Activity
Resource
Center
At WeGotCha, we believe that adventure education is a powerful tool for personal growth and development. Our founders, who are experienced adventure educators themselves, created this resource to make high-quality adventure education supplies available to everyone. We also offer free resources for youth workers and educators to help them provide facilitative adventure therapy sessions using our equipment.
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Below you will find a collection of games and activities free for use.
Before launching into the first games that come to mind it may be really
helpful to consider a few things first. Below is a few key points to take into
account to get the most out of those unplanned moments.
Intentionality First consider the outcome. What you would like the students to come away having learnt or experienced. Fun is guaranteed – so lets be intentional about building on a strength with the group. Ask yourself what could this group do well to be built up in. Is it connection, belonging, teamwork (we succeed together), communication, trust, self-worth (you have value), perseverance or compassion (others matter).
Timeframe Are we filling 5 minutes or an hour. The first section belowis a bunch of energizer and mixer games that can be used to fill a gap or used as a warm up before leading into your main event!
Resources What equipment do you have available. There are so many games and activities you can introduce to a group that will teach, build and inspire without the need for exspensive resources.
Activity Ideas
mixer Activities
Magic Wall
5-10 minute game that is great for learning group members names. Divide students into two groups. Raise a tarp or blanket of some sort between the two groups (the point is that neither team can see each other). Each team sends one of its members up to the edge of the tarp or blanket. The people holding the tarp or blanket count to three and the tarp or blanket is dropped. This leaves two students starring at each other. Whichever can yell out the other’s name first ‘wins’. The ‘loser’ then joins the ‘winners’ team and the game begins again until all the students are on one side or when the game has served its purpose.
Asteroids
10-20 minute game. A hit favourite alternative to dodge ball. Distribute at least one tossable item to every person, eg fleeceball, foamball, sockballs (anything that won't leave a kid crying if thrown too hard). Gather your group close to one another with their arms stretched forward so that all of the tossable items are touching. When ready, call “GO” instructing everyone to throw their tossable items into the air. Each person then grabs one or more items to toss at others in an attempt to eliminate them. If a person is hit by an item below their waist, they are eliminated and must crouch outside the boundaries and throw the balls that are out of bounds back into the court. Play continues until one person remains standing. Play several rounds and/or try a variation. Variation: Ultimate Tag Version In this variation if a student is hit by an item they sit down, but are not eliminated. They are allowed to reenter the game if the person who hit them gets hit by a ball. This variation will go on forever. So it is good to consider a time limit. We often tie this game into an introduction to our Discoverer. "Sometimes if we over think things and get stuck in our head, we miss out on what is right in front of us. This game was all about doing and learning on the go." Check out the resources page to lern more about DNA-V and the Discoverer.
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Chuck the Chicken
10 minute game. A crazy high energy game to burn of energy. Split players into 2 equal teams. Both teams line up on opposite sides of play area. Don't make the play area too large or points will rack up fast. Set time or point goal to end the game. The first player on team 1 shouts "Chuck the Chicken!" and throws the chicken as far from team 2 as possible. Team 2 runs to the chicken. While team 2 is running after the chicken team 1 huddles up tight as can be. The player that chucked the chicken runs laps around the huddled team members. Each lap counts as 1 pt. Count laps out loud. The first player to reach to chicken picks it up, and the rest of the team members line up behind them. The team must now pass the chicken to the player in the back alternating over their head and then under their legs. When it reaches the last player they must yell "chuck the chicken" and throw it as far away from Team 1 as possible. Team 1 stops running laps and chases the chicken like team 2 previously did. Play continues like this for however long you want to play time wise or point wise, just make sure that both teams got equal turns. The team with the most points wins.
Name Bop
5-10 minute name game. Name bop is a fun and easy game to play. Go round the circle and have everyone share their name. From here have a facilitator stand in the middle with the foam noodle. Someone in the circle will then say their own name and someone else’s name. That person then needs to do the same, say their own name and then someone else’s name. This continues until the person in the middle manages to bop the person speaking. They then swap places and start the game again by saying their name and then someone else’s name. Continue this until the group seems confident (about 10mins) then ask if any students can name everyone.
Quick Math
5 minute mixer. Students meet in pairs with one hand behind their back. On the count of three, they each put forward some number of fingers. Whoever says the sum first wins. Then the pair breaks up and each person finds a new person to play with.
