1. Prepare any necessary props in advance.
2. Introduce your chosen activity or experience before your program officially starts.
3. Invite participants as they arrive to engage in the activity and/or with others.
4. Deliver your official start when ready.

Do you hate waiting for most if not all of your group to arrive before you feel you can start your program?

Would you like to amplify the results of whatever you’re trying to get done without adding more time?

Are you interested in a strategy that flips responsibility for people turning up on time?

If you can answer “YES” to one or more of these questions, you’re in the right place.

I’m a big believer in the power of the ‘unofficial start.’ If this term is unfamiliar to you, click here to read more about what it is and how it can transform the results of your program in so many, many ways.

In short, an unofficial start is any strategy that facilitates early engagement & interaction and amplifies the productivity of your group and/or program.

My purpose here is to share a ton of fun, engaging and very simple unofficial starts which I have used successfully for many years all over the world with thousands of people.

These strategies not only invite people to turn up on time and be quickly engaged but also have fun, interact and begin to build relationships which positively impact on the rest of my program.

In my experience, the most powerful unofficial starts are those which:

• Offer multiple choices to be engaged;
• Honour people’s choice, no matter what they choose to do (or not;)
• Require low or no supervision; and
• Are immediately attractive and non-threatening.

When you look at the variety of ideas shared here, do not confuse unofficial starts with ‘playing games and activities.

Unashamedly, group games and activities are a powerful and attractive way to occupy idle time and help people connect, and they feature heavily in my programs. But… they are not the only way to achieve the objectives of a truly unofficial start.

Think in terms of principles. If you’re looking to leverage your time and that of your group, and also benefit from some cross-pollination (your choice of unofficial start may connect or reinforce the lesson of your program,) focus your efforts on presenting experiences that are engaging, non-threatening and invite opportunities for people to connect with one another.

If this sounds like you, then take a look at the Variations tab for tons of ideas to get you started.

Click here to read more about why unofficial starts are so useful and powerful. You’ll also learn nine real-life examples, the principles of which you could apply to your own situation.

Wondering how long an unofficial start should run? This will always depend on a number of variables, including your program goals, the time available and the number of people you’re working with. In short, your unofficial start should aim to leverage that part of your program that is at risk of or is boring, tedious or unproductive.

The introduction of unofficial starts does not suggest that you need to fill every moment of your group’s idle time. This strategy may, in fact, prove counter-productive, not to mention, exhausting for everyone involved. Focus instead on this single principle – look for opportunities that would ordinarily be wasted, such as the start of your program or those moments when you are waiting for people to return from a break. If some or all of the members of your group do not know how to use this time productively, consider an unofficial start.

You could integrate an Unofficial Start 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-Management

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

Social Awareness

• Demonstrating Empathy & Compassion
• Understanding & Expressing Gratitude
• Appreciating Diversity
• Respecting Others

Relationship Skills

• Communicate & Listen Effectively
• Seeking and/or Offering Support
• Build Positive Relationships
• Demonstrate Cultural Competency
• Work Collaboratively
• Showing Leadership

Responsible Decision-Making

• Demonstrating Curiosity & Open-Mindedness
• 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 being engaged in a fun, purposeful and non-threatening experience with others.

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

• Activity Unofficial Starts: Take a look at the following activities which have all been used successfully multiple times as unofficial starts (and incidentally, offer opportunities to focus on critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, play, trial & error, innovation and resilience:) Rope House, Wordles, Finger Snaps, Alphabet Equations, Word Circles, Connectiles, T-Puzzle, 52 Card Pick-Up and Fine Line Cards.
• Pictures Tell A Thousand Words: Lay a set of cards such as Climer Cards, UBUNTU Cards or Emoji Cards on a table or the ground. Invite people to take one or more cards which reflect a particular topic you announce, eg an image that reflects your hopes and aspirations for this program, or captures the essence of how you’re feeling right now. Ask people to share their thoughts with those around them.
• Rope Names: Supply a bunch of short ropes or webbing (approx 2-3 metres) to your group. Invite each person as they arrive to manipulate one of the ropes on a flat surface to write their name cursively, ie the letters all join. Award ‘bonus’ points to others who can identify the names.
• Crossword Names: As above, supply a large number of cards or tiles which represent the letters of the alphabet. As people arrive, invite them to use these letters to spell their names on a flat surface. As more people join, invite them to intersect the letters of their name with those of others in a crossword-like pattern, eg M-A-R-K can criss-cross A-N-G-E-L-A in one of two places. Click here to learn more.
• Video: Play an entertaining or relevant video as your group arrives. While not particularly interactive, this strategy will immediately engage those who are present and possibly cut down on the meaningless chatter that can sometimes stall an on-time start.
• Story Reading: As above, but read a story. Be sure to choose a story that is not only entertaining but fun. People of all ages love to be read to and this experience occurs rarely for adults these days. Delight your next group with a short, yet fun story. Even better, pick a story that connects with the intent of your program.
• Show & Tell: Everyone has something to show, tell or teach another person. When facilitated upfront, this exercise is a powerful way to inject some much-needed energy, not to mention leverage the opportunity for people to make connections with others. Take a look at Tiny Teach for some ideas.
• Irony Questions: As presented by Christie Miga in one of her Playscape experiences in 2018, I was instantly captivated by the simplicity and engagement of this exercise. Post a series of (say ten) questions randomly on the walls of your space. Supply each person with a pen and paper as they arrive and invite them to wander randomly around the room in an effort to read and answer each and every question. Award prizes if necessary for those who get the most correct answers. In my experience, I was invited to read a unique scenario and then asked to identify which one of three types of irony was featured, ie the purpose was a lesson about irony. Sky’s the limit when it comes to content for this unofficial start strategy.

• It is entirely possible to embrace the technology of an unofficial start as a part of your virtual gatherings.
• For starters, take a look at the virtual descriptions for Wordles, Curiosity Ping Ping, Alphabet Equations, Mandala and QOTD.

Hi and welcome. My name is [ your name…] When you’re ready, come and join these folk and observe what they are doing. Dive in when the time feels right…

[ Write a series of simple, short instructions on the whiteboard, slide presentation or flip chart which invite people as they arrive to get busy with one or more activities or exercises. ]

Hi there, thanks for coming. We’re still waiting for a number of stragglers, but if you’re interested, have a look over here – we have a number of fun activities to keep you busy while we wait…

In a general sense, it may not be necessary to invite your group to reflect on the experience of your unofficial start. However, here are a few thoughts which may be useful to you and your program:

• Why do you think we started with [ enter the name of activity…? ]
• How might this activity relate to the reason we have gathered today?
• What did you notice during this part of our program?
• Did anything surprise you about what we have just experienced? Why?
• Can you describe the difference in how you felt when you first arrived and now?