Blind Maze

1. In advance, tie a series of short ropes between multiple trees to represent a path out of a wooded area.
2. Create one entry and one exit for the path, allowing for one or more gaps (between trees) in the path as well as dead-ends where possible.
3. Refer to sample diagram for guidance (see Resources tab.)
4. Out of sight of the maze, ask your group to put on their blindfolds.
5. Standing in a straight line with hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them, lead your group carefully to the start of the maze.
6. Place the hands of the person at the front of the line on the tree and/or rope connected to the maze entry.
7. Challenge your group to work together and embark on a journey to find their way out of the maze.
8. Announce that all members of the group must be connected to the rest of the group at all times.
9. At least one member of the group must be touching/holding a rope at all times.
10. No one is permitted to open their eyes (remove blindfolds) until the whole group has exited the maze.
11. All members of the group may communicate at any time.
12. A small bell will ring when the group has discovered the exit for the first time.
13. Allow your group at least 20 minutes or more to solve the problem.
14. In conclusion, facilitate a conversation that invites your group to reflect on their experience.

My first experience with this unique group initiative was more than 30 years ago, and yet it still conjures very vivid memories for me. I hope you and your group enjoy it too.

You’ll need to set aside some time in advance to design and create your maze. Grab a bunch of long ropes and head to your local wooded area populated with many trees (ideally) close to one another.

A picture tells a thousand words, so it’s easier for me to direct you to look at the diagram you can download from the Resources tab to understand the type of maze you are trying to create. At a minimum, you’ll need:

• An entry point – a gap between two trees-  where your group will start;
• An exit point – again, a gap between two trees – representing the finish line;
• One or more gaps in the pathway – where no rope exists; and
• One or more dead-ends where the path leads nowhere and/or back onto itself.

When ready, assemble your group well away from the maze so that they cannot see it in advance. Explain that they are about to embark on a journey but first must put on a blindfold.

Ask your group to form one straight line and, with hands on the shoulders of the person in front of themselves, lead the front person (and therefore, the rest of the group) slowly to the start of the maze.

Once you arrive, place the hands of the person at the front of the line on the tree and/or rope connected to the maze entry.

From here, to govern fair play and maintain the integrity of the challenge, announce a bunch of simple guidelines:

• The group is challenged to work together and discover a pathway out of the maze.
• All members of the group must be connected to the rest of the group at all times.
• At least one member of the group must be touching/holding a rope at all times.
• No one is permitted to open their eyes (remove blindfolds) until the whole group has exited the maze.
• All members of the group may communicate at any time.

Unaware of what the exit looks like, explain that when the group hears a bell tingle (which you are holding) they can know that they have discovered the exit of the maze.

Once you have dispensed with the obligatory questions, you may step back and invite your group to begin their journey.

Other than observing your group stumble their way through the maze, your primary role is to monitor the safety and comfort of the group. Make mental notes of how the group makes decisions, communicates and generally looks after one another during their experience.

This is a wonderfully dynamic group exercise, so be sure to allow time at the end to invite your group to reflect on their experience. See the Reflection Tips tab for conversation starters.

In my experience, groups of approx 6 to no more than 12 people is best for this activity. Too many more, and you risk some people feeling left out of the activity.

This problem can take a long time to solve, therefore, I typically use blindfolds rather than ask my group to keep their eyes closed.

Sometimes people get quite uncomfortable wearing a blindfold for a long period of time. In these cases, ask those affected to look straight up (into the tree canopy) and take a few moments to compose themselves before replacing their blindfold when ready to resume.

By all means, allow for more than one successful route in your maze design. The sample diagram you can download in the Resources tab features more than one successful route to the exit.

There are many other ways you can choose to represent the maze exit. Here is a quick list of alternatives I have used with success:

• The participants will walk through a bunch of streamers hanging from above;
• A rubber chicken is stationed/hung from one of the exit trees; or
• The exit will be covered with carpet, stones or some other material that is immediately different to the rest of the maze.

If your maze purposefully includes gaps and dead-ends, it’s up to you if you choose to inform your group about their existence in advance or not. That is to say, most groups interpret the end of a rope as the exit. In these circumstances, encourage your group to (a) ask you a question, and/or (b) search for any other clues.

