Contents

B.2. Fear in a Hat
B.3. Pass the Buck
B.4. Chinese Whispers
B.5. Group Yell
B.6. Bad News and Good News
B.7. Mental Gifts
B.8. Guess Who Said It
B.9. Breaking into the Group
B.10. The Magic Circle
B.11. Related Games

Preamble

As a group moves on from initial formation, its members may be hesitant to communicate or cooperate if this is a new experience; alternatively, the group may become an arena for existing or new rivalries to be engaged and played out, for goals, behavioral standards and issues to be set. Quieter members may be reticent; stronger members may be competing among themselves, or with the moderator.

This second stage of natural group formation is often known as "storming", the second stage of group formation, which can be a rather rocky process, but essential for its development. It happens in educational and issue-oriented groups, too, where the group leader or moderator should intervene to direct this energy towards positive ends and to ease the potential upheaval it can generate. It will also help the group begin to function more effectively.

The following activities can be used to help groups become more cohesive, to create positive group feeling, or to open up on and correct group problems in a non-threatening way. The games or exercises chosen for this section also foster group cooperation and develop group understanding.

Group Crystallization Activities

B.2. Fear in a Hat

For this game, you need paper and pencil for each participant, plus a hat or tin.
The game is played in a circle.

Ask everyone, including the moderator, to complete this sentence on paper (anonymously):
“In this trip/group/program, I am afraid that …“
Put the scraps of paper in the tin, or receptacle, in the center.

Pass the tin around, stopping at each person while s/he draws one out and reads it, enlarging on the sentence and trying to express what s/he believes the writer was feeling. Explain that there are to be no comments about what will be said.
The moderator goes first!
(For example, the group leader reads the first one, and might say:
“In this group I am afraid that I will be laughed at … (continues talking) - I am afraid to express my feelings because everyone laughs at me, so I never say anything.”)

Continue around the circle.
The leader should make sure that everyone just listens, and does not comment, or argue.
Then discuss what was noticed or discovered.

Variations:
Likes and dislikes in a hat (two tins)
Worries in a hat
Gripes in a hat
Wishes in a hat, etc.

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B.3. Pass the Buck

This game requires a “Buck” (pen, glove, etc.).

The leader holds the Buck, and explains that no one can speak unless s/he is holding it. Pass it on to the next person in the circle, or to whoever raises his/her hand to speak.

Variations:
Toss it quickly back and forth: you have to speak when you have it, or you are out.
Use it to tell stories: whoever has the Buck has to continue.

This game can be used by the counselor or leader as an effective tool in many situations. For example, during a group meeting when participants are not hearing each other out, or are competing for attention.

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B.4. Chinese Whispers

An exercise to enhance cooperation in communication and to generate focused communication.

The group members are asked mill around, but not to speak directly to those with whom they want to talk.
Instead, when they see someone they would like to communicate with, they need to send him/her a message via someone else: e.g., “Tell Debra I said thank you for helping me yesterday.”
Continue until messages run out.

Variation:
Try as graffiti on poster board/brown paper on the walls.
Try with bits of paper being delivered from one person to another.
Play at a run, speed up, in slow motion.

Optional Review:
Effectiveness and content of communication, how many conversations each member generated with different people; how many different people approached him/her with a message.

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B.5. Group Yell

A great activity after a long hike, or even a long lecture!

Have the group huddle together in a crouching position.
The facilitator/leader begins a low hum motioning the members to join in. As the leader and the group begin to rise slowly, the sound level also rises, so that at the end, everyone leaps into the air and shouts at the same time.
Repeat until everyone has really shouted at the end.

Variation:
Add specific words or sounds chosen by the group in advance, such as Jerusalem, Peace, Home, etc.

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B.6. Bad News and Good News

This is an excellent activity to use during or before Shabbat, or before any big event to give everyone a chance to share something lightly personal.

As a round start a sentence with, “The nicest thing that happened to me this week was…” Emphasize that it might be something big and exciting, or small and pleasant. (Perhaps just a smile from someone special.)

Variations:
Write them anonymously, guess who wrote them.
In a light frame of mind, do “Bad News.” “The worst thing that happened to me this week was…” (Follow this with Good News!)
Do "Bad News" and discuss the degree of sympathy desired.

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B.7. Mental Gifts

This exercise fosters greater acceptance, emotional generosity and thoughtfulness towards other members of the group and is totally random. Member self-confidence and inter-personal communication are also enhanced.

A pencil and a few small pieces of paper should be given to each participant.

a. (If large blackboard/poster board/brown paper sheeting is available)
Write each group member’s name at the top of a section of the board.
Everyone walks around writing up "mental gifts" in each person’s section. They should be something you think the person would like, or something you think they should have. Example: “I give you the gift of appreciating your own wisdom.”

b. (If no board/paper is available)
Everyone writes his/her name on four or five scraps of paper. These are put into a large hat or bowl.
Each member draws out five and addresses "mental gifts" to that name.
At a signal everyone delivers his/her gift.
They can be shared aloud, if desired.

Variations:
Repeat this at intervals during the year/seminar/camp.
Try to see that gifts become more relevant to the needs of the recipient.

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B.8. Guess Who Said It

This exercise fosters greater acceptance, emotional generosity and thoughtfulness towards other members of the group. Member self-confidence and inter-personal communication are also enhanced.

The game is played in a circle.

One person is chosen, or volunteers, to leave the room.
Three or four people make positive statements about him/her, trying to include specialized information that not everyone might know about the person.
When s/he returns, s/he stands in a circle, and the statements are repeated to her/him one at a time, while s/he tries to guess who said each one.
(The counselor/moderator should not select a hesitant person to leave the room first; the leader should emphasize only positive statements.)

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B.9. Breaking into the Group

This group dynamics exercise is for experienced moderators on a known group only and can be used therapeutically to address issues of group acceptance and behavior.
Note: To be used with caution – the group's physical resistance may occur and impact emotionally.

The leader asks the group:
“Is there anyone who is feeling alienated today who would like to volunteer for an exercise?” (A volunteer is selected.)
Group members then form a circle facing in, holding hands.
The volunteer walks around the outside of the circle, until he or she selects a place to break in. The person then fights to get into the circle, forcing apart the arms of the members at the chosen point of entry, and assumes a position in the circle joining hands.

Debrief:
Of what significance was the spot the student chose to enter?
How did the people at the point of breaking in respond?
Did they resist?
Did they give in too easily?
Why did the person feel alienated in the first place?
What can the group do to prevent some incidents of alienation?

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B.10. The Magic Circle

The magic of this activity is that it engages everyone in issues concerning group life in some way in a productive manner, but it is random and unthreatening. On the one hand, no one is allowed to answer his or her own question – yet everyone gets to raise a question openly and hear a variety of solutions to this and other problems.

The group sits in a circle. Anyone can start the exercise by asking a question, or posing a problem, without suggesting an answer.
The person sitting to the left of the person who posed the problem then offers a solution and describes another problem.
The person to his or her left follows by answering the last question and posing a new problem.
This continues around the circle, so that everyone has a turn.

Related Games