,Head back, Tongue out,(Sing versus either individually, or in pairs. Sing the song with the same actions, until the teeter… part.)

Making Rain This works well with a large group of people. Separate (or use someone as a guide across the span of the group) andslowly go through all of the actions, in order, and then reversing the actions. Everyone must be silent in order forthis to work effectively.Actions:SnapRub hands togetherPat legs with handsStomp feet

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Refrain:Peanut, Peanut Butter and JellyPeanut, Peanut Butter and JellyFirst you take the peanuts and you pick ‘emAnd you pick ‘em, and you pick ‘em, pick ‘em, pick ‘em.RefrainThen you take the peanuts and you mash ‘emAnd you mash ‘em and you mash ‘em, mash ‘em, mash ‘em.RefrainThen you take the peanuts and you spread ‘emAnd you spread ‘em and you spread ‘em, spread ‘em, spread ‘em.

RefrainFirst you take the grapes and you pick ‘emAnd you pick ‘em, and you pick ‘em, pick ‘em, pick ‘em.Refrain.Then you take the grapes and you stomp ‘emAnd you stomp ‘em and you stomp ‘em, stop ‘em, stop ‘em.Refrain



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The you take the grapes and you spread ‘em,And you spread ‘em, and you spread ‘em, spread ‘em, spread ‘em.RefrainThen you take the sandwich and you eat itAnd you eat it and you eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it.RefrainMmmm, that’s good!

I like to Eat Apples and Bananas I like to eat,I like to eat,I like to eat, eat apples and bananas.Repeat song using all of the vowels in the place of the “e” in eat, the “a” in apples andall of the “a”s in bananas.

How do you Feel? How do you feel?I feel good, uh. Oh I feel so good, uh-uh. (additional clapping is optional).

Lion Hunt

Going on a lion hunt.

Going to catch a big one.I’m not afraid.Look, what’s up ahead?_____!Can’t go over it.Can’t go under it.Can’t go around it.Gotta go through it. (Make appropriate sounds)Mud - sloshing sounds and move hands as though sloshingSticks - snap fingersTree - make gestures of climbing up and downGate - make gate opening gesturesSwamp - make swimming gestures

Cave - Go in it and find lion. Reverse all motions quickly to get home

Announcements

Announcements, announcements, announcementsA horrible way to die, a horrible way to die,



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A horrible way to start the day,A horrible way to die.Announcements, announcements, announcements,A terrible way to die, a terrible way to die,A terrible way to be talked to death,A terrible way to die.

(London Bridge)Make your announcements short and sweet,Short and sweet,Short and sweet,Make your announcements short and sweet,They’re so boring.Row, Row, Row your boat,Gently down the stream,Throw the announcement overboard and listen to them scream.

Words of Wisdom

Words of wisdom,Words of wisdom.Here they come,Here they come.Boring words of wisdom,Boring words of wisdom.Dumb, Dumb Dumb.Dumb, Dumb, Dumb.

What do you do with a Program Director?What do you do with a program director?What do you do with a program director?What do you do with a program director,

Early in the morning?Hit him/her in the face with a chocolate pie,Hit him/her in the face with a chocolate pie,Hit him/her in the face with a chocolate pie,Early in the morning.(Substitute other directors in position of program director if desired)

Have You Ever Seen A Windbag?Have you ever seen a windbag,A windbag, a windbag,Have you ever seen a windbag,Well, there’s one right now.Swings this way and that way,

Talks this way and that way,Have you ever seen a windbag,Well there’s one RIGHT NOW!



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Par, rump, rump, rump

Par rump, rump, rump, Par rump, rump, rump, gooli, gooli, goo, Par rump, rump, rump.Par rump, rump, rump, Par rump, rump, rump, gooli, gooli, goo, Par rump, rump, rump.A-way-o, a-way-o, gooli, gooli, goo, Par rump, rump rump.

A-way-o, a-way-o, gooli, gooli, goo, Par rump, rump, rump.(Repeat faster until it becomes a mess)Actions:Rump: pat both hands on the things of the person to your right.Goo(li): play flute in front of the person to your left.A-way-o: wave both hands good-bye.

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean My Bonnie lies over the ocean.My Bonnie lies over the sea.

