Table Topics

Here is a trick I used to do, but now I have found a video to go with it. You are basically balancing a glass upside down on a few quarters, with a dime under the glass. The challenge is how to get the dime out without moving the glass.

Have a watch:

http://video-tricks.visionmind.net/obidient-coin/

How I Would Use This

I could really see a great big conference room pondering over this as they have their dinner. Every table would have a couple of quarters and a dime and the glass and tablecloth are already there.
A wonderful team activity would follow.

The point of this activity could be:

-the solution may not be obvious
-it takes a whole room to find the solution
-little actions can make a big difference

You might want to try having groups who figure it out teach those who don't know how it is done.
What fun.

True or False Walk

A very simple exercise that livens up your day and introduces a new topic.

Let's say your topic is learning about Canada and your group are a bunch of European students.

I would ask the group to stand in the middle of a large area. On one wall is a sign that reads
TRUE
on the opposite a sign that reads
FALSE

Then I ask them a series of questions to which they move back and forth from True to False.
Each person goes his or her own way.

Some typical questions:

Toronto is the capital of Canada.
Canada has two coastlines.
The national animal of Canada is the moose.

and so on.

People have fun with this activity and enjoy whether they are right or wrong.

Adapt any way you want.

Noisemakers

Whenever I fly the airlines look with suspicion at my luggage. That is because it contains noisemakers, tambourines, bells, whistles and more.

I really believe that a simple way to liven up a workshop, is to use all kinds of noisemakers.
It adds an element of fun, gets people's attention and saves your voice.

One word of caution, though, try not to bring things that make UGLY sounds; klaxon horns, blasters and the like.

Have fun.

Photo Finish

I often have participants introduce themselves by showing the group something they have in their pockets, packs or purses but recently I saw a neat twist on this.

When you have a roomful of adults you are bound to have photos in wallets. Hand out a short list for a scavenger hunt of photos. Have everyone mill around sharing the photos and see how many they can find and tick off. Each photo should come from a different person.

It is up to you which photos you put in the list. Try to reflect the group you are working with.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1) a happy family
2) a really young baby
3) a curly headed toddler
4) a car
5) a vacation spot
6) a school photo
7) a grandmother or grandfather
8) a big dog
9) a small dog
10) a pet other than a dog
11) a house
12) a flower or tree

Just make up any list you want and see how many of them your group collectively keeps in their wallets.

This is a lively way to get people talking and sharing.

The F Word

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS
OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE
EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.

Now count the F's is that sentence. Count them ONLY ONCE.
Do not go back and count them again. Then see below:


There are 6 F's in the sentence.
How many did you count?

How I Would Use This

For fun I could turn it into an intelligence test.

Another idea is to use it to illustrate how often we make assumptions. The brain assumed that the V sounds were just that, V's and not F's. We make hundreds of assumptions daily, some are harmless like this little activity, but some are not harmless at all.

Word Tree

To launch the participants into a topic try creating a word tree.

For example, in a workshop on global climate change, ask participants to throw out words that relate to the topic:

.climate greenhouse gas erosion pollution carbon dioxide kyoto and so on. Write all the words on the board or on individual index cards. Then have the group cluster them into small word groups.

Define and discuss as necessary and launch into the topic.

Charades Down the Line

Here is a quick activity that is going to get people laughing and breaking down barriers.
Remember the game Telephone: the one in which a message is passed down a line until it is nearly unrecognizable? This is the same, but with Charades.

Ask a small group of 7 or 8 to leave the room and come up with an action that is a bit silly. Maybe diapering a baby, whipping cream, first kiss, whatever.

When the large group has a good idea, ask the small group to come back in the room. At this point one person shows the action to the first person of the small group, while the rest of the small group turn their backs. Then this person reveals the action to the next in line, and so on through every person in the small group. No sounds are allowed.

How I Would Use This

The final action may be unrecognizable because each person in line brings his or her own preference and interpretation to the action. In the same way, in communicating with others we have to keep these interpretations in mind and watch for them.

