Challenge Initiative Games

CHALLENGE INITIATIVE GAMES
WHAT ARE INITIATIVE GAMES? If a game is too easy or if you have other motives, you
can vary the skills of the participants by not allowing
some to talk, by blindfolding, by not allowing the use of
Initiative games are fun, cooperative, challenging
various limbs, etc. You also can create a story line to
games in which the group is confronted with a specific
go with the game.
problem to solve. In Exploring we use initiative games
for two reasons: The games demonstrate and teach See the reference list if you are interested in getting
leadership skills to Advisors, which helps to promote more games. Happy playing!
the growth of Explorers; and the games demonstrate a
process of thinking about experiences that helps
Explorers learn and become responsible citizens. TRUST CIRCLE
Here are a few suggestions. Begin by clearly explain-
The group forms a tight circle with six to 10 people
ing the game. Make sure the rules are understood,
standing shoulder to shoulder with arms out and palms
including that everyone must complete the activity for
up. One person stands in the middle with arms folded
the group to be successful.
over chest and eyes closed. This person then falls in
Don’t offer ideas for solving the problem. Stand back any direction, keeping the body stiff. The group’s
and let the group work and play with it even if the group responsibility is to catch the falling person and push the
has a difficult time. Don’t interfere unless something is person gently upright.
unsafe or the group has fallen apart.
There should always be more than one person catch-
Reflect on the activity. Spend a few minutes afterward ing. After a few tries, the center person can direct the
talking about what the participants learned. This is group to take a step backward and try again.
most effective when you use the principles of reflection
discussed in the Explorer Leader Handbook (page
A-9). Talk about how effectively and efficiently they PEOPLE PENDULUM
accomplished the task and how well they got along
with each other. Ask open-ended questions to help the Form two parallel lines with at least 10 people in each
group talk about the issues. Don’t be judgmental. In line. Each person in one line faces someone in the
asking questions, first help the participants focus on other line with about two feet between them. The two
what happened, then ask them to decide if what people standing side by side in the center of one line
happened was good or bad. Finally, ask them to set place a sturdy pole on their outside shoulders, with
some goals for the future. their counterparts in the line across from them shoul-
dering the other end of the poles. In other words, there
The best impact that initiative games can have on will be two poles, one shouldered by each facing pair in
your post program is for you to use the initiative games the center. These poles should be strong enough to
leadership style and the reflective methods in your support group participants who stand on them.
post program. While initiative games are fun and
meaningful lessons can be learned, a lasting impact One group participant is hoisted onto each pole. They
will be achieved only by using the principles behind the face each other and hold hands or wrists. When they
games in the complete post program. As an adult are ready, they let go of each other and fall back into
leader, you help the youth learn to make decisions and the arms of the remaining people in the row on each
solve problems in everything you do in Exploring. side. It is important that the people falling stay very stiff
Teach them the skills they need and let them do it. As and either hold onto their pant legs or fold their arms
someone once said: “Train them and trust them!” Use across their chest. It also is important that the catchers
reflection during and after post activities and experi- catch the people in “trust-fall style,” alternating arms
ences to help the youth learn. Get them in the habit of down the row with the people across from them and
thinking and sharing together as a group. standing very close together. Another method is to
grasp wrists with the person across from you. It is
important when using this method that the catchers
give a little as they catch the person.
CHALLENGE INITIATIVE GAMES 1