My Bonnie lies over the ocean.Oh bring back my Bonnie to me.Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me, to meBring back, bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me.Action: As you sing each word beginning with the letter B, change from astanding to sitting position and vice versa. Everyone should be standing atthe end of the song. After mastering the movements, increase the pace of singing.

Boom Chicka Boom I said a boom chicka boom! (Group echoes)I said a boom chicka boom! (Group echoes)I said a boom chicka rocka chicka rocka chicka boom! (Group echoes)Oh yeah! (group echoes)Uh huh! (group echoes)This time ______! (group echoes)Variations: lower, higher, whisper, louder, sexy, groovy, etc.

Fast Food

A Pizza Hut, A Pizza HutKentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut.A Pizza Hut, A Pizza HutKentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza HutMcDonald’s, McDonald’sKentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza HutA Burger King A Burger KingShoney’s Big Boy and a Burger King



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A Burger King, A Burger KingShoney’s Big Boy and a Burger KingRed Lobster, Red LobsterShoney’s Big Boy and a Burger KingA Lean Cuisine A Lean CuisineUltra Slim Fast and a Lean CuisineA Lean Cuisine A Lean CuisineUltra Slim Fast and a Lean CuisineWeight Watchers Weight WatchersUltra Slim Fast and a Lean CuisineA Dairy Queen A Dairy QueenChuckie Cheese and a Dairy QueenA Dairy Queen A Dairy QueenRoy Rogers Roy RogersChuckie Cheese and a Dairy Queen

Actions:Pizza Hut - Spread out dough in front of youKentucky Fried Chicken - flap arms like a chickenMcDonald’s - Put hands on top of head and form the “Golden Arches”

Burger King - Put hands on head with fingers up to make a crownShoney’s Big Boy - Strut like a macho manRed Lobster - make lobster claws back and forthLean Cuisine - lean to one side and then the otherUltra Slim Fast - hold hands as though you have a can in your hands, shake up and downWeight Watchers - put hand on top of head as though searching horizon for shipDairy Queen - mimic milking cowChuckie Cheese - mimic throwing up a pizzaRoy Rogers - pretend to ride a horse

Little Bunny Foo Foo Little bunny foo foo, hopping through the forestScooping up the field mice and bopping them on the headAlong came the good fairy and she said “Little bunny foo foo, I don’t want to see you, scooping up the field miceand bopping them on the head. I’ll give you three chances and then I will turn you into a goon.”

So the next day….. (repeat two more chances)So the next day…. (repeat one more chance)So the next day…. ( repeat)

Down came the good fairy and she said, “I gave you three chances to change your ways and you didn’t obey, so nowI am turning you into a goon! Poof! You’re a goon” And the moral of the story is Hare today, goon tomorrow.



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Skips Got A Head Like A Ping Pong Ball

(tune Lone Ranger Theme – William Tell Overture)Skips got a head like a ping pong ballSkips got a head like a ping pong ballSkips got a head like a ping pong ball

Like a piiiiiiiiiiiing pong ball.Ping pong (seven times) ballPing pong (six times) ballPing, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, PONG

(Second verse is the same only say pong where you say ping in the first verse and visa versa) – You can also changethe name to another hairless member of your group.

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and ToesHead, shoulders, knees and toes,Knees and toes, knees and toes,Head, shoulders, knees and toes,Eyes, ears, nose.

Cool Cat

Hey you look like a real cool catWith a little bit of this and a little bit of thatSo get down, ch-ch-ch ch-ch-ch ch-ch-chGet up, ch-ch-ch ch-ch-ch ch-ch-chTo the left, ch-ch-ch ch-ch-ch ch-ch-chAnd the right, ch-ch-ch ch-ch-ch ch-ch-ch

Actions: Point finger at person to get them to join in, then when doing the , ch-ch-ch ch-ch-ch ch-ch-ch portion, usefingers and point in the appropriate direction.

Little Sally Walker Little Sally Walker walking down the streetShe didn’t know what to do so she stopped in front of meShe said, “Come on girl/dude do your thing, do your thing, rock on. Come on girl/dude do your thing, do your thing,now switch”

Action: have group stand in a circle, and one person in the middle is “Sally”. Person continues around circle untilthey are suppose to stop. Then they dance, when it says to switch, the two people switch places and group continuessong again.