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Rubber Chicken Run
10-20 Minutes. Two teams race to grab the rubber chicken. Set up: Form two teams by lining up the kids in two lines. The students are numbered one to ten with the same number of students on the other side of the line with matching numbers. So the person opposite them will have the same number. Put a rubber chicken (or something silly) in the middle of the two lines. There needs to be a big gap between the lines of kids so that they have to run to get the chicken. Also, designate a line that they have to stand behind. Mark it with tape. The Game: The game is easy. The leader stands on the side so he can watch the two teams closely. When the leader is ready, he or she calls out a random number. The two kids with that number run and try to grab the chicken in the middle and take it back to their side without getting tagged by the other person. If they get tagged or the chicken is dropped they must return to their side, and no one gets a point. They only get a point if it is retrieved back to their side. They also cannot throw the chicken to their team members. They have to have it in hand when they cross the line. The Leader’s role: The leader must start out slowly until it is understood how to play. Once that happens, the leader can call out varying combinations of numbers. More than one number can be called or different numbers such as number 2 and 6 only. So the players with the numbers 2 and 6 can get it. (Or Left side 4 and right side 8.) So the kids on the leader’s left side number 4 and right side number 8 try and get it. Also calling the same number over again after just having been called is fun to see how they react. The leader can also call multiple numbers like “2, 5, and 10 GO!” This is a really fun one to watch and it grabs their attention once they start getting good at the game.
Pair Up
5-10 minute mixer where students mix and mingle to find their partner. As students arrive briefly welcome them and place a label on each student’s back. Have them sit down but they are not allowed to discuss labels until you say. Make sure all facilitators are actively involved by either welcoming students or placing labels. The aim of the game is to find your word partner. Students race around asking others to describe what is on their back (without saying the words on others backs). Once they have found their match the pair then sits down. Once they have done this they can chat with their partner until everyone is seated. Word pairs include: Salt/Pepper Sun/Moon Tree/Trunk Ice/Cream You get the idea.
Toe Touche`
5-10 Minute mixer where players dance as they attempt to tag others toes. This can be played in partners as a knock out tournament or as a game where everyones it. In pairs students will attempt to tag each other’s toe. The winner is the first student to tag their opponent with their own toe. For the tag to count it has to have happened on the ground and not in mid air. Be sure students are not stomping each other violently and give them a few warm up rounds before you begin the knock out stage.
Over Under Relay
10-20 minute game. A team relay challenge with a rubber chicken. Before You Start: Have players line up behind each other in groups of six to ten, spreading out one arm’s length distance apart. Demonstrate how to pass the ball over someone’s head then under someone’s legs. Give the person in front of the line a rubber chicken. Designate a start and finish line. Set Up: This game can be played with any ball or large object (but its more fun with a rubber chicken) and in a medium to large space with a start and finish line. How to Play The object of the game is for the group to pass back the ball either over their head or under their legs, alternating methods with each person (first person passes over their head, second person passes under their legs, third person over their head and so on). When the last person in line gets the ball, he or she runs/skips/jumps/etc. to the front of the line and starts passing the ball back again. Play until everyone reaches a finishing point (the line should have moved up with each new start) or until a specific number of turns. Variations: Have players shut their eyes while they are passing and receiving the ball. Play with a basketball where the players must take (or make!) a shot at a basket before returning to the front of the line. Add dribbling challenges such as left/right hand only or pivoting before passing the ball back. Play with a soccer ball and add similar challenges
Trust Building Activities
Stand Together
10 minute activity that builds trust & awareness as partners stand together. In partners kids need to try stand up while being back-to-back. Students start by sitting on the ground back to back. With their knees bent and feet panted on the ground. Without using their hands or arms students need to stand up by pushing back against their partner and moving together. This version they do not lock hands. Learning outcomes can explore ideas of trust and how much easier things are when we trust our partner. Other intersting points of conversation can be to explore empathy and awareness of others. This can be shown through matching a facilitator with a smaller student. Invite the students to push as hard as they can against the larger person. the larger person then will begin to stand while only pushing back against their partner enough to match the strength of the smaller person. For this to work well the bigger partner needs to practice awareness of others. And then respond in a manner that is helpful. This is a great lead into a conversation around empathy.
Reach for the Sky
30 Minutes. The group considers and executes a plan to reach a high goal. Set up – Hang a bag of lollies in a tree at a height too high for any individual to reach. Ideally this will be the height of two to two and a half students. 3-3.5 meters. The space below the bag needs to be clear of obstacles and have plenty of room for students to gather a build a human tower. Now invite the group to brainstorm how they could best reach the bag. (Depending on the group size it can work well to divide into two groups for planning and practice) Facilitate a discussion between them and invite them to execute their plan. It is important to ensure that safety and spotters are in place whatever approach they take. Discussion Points: •Describe what your experience was like? How did you feel? What was your role. •How might this exercise teach us something about supporting each other? Exploring concepts of E Tu Tangata - We Succeed Together or the different aspects of DNA-V. How was the Advisor, Discoverer, and Noticer at play in the group activity. Checko out the resource centre to read more on E Tu Tangata and DNA-V Rope is available for purchase through our online shop.
