Blind Formations
Do you have a group that could benefit from growing as a team and enhancing communications skills? Blind Formations promotes teamwork, trust among members and attention to directions and detail. Not only do participants get to work in a group to accomplish a task, they also learn how their actions and ability to communicate can affect the bigger picture. Give it a try!
Time Needed: 15 minutes
Group Size: 5-10
Materials: One long rope tied end to end to form a circle
Directions: Place the rope in a circle on the ground. Then, have participants form a circle around the rope, close enough that each person can reach out and touch it. Once they are in place, have participants close their eyes if they feel comfortable doing so. (If they truly don’t feel comfortable, ask them to help assist you by “spotting” to make sure those who have their eyes closed are safe while moving around.) Tell them that you will have your eyes open to help keep everyone safe. Once everyone is in place with their