2 Truths & a Lie

A different kind of get-to-know-you activity which is engages and challenges each group member in a fun way Particularly useful as an icebreaker, e.g. can be used as a opener for a workshop/conference. For large groups (e.g., 30+), it is best to split into smaller group sizes. Hand out cards or paper and pens (or if participants bring their own, that's fine) Explain that in this activity each person write two truths and a lie about themself and then we will try to guess each other's lie. The goal is to: a) convince others that your lie is truth (and that one of your truths is the lie) and b) to correctly guess other people's lies. Allow approx. ~5+ minutes for writing 2 truths & a lie - this isn't easy for a lot of people - there will some scribbling out, etc. The slower people will probably need to be urged along to "put anything you can think of" down. Allocate 5-8 minutes, but you will probably need to urge people along. Announce that we will now walk around and chat to one another, like a cocktail party, and ask about each other's truths and lies. The goal is to quiz each about each statement to help determine which are the truth and which is the lie, whilst seducing other people into thinking that your own lie is a truth. At the end we will caste our votes and find out the truth. Emphasize that people should not reveal their lie, even if it seems others might have guessed. Allow min. 10-15 minutes of conversation time. Gather together in a circle. Start with one person who reads their three statements aloud (to remind everyone). Then read the statements again, stopping to allow a vote for each one. e.g., "I am Turkish. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote] I am vegetarian. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote] I have a metal pin in my right leg. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote]. OK, my lie was "I am vegetarian."" The facilitator will need to help each person out, especially intially until the basic format is understood. The facilitator may add drama and reinforcement, etc. for correct guesses, tricky statements, etc. The exercise can be run competitively, e.g., count up how many correct guesses of other people's lies and take away the number of people who correctly guesses your own lie. Highest score wins (honesty counts!).

Links to other descriptions

Two Truths & a Lie Life Facts

Mine Field

A popular and engaging game involving communication and trust. The task is very flexible, works for groups of various types and sizes, and can be adapted to youth, adults, corporate, etc. Select an appropriate area. Go outside, if possible. Can be done inside, even in rooms with fixed furniture (which can become objects to be avoided). Distribute "mines" e.g., balls or other objects such as bowling pins, cones, foam noodles, etc. Establish a concentrating and caring tone for this activity. Trust exercises require a serious atmosphere to help develop a genuine sense of trust and safety. Participants operate in pairs. Consider how the pairs are formed - it's a chance to work on relationships. One person is blind-folded (or keeps eyes closed) and cannot talk (optional). The other person can see and talk, but cannot enter the field or touch the person. The challenge is for each blind-folded person to walk from one side of the field to the other, avoiding the "mines", by listening to the verbal instructions of their partners. Allow participants a short period (e.g., 3 minutes) of planning time to decide on their communication commands, then begin the activity. Be wary of blindfolded people bumping into each other. The instructor(s) can float around the playing area to help prevent collisions. Decide on the penalty for hitting a "mine". It could be a restart (serious consequence) or time penalty or simply a count of hits, but without penalty. It can help participants if you suggest that they each develop a unique communication system. When participants swap roles, give participants some review and planning time to refine their communication method. Allow participants to swap over and even have several attempts, until a real, satisfied sense of skill and competence in being able to guide a partner through the "minefield" develops. The activity can be conducted one pair at a time (e.g., in a therapeutic situation), or with all pairs at once (creates a more demanding exercise due to the extra noise/confusion). Can be conducted as a competitive task - e.g., which pair is the quickest or has the fewest hits? The facilitator plays an important role in creating an optimal level of challenge, e.g., consider introducing more items or removing items if it seems too easy or too hard. Also consider coaching participants with communication methods (e.g., for younger students, hint that they could benefit from coming up with clear commands for stop, forward, left, right, etc.). Be cautious about blind-folding people - it can provoke trust and care issues and trigger post-traumatic reactions. Minimize this risk by sequencing Mine Field within a longer program involving other get-to-know-you and trust building activities before Mine Field.

