Warm-Up, Team-Building & Problem-Solving …

1 Warm-Up, Team-Building & Problem-Solving ExercisesCollected by Steve Parese (2014)1.##OPENING#EXERCISEST hese%ac(vi(es%are%good%for%helping%group s%get%to%know%each%other% ##Name#Game#(for#8)16#people)This#is#a#v aria5on#of#a#common#name#game,#used#to#g et#people#familiar#with#each#other#and#a c5vely#involved#in#the#training.#It#gets #a#lot#of#laughs,#and#is#safer#than#trad i5onal#name#games#because#the#group#reca lls#names#rather#than#placing#the#burden #of#recall#on#an#individual.#Circle#the# group.#Ask#each#person#to#introduce#him/ herself#by#first#name#and#pantomime#an#a c5vity#they#enjoy.#As#trainer,#begin#by# demonstra5ng#with#your#own#name#and#mime d#ac5vity.#AHer#each#person#shares,#the# whole#group#responds,#first#by#repea5ng# that#person s#name#and#gesture,#then#each#previous#p erson#in#sequence.)

2 #Con5nue#un5l#each#person#has#given#a#na me#and#gesture.#Time#required:#10)20#min utes,#depending#on#numbersb.##Middle#Nam es#(up#to#24#people)This#is#a#mild#self) disclosure#ac5vity,#designed#to#help#par 5cipants#share#non)threatening#but#oHen# unknown#personal#details.#Simply#ask#eac h#par5cipant#to#reveal#his/her#middle#na me.#OHen,#these#are#family#names#or#have #an#interes5ng#story#behind#them,#so#enc ourage#par5cipants#to#explain#its#meanin g#or#origin.#Share#your#own#middle#name# and#story# #required:#App#30#seconds#per#person#c.# #People#BINGO#(up#to#24#people)Materials :%1%BINGO%card/person%(see%next%page)Giv e#each#par5cipant#BINGO#card,#and#instru c5ons#to#complete#one#row,#or#two,#in#or der#to#win.###Buy#small#prizes#to#give#o ut#to#those#who#get# #aHer#ac5vity:#What#did#you#learn#about# each#other?

3 ##How#does#this#translate#to#the#workpla ce#))#are#there#interes5ng#things#about# people#you#might#never#know#if#you#didn s favorite childhood TV show was_____ s favorite childhood pet was named_____ s favorite childhood cereal was_____ s favorite teacher was_____in _____ grade_____ has ____ brothers+ ____ sistersRULES: No more than 3 answers from any one person. Answers can t be in a FREE SPACESPACE_____ sang the first 10 seconds of the theme song from Gilligan s Island with me!_____ sang the chorus of Who Let the Dogs Out with me!_____ rubbed his/her belly and patted his/her head at the same time with me!_____ Thumb-Wrestled the best of 3 matches with me (and ____ won!)_____ played three rounds of Rocks-Paper-Scissors with me (and ____ won!)_____ has a sports car (year, make, model)_____ has an SUV (year, make, model)_____ has a pickup truck (year, make, model)_____ has a motorcycle (year, make, model)_____ knew that the Vice President is_____ knew that the capital of Nebraska is_____ knew that water boils at _____ degrees_____ knew that the square root of 625 = _____ _____ knew the First Amendment is Freedom of _____.

4 _____ and I are both in our _____ (30 s/40 s/50 s etc)_____ and I both have a pet _____(Type of pet)_____ and I wear the same shoe size_____ (Shoe size)Name:_____ and I both once lived in_____ (state/country)_____ and I have the same Zodiac sign_____ (sign)CHILDHOODSILLY STUFFVEHICLESKNOWLEDGEIN THIS #and#on#the#other#side,# THAT. ##Call#group#to#center#of#the#room#and#t ell#them,#as#individuals,#to#move#toward #the#side#that#represents#what#they re#MOST#LIKE.#THIS# # THAT## # # #THIS## # THAT#Sun# #Moon#####Dog# #Cat#Summer# Winter# ###Elevator# Escalator#Pen# #Pencil#####Wallpaper# Paint#Stop# #Go# ####Taxi# #Limousine#Wine# #Soda# ####R#Coaster# Merry)Go)Round#Silk# #Coeon####B&B# #Hotel#Lake# #River# ####Pasta##SteakQuickly#ask#one#person#f rom#each#side#WHY#they#answered#as#they# did,#then#move#on#to#the#next#This#or#Th at#pair.

