We all know that there are very few things that duct tape can’t fix. Well, how about a person to a wall?
First up, you want to scope your venue for a suitable wall. You can immediately rule out any walls that have been painted, or those that are made of plaster. Use these, and there’s a good chance this activity will do more than just damage your reputation.
Rather, look for a wide, solid unpainted cinderblock, concrete or brick wall. Timber can work, but it must be paint-free. And, if the wall is supporting a roof, it’s probably strong enough.
Now, armed with a box of duct tape rolls, break your group into random small teams of say 3 to 6 people. Take a look at Getting into Teams for a few ideas.
Supply each team with a roll of duct tape, and then explain in the simplest of terms that they each have 10 (to 15) minutes to suspend, hang or otherwise attach one of their group members to the wall.
Naturally, no other props can be involved to accomplish this task, just sheer ingenuity and a playful spirit.
Perhaps it’s the thought of playing with duct tape, or maybe it’s more about pinning one of their mates to a wall. But I am yet to see a group that doesn’t get that excited-little-child look in their eyes when they hear this challenge.
To complete the task, a group must be able to suspend one of their own for at least ten seconds, unassisted.
A few words about safety. The feet of the suspended should not be more than 60 cm (2’) off the ground, and the application of tape should be preferably and carefully applied to clothing and not (hairy) skin.
There are many adhesive tapes on the market, but duct tape (strong cloth-backed waterproof adhesive) is one of the few designed to withstand the pressures this activity will exert on it. Forget cello-tape and masking tape, they are simply too weak.
This exercise features about as much fun as you can have with a roll of duct tape. But it also offers a wonderful opportunity for small teams to develop their problem-solving and creative skills.
Let me emphasise again the necessity to apply the tape to non-painted surfaces. The adhesive quality of duct-tape is unforgiving.
Keep your teams small. Beyond the ideation process, there is little for too many more than two or three people to do once you have identified who is going to be suspended.
Duct tape can be expensive, so one option is to limit the amount of tape dispensed to each team. Admittedly, this is difficult to do in advance but can be done if you’re careful, ie roll it onto a small piece of wooden dowel, or cut and suspend multiple 1 metre (3′) lengths.
There’s a common understanding among most handymen and women that there is little that cannot be fixed with a piece of duct tape. It is ubiquitous in its application, used in places to fasten the most stubborn of things. Today, I’d like to inspire a novel application…
Have you seen a magician suspend a person in mid-air? This is such a cool trick, I often wonder how they do it. There can’t be any strings attached because you see them pass a hula-hoop over this person’s body. Yet, I know it’s a trick. Well, today, we’re going to suspend a number of people off the ground, and… I’m going to tell you how to do it…
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?