PDQ Test

1. Assemble your group in front of you, sitting or standing.
2. Introduce the idea that you are about to demonstrate a series of physical ‘tests’ which you would like each person to attempt.
3. This is a self-assessed test, and only the individual will know if they passed or not.
4. Start by clicking your fingers, first your dominant and then less-dominant hands and fingers.
5. Next, invite everyone to attempt to whistle through their lips, and then pop their cheeks with a finger, etc.
6. Demonstrate as many nonsensical ‘tests’ as you can perform yourself.
7. Conclude by inviting one or more volunteers to demonstrate a unique ‘test’ which they can successfully perform.

Video Transcript for PDQ Group Game
presented by Mark Collard

And so this next little exercise is a bit like me providing you with an opportunity to see how far you might run with this test. Now you’ll note there’s something pretty peculiar about this test. First of all, I can pass all parts of it. Why else would you put a test up if you couldn’t pass it? So you personally get to actually score. You will actually know whether you’re passing or not.

It’s going to start off very simply. All I ask you to do is take one of your hands and click your fingers.

(people clicking fingers as part of PDQ group game)

Beautiful. My guess is that all of you would’ve gone straight for your dominant hand. Not much of a test. So go for your less dominant hand now.

(people clicking fingers as part of PDQ group game)

Not bad. Pretty good. Alright. Now you’re all going for your dominant fingers. Go back to your dominant hand, less dominant fingers.

(people clicking fingers as part of PDQ group game)

A little bit more difficult now. Alright, very good. Only you know whether you’re passing or not. Go to your less dominant hand, less dominant fingers.

(people clicking fingers as part of PDQ group game)

Good. If you’re not getting any sound, just move a little closer to someone who’s making a sound. It’ll look like you are. Try this. Remember, you’re keeping score.

Using your tongue, not everyone can do this genetically, but roll it. And now prove it by moving… to actually facing somebody next to you to show that you can actually do it.

(people curling tongues as part of PDQ group game)

Very good. I actually can’t do this next piece, but I know there has been one person that I have worked with that was able to do it the other way. Can anyone curl their tongue the other direction? I can’t do it. Again, you might need to get proof by showing it to someone next to you or not. I can’t do it. It’s not part of my test.

(people curling tongues as part of PDQ group game)

Moving on with the test. The next piece is simple, and not everyone can do this, but I know I can, to whistle through your lips.

(people whistling as part of PDQ group game)

Very good. Excellent. Again, if you’re not making any sound, just lean a little closer to someone who is. Can you whistle by inhaling? That’s not the only way you can whistle?

(people whistling as part of PDQ group game)

Very good. Add that to your test. Very good. Alright. Now something a little bit more difficult but I’ve been practicing a lot. Take your two hands and place them together like this so I’m creating a space of air between my hands, so much like it’s a water or air-tight container. The gap between the two lengths of my thumb will leave a little hole. I’m going to blow over the top of it, not in it, a bit like a glass bottle. It’ll create a fantastic whistling sound.

(people whistling as part of PDQ group game)

I love this one. Take your two fingers. Just place them end to end so they just touch directly in front of you. Now some of you are going to get this very quickly, and others… be patient but you will get it.

I’d like you now to look at it and imagine… not even imagine, you will see a linked sausage. You may have already had lunch. I can see a linked sausage. Now if you’re particularly hungry, place all four fingers end to end, and now I can see four linked sausages.

Here’s the test. Take your fingers slightly apart from each other. Now those sausages are floating mid-air, not connected at all. And you’re going, I’ll have what he’s having.

But I’d like you to, if you can’t see your sausage, your linked sausage, look past your fingers, maybe to the back of the person in front of you or the carpet in front of you, so that the fingers appear a little more blurry. If they blur, they’ll jump out at you. Everyone who just went “Ah!” like that just saw it. Try all four fingers and separate them.

(people playing as part of PDQ group game)

It’s very hard not to see it. Exactly right. Cool.

(people playing as part of PDQ group game)

Now go back to the single linked sausage. If you’re a vegetarian, it’s okay, it’s a vegetarian sausage, it’s alright. Here’s the trick. Now you’ll get to watch me first, see there. I’d like you to imagine you can see your little sausage.

Here’s the task. You need to bring that sausage right up to the end of your nose. It’ll touch the end of your nose, so you can smell it. However, before it gets to your nose, this is your test, can you lick it? Can you taste it? Can you taste that sausage before it gets there?