Partner Trust Fall
5-10 minutes. Students practice trusting thier partner by falling back into their arms. Ask the students to split into pairs. Tell them that the aim here is to build up trust by completing a few trust falls each. Students falling are to keep their bodies stiff with their feet planted. They will then fall back and are caught by their partner; who will be standing behind with their hands outstretched in front. Note: It is important to emphasise correct positioning. The catcher stands in a strong stance with one foot forward and one foot back. The faller remains straight like a pole. It can be helpful as instructors to give an example of what happen if you bend at the hips. The faller will end u slidiing down the hands of the catcher and crashing to the ground. Have the students start very close together initially but then progress to slightly greater gaps. The purpose of this is to build trust slowly and to make sure students do not go to far to soon. Ensure students take the exercise serious as they do not want to betray their partners trust by dropping them. Allow both students in each pair a turn. Discussion Ideas: This is a great activity to explore trust and the process of both building trust and lossing trust. Invite students to share their experience. And explore who managed to trust their partner more than they thought, and who lost trust in their partner and why.
Run the Gauntlet
30 Minutes. Willing members trust the group and run through wave of hands. Ask the students to stand in a line facing a partner with their arms out. Now ask for a volunteer to run through the line as fast as they feel comfortable while the rest of the group lift their hands out of the runners way just before they contact. Allow each team member that is willing to join in. This is a great game to explore concepts of trust and how one small error can damage trust and proove hard to rebuild. Another intersting conversation is to explore the difference between what we percieve and expect to what we experience. The activity at first sounds easy but as students participate and run the gauntlet they realise it is harder and scarier than they frist thought. The activity can also explore concepts within the DNA discoverer of Try is - Track it - Build it. Check out the resource center to learn more.
Circle of Trust
15-30 minutes. A group trust building activity that explores our support structure. Preperation. Tie a rope into a circle at a size that will give each participant about half a meter of rope to hold. Invite the group to evenly hold the rope with their palms facing up and invite them to lean backwards together. Discuss as the group is all leaning out how the world we live in is actually a fine balance of trust and support. We all need other people and no one stands alone. Invite everyone to lean back and begin to sit down. Explain that when we choose to tear someone down instead of supporting them it has a ripple effect for the negative. Now invite everyone to stand up at the same time. At a point where everyone is heavily reliant on the rope, the facilitator should let go. This is an example of how our actions can have ripple effects beyond those closest to us. As everyone gains composure after falling over, attempt to rebuild trust and ask if someone would like walk around the rope. Allow the first person to go round the circle walking on the rope and balancing by using peoples shoulders and heads for support. Ensure a facilitator follows on the inside to spot the student if they fall. Next ask for another volunteer however this time assign each person that is holding the rope a position of connection for the young person. I.e. family members, friends, pets, sports, school, class, interests etc. As the student begins to walk around explain how sometimes we may be supporting someone more than others, but we still need to be supported. The Facilitator may then describe an event that leads to different connections letting go of the rope. “Your cat just died, you transferred to a new school.” Keep going until the group is no longer able to manage. Sample Dialogue: As a classroom students spend up to 25 hours a week together. It is an important connection. If this space feels unsafe and is not a space you want to be in, how does that effect your other connections? How we choose to treat each other and the decisions we make can have a serious effect on others around us. Helpful resources to explore around using this activity would be E Tu Tangata - We Succeed Together, or Others Matter. Check out the resource center to read more on E Tu Tangata and a rope can be purchased from our resource centre that is strong enough to support this activitiy.