After catching the people, you can push them back up. EVERYBODY UP
It is important that you learn this activity slowly and do
it in a safe place. A soft lawn is best. Begin with smaller This activity begins with everybody in pairs and gradu-
people and work your way up. ally expands to include everyone at once. Each pair
sits on the ground facing each other, with each per-
—from The Second Cooperative Sports and Games
son’s feet against the other’s feet and holding hands.
The goal is to pull each other to a standing position.
GROUP JUGGLING When two people accomplish this task, continue to try
it with more until everyone is in one group. It has been
Materials: tennis balls or bean bags, or have each per- suggested that with more than eight people it is impos-
son take off one shoe sible to do in a circle, but that it is possible to do with
another configuration.
Begin with everyone in a circle and one object to be
thrown. The first person throws the object across the Variation: The goal is the same except that in this ver-
circle to someone who then throws the object to some- sion participants sit back to back. All other rules apply.
one else. Everyone should catch and throw the object
just once, remembering whom they received from and
to whom they threw. The first person to throw should HOG CALL
receive the ball last. Begin the sequence again, contin-
ually adding objects so that the group is juggling as Materials: one blindfold for each person
many objects as possible.
This is a good warm-up activity. There are several vari-
ations, but all of them involve blindfolded individuals
PEOPLE PASS yelling a name or animal sound to find their group or
partner. In one variation, everyone privately receives
There are two ways of doing this activity. The first is to the name of an animal. The goal is to find everyone
have everyone lie down on their back, alternating the else who has that same name by milling about “moo-
direction of their feet, and with their heads in a straight ing” or “oinking” or whatever it is that their animal does.
line. In other words, even-numbered people will have Another variation has half the group line up on one end
feet facing west and odd-numbered people will have of an open area and half line up on the other. Each
feet facing east. When you look down the center of the person is given half of an opposing word or phrase, like
row, you should see a straight line of heads. After “salt and pepper” or “light and dark.” The folks on the
everyone gets lined up, they should put their arms other side of the field get the other half of the phrase.
straight up in the air with their hands flat (palms up). When everyone is ready, each side walks toward the
One person will then stand at one end of the line with other and tries to find their particular partner by yelling
the body stiff and arms either folded across the chest their particular word.
or holding onto pant legs. You will lower the person,
back first, onto the row of arms and they will gently
pass the body to the other end. Someone should catch HAVE YOU DONE THIS?
the person as he or she comes off the end.
Each player thinks of something about himself or her-
The second way is to split into two standing rows of self that does not apply to anyone else in the group.
people, facing forward in a double line. Again, every- Each individual shares their idea. If someone else
one puts their arms up with palms flat. You will need shares that characteristic, that person must find a new
several people to help hoist the person to the top to be one. Play continues until everyone has shared some-
passed at this height. thing unique about themselves.
—from The New Games Book —from Games

QUESTIONS REFERENCES
This is a get-acquainted activity in which each individ-
Fluegelman, Andrew. More New Games. Garden City,
ual has a predetermined time period during which any-
N.Y.: Doubleday, 1981.
one in the group can ask that person any question
about any subject (within the bounds of good taste). Fluegelman, Andrew. The New Games Book. Garden
City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1976.
—from Games
Hohenstein, Mary. Games. Minneapolis, Minn.:
Bethany Fellowship, 1980.
COOKIE MACHINE
Orlick, Terry. The Second Cooperative Sports and
Games Book. New York: Pantheon Books, 1982.
The group forms two parallel lines of people standing
shoulder to shoulder. Each line should face the other Rohnke, Karl. The Bottomless Bag. Beverly, Mass.:
about two feet apart. Players put their arms out in front Wilkscraft Creative Printing, 1988.
of them with their elbows bent and palms up. The
Rohnke, Karl. Silver Bullets. Beverly, Mass.: Wilkscraft
arms of the persons in each of the two lines should
Creative Printing, 1988.
alternate with those across from them. You’ve just built
a cookie machine.
One person stands at one end of the cookie machine

and announces a preference for a type of cookie; for
example, chocolate chip. The cookie machine then
bounces the “chocolate chip cookie” (who keeps his or
her body stiff and arms straight out) from one end to the
other while chanting “chocolate chip, chocolate chip.”
When the cookie gets to the middle, it ought to be turned
over so it doesn’t burn. Some people might feel more
comfortable with their arms folded over their chest.
—from More New Games

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CHALLENGE INITIATIVE GAMES

CHALLENGE INITIATIVE GAMES 1

CHALLENGE INITIATIVE GAMES 2

One person stands at one end of the cookie machine

CHALLENGE INITIATIVE GAMES 3

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