Do you want your staff or youth to get to know each other a little better? Do you want to challenge them to share things about themselves that others might not know? Wrapped Around My Hand is just the activity you need! This activity allows everyone in the group to share facts about their life and learn about others, too.
Time Needed: 15 minutes
Group Size: Up to 12 participants, break into smaller groups if you have more
Materials: A piece of rope, somewhere between 5 and 6 feet in length
Directions: Begin with an unknotted rope, and explain to participants that you’re going to continue learning about each other. As the facilitator, you should start by demonstrating how to do the activity correctly. Begin wrapping the rope around your hand, and while doing so, provide the group with some information about yourself (i.e., where you were born, how many family members you have, school experiences, childhood pets, dreams, goals, favorite foods, etc.). Make sure to continually wrap the rope around your hand until you come to the end; don’t pause wrapping the rope between your statements. Once you’re done, pass the rope to someone standing on either your left or your right. Have he/she complete the same task, and make sure everyone in the circle has an opportunity to participate. Tell participants that they are beginning to share their stories with us, so they should pick out events or characteristics about their life they really want the rest of the group to know. Make sure that everyone has an opportunity to share
Debrief Questions:
- What is one thing you learned about someone else that surprised you?
- Why is it important to build relationships with those we work with?
- What would happen if we weren’t intentional about building relationships?