Variation.
You can do this in a large circle with the whole group. Everyone closes their eyes until touched. One person starts the action and the action is translated from person to person.

What's In A Name

I think it is a lot of fun for participants to play around with their names. The humour that is created is good energy. Try the following activity and see if you could use any of these names in your workshops.



Your Real Name? Deb

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 4 letters of real name plus izzle) Debozzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (fav color and fav animal) Scarlet Cat

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, and childhood street): Ann Richmond

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom's maiden name) Caldegra

6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME: (The, 2nd favorite color, drink) The Blue Teal Steamer

7. YOUR BLUES SINGER NAME: (The mood you are in now, and the last name of any President) Lazy Lincoln (I don't think this works so well for Prime Ministers)

8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (grandmother and grandfather's first name) Mary


9. YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one your pets) Black Happy

10. EXOTIC DANCER: (first pet and street name): Honey Sand Creek

Dancing Lady

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d167/countrygeek/0568782000.gif

This is just a great optical illusion. Does the lady twirl clockwise or counter?
I would use this to start the discussion that we may easily perceive different things as the truth.

Establish Your Personality

I am putting together a workshop about Fun in Facilitation and one of the things that I realized made my work fun is leading with my personality.

I think today a lot of work and worry goes into content, how to present it, how much to present, etc, and not too much goes into format and style.

So I say start off with your own personality shining and the group will follow you more readily.

After all the group knows it will have to listen to you or work with you for a couple of hours, so why not invest some time in showing them who you are, how you work and that they are in for a fun/interesting/stimulating time.

I always put a short science demonstration up front to establish the tone. This could be something like rope handcuffs or a swirling tubes or anything short and sweet. This establishes my tone, wakes them up and allows them to see my style. I make sure it leads to an interesting point about the topic and on with the day.

So that's my 2 cents today. Not all will agree with me and that's okay, just think about it.

Training Treasures

There is a great magazine on the block and it is called Training Treasures. The 11th issue is just out and it is hot, hot, hot.

The mag says "The Visual Idea-Book for Creative Trainers and Presenters"

This edition is titled:

Smokin' Delivery Ideas from the Industry's TOP TEN creative trainers.

Then it has pages and pages of ideas. I have to admit I am one of the trainers and I have my own list of 10 ideas.

For information visit : www.trainingtreasures.com

Keep the Pace

In order to keep your workshop on schedule, make sure people are happy to come back frm breaks on time. When dismissing the group ask them to return on an odd minute, for example at 2:26 or 4:12. Then, just as they do on TV, give them a glimpse of what they are coming back to.

Example: “When we return, your secret identities will be revealed” or

“After the break we are going to hear from our expert on five stocks you never want to touch.”

Give them a reason to come back on time and they will.

Paper Clip Bag

Divide your group into small groups of 5.
Give each team a paper bag with the following inside: a piece of paper, 12 paperclips , a piece of string and five small circular stickers.
The challenge is for the team to create the longest item they can in five minutes.
The catch is that they have to do this in complete silence.
To determine which item is the longest use a measuring tape and declare a winner.

Debrief Questions
How was communication since no words were allowed?
How would have being able to talk made the task?
What kind of communication strategy did you come up with?
What would you do differently next time?
In what way is this activity like work tasks you encouter?

Name the Animal

Quick quiz you can use as a warm-up or a re-charger.

Name the animals

1. hair-control foam
2. very exposed
3. telling falsities
4. a lamenting cry
5. a dull person
6. a precious or loved one
7. first you get a parking ticket, then you get this...
8. these make up a chain.

Got em all.
Here is an idea.
Ask people to work on the puzzle by themselves. Then get them together in groups to finish it and see how much better they do when they put their heads together.


Answers


look down


way down



Moose
Bear
Lion
Whale
Boar
Deer
Toad
Lynx

Giant Human Kite

This is an enormous kite in the sky. Suddenly the kite comes apart and it is made up of parachuters. Now if this isn't one of the best examples of precision teamwork, I don't know what is.