You could integrate Blind Maze 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 ample opportunities to explore and practice the following social & interpersonal skills:

Self-Awareness

• Identifying Emotions
• Linking Feelings, Values & Thoughts
• Identifying Personal, Cultural & Linguistic Assets
• Recognising Strengths, Prejudices & Biases
• Demonstrating Self-Confidence, Honesty & Integrity
• Experiencing Self-Efficacy
• Having A Growth Mindset

Self-Management

• Controlling One’s Emotions
• Identifying & Managing Stress
• Demonstrating Self-Discipline & Self-Motivation
• Setting Personal & Group Goals
• Taking Initiative
• Use Planning & Organisational Skills

Social Awareness

• Taking Other’s Perspectives
• Demonstrating Empathy & Compassion
• Understanding & Expressing Gratitude
• Appreciating Diversity
• Recognising Strengths In Others
• Respecting Others

Relationship Skills

• Communicate & Listen Effectively
• Seeking and/or Offering Support
• Build Positive Relationships
• Work Collaboratively
• Showing Leadership
• Resolving Conflict Constructively

Responsible Decision-Making

• Demonstrating Curiosity & Open-Mindedness
• Identifying Problems
• Making Reasoned Judgements
• Identifying Solutions
• 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.

Behavioural Norms

The complexities of this dynamic group initiative will invite your group to interact and engage in a manner that would necessarily speak to the benefits of having developed a set of supportive and healthy behavioural norms in advance. Or, if not, you could focus on any less-than-desired interactions or outcomes to explore what sorts of behaviours your group would prefer to see and commit to in the future.

For example, in addition to those described in the Reflection Tips tab, you could invite your group to reflect on the following questions to explore a variety of full-value behaviours such as:

• How did the group demonstrate its ability to care for self and others?
• Generally speaking, how did the group make decisions? How were all members involved?
• Describe your group’s goal-setting process.
• Was everyone fully aware of the group’s goal? If not, why not?
• What types of leadership were demonstrated during the exercise? Were they effective?
• Was adaptability a key component of the group’s success? How?
• Were there moments of accountability that concerned you? Why, and in what ways?

Safety

Group members will be blindfolded at all times. Consequently, being led through an unknown, random maze may offer opportunities for your group to ‘bump into’ certain safety parameters. The risks to one’s physical safety are easy to imagine but please also consider how one’s emotional and mental well-being is nourished or neglected during the activity. To this end, you may plan to present this experience in advance of or following a session in which you invite your group to explore the importance of psychological safety.

• Snakes Alive: In advance, wrap several short pieces of rope or toys at random locations along the rope maze. Instruct your group that every time someone (often the leader) touches these ropes, they are to imagine it is a snake and this will require them to fall to the back of the group’s line (ie to seek first aid.) I love this variation because it causes the leadership of the group to change frequently.
• Tree Change: As above, instruct your group that every time a tree is encountered at the end of a rope, the leader is to fall to the back of the line, ie thereby frequently changing the leadership of the line.
• Random Starts: Begin by placing each (blindfolded) member of the group to stand on their own in a unique spot within the maze of ropes. In this instance, the group is not travelling together but is still challenged to lead every person out of the maze as quickly and safely as possible. As each person exits the maze, they are entitled to take off their blindfold to observe what’s happening with the rest of the group. Typically, I do not permit these sighted folks to communicate with their blindfolded colleagues, lest they give too many clues.
• Two At The Same Time: Split your group into two smaller teams. One team begins at the start and heads for the exit while the other team starts from the exit and travels in reverse. Depending on the design of your maze, it is highly likely that both groups will meet somewhere in the middle, and that’s okay. You may encourage each group to communicate with the other, or not – it’s up to you.
• Take a look at Mohawk Iron-workers Walk to consider a similar group initiative on a challenge ropes course.

Now that you have your blindfolds on, I’d like you to imagine that you are all trapped inside a large house without electricity – you can’t see anything. Working together, your task will be to work your way through the various passageways of the house until you find your way out safely…

Sometimes being in a team can feel like the blind leading the blind, and this experience will become literally quite real in this, your next challenge…

Coupled with one or more reflection strategies, here are some sample questions you could use to process your group’s experience after leading this challenging group initiative:

• What sorts of sensations did you experience as your group moved its way forward into the maze?
• What was most challenging? Why?
• In what ways did your group work together to be successful?
• What senses were heightened during the activity? How did they help?
• If you were to do this again, what would you do differently?
• On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being great,) how would you rate your group’s communication?
• Did you develop any insights into effective leadership during this exercise?
• How might this exercise reflect your group at times?