Activity 25: Join Together

Safety Reminders!

Appropriate caution is important to conduct these activities in a safe manner. Be sure to review these reminders prior to beginning the activity, and if necessary, share reminders with the group during the activity.

• Follow general safety procedures

Helpful hints

• This is an activity for a large group. I think it works best when you have between 40 and 52 people (there are 52 pieces in each Toobeez set)

Activity Instructions

1. Circle up the group. Distribute or display the appropriate “Risk Taking Note” for the activity. Have one participant read it aloud twice. Provide a few moments for the participants to think about the message:
   “Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those doing it.” - Chinese Proverb
2. Share the following storyline with group.
   You are all here to connect! Find a way to do it!
3. Read aloud the following Activity Challenge Box to the group.
   Challenge: The entire group must connect. Follow the guidelines below:
   • Participants must stay in physical contact with their piece of Toobeez throughout the activity
   • The group can not have any “satellites” that are not connected. Everyone must be connected in some way (like tree branches)
   • If any guidelines are broken, the group must begin again
4. Before the participants attempt an activity challenge, have the group work through the following six steps:

Problem Solving Sequence:

1. Circle up
2. Know and understand the challenge and the guidelines
3. Brainstorm
4. Make a plan
5. Do the plan
6. Evaluate results and adjust as necessary
5. Have each person stand holding their piece of Toobeez to begin the activity.
6. If participants get stuck, have the students circle up again. Here are some suggested questions to help guide the group back on track*:
   
   • What is working?
   • What ideas have you not tried yet that someone suggested?
7. If your group is still struggling OR if you feel your group would benefit from an additional challenge, present a variation provided on the next page.
8. After the activity, move to the debriefing questions for discussion.

Activity Variations

1. Close your eyes.
   After you give the group the basic activity (as described in the original activity), have them complete the challenge with their eyes closed.

Debriefing the Activity

Use these debriefing questions as a guide for your discussion. Select the questions you feel will best benefit your group. It is not mandatory to cover every question. If possible, record the group’s responses on flip chart paper so all comments are displayed. Make sure to let everyone share their ideas, and remind participants that everyone’s opinions and feelings are important!

Base questions for debriefing:

• What did you just do together?
• What do the tubes represent metaphorically?
• How did you feel while you did the activity?
• What was one positive thing that happened during this activity?
• What was one of the challenges of doing this activity?
• What did the group have to do or believe to be successful?

Additional questions: Choose which ones are the most appropriate:

• Demonstrate the following: get a group of ten people together in front of the rest of the group, and hand each person a ball. Then ask them to get connected. They can’t do it. Say to them “Oops. Let me take the balls and hand you these tubes.” Ask them to connect. They can’t do it. Now, ask the group what they observed. Ask them to identify what the ball and tubes represent. Does your group have too many of one? Which one?
• How do you feel now?
• What advice would you give to another group working on this activity?
• Did you try different ideas? If so, why did you change your approach?

Close on a Positive Note

Sum up the different ideas and feelings that you heard expressed, and restate ideas and learning moments the participants shared. Then, read the Risk Taking Note out loud again, and ask people to discuss what they think this note means. Discuss what they thought it meant at the beginning and what they think it means now.

* (ˆ) Do not provide the participants with answers. Allow them to work together.