Group Trust Fall
Group trust building activity. Minimum of 11 students for this activity. Lay the Trust Fall Mat out on the ground and ask students to gather around three sides and pick up one handle or two handles (Depending on the number of spare handles). Students should stand with the mat held tight, elbows by their sides, hands facing up holding the handles and one leg forward for stability. Explain to students that they should be relaxed, with legs slightly bent. When the faller lands on the mat they should let their arms straighten first and allow for a small step forward. This way avoids the risk of whiplash. Students can then fall from a ladder, deck or stack of chairs from about 1-2 meter off the ground. For the student falling ensure they have their arms crossed over their shoulders and that they fall rigid similar to the partner trust fall. It is good to start with a facilitator first. In most cases this will cause fear and anxiety in regard to dropping the facilitator. If set up right and students are focused, no one will be dropped in the activity. Debrief Explain to the students the process of doing activities and learning from them. A great way to start is to use image cards and ask students to choose an image that describe how they felt about catching the facilitator before they fell (or simply ask them to describe how they felt). There will be a number who all agree they were scared, worried or anxious. This is a chance to briefly explore the physical feelings. Knotted stomach, racing heart, sweaty. Following this ask them to select a card (or share a word) after they caught the facilitator. Words such as relief, happiness and excitement will be shared. This is a teachable moment to explain how what we feel and think before doing something is not always helpful and not always true. Compare it to the feelings in the morning before school or before a speech before and after. In most cases students will relate to the change between how we feel when we think about an activity compared to how we feel when doing an activity. Our Trust Fall Mat is availabliethrough our online shop
Problem Solving Activities
Stepping Stones
20 minutes. A game where students are given stepping mats and are expected to get from a start point across to an end point. You will require 1 or 2 fewer mats than the group you will be working with. Place arkers can be used as stepping stones and can be purchased through our online shop. They are only allowed to step on the mats and cannot touch the ground. If they do they have to start again. this can be made more interesting by having them finish on a playground platform. Once across the area, all students have to get onto the platform before they can be rescued.
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Spider Wed
20-30 Minutes. Work as a team to get everyone through the spider web. Set up Find two trees or poles roughly three meters apart. Take the ropes from the toxic waste game and a line of rope at head height and one at ground level. Then use the other ropes to make a rope web. Scenario: Who has seen “The Lord of the Ring” movies? Does anyone remember seeing a scene with a really big spider? Well in this game you find ourselves trying to escape from a similar spider. As a group, you went to explore a cave and got a little lost. When you found the exit, there was a large spider web wall preventing your freedom. Your challenge is to get through the wall without touching the web. If you do touch the web you all have to jump back through the web to the safety of the cave as the spider is too big to fit inside. Oh and one more thing each hole you sneak through cannot be used twice as the spider will notice a second person. If you see students touch the ropes they will need to start again and make sure they each go through a different hole. The idea is that they will need to help each other get through the web without touching it. Rope can be purchased from our online shop or you can use string or twine
Mine Maze
15-30 Minutes. Blindfolded partner is guided through a minefield by voice. This game is designed to experience verbal communication without being able to see. It is an exercise of trust as well as active listening. Set up the minefield by placing sixteen or so cones in a designated area and rope down as ‘electric wire. Students will be put into pairs with one partner being blindfolded. They then take turns at guiding each other through the minefield to the finish point. They can say whatever they want to help their partner, but they are not allowed to touch them or stand in the ‘minefield’. If a student steps on a mine or electric wire, they must start again. The added challenge is that the group is all doing this at once. So students need to learn to identify and listen to the one voice that is leading them in the right path. Variation: Once everyone has had a turn ask for a volunteer to have a turn on their own. Ask them to wait outside. Now choose one person to be a healthy advisor while the rest or a select group are the negative advisors. The negative advisors are trying to make the participate fail. This is a lesson about choosing which voices we listen to. This game can be linked back to the ideas of DNA-V. The game creates an example of our advisor and creates opportunity to explore the different voices we listen to. Reflection Cards: Ask students to grab a card that describes how they found communicating without being able to see or touch their partner. Have a couple volunteers share why they felt that way. “Sometimes we will find ourselves in a situation where we cannot see the person talking to us, can anyone think of such a situation” (e.g. receiving advice over the phone)
Group Juggle
15-30 Minutes. Explores how to pass 3 balls around the circle simultaneously. Split into two groups of 10-20 people 1.Form a circle, facing in. 2.Starting with one tossable item, pass it to one person on the other side of the circle. 3.Ask this person to pass the item to another person, and so on, until every person has received and passed the item once. 4.To reinforce this exact sequence, repeat it several times. 5.Challenge your group to repeat this sequence without the item touching the ground. 6.When ready, introduce two more tossable items. 7.Challenge your group to see how many items they can add to the exact sequence without any item touching the ground. 8.Allow ample time for problem-solving, discussion and trial and error. Group discussion ideas include: Explore the role that failure plays in our life. Sometimes failure is a good thing. Aomething we learn and grow from. Another conversation could be exploring the importance of focus and 'staying in our lane' when considering our roles in a team or job.
