Games and exercises

   1.      INICIAL RITUAL

It’s a welcome procedure, where three people are selected, to enter in a small room, blindfolded. The background music is some pagan Indian genre. The blindfolded participants are conducted in the room, walking toward a table where they will lie down. They will be touched by a lot of things instruments (the ideal will be music instruments). In the end, they are brought to a chair, where they can take the blindfold and understand now they perceived the room in a totally different. This is for them to be open minded, in the other side of the table sitting will be the coordinators that will ask what they felt, if they liked and why they choose the exchange/training course (more question can be made)

   2.      NAME AND MOVEMENT

In circle, someone starts by saying his/her name and making a movement, after everyone will repeat the movement. Once the circle has done a complete circuit, the same person that started now makes a movement of someone else (imitates a movement without saying the author’s name). When the movement is recognized, the author of the movement starts to imitate a movement of another person, and the game continues.

   3.      INTRODUCING ME AND YOU

Everyone walks around shake hands and whisper his name, age and country. After the some seconds, the participants will continue to walk, shake hands and tell the other person’s name, age and country (whom they are shaking hands) the person then reciprocally says the other person information as well.

   4.      TIES AND LIES

As a good Ice-Breaker, each person cuts one sheet of paper in form of tie and with a dress pin puts in his/her clothes, after writing three sentences (two to be entirely true and one to be a lie). When everyone has their one tie, they start to walk and chat - trying to discover which the other person’s lie is, and to get more knowledge of the other person with the true sentences.  

   5.      CONTACT DANCE

Starts with music, everyone walks in the room. At some point the coordinator of the game starts to  deliver small tasks, like if someone cross with another person, they should smile - the variations are infinitive (individual actions: smile, blinking, etc…. ;  or collective actions: hug, hand shake an hi5, etc…)

   6.      SAMURAI

The group is divided in two. There will be one central person from each team that should be front of the team and front to front to the other person of the other group. They will do an air attack like they were imaginary samurais with imaginary swords, the other will reply with defense and counter attack, everything done with space and without touching each other (the rest of the team copy their personal step after) After six movements, people from the center change with other people from their group

   7.       BOOM

In a circle, the person designated to go first says the number "1", and each participant thenceforth counts one number in turn. However, the participants must replace every number divisible by 7 (e.g. 14, 21) or containing the digit 7 (e.g. 17, 27, 72) with "BOOM". Who does an error is out of the game

  8.      PIFF PAFF

One participant will be in the middle of the circle. He will shoot someone by pointing the finger and saying “PIFF”, the shot participant must go down, and the lateral participants should be fast to kill each other, by pointing and saying “PAFF”. Normally goes to the middle the person that was shot with “PAFF”, it can happen that the lateral shooter said “PIFF” instead of “PAFF”, so the participant goes to the middle and it can also happen had the person shot with “PIFF” didn’t went down, so he/she should go to the middle.

   9.      HIPERBOLIC CIRCLE

In a circle, the first person does a normal movement (some action/dance/jump, etc), the second does the same movement but in a larger way, the third person does in a very exaggerated way, then the fourth person starts again with a normal movement and so on (this game goes in circle and always go three in three participants)

  10.  CRYSTAL

In circle, one person goes to the middle and strikes a pose, another person goes to the middle stays in contact with the first person and strikes a pose, and so on, until everyone is connected. Then they slowly return to their initial position and repeat the process.

  11.  SCULPTURE

The participants will get in small groups of two people. There will be music in the background. One person will close the eyes, while the partner will move his/her articulations in order to create a sculpture. Then the technique will be use in vice-versa, the other will close the eyes, while the other will now have the active role as sculptor.
12.  FILL THE GAP

A volunteer will go to the middle of the circle and strike a pose, another volunteer will approach and try to fill the gaps, one by one, or in combinations. He should fill the gap four times, then strike a pose and a new volunteer will come and do the same, fill the gaps four times, while the first volunteer return to his/her original place on the circle.

  13.  CHAIR RUNING

Every participant will be in circle and sat on a chair. The coordinator while say an affirmation (e.g.: I like cats) or negation. Taking in consideration the example, the participants that like cats move to the next chair, if the chair is not empty, they should sit in the other person lap. If it happens that the person can only move if there is no one in their lap. The game finishes when one of the participants was able to return to his/her place by doing a full circuit.

  14.  EYES CLOSED

Outside, the participants will get in groups of two. One will close the eyes and the other will guide him/her. Then they will change positions.