Here’s an example of what it’ll look like in a second. Here we go. Oh, there’s a sausage. Here it comes. It disappears before it gets there. Give it a go, see what you can do.

(people playing as part of PDQ group game)

Now, at this point I’ve shared certain parts of my test which makes me look good because I could pass them all. And there’s a few in that last little exercise that might add that to their test.

I now open it up the test to you as a group. Generally speaking, when I’m working with groups, and I’ve already given you a few of those, there’s those really unique things that you can do with your body that generally you would be too embarrassed to show someone. For example that last exercise I showed here.

Really, in your everyday life, where do you find opportunities to do that? So my guess is that this group, one or more people have something up their sleeve that they have always been able to do. I invite you if you choose to stand and show what it is that you can do.

For example, just if you’re thinking what Marty might be talking about, you might be able to move the lobe on your right ear independently without any other part of your face contorting.

We’ll make this the final one. What’s your name?

(Tom.)

Tom. Great.

(Just like the other one, I can that too)

(Tom demonstrating.)

Give Tom a hand. Well done. You know, it reminds me how everyone of us has something that’s particularly unique, and sometimes you might share that uniqueness with somebody else, but generally, there’s at least one thing that’s unique for you.

You can never have enough activities that fill in idle time, and this is one of the best. As you will see, it’s not so much a test as it is an invitation to play.

Gather your folks, and invite them to sit down, catch their breath, wait, whatever the intent of their idleness. Announce that you are going to introduce a ‘Test,’ and unlike most tests, this one is self-assessed, so only he or she (the participant) will know if they are passing or failing. Also, explain that the test will build in its complexity.

At this juncture, directly before I start the test, I also point out that this is MY Test, because, as my group will soon witness, I can pass all parts of it (I mean, why would you introduce a test you couldn’t pass?)

There are TONS of ‘tests’ to choose from, so here are parts of a common sequence I often use to introduce my PDQ Test.

• Click your fingers. Most people will immediately turn to their dominant hands and fingers. So, invite everyone to use their less-dominant hand now, and then on both hands, click with their less dominant-fingers.
• Whistle. It’s amazing, but not everyone can do this. I always joke around here, and suggest that if you can’t whistle, just sit or stand a little closer to someone who can and make a whistle-like mouth, so that if anyone were watching you, they’d think you could!
• Cheek-Popping. Poke your extended pointer finger inside your mouth and against the inside of your cheek (keeping your lips pursed) and quickly snap it forward and out of the mouth to create that familiar “POP” sound. Try both sides of your cheek. Try it with less-dominant fingers. To trigger an immediate response (of either raucous laughter or groans of disgust), suggest that people now try popping someone else’s mouth! Regardless of their response, you should only be concerned if they actually follow your instructions.
• Wiggle Waggle. I did say it would get more difficult with time, and I’m just referring to me writing the description. So, to save space here, check out Wiggle Waggle which is described elsewhere in this database.
• Whistle Into Your hands. Clasp your hands together so that one hand cups neatly and water-tightly into the cup of the other. You should aim to have your two thumbs resting side by side, with a slim opening between them. Hold this empty vessel directly against your bottom lip (or thereabouts – it’s slightly different for each person,) blow across the top of the opening between your thumbs, and create a wonderful hollow whistling sound. It’s similar to what you can achieve blowing across the opening of a glass bottle.
• Finger Sausages. Bring your two clenched hands in front of you, and extend the two index fingers so that they touch end to end. Now, look at the point at which these two fingers touch, and notice the linked sausage. See it? If you can’t, try looking beyond your fingers (and not at them,) and the linked sausage will suddenly jump out at you (somewhat blurred perhaps.) Feeling hungry, try all fingertips touching in front of you. Wow – four linked sausages! Now for the best part – pull your fingers away from each other slightly, and voila! You’ll observe a rack of floating human finger sausages!
• Tongue Twisters. Poke out your tongue and curl its sides so that it looks a bit like the letter U. Can you do it the other way, ie an upside-down U? No? Neither can I (so it’s clearly not part of my test) but I always like to ask. Can you touch your nose with your tongue? That I can do.
• Hands Behind Your Back. Take one hand and place it behind your back over your shoulder, while extending the other hand around your side so that it touches your other hand. Swap arms.

The list of nonsensical contortions could go on and on… and by all means, you are sure to have a few of your own physical contortions to present – so, knock yourself out!