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Recycle Shake your _____shake shake, shake shake your ______Shake your _____shake shake, shake shake your ______Shake your _____

shake shake, shake shake your ______Word (arms open wide)Chill (cross arms across chest, but keep loosely)Peace (put two fingers in the air, for peace sign)Love (Put both hands on top of head, arching arms to make a heart)Recycle(roll arms down towards the ground to make “recycle”)

Flee Fly Audience repeats after each phraseFeeFee FlyFee Fly FlowKum a lotta, Lum a lotta, Kum a lotta vee stayOh no not the vee stayHex a meeny hex a meeny oh walla walla meenyDes a meeny hex a meeny oh walla waBe billy oaten scoten bo bo de dootenBo bo be de dottenBo bo be de dottenShhhh.

The Pony Song Ride, ride, ride that pony.Ride, ride that big fat pony.This is what they told me.Back, to back, to back, now baby (alternate hands behind your back)Front, to front, to front, now baby (alternate hands in front of you)Side, to side, to side, now baby (to the sides)This is what they told me.

Noble Captain Kirk (Tune: The Grand Old Duke of York)The noble Captain Kirk, he had 500 menHe beamed them up to the Enterprize,And he beamed them down againAnd when they’re up, they’re upAnd when they’re down, they’re downAnd when they are only halfway up,



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They’re nowhere to be found.

Banana Dance Bananas unite (place arms over head)

Bananas split (open arms and place at sides)Peel banana, peel, peel banana (move to left)Peel banana, peel, peel banana (move to the right)Bananas to the left (circle arms to the left)Bananas to the right (circle arms to the right)Peel it down the middle and (uh) take a bite (grab and pull from out in front of you)Go bananas, go, go bananas (do a sort of dance in a small circle, look like a fool!)

Peanut Butter Peanut Butter, Reese’s CupStick with us, we’ll cheer you upBang, Bang choo-choo trainCome on _____ do your thing!I CAN’TWhy not?

I JUST CAN’TWhy not?

BECAUSE MY BACK IS ACHING.MY BELT’S TOO TIGHTAND MY BOOTIE’S SHAKING FROMT HE LEFT TO THE RIGHT!(all) To the left, to the rightto the left, right, left rightRepeat till everyone is included or till tired.

Bootie Rock (Stomp Clap, Stomp Stomp Clap)Hey _______Hey what?

Where you go?Snowball

What you do?I rock.

They’re gonna rock their bootie, bootie

Rock their bootieRock their bootie, bootieRock their bootieBootie, Bootie rock Bootie, Bootie rock Stomp!



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OS Monkeys We are the MonkeysWe’re the OS monkeys and we live in our hutsAnd if you don’t believe us then watch us shake our buttsSay BOOMSHAWALA WALA BOOM

SHABANG BANG BOOMSHAWALA WALAIt’s a Snowball thingSay BOOMSHAWALA WALA BOOMSHABANG BANG BOOMSHAWALA WALAIt’s a Snowball thing.

OS Spirit Song You know we make you smile,You know we make you sparkle too,You know we’ve got a style that’s all our own.We are Snowball-ers!

Get Down D-O-W-N, that’s the way to get DOWN. Repeat several times.

Bugaloo Let me see your __________What’s that you say?

I said let me see your _________What’s that you say?

(Do motion while saying phrase at this point)Ooo-ah, ah, ah, ooo, ah, ah, ahooo, ah, ah, ahooo, _________Let me see your:Bogaloo – create own dance variation; “Bogaloo Now”

John Travolta – dance in 70’s style; “real groovy”Pee Wee Herman – dance pee wee herman style (both hands in front, then in

back); “Pee Wee’s Playhouse”Flight Attendant - point fingers at emergency exits; “buckle up y’all”

Sprinkler Head - have arm out in front of you, make sprinkler movements “spraysound”Fried ChickenDead Cockroach - lie on back kicking legs up “Not the Terminex Man”Churn the butterFrankensteinAlligatorHot pants - pretend to be stepping on hot coals; “real hot y’all”



More New Games Book P.E.A.K. ActivitiesABRIS (Adventure Based Resource Index System)Tools for Transformation: A Community Empowerment Approach to Reclaiming Cultural Traditions, PreventionResource CenterFrom Peer Pressure to Peer Support, Johnston InstituteEric “Maverick” DavidsonMatt EricksonMeredith Smietanski

Games Songs (1)

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Transcript of Games Songs (1)