Variations

Minefield in a Circle: Blindfolded people start on the outside of a large rope circle, go into middle, get an item ("treasure", e.g., a small ball or bean bag), then return to the outside; continue to see who can get the most objects within a time period. Metaphorical Framing: Some set ups for minefield get very elaborate and metaphor-rich, e.g., hanging objects which metaphorically reflect the participants' background and/or issues. For example, items which represent drugs, peer pressure, talking with parents about the problem, etc. have been used in a family adventure therapy program (Gillis & Simpson, 1994). Participants can begin by trying to cross the field by themselves. In a second round, participants can then ask someone else to help them traverse the field by "talking" them through the field. To increase the difficulty, you can have other people calling out. The blindfolded person must concentrate on their partner's voice amidst all the other voices that could distract them from the task. Be aware that some participants may object to, or have previous traumatic experience around the metaphor of explosive mines which have caused and continue to cause much harm and suffering. It may be preferable to rename the activity, for example, as an "obstacle course" or "navigation course". Alternatively, the activity could be used to heighten awareness about the effect of land mines on the lives of people in countries such as Afghanistan and Nicaragua (see UNICEF information on land mines).

Processing Ideas

How much did you trust your partner (out of 10) at the start? How much did you trust your partner (out of 10) at the end? What is the difference between going alone and being guided by another? What ingredients are needed when trusting and working with someone else? What did your partner do to help you feel safe and secure? What could your partner have done to help make you feel more safe/secure? What communication strategies worked best? For some more ideas, download Minefield in a Circle - Debrief (.doc)

Description

This is a group problem solving & communication exercise This activity involves moving marbles or different sized balls or even water down lengths of half pipe or 1"/2"gutters. The trick? Each participant has only one short length of pipe each, and the start and finish points can be separated by an obstacle course! Can be done with children of upper primary age, teenagers and adults in a variety of settings both indoors and outdoors. Choose this activity when you need to energize the group into a team, or to emphasize the importance of each member's actions in a team.

Directions

As facilitator, you can control how hard or easy to make this task. You can take them over obstacles, down stairs, around trees, etc. If, for example, the group is in the forming stage, put only one minor obstacle in the path and create opportunity for fairly instant experiential success of teamwork. If the team is functioning cohesively, make the obstacle course longer and harder and more physically challenging in order to deepen their experience of what they can achieve together. Brief the participants on the start line and the finish point (a distinctive container is helpful), and give them any extra rules you may wish to add to the task, such as: every person must carry the marble at least once; participants need to take turns in a certain order; or both feet must remain on the floor at all times-get creative if you want to add challenge. Give the group the pipes and the marble and 5 minutes planning time. Allow the group several attempts if you have the time and they have the motivation, or keep it to one attempt and draw out the key points in the debrief

Variations

Challenge the group to see how fast they can get the marble through the obstacle course. Time the group, and ask them to "tender" for how fast they think they can really do it. Then give them another go. Requires debriefing. For added problem solving under pressure, do not give the pipes and marble to the group during planning time. Can be done indoors with a height factor involved. Explain that the marble is stuck to a point on the wall with blue tack and their job is to 'rescue' it and bring it down safely to a container on the floor. Use the gutters more like a ramp, and perhaps give one less gutter than the distance. Once they are set up, allow the marble to be released from the blue tack.

Frame the activity in terms of a new project which the team needs to respond to both efficiently and effectively, for example: a new client with specific needs; a tender to be put together by a deadline; or a marketing strategy idea that needs to be put into action.

Equipment

Gutter Ball Kit or Pipeline Kit or Lengths of half pipe or narrow guttering, marbles or balls or can also be done using water

Time

5 mins planning 5 mins to 30 mins action

Brief Description

A teambuilding activity where each participant gets one short length of half pipe, and the group must work together to deliver a marble down the pipes from start point to finish. Requires a high

What Are We Shouting?

WHERE TO PLAY

Anyplace where shouting wont disturb anyone

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

10 or more
EQUIPMENT

None
OBJECT OF THE GAME

To guess the phrase being shouted by the opposing team Divide the players onto two equal teams. The team elected to shout first leaves the room to choose something to shout. They should select an easily recognizable phrase or title from suitable sources such as nursery rhymes, the names of TV shows or song lyrics. The phrase should have as many words as the team has playerseach player should be assigned one word from the phrase to shout. After picking a phrase, the shouting team should return to the room where the other team is waiting . At the count of three, each player should simultaneously shout his or her word. The opposing team must try to make sense out of the shout and guess the selected saying. The shout may be repeated once, but then the other team must attempt to guess. If a team guesses correctly, it is awarded a point and can become the team that shouts. If it guesses incorrectly, the shouting team gets a point and is allowed another turn to shout a new phrase. The team with the most correct guesses at the end of the game wins.