  15.  ENERGY POWER

The participants will get in small groups of two people. One of them will close the eyes, while the other, without touching will move the hand around the partner’s body (e.g. head, arms) during a relaxing music. Then the technique will be use in vice-versa, the other will close the eyes, while the other will now have the active role.

  16.  SIAMESE TWINS

Starts with music, everyone walks in the room. At some point the coordinator of the game starts to deliver the task that the participants should connect one part of the body and walk as if they were truly connected. After they join of group of two to another group of two, the coordinator will join the entire group in one. The participants will be set free the same mode they were put together, slowly and following orders.

  17.  MOUNTAINS

The group is divided in two teams. Each group does one line, and these two lines are separate for at least 5 meters. With an imaginary background story, people from one group will yell to the other at (everyone at the same time), after the other group will answer the same way. This is a good exercise for understanding communication and for making people active and energized with the screams.

  18.  EPICENTER NOW

This is an evaluation moment. There must be construct a large square, and explained that each person should put one of their shoes were they feel like, having in considerate that the edges of the square means that they feel far from the group, and the center means they are extremely happy with everything. Then people should speak why they feel that way and what they can do (not what other people should do) to feel better. This is a general approach and gives people more freedom to speak about what they desire.

  19.  EPIC FIVE FINGERS

Other approach to evaluation with different objectives is the use of the fingers, giving them meaning. The first finger/digit is the thumb (the good things), followed by index finger (important things), middle finger (the worst thing), ring finger (connections), and little finger/pinky (what needs to be improved). This is a much more specific approach and can miss some things.

  20.  YOUTHPASS MOMENT

This is the last circle game. In the middle there will be all YouthPass spead, a volunteer will go and grab one, read the name (for him/her) and will represent that person (which has the name written in the YouthPass) with sound and gestures. Everyone can try to guess. When the imitation is recognized, the person imitated will go to the center, shake hands and receive his/her YouthPass, and then it will be his/her turn to grab randomly a YouthPass from the center and represent the person identified in the certificate. This last until the last person receives the youth pass.

Addition by Juraj Háder:

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   21.     Name game – sheet/blancet

The group is divided into two small groups. There is a sheet/blancet between these groups. There is one person from each team in front of the sheet.  When the sheet fall down, the person in front of sheet must say the name of the other person. The person, who is faster, take the other person to their team.

  22.     Name game

It is a rhythmic game. There are four claps. One person starts with two claps. Then the third one is for telling his/her name and the last clap is for the name of other person. This person continue in a same way. First two claps are free, then his/her name and then the name of other person.

   23.     Walking in area with speed

People walks in a space. They must fill up the space and walking with given speed.

          Walking and contact others – by smile, eye contact…

During walking people realte the contact with other by eye contact, smile, touching etc.

  24 .   Machine

Machine is very similar to the crystal but obviously there aren’t so many people. The main different is that people doesn’t make a freeze but do some movement and voice. The movement and voice is a key how to join the machine.

  25. Horse riding game

It is an energizer game. You are in a horse race. You drive a horse through barriers. There in a man, girl or a kid sometimes. Every person has got its own movement.

  26.   sculpture and sculptor

One person is sculptor and makes from the second person a sculpture. It is good for discovering possibilities, what you can do with your body.

  27.   Sitting game

It is an energizer game. You sit on a chair. Your goal is to make a whole circle and sit on your chair again. The problem is that you can move only when you agree with sentence of a leader (e.g. I have a sister, I like chocolate etc.) If someone sits on you, you cannot move even if you agree with sentence.

  28. Outsider

There is a group and they think up only one possibility how to get in a circle (e.g. kiss a cheek or make a roll). One person is out and guessing how to get in.

   29.    Pose and fill the gap

One person goes to the circle, the second join him, then the third person join them. Then thi first person makes a new position. The point is to fill the small area.

   30.   Blind game

Blind game is a team building game. One is the leader and leads the second person in an area. The second one is blind and sees nothing. He/she must believe to leader for 100%.

  31.   Spider web

Spider web is very interesting team building game. The group must pass the spider web. Each hole can be used one or two times max. It is very important to make a good strategy and work as a group.

  32.   Approaching game

People are in two lines in front of each other. One of them goes nearer and nearer to the second one with some feel (e.g. anger). Then the person goes back.

   33. Stop/  Clapping improvisation

Two people improvise on some theme, when someone claps one’s hands, people stay in freeze. This person changes someone in a stage and continues with totally different theme.