Flip the Tarp
10-15 minutes. Work out how to flip a tarp that the group is standing on. Hand students a tarpaulin that is about 1.5mx1.5m. It needs to be large enough so that the students cover three quarters of the tarp. Have them all stand on the tarp. Tell them that their goal is to flip the tarp over so they are standing on the underside of it. They are not allowed to stand off the tarp. Give them a time limit of ten minutes. This is a tough warm-up game, ensure that you encourage the students and help them with subtle advice if necessary. Discussion tips. Explore conversation at the end around the group dynamics, the roles people played, and how they could work together differently with up and coming tasks. This can act as a great lead in to explore ideas of E Tu Tanagata such as what makes a team succeed together. Visit the E Tu Tangata website for great resources.
Human Knot
15-20 Minutes. Group must work together to untangle themselves. The Human Knot is one of the most popular team building activities. This challenge involves team members forming a circle, grabbing random teammates’ hands, and untangling themselves without breaking their hold. No matter how many times you perform the challenge, the task is equally tricky. The Human Knot is a team activity that requires group members to form a circle, grab two opposite participants’ hands, and then untangle the resulting jumble without ever loosening the grip. Split groups into teams of five to twelve members. With four or less participants, the knot solves too quickly. Add more than twelve teammates, and the knot grows complex and unwieldy. Experts recommend eight to ten participants as the sweet spot. 2. Each team forms a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder. Participants should stand close enough so that all members can reach the center of the circle. 3. You put your left hand in… Players extend their left hands towards the middle of the circle. Once hands reach the middle, a player will grab the hand of a team member across the circle. The teammate must not grab the hand of an immediate neighbor, but rather a participant opposite the circle. If this is not possible, some teammates may need to drop initial partners to reconfigure. 4. You put your right hand in… Players reach right hands across the circle and grab a different participant’s hand. In order for the game to work, players must pick a new partner. 5. Now, time to untangle Teammates must try to untangle the jumble without releasing hands. To do so, participants may duck, twist and turn, squeeze through gaps in legs and elbows, step and jump. This game requires a lot of communication and strategy. The exercise concludes once no hands remain in the middle of the circle and participants form one large ring. Some benefits of playing the Human Knot are better communication skills, heightened problem-solving abilities, and increased group familiarity. The game puts teammates into close proximity and initiates conversation. Group decisions become imperative. If teams do not act in unison during this activity, the game will result in an unsolved tangle and a bunch of sore arms. No player can squirm across the circle solo. Participants must discuss the best move, agree on a route, try the action, and adjust or regroup as necessary. This lesson is a great reminder that team success depends on the ideas and contributions of all team members. The shared sense of purpose helps groups learn teamwork. The activity serves as a great icebreaker since moving in close proximity cuts out smalltalk and helps teams talk about subjects with substance, particularly, “how are we going to unravel this mess of hands?" Group discussion can follow and explore ideas around communication, what made us succeed together,
Fail Forward Maze
15-30 minutes: Navigate a invisible maze as a group to succeed together. Set up a 10 by 4 grid using flat cones. Draw a grid on a peice of paper and mark 10 steps that the students must follow to reach the other side. Now ask the students to line up around the grid. The students will take turns at completing the maze without speaking. If a student steps on the wrong square they go to the back of the line. At times ask students to be aware of what their advisor is saying before and after they step. Ask them physically what they may be feeling. Invite students on the outside to be observers, allowing themselves to be aware of where the steps are going but also to be aware of how they are feeling as their turn approaches. Discussion: -How did we all make it to the end? -Was failure helpful? -What things might the advisor say before you took a step? -How did you use your noticer?
Team Drawing
10-20 Minutes. Teams communicate to draw an unseen image. Create teams of three and invite the team to select a viewer, a communicator and a drawer. The viewer is the only team member allowed to see the picture. This persons job is to explain to the communicator how to draw the exact image. The communicator is the in ‘betweener’ who can tell the drawer what to do, or ask questions on behalf of the drawer but is not allowed to touch the pen. In another room is a very simply drawing. The team has 10 minutes to draw the most acurate copy of the image. This is a great activity to explore group dynamics and the importance of all workig together to succeed together.
Block Builder
10-20 Minutes. Teams communicate to build an unseen block formation. Create teams of three and invite the team to select a viewer, a communicator and a builder. The viewer is the only team member allowed to see the block structure. This persons job is to explain to the communicator how to arrange the blocks to build the exact structure. The communicator is the in ‘betweener’ who can tell the builder what to do, or ask questions on behalf of the builder but is not allowed to touch the blocks. In another room is a very simply block structure. The teams have unlimited time the build the exact same structure. This is a great activity to explore communication and group dynamics and the importance of all workig together to succeed together.