How do they do it? Imagine even a tiny bit of this spirit in the work world.

Questions I would ask

Why do they do it?
Why does this team work so well together?
Can these principles be applies in any way in the world of work?
What is the motivation.

Have fun, it is a beautiful video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mmdKMfznyM

Traffic Circle Activity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yOF_m0P8uA&feature=related

Well, who knew you could watch videos of training activities on youtube? Is there no end to this wonderful resource?

This activity is a simple and pleasant activity in which groups have to figure out a strategy for getting in and out of a tiny circle on the ground. Easy to set up, simple to do and interesting to debrief.

Interestingly enough I have NEVER seen or heard of this activity.

Sing A Song

http://www.acme.com/jef/singing_science/

When you want to review something, why not turn it into a song. This site has lots of great songs for the teaching of science. So, you aren't teaching science? No problem, just learn from this fellow how to find formats that work for simple songs and insert your own contents.

Learning how to write little ditties is a wonderful skill.

Jeopardy and Beyond

Ever wanted to use a game show format in your workshop. Here is the site that will help you with that. Whether it is Jeopardy or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire get your participants excited by turning the learning into a game.

Music, format, and fun. I think this could come in very handy.

www.murray.k12.ga.us/teacher/kara%20leonard/Mini%20T%27s/March%20Mini%20T-Games/Games.htm#gameshows

Picasso Versus Monet

http://www.artsology.com/games.php

There are some amazing art games at this site. I imagine the aim is for people to learn about famous works of art by playing games that allow us to get to know them.

One of my favourite is What's Wrong With this Picture, a game in which you look at a classic that has been messed around with to determine what is wrong with it.

How You Could Use This
These games are great examples of how to get your participants to look in detail at something they are trying to learn.

A life in 6 words

Heard about a contest where you had to sum up your life, or create your autobiography in just 6 words.

Mine was: crooked path, no map, wanderer forever.

But it was great fun reading all the other entries.

Try this for yourself.

How I Would Use This

Sum up your job in just 6 words

Sum up the problem in just 6 words

Describe success in just 6 words.

When we work to be succinct we get at the heart of the matter.

Dessert Round Up

Here's a lively way to get participants to meet each other.

Ask each person to go to the corner of the room that bears the sign of the dessert they like the best. You can place any dessert names there that you want; four I use are:

• ice cream
• cheesecake
• fruit salad
• pie

Once each group has been formed asked the participants to describe to the group exactly what type of dessert they love the most.

Encourage the groups to share their:

• names
• dessert thoughts
• goals for the workshops

No need to debrief this activity. Just let people enjoy meeting each other.

Squeezing Lemons

The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a $5000 bet.

The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money.

Many people like weight-lifters, wrestlers, body builders, etc had tried over time, but nobody could do it.

One day this scrawny little man came in, wearing thick glasses and a rumpled suit, and said in a tiny, squeaky voice, “I’d like to try the bet.” After the laughter had died down, the bartender said OK, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man.

But the crowd’s laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and 5-6 drops fell into the glass. As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid $5000, and asked the little man, “What do you do for a living?

Are you a weight-lifter, or what?”
“No,” replied the man.

”I work as a project manager in a software company !! “

Honestly, this is such a perfect joke. Just change the punchline and it can apply to anyone that works in an environment where they squeeze the last living part out of anything.

Big Money Props

Last night I was watching a show about people who were deeply in debt. The woman hosting the show asked the couple to count bundles of money that were in a shopping cart. I would think there was $1000 in each bundle tied with an elastic band.

Now it might have been real money, but pretend money would be just as good. The husband and wife counted out the money and piled it up. It equalled $110, 000.

She then asked them what the money represented, and they didn't really know. Turns out it was the amount of interest they would pay on their debts if they didn't pay them down.

She then told them that this was enough money to put three of their kids through college.

The moment was quite memorable and I was thinking of how I could use this same technique.

I think what was important is that she made them count it out on camera. It only took a minute or so, but you can imagine the impact in a presentation.