Having designated a particular playing space for this activity, I often refer to the appointed boundaries as the borders of some nebulous Monarchy in some far off land.
Then I ask everyone to step inside their ‘nation’ and subsequently christen them full-blooded Monarchists. Practicing a pompous royal wave is never out of place at this juncture.
Next, I invite one person to volunteer to become the nation’s first Republican (or whatever name you wish to give the opposing team.) They get to hold the (soft, tossable) ball, that I refer to as the Royal Sceptre, which they have stolen from the ruling Monarch.
The Republican’s goal? To convert all of the Monarchists to their cause.
From here on, it’s basically a simple tag game, but with just one unique rule. At the very beginning, the lone Republican is the only person who is permitted to run with the ball (otherwise, it could become a very long game.)
As soon as this sole Republican has tagged one of the fleeing Monarchists – by tossing the ball and hitting them anywhere below the waist – no member of the Republican team (including the initial President) is entitled to move with the ball.
That is, if a Republican has the ball in their hands, they can’t move their feet. But, happily, a Republican can pass the ball among their team mates. This is where strategy enters the scene.
Naturally, once a Monarchist is tagged, they immediately switch loyalty and assist their new Republican friends to tag the remaining Monarchists. Game continues until everyone is a staunch Republican.
Watch as strategies develop among the Republicans to score a tag.
Although clearly a tag game, you may find some value at the end of the activity to discuss and relate the team skills employed during the exercise to the real world. See the Reflection tab for some starting points.
If you, or your group, have issues with applying the names of Monarchists and Republicans to your teams, please adopt the names of any other two nebulous opposing entities. For example – Luddites v Geeks, Orange v Purple, Team A v Team B, etc. The names are less relevant than the energy and problem-solving skills this exercise generates.
In the beginning, you need to keep an eye on the tendency of Republicans to move with the ball. When spotted, just issue a friendly reminder not to do this.
Got a really large group? Introduce several ‘Republicans’ (perhaps one for every 20 to 30 people) each with their own ball.
Have you heard the term tipping point before? It’s a term used to describe the point at which a particular thing reaches a critical mass, after which the momentum builds exponentially. Malcolm Gladwell wrote a wonderful book about this principle in 2000 called The Tipping Point. This universal concept is illustrated well in this next exercise. We’ll start with just one solitary person versus everyone else. The odds seem insurmountable, but slowly, one by one, this person’s team will reach their tipping point…
At the start of a very large project or task or challenge, it can seem that you’re never going to reach your goals. Yet, step by step, with a little patience and passion, your momentum will begin to pick up steam. Something like this will occur for one volunteer in our next activity…
User Reviews, Comments & Ideas...
Have you played this activity? What worked, what didn't work? What type of group? Do you have useful advice for other users? Do you know a fun variation?