5 #Time#required:#4)5#minutese.##Who#Dunni t?#(for#8)24#people)Give#each#person#a#p iece#of#paper.##Have#them#write#their#na me#and#answer#three#ques5ons#(such#as#th ose#below)#posted#on#a#flip#chart#or#scr een:# #Most#exci5ng#or#exo5c#place#you ve#visited# #Interes5ng#hobby#or#thing#you ve#done# #Strangest#job#you ve#ever#hadCollect#cards#and#announce:# Bill,#Jim,#and# #stand#up!##One#of#these#three#people#ha s#ridden#a#motorcycle#coast#to#coast.##W ho#dunnit? ##Let#the#group#guess,#then#ask# Will#the#real#motorcycle#master#remain# #and#tell#us#about#it! s#Kisses)#to#the#groups#with#greatest#nu mber#of#people,#or#with#the#most#unusual #answer.##Use#the#categories#below#or#ma ke#up#others: Find#at#least#one#other#person#(more#if# you#can): ##Who#has#the#same#Favorite#Color#as#you ##Who#has#the#same#Favorite#Season#as#yo u ##Who#has#the#same#Number#of#Siblings#(o r#Children)#as#you ##Who#has#the#same#Astrological#Sign#as# you ##Who#has#the#same#Shoe#Size#as#you ##Who#was#Born#in#the#Same#Decade#as#you Time#required:#8)10#minutesg.

6 ##Calling#All#My#Rowdy#Friends##(up#to#2 4#people)Arrange#chairs#in#a#circle,#but #missing#1#chair,#as#in#musical#chairs.# #Stand#in#center#and#explain#the#rules.# Lead#a#prac5ce#round,#calling#out:# Calling#all#my#rowdy#friends# #are#wearing#black#socks! ##Everyone#with#black#socks#must#get#up# and#quickly#find#a#new#seat,#but#NOT#the #seat#beside#them.##Last#person#is# it, #and#must#call#out#a#new# ,## Calling#all#my#rowdy#friends# #are#Panthers#fans! s%puzzle%and%one%8x10%envelope%per%teamB uy#4)5#children s#puzzles#with#10)20#pieces#each.#Dissem ble#them.#Put#the#frame#and#all#but#ONE# of#the#pieces#into#an#8 x10 #manila#envelope,#then#add#in#a#final#pi ece#from#someone#else s#puzzle.##Each#envelope#will#now#contai n#the#puzzle#frame,#one#random#piece,#an d#all#but#one#of#the#correct# #teams#of#3)4#people#each,#and#set#it#up #as#a#race#to#complete#the#puzzles.

7 ##Observe#what#people#do#as#they#discove r#the#final#piece#simply#won t#fit!Debrief:##When#your#final#piece#wo uldn t#fit,#how#did#you#feel?#what#did#you#do ?1.##Try#to# make#it#fit You#have#exactly#10#minutes#and#not#a#se cond#more#to#earn#as#many#points#as#poss ible.#Keep#track#of#the#tasks#you#comple te.#Use#your#5me#wisely! ## (5%points) ,%such%as%a%hat%or%(e%(10%points;%bonus% 5%points%if%the%instructor%actually%wear s%it) (15%points) (15%points) (10%points) (5%points) (20%points) (5%points) (5%points;%bonus%5%points%if%you%use%nic knames) %tall%out%of%the%materials%owned%by%your %group%(10%points) (20%points) (5%points%for%the%name,%5%points%for%the %slogan) ]create%the%sounds%of%the%Amazon%rainfor est%for%15%seconds%with%at%least%5%sound s%using%only%your%voices%(10%points) (ve%years%(15%points) (5%points;%bonus%10%points%if%anyone%joi ns%you)DEBRIEF#aHer#ac5vity:## There#wasn t#enough#5me#to#do#every#single#task.))