And before you know it, your group has relaxed a little, enjoyed some levity and is now eager to move on.

For history buffs, the PDQ Test – or Play Determined Quotient Test – was first presented to me by Karl Rohnke, as it featured in his top-selling Silver Bullets activity book.

Generally speaking, the PDQ Test is best presented when people are seated (especially if they’re young.) Not sure why, but it seems that people feel less threatened from this position, and it is only after they have started to laugh and interact that they are more willing to step outside their comfort zone. That’s why it’s important to start with a series of simple ‘tests.’

As a rule, if I am starting with a group that is already comfortably sitting down, and is unlikely to respond well to getting out of their seats (just yet,) I’ll kick off with this exercise. It invariably ‘breaks the ice’ and gets people laughing, and before they know it, they are more prepared to follow my lead and step into more adventurous activities.

The most bizarre manipulations I have ever witnessed? I’ll share two with you. A guy who, with his right palm pressed firmly onto the floor, could twist his arm (and body) 540 degrees without his palm moving. Or, what about the woman who could put her whole clenched fist into her mouth. Yahhhhhhhh.

You could integrate PDQ Test as part of a well-designed SEL program to promote and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse people.

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

Self-Awareness

• Identifying Personal, Cultural & Linguistic Assets
• Recognising Strengths, Prejudices & Biases
• Demonstrating Self-Confidence, Honesty & Integrity
• Experiencing Self-Efficacy

Self-Management

• Demonstrating Self-Discipline & Self-Motivation
• Taking Initiative

Social Awareness

• Appreciating Diversity
• Recognising Strengths In Others

Relationship Skills

• Communicate & Listen Effectively
• Build Positive Relationships
• Demonstrate Cultural Competency

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 to one’s well-being of enjoying a good laugh.

In a small way, you could argue that the effort required to successfully and publicly display a unique gesture may speak to the benefits of being accountable, resilient and/or adaptable – but these would certainly be considered minor attributes of presenting this fun game to your group.

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

• More Tests: Take a look at the Narrative tab (above) for eight unique PDQ group game tests to try.
• Your Turn: Invite one or more volunteers to demonstrate a unique PDQ Test which they can perform. Wiggling ear-lobes, flaring nostrils, thumbs that can bend all the way back to the wrist, playing a tune with air emitted from an arm-pit cavity, etc. They’re often all the things that we got in trouble for at school when we were caught impressing our friends in the back row.
• Small Groups: Having first introduced a few personal PDQ Tests, break into small groups and ask them to discover a few of their own, with a view to challenging other groups to try them out.
• Open the Virtual Adaptation tab to learn how to present this activity online.

• If possible, ask your group to switch to ‘gallery view’ so that they can see as many smaller video screens of their group members. For very large groups, this may not be possible, but viewing a bunch of others is really useful. Then, introduce your series of PDQ Tests and invite your group to join in on the fun. You may have to manually switch from the primary screen to gallery view after each test and then back again to introduce the next test.

I’m sure that [enter particular skill, job or occupation] comes with its own challenges. Some we are prepared for, and others not so much. It’s these more challenging times that really tests the stuff we’re made of. I don’t know much about [skill, job, etc,] but I’m certain that we all aim to achieve the best possible result we can no matter what the circumstances. Well, let’s see how you do with this next set of little challenges, or tests…

In a few moments, I’m going to introduce to you a series of exercises which, together, form a new demonstration sport which will be presented at the 2020 Olympics. Now, I’m not expecting you to be an expert in all of these skills, but I’m sure you’ll be able to accomplish parts of them. I’ll have you know that I happen to have been practicing these skills for many years, so you will note that I can pass all of these physical challenges…

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

• Did you pass the test? Does a ‘pass’ matter?
• Which movement or action did you think was the most bizarre?
• Did you feel silly performing some of the moves? Why?

Large Group ‘Community-Building Games’ Session

What You Need:
10+ people, 60 mins, index cards, pen, multiple ’52 Card Pick-Up’ sets (Print+Play)

• PDQ Test – zany audience-style activity that will generate bursts of laughter
• Who Am I? – highly interactive guessing game
• Speed Rabbit – hilarious circle game involving three people creating an animal
• 52 Card Pick-Up – frenetic, highly energetic small group challenge
• Sticky Beak – rapid elimination-style game that will end your program on a high