For a while there, I managed to give you, dear reader, a monthly glimpse of the latest and greatest activity ideas that had just been uploaded to our online database to keep you abreast of what was new.

Alas, my last missive was more than 3 months ago. Time is clearly precious, so allow me to highlight four of the best, each of them a different activity type:

Pay-Off

This has been a long-time favourite trust-building exercise. But beware, it is dynamic. Be prepared to manage and facilitate some challenging conversations to reflect on your group’s experience of this simple, yet really powerful exploration of the impacts of competitive versus collaborative values. Your props are very simple, and it is ideal for small groups. I can think of no better activity to immerse my groups in a truly trust-building or trust-diminishing activity than this.

Overhand Knot

Grab a bunch of short buddy ropes (as I like to call them) and divide your group into small teams of 6 to 10 people. There is so much to like about this group initiative – it’s easy to set up, it can be designed for small and large groups and packs a punch when it comes to exploring some significant lessons about teamwork and the benefits of empathy and perspective.

Zhwoop

Contributed by playmeo member Floyd Hinman, this is one of those typically nonsensical circle energiser games that never fails to delight. I’m sure you’ll see shades of many other similar circle-type games that you already know, so if you’re looking to update your activity repertoire, this is it. Takes less than two minutes to explain and will easily occupy your group for 5 to 10 minutes with lots of fast-paced action. In a word, FUNN.

Crumpled

I picked up this idea from an online course I attended a few years back and have been eager to share it with the wider world ever since. All you need is paper and pens, it’s ideal for use with small and large groups. At a glance, it is a simple reflection strategy, but when integrated as part of a carefully sequenced discussion, can be a really powerful tool for helping people to deal with disappointment and anxiety. Check it out.

Until next month…?

Contributor Mark