This is an extremely simple, yet powerful activity to present if you want to start a conversation about integrity, assumptions and listening.
In advance, identify a flat, wide-open space in which your group can gather with ample room to move around. An area of about one square metre (10 square feet) or more per person is about right.
It’s useful to lay a rope or draw a chalk line on the ground to clearly delineate the edge or border of the space. The reasons for this will become clear shortly.
Invite your group to stand inside the space and explain that, in a moment, you will place the nail (you are brandishing) in some random place within the perimeter of the area while everyone has their eyes closed.
Let me just emphasise this instruction – to find the nail “…WITHIN THE PERIMETER OF THE SPACE.”
Naturally, you do not want anyone to see you place the nail because this will make the task too easy. The challenge, you will describe, is for each person to locate (view) the nail as quickly as possible once you ask them to re-open their eyes.
Instruct all those who find the nail to calmly step outside the perimeter of the area and observe everyone else as they continue to look for the nail.
To govern fair play and squeeze the most juice from this exercise, instruct those who find the nail to do nothing that will alert others to the presence of the nail, ie no pointing, no sudden intakes of breath, etc. The response of all those who find the nail is critical to the impact of this activity.
In your first round, place the nail in a relatively easy-to-spot location, eg the centre of the space. Naturally, there will be those who spot it immediately and those who will take a little longer. The round concludes when everyone is standing on the perimeter of the chosen area.
Invite your group to reflect briefly on their experiences and then announce that there will be a second round.
Invite everyone back into the space, ask them to close their eyes and this time, place the item in a less conspicuous location, eg sitting alongside the perimeter rope. This time, you can expect the task to take much longer before all individuals have seen the nail.
Once again, invite your group to reflect on their experience. What made it more difficult this time? How did it feel to be one of the last few to see the nail, etc?
And now, one final round. With eyes closed, you intentionally stand just inside the perimeter of the area and stick the nail behind your ear so that it is precariously balanced. Importantly, you must remain inside the perimeter of the space even if you do choose to move around a bit.
Without a doubt, you can expect that as soon as everyone re-opens their eyes, they will be entirely focused on the ground. It may take some time before the first person sees it behind your ear. You can certainly expect a lot more people to struggle to see the nail.
Okay. There is so much to process at this point, I refer you to some of the questions I describe in the Reflection Tips tab for starters.
Issues of integrity (Did you really see the nail before you departed the area?) assumptions (Why did you think the nail was on the ground in the third round?) and communication (What did you hear in the instructions compared to what was said?) are all valuable topics for conversation.
When choosing or looking for a nail, make it at least 100mm (4″) long. Too small and you really make it difficult for your group to see it easily.
Your language and the words you use are critical. Never say that the object will be on the ground, ie it is always located somewhere within the space. Also, be sure to be standing inside the space when you place it on your person, lest you open up the possibility of being accused of deceit.
If you stand inside the perimeter of your chosen space for all three rounds, your position will raise any alarms in the third round.
You could use any ordinary object to play this game, such as a pen or pencil. Whatever the object, it must (a) contrast with the colour of its background within the chosen area and (b) it is useful if it can easily be slipped behind your ear or tucked into a pocket (with some part of it visible.)
Direct attention to those who have stepped outside of the area as proof that the nail is placed within the area, ie some may question if they are being tricked.
Observe the anxiety and raw emotions of those last few people who are yet to view the nail. Beware not to exacerbate these feelings – direct your group’s attention to the impact of peer pressure, and less on the stress experienced by certain individuals.
There is no specific health & wellness perspective to this activity other than promoting the benefits of sharpening your group’s observation skills.
In a small way, you could argue that the focus required to successfully find the nail speaks to the benefits of being mindful, ie being present of mind to focus on one thing at a time. Also, given the pressure some people will feel for not having found the nail when most others have may provide an opportunity to explore a variety of emotional intelligence skills such as empathy and compassion toward others. For these and other purposes, take a look at the Reflection Tips tab for some useful conversation starters.
If you can think of more explicit ways in which Find The Nail could be purposefully integrated into a health and wellness program, please leave a comment at the base of this page.
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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?