Do As I Say

1. Assemble your group into teams of approx 10 to 15 people, standing in a circle.
2. One person starts by announcing that they like to do a particular set of actions, while actually performing a different set of actions, eg say “I LIKE TO JUMP UP & DOWN” but instead flaps their arms in circles.
3. After several seconds have elapsed, the next person will perform the action announced by the first person, while saying that they like to do a different action, eg “I LIKE TO RIDE HORSES.”
4. This process of performing the action of what the person before them announced continues around the circle one by one.
5. Challenge your group to repeat this process, working around the circle as quickly and as accurately as possible without making a mistake.
6. When someone makes a mistake, you may choose to eliminate that person until one person (the winner) remains, or simply start over.

Here’s another classic ‘follow me’ exercise that I invariably mess up. I guess that’s why it’s so much fun.

To begin, you have at least two options. You could assemble your large group into one big circle, or separate your group into smaller teams of, say, 10 to 15 people. I prefer the latter because the former tends to lack intimacy, but either way – demonstrate what needs to happen before splitting into smaller groups.

Start by inviting a couple of volunteers to join you in a straight line facing your group. Then, announce “I LIKE TO JUMP UP AND DOWN,” but, you are, in fact doing something quite different, perhaps waving your arms in big circles beside your body.

In other words, you are actually DO-ing something completely different to what you are SAY-ing you like to do.

After several seconds have elapsed, invite the person standing next to you to actually do what you said you like doing, but announce that they like something else.

For example, this second person will jump up and down (to do what I said,) but will say that they like something else, such as “I LIKE TO RIDE HORSES.” The next person in line makes like riding a horse, and so on…

In essence, each person DOES what they heard the person before them say, while saying that they like to do something completely different. It helps to remind each person to begin by saying “I LIKE TO…..” while physically doing something else.

The aim of the game is to challenge your group to repeat this process working their way all around the circle without making a mistake.

Accuracy is the key, but for your high performance groups, I suggest that pace and choosing unique actions are also key success factors. So, if someone should pause to think too long, or repeat an action someone has already performed, the game stops. Ohhhh, the squeals of laughter…

You could choose to eliminate those who make a mistake until you are left with an eventual ‘winner,’ or simply start over every time someone makes a mistake.

Whether a high performance group or not, encourage your group to work their way around the circle as fast and as accurately as possible. Listen carefully to ensure that all actions are unique, and have not been announced or performed earlier in the game.

Expect lots of mistakes, that’s what makes this game so much fun. I have never seen a group of more than ten people go all the way around a circle (at a fair pace) and not make a mistake. Indeed, I’m sure if this ever happened, it would not be half as much fun.

Given that there will be a lot of mistakes, consider your sequence to ensure that your group is mentally and emotionally equipped to see a lot of programmed ‘failure.’ If you suspect that your group will more likely laugh at the person who makes a mistake, rather than with, I would strongly recommend not presenting this exercise.

If it helps you, the name of the game ‘Do As I Say ‘directs your focus to be as successful as possible – on what people say, and not what they are doing.

You could integrate Do As I Say as part of a well-designed SEL program to promote and maintain healthy and supportive relationships in your group.

Specifically, this activity offers opportunities to explore and practice the following social & interpersonal skills:

Self-Awareness

• Recognising Strengths, Prejudices & Biases
• Demonstrating Self-Confidence, Honesty & Integrity
• Having A Growth Mindset

Self-Management

• Identifying & Managing Stress
• Demonstrating Self-Discipline & Self-Motivation

Social Awareness

• Demonstrating Empathy & Compassion
• Recognising Strengths In Others
• Respecting Others

Relationship Skills

• Communicate & Listen Effectively
• Build Positive Relationships

Responsible Decision-Making

• Demonstrating Curiosity & Open-Mindedness
• Anticipating & Evaluating the Consequences of One’s Actions
• Promoting Personal & Collective Well-Being

You can learn more about SEL and how it can support character education here.

There is no specific health & wellness perspective to this activity other than promoting the benefits of a short burst of physical activity and enjoying a good laugh.

In a small way, you could argue that the focus required to successfully play the game speaks to the benefits of being mindful insofar as it requires participants to really concentrate on the action they heard their partner say and then do something very different.

If you can think of more explicit ways in which Do As I Say could be purposefully integrated into a health and wellness program, please leave a comment at the base of this page.

• Group Do As I Say: Everyone in the group performs the actions, not just the person to the left of the doer, eg if I say “I LIKE TO BLINK MY EYES” this will cause the whole group to start blinking their eyes. After several seconds have passed, the person to my left takes their turn.
• Recall Challenge: As an added getting-to-know-you bonus, make it a group goal to remember what each person liked to do.
• Anatomy Shuffle: Each person points to a particular part of their body but in doing so names it as another part of their body. For example, I may say “THIS IS MY NOSE” but I actually point at my elbow. The next person will then point at their nose (because this is what I said) but say “THIS IS MY ELBOW” and then follow with “THIS IS MY KNEE” but actually point to anything but their knee. Basically, each person copies the opposite of what the person before them said and did. Get it? Yeah, I know, it does my head in too.
• Open the Virtual Adaptation tab to learn how to present this activity online.

• In advance, establish a particular sequence or order of people to take turns, ie you can’t form a circle easily online. If it helps, enter this sequence into the Chatroom as a reminder of who goes next. The only other necessary prep is to ensure that the performers are standing back from their screens (so their actions can be seen) but not too far away so as to be heard by the next person in the sequence.

Which do you think is more powerful – what our eyes see, or what our ears hear? Here’s a fun little exercise that will put each of these two senses to the test…

Most of us would have enjoyed the classic game of ‘Follow The Leader’ at some point in their life. This next exercise is a bit like the old classic, but with a surprising twist…

Coupled with one or more reflection strategies, here are some sample questions you could use to process your group’s experience after playing this highly amusing, energetic game:

• Was this game difficult to perform? Why? What made it hard?
• Which is more powerful – the vision or the audio?
• What does this game teach us about the relative dominance of our senses?
• Ordinarily, what does it mean when someone says one thing but does something else?