Self Portraits

Self Portraits

-(Ice Breaker, Encourage Children)-

Facilitating process: an ice breaker is needed

This is an introduction game that I've already used with several modification. You can choose or modified this game by yourself, to fit your activity.

Objectives
- To introduce participants with each other
- To create a better, relaxing atmosphere among participants

Needs
Paper and pen (crayon or colour pencil, spidol are better). A thing to be thrown (example: ball).

Step by Step
- Ask participants to draw a self portrait on a piece of paper. They can choose whatever they like: abstract, cartoon, artistic, symbol, etc.
- Ask them to write 3 stepping stones  (important events) that lead them to this workshop.
- If there is time, participants can introduce themselves (with name, acticity, school, favorite food, musician, etc) and tell everybody about their stepping stones. After one participants introduce her/himself, they must choose random participants to continue the activity by throw something like ball.  It will be interesting to know each other randomly, and everybody will get their tense.
- If you have no time, just collect portraits and display it on the wall.

Modifications
- If those in the group already know each other, you can give order not to write their names on portraits (portraits must contain special characters from each participants). Then display it on the wall. Every participants then writing down their guesses on a sheet, which is then scored).
-  Every participant also write down 3 negative and positive characters about themselves. Then they also describe their characters.
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Devil Number Game

Devil Number Game

-(Improve Listening and Observation, Math Game, Ice Breaker)

Whooaaa... I am writing again. This time I will give you a simple game (I got it from Mr Agus Mulyana when he manage our strategic plan before).

To play this game, at least we need about 20 people. Make a circle, and start counting, so everybody get their number. After that, tell people to remember their own number.

The rule is simple: first I will shout a number. People that have this number will shout another number, and  this game will continue until somebody is make mistake (such as too long to answer). People who makes mistake are eliminated.

There are another rules:
1). Never mention the number in your right and left side. Example: people number 5 can not shout number 4 and 6.
2). Never mention the number people already gone. It's devil number.

So the game will depend on people concentration. Re-start the number after every mistake. After some mistakes, it will be more difficult to remember the devil number.

Play the game. It's fun and people always love it :)

Picture taken from purplenote.wordpress.com

Answer and Grouping

Answer and Grouping
-(Nature Game, Facilitation Technique, Ice Breaker, Grouping, More ESD Activities)-

This is a game that we can use again and again, with only small modification- as an introduction games, ice breaker or energizing game, I prefer to modify, relate it with environment issues. But sure, you can also modify it into mathematic, biology, social science, language game, etc.

Needs
Pencils, papers, questions

Give papers and pencils to participants. The idea is simple: we give
questions (multiple choices are better). The children answer it by
writing answer in paper, and then in count 3 they must find a group
who write same answer with them (by moving,asking).

Purpose - to know each other / environment issues. Questions (sample):
- Which one is your favorite pet: dog, cat, turtle, fish, bird,
reptile?
- Which one is your favorite recreation place: beach, mountain,
forest, garden, lake-river, sea?
- Which one is your favorite social-environment friendly actor / artist: John Lennon, U2, Anggun, Leonardo Di Caprio, Sting, Elizabeth Taylor?

Purpose - to test environment / biology knowledge. Questions (sample):
- Which one doing photosynthesis: zooplankton, phytoplankton, mushroom, fungi, bacteria, and virus?

Purpose - to test language knowledge. Questions (sample):
- What Sundanese (traditional) language is having same meaning with "sit”: diuk, ulin, sare, lumpat?

And more...

Hints:
- Remember, for competition game, add some modification like squat / squat-walking for group who give false answer - until another question offered.
- Don’t forget to tell them to shake hand every time they do grouping,
with other group member. It will cheer the atmosphere.
- Remember, this is only an opening game. Prepare a discussion related with the topic you play.

HIP-HIP and HOOREEE

HIP-HIP and HOOREEE
-(More ESD Activities, Ice Breaker)-

This is a game for fun, an ice breaker game that I got from my friend in Philippines when we are attending the ToT in land rights advocacy. The students of Xavier University at Cagayan de Oro, told us that this is a game to welcome their neighbouring friends (included me also ^^)

Although it is simple game, we have a lot of fun to do this game. When you are teaching something, or conduct a training and when a session need an energizer, this is a game to choose.

Needs
About 5 to 15 participants

The rule of this game is to obey trainer instructions. There is two basic rules while they appoint participants:
1. When trainer appoint someone, a participant must clap 2 times and say HIP-HIP
2. For second appointment participants must raise her/his hands and say HOOREEE

Trainer can choose any participants to do first and second instructions. So the participants must concentrate their concentrations while playing this game, so they will not getting eliminated.

Do the instructions fast and you as a trainer also can repeat the instructions for the same man or different man. Make your instructions unpredictable. You always can make a randomize appointment and everybody will shock and need concentrate hard to play this game.

