Rationale / Development
The following activities are examples of those used by international partners in the CoMC team. They have been brought together in response to a number of issues students have experienced working and living closely together. These particular activities might be used in pre-departure sessions in a variety of ways.
Mind jog
From Restless Development, India
(15 mins)
Participants sit in a circle with their eyes closed. Explain that they need to count from 1-20. Without any discussion the group needs to work out how to do this. Who will start? What order should they be counting? If two or more people shout the same number, then the group needs to start again. Somehow, without communication, participants need to find a rhythm or pattern.
Discussion: What enabled the group to find the rhythm? How did it work? We are all coming from different places but when there is a certain goal or aspiration in mind, you’ll find a way to get there.
Find the Leader
From Arbitration Council Foundation, Cambodia
(15mins)
Participants sit in a circle. One member of the group leaves the room. While they are absent, a group leader is selected and they start the rest of the group on copying a particular rhythm (or action) e.g. Patting your head, clicking fingers etc. The ‘leader’ regularly changes the rhythm / action and the rest of the group follows their lead. The absent member is brought back into the room and has to identify the person determining the rhythm.
Island
From Pravah, India
(15mins)
Music is played. When the music stops, participants all need to get onto a bed sheet placed in the middle of the room. After each round, the bed sheet is folded to make it smaller and smaller. Participants need to continue finding ways to fit on it.
Tower Building
From Restless Development, India
(30 – 40mins)
Teams of participants are provided with newspaper, thread, scissors and tape. Their task is to build the tallest tower. It has to be stable. It has to have a purpose. It has to be attractive. Marks are given for each of these qualities. Teams are encouraged to find other resources on their person to make, decorate etc.
Knotty Problem
From Pravah, India
(15 mins)
One participant is asked to leave the room. The remaining participants are asked to stand in a circle holding hands. They move/entwine to create a human knot. The absent participant is then brought in and is tasked with untying the knot.
Discussion: Sometimes an organisation is so complex and it all seems confusing but often there is an underlying logic to it all. Variations to this activity include doing it silently or asking the group to both tangle and untangle themselves.