Hug A Tree

1. Form pairs.
2. Partners take it in turns to be blindfolded while the other leads them to a unique object approx 20-30 metres away.
3. The blindfolded person may spend up to 20 seconds becoming familiar with the shape, feel and smell of the object, before their partner returns them blindfolded back to where they started.
4. With their vision restored, the blindfolded person will then attempt to relocate the exact item they were introduced to.
5. Repeat this process at least twice, swapping roles between rounds.

Ask your group to find a partner to work with, perhaps adopting one of the many fun ways described in Getting Into Pairs.

To start, one person at a time is ‘blindfolded,’ and physically guided by their partner to an object that is at least 20 – 30 metres (65′ – 100′) away. If outdoors, trees are ideal because of their unique characteristics, but any object of choice is fine provided it has some degree of distinctiveness about it.

Once introduced, the blindfolded person may spend 10 to 20 seconds getting acquainted with the object. Encourage the use of the auditory, olfactory as well as tactile senses.

The experience is enriched if the chosen object has some peculiar characteristics, for example, a tree with a hollow or a low branch, to assist the ‘blind’ person to identify and distinguish it from other like-objects later.

Next, the sighted person returns their partner (still blindfolded) to the starting point. Once the blindfold is removed, the ‘blind’ person attempts to relocate and identify the object with their eyes open.

Obviously, the sighted person should not provide any clues as to the location of the secret object, but simply accompany their partner wherever they wander.

Repeat this process at least twice, swapping roles between rounds.

Encouraging people to close their eyes, rather than rely on blindfolds is much simpler to manage.

Perhaps it should go without saying, but beware that no one is forced to touch or become acquainted with something that may harm them or could possibly cause distress.

Consider encouraging the sighted people to choose a confusing route with plenty of turns, so that their ‘blind’ partner may become somewhat disoriented. The route back to the starting position should be equally confusing.

Consider conducting a brief conversation at the end of the exercise to discuss what factors assisted the blindfolded people the most to correctly identify the hidden items. What attributes were the hardest to distinguish? See the Reflection Tips tab for more ideas.

You could integrate Hug A Tree as part of a well-designed SEL program to help your group make caring and constructive choices about personal behaviour and social interactions across different sitiations.

Specifically, this activity offers opportunities to explore and practice the following social & interpersonal skills:

Self-Awareness

• Identifying Emotions
• Linking Feelings, Values & Thoughts

Self-Management

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

Relationship Skills

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

Responsible Decision-Making

• Demonstrating Curiosity & Open-Mindedness
• Making Reasoned Judgements
• 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.

Emotional Intelligence

With one’s eyes closed, a person’s other senses are often heightened, some of which may contribute to building one’s emotional intelligence. For example, the ability to focus on the senses of touch and smell will inform a decision about the familiarity of and risks associated with a certain object. This is not unlike receiving a frown from someone grudgingly responding to your request for help insofar as the facial cues may signal an incongruence with the person’s apparent willingness to assist.

• Sensing Double: Form groups of three people, where two co-joined people are blindfolded at the same time. Tales of differing opinion often occur regarding distance, direction and the identification of the object.
• Which One: Introduce the blindfolded person to a set of similar items, eg stack of books, or garments of clothing. They are provided with just one item, and then upon returning it to the stack, the blindfolded person aims to relocate it.

At any particular moment in our days, our brains are inundated with a squillion bits of information which is simply too overwhelming for it process. So, the brain prioritises the most important bits of data, and overlooks the rest. It’s not until we stop to ‘smell the roses’ do we suddenly recognise a lot of the stuff that we miss. This next exercise will give you an opportunity to heighten your awareness of certain information, that we simply take for granted or are not aware of at all…

It is scientifically proven that when one of our senses is removed, one or more of our other senses becomes stronger to compensate for the loss of the other. Most of us take our vision for granted, so in this exercise, you will be blindfolded for a short while. During this time, I would like you to observe if any of your other senses became more sensitive…

Coupled with one or more reflection strategies, here are some sample questions you could use to process your group’s experience after playing this fun, trust-building partner exercise:

• What strategies did you use to remember and/or re-locate your object? Were they effective?
• What senses did you rely on the most?
• How did you feel as your partner guided you to and from the object?
• What emotions were you aware of during your blindfolded transitions?
• What did you immediately perceive as soon as you touched an item? What did you make this mean?
• How easy was it to touch something you could not see? What helped you approach this task with confidence?
• Did you discover anything about the object that surprised you?