8 #What#strategies#did#you#use#to#decide#w hich#to#do,#and#which#to#avoid? &tower&out&of&items& team &ownsGet&another & team &member&switch&teamsName&your& team & and&create&sloganAmazon&rain&forest&with &5&soundsGather&coins&or&bills&from&10&c onsec&yearsConga&line&across&room&and&ba ckPointValue:5-points10-pts(15$pts$if$wo rn)15-pts15-pts10-pts5-points20-pts5-poi nts5-pts(10$pts$if$nick)10-pts20-pts5-pt s(+5$pts$slogan)10-pts15-pts5-pts(10$pts $if$joins) team %1%SCORETeam%2%SCORETeam%3 %SCORETeam%4%SCOREd.##Wilderness#Surviva l#Quiz##(for#up#to#24#people#in#teams#of #3)6)e.##Moon#Survival#Quiz#(for#up#to#2 4#people#in#teams#of#3)6)f.###Plane#Cras h#Survival#Quiz#(for#up#to#24#people#in# teams#of#3)6)Each#of#the#survival#quizze s#is#administered#in#the#same#way:#Divid e#the#class#into#teams#of#3)6/ team ,#and# give#them#copies#of#the#quiz.

9 ##Read#the#scenario#to#them,#and#allow#t hem#10#minutes#to#work#together#to#rank# order#the#items#from#1#(most#important)# to#10#(least#important).##(No#Internet#r esearch#allowed!)Meanwhile,#create#a#lar ge#group#score#sheet.#Direct#each# team #t o#come#up#with#a#silly# team #name,#and#wr ite#it#on#the#chart#when#they#have#finis hed#their# #all#are#ready,#reveal#and#explain#the#a nswers#one#by#one.##Teams#write#the#expe rt#score#under#the# Expert #column,#then#deduct#it#from#their#score #to#get#the# Difference. and$ a$ small$ group$ of$ people$ are$flying$ in$ a$ small$ plane$to$ Folks,$we re$in$a$bad$storm.$The$radio s$out,$so$I$haven t$been$able$to$call $for$ help$or$let$anyone$know$where$we$are.$I ve$gone$off$course$to$try$to$get$around$ it,$but$we re$out$fuel$and$we re$going$down$in$a $remote$wilderness$preserve.

10 $Looks$like$we re$about$40@50$miles $west$of$a$small$town,$but$there s$nothing$else$nearby. A$few$minutes$later,$the$plane$crash$lan ds$into$small $ice@covered$lake,$ $seriously$injured.$Shortly$aSer$you$scr amble$out$of$the$plane,$it$sinks$complet ely$into$the$lake$with$the$pilot$and$co@ pilot s$bodies$inside.$Your$ mostly$ dry$ group$of$ survivors$makes $its$way$ across $the$ ice$to$ shore.$ It$ is$1:00AM$ and$you$ are$in$a$wilderness $area$made$up$of$many$lakes$and$rivers.$ In$some$places$the$snow$is$only$ankle$de ep,$but$you$can$see$that$most$of$the$dri Ss @10$degrees$(F)$tonight,$with$a $high$of$only$+20$degrees$(F)$tomorrow.$ There$is$plenty$of$dead$wood$and$twigs$i n$the$area$around$the$lake.$You$and$the$ other$surviving$passengers$are$dressed$i n$light$winter$clothing$@$jeans,$$sweat$ shirts,$street$shoes,$hats$and$overcoats ,$ but$ no$serious$winter$ gear.