It's not really a nature game, but maybe you can modified some move and yel. My suggestions are :
- Use this activity to learn about language. You can add new move and use some English / local language for the substitution of HIP-HIP and HOOREEE
- After some practice you can start to make a competition. Ask the participants to make a circle so you can choose participants faster / effectively
- This game also suitable for they who wants to popularize some words and symbol. Repetition for middle or long term also good to influence people minds. For example, you also can affect people behaviour (children) if you change the order like this :
First appointment : Shout "THROW (the garbage)!" - action : using hand like throwing something
Second order : Shout "NOOO !" - action : jump and make raise an X with her/his body (hand and foot)...

Thank you for my Pinoy friends. I hope you also have fun with this game...

Picture : ANGOC ToT participants (Srilanka vs Nepal) in action, the last one to be eliminated

Two Little Bear Dancing

Two Littlle Bear Dancing
-(Nature Game, Ice Breaker, Grouping, )-

This is a fun game, an energizing game - make me sweat a lot too. I modified this game to become more "nature game" from a game call "Pancoran Statue" , an energizing management skill training game (I got it from my friend M. Yasin in RMI).

To make it become more "natural", I choose to change the orders. This is a simply refreshing game and when I try to did it, children and adults always love it. It become my favorite game too.

Needs
Nothing, about 20 people or more

First, make a circle from people. Tell them to :
1. Make a solo when the teacher say "CHICKEN". They have to mimic a chicken with its sound : pek - pek - pek
2. When the teacher say "DANCING BEAR", they have to dance in two, mimic a dancing bear with its sound : na - na - na - na


3. When the teacher say "FLYING BEE", they have to make a tiny circle, in three with its sound : bzzzz - bzzzz - bzzzz. Don't forget, they have to "fly" in circle
4. When the teacher say "FLOWER", they have to make a flower formation in four. The children will hand in hand together. When the flower blossom, they will say "BLOSSOM". When the flower is in KUNCUP, they will say "KUNCUP" - it's a kind of open and close formation, like a flower blossoming.
5. When the teacher say "T", they must make a T letter in five man formation.

For the first 1-2 minutes, they will begin to train the move and the formation. After 3 minutes, you can begin the game. Everybody who is being kicked out from the game are they who is to slow to build the formation (means that in this game, speed is important).


The order can be this way:
First round : DANCING BEAR
SECOND ROUND : FLOWER
Third round : CHICKEN
FOURTH ROUND : BLOSSOM
Fifth Round : FLYING BEE
Seventh round : CHICKEN
Eight round : BLOSSOM
Ninth round : CHICKEN
Tenth round : T
You go on, as long as possible... ^^

Hints:
- Use order CHICKEN (solo) to divide team after some formation to distract them
- If the circle is broken (to many children play in the same area), please rebuild the circle again
- It is management game about change-happened around us, and how people must be ready for any change happened, but for a nature game, we also can discuss something like : - a topic related with an order (like : OK - now we will discuss about bee...); or who can tell me about chicken?
- You go on... I think your ideas are unlimited...

Black or Blue

BLACK AND BLUE
-(Nature Game, Enhancing Group Dynamics, Ice Breaker)-

This is a modified game from Indonesian "Hitam and Hijau" (Black and Green) game. My teacher show this game when I was a young scout in my junior high school. I asume that some of you have a similar game played in your country :) Then I modify it to become "a more nature game" :) . We also can modified many other games to teach environment education, math, social, science, local language in fun way - you should trust me :)

First I choose "Black and Blue" because the words have similar rhyme - in more simple way, we can also play this game by just say BLLLACK or BLLLUE (for example, for kindergarten / smaller kids).

We divide children or adults into 2 groups. This is a massive game, so it will be more fun if we played it with more than 20 kids. Sometimes I played this game in order to refresh, re-energizing participants.

Needs:
Some statements in related issues (environment, math, social, or else)

Make 4 lines :
1. First line
2. Second line, aproximately 5 meter from first line
3. Third line, aproximately 7 meter from first line
4. Fourth line, aproximately 12 meter from first line

Divide participants into 2 groups. First group will be BLACK group (WRONG statement), second group will be BLUE group (RIGHT statement).

BLACK and BLUE group will stand behind line number 2 and 3, facing each other. A WRONG statement means a BLACK team can catch one of the BLUE team after the teacher read his/her statement completely. A RIGHT statement means a BLUE team can catch one of the BLACK team after the teacher read his/her statement completely.

Please notice that prisoner will be a part the team who catch them. Also pay attention that to secure a position, a target can run until they reach save line (behind first or fourth line).

Make some nature/social/ math/... related statement like :
1. Orcinus orca (killer whale) is a kind of fish
(WRONG answer - it's mamal, so the BLACK group catch one of the blue group. Just grab a hand)
2. There's no way that a mamal can lay an egg
(WRONG answer - a platypus can, so the BLACK group catch one of the blue group)
3. Social related statement: Ujung Kulon National Park (with its Javan Rhino) is in Indonesian - Banten Province
(RIGHT answer - this time so BLUE group catch one of the blue group)
4. Trap statement : You've already eat this morning :P
(So there's no BLACK and BLUE answer - participants will catch each other dizzily)
5. Math related statement: If a tree can produce 200 lt of O2 a month (net), it needs 15 trees to support a man who needs 3000 lt O2 a month.
(You should know that The BLUE will catch the BLACK)
6. Create your own fun statement...

For a smaller kids, create a more simple statement... have fun !

Guess My Name

Guess My Name
-(Nature Game, Facilitation Technique, Improve Listening and Observation, Enhancing Group Dynamics, )-

This activity is a nature game. It is fun and we can do it in a class room or an open area. Our purpose is to know different kind of animal, plant diversity (or something else if we want to develop and relate this game more : like in social issues - city name, village, tribe,...), so we can always practice environment issue with biology, social, geography with this kind of game.

Needs:
Handkerchief (optional), some game card (we create it)

First, for teachers, we have to make some game card related with our topics (is it about knowing animals? Is it about knowing plant diversity ? - (more advance: is it about local tribe knowledge ; or is it about city/village social knowledge)? This game is very flexible.

Cut a nice picture for the card. You can make it big enough, so the children can see it clearly. This is some example about what things we can do with this card
Animal diversity: deer, jelly fish, pig, worm, shark, sea snake,...
Plant diversity: tomato, chilly, coconut tree, banana tree, other tree,...
Profession: farmer, teacher, ...
Social knowledge: city, village, country name, tribe
Tools : computer, knife, paper map

The game we played needs some participants. We divide kids into 2 groups (each about 3-5 kids). Then we give the cards to them. In round one, one group try to guess what card that the other group have. They can ask about 10 time, which the other groups answer is one of this answer : yes, no, yes-no, or not sure. Not clear answer means that the first group must ask a more clear question

The facilitator only give the first clue like : living creature, profession, country, or more speciall clue like : it can breath (for monkey), or it can be from wood (paper map).

The example for kids that guessing a Banana Tree is like this:
Facilitator: It is a living creature
Q1 : Is it an animal? A1 : No
Q2 : Is it moving? A2 : Yes - No
Q3 : Is it a plant? A3 : Yes
Q4 : Is it have a fruit? A4 : Yes
Q5 : Is it a tropical plant? A5 : Yes
Q6: Is the fruit have a hard skin? A6 : No
Q7: Is their fruit have a green skin? A7 : Yes - No
Q8: Is their fruit consist a lot of water in it? A8 : Not Clear
Q8 : We mean, when we eat it, there is a taste a lot of water in it? A8: Not sure, but Yes
Q9 : Is the fruit flesh is generally red? A9 : No
Q10 : Is the fruit flesh is generally white / yellow? A10 : Yes

Facilitator : Ok, let guess !
Answer : It's a manggo tree (wrong answer). Then the other group show the picture of Banana Tree. 0 - 1 to the answering group!

Some example of animal topic card

For beginner, play with more question limit (maybe 15 question or you can make a time limit (example 5 minutes, rather than 2 minutes). Remember, you can also play this nature game with modifications:
- Play with single player versus groups (as who will guess or answer the question). If the single player play as the "guesser" he/she can stand in opposite direction with the picture in his/her back.
- Play with more topics, like geography, profession, science, and still you can make relation with environmental issues (or not). Just keep the first clue "environmental friendly" ; like "this thing can make you easier doing your environmental proposal" (answer: computer) ; or "this tribe have local knowledges in farming method" (answer : Dayak Tribe in Borneo).
- Even you can play this game with local languange to integrate it with your culture
- Have fun, integrate this environmental education into a sustainable development issue :) !!!

Animal Instinct

Animal Instinct
-(Nature Game, Facilitation Technique, Ice Breaker, Grouping)-

"Animal Instinct" is an ice breaking game that we can do to energize children or adults when we study environmental education / else. The story behind this nature game is to to tell that animals generally live in the same species groups, not other groups because they need group protection, and other related things.

Needs:
Handkerchieves

First, in circle (or line) we count 1 to 5, and then we start counting the same number again until everybody got their number.

After finish counting, every children in same number stay in the same group. Name that group with animal name like chicken, bear, cat, cow and so on. Practice how the animal will sound, so it's like the cat "meooww" or the cow "moooo"

Then we use handkerchieves to make sure they can't see. Randomised their position / split the groups, and make sure that they are disoriented.

Then in your command, 1...2...3, they start to looking their animal groups by vocalize their animal sound. Be sure that nobody sounding except their animal sound, with eyes closed. The class wil be full with a lot of meooww, mooo, and roar and the games will be stop after each group had their member. The winner will be the fastest group get all their member.

For a larger groups, we can make more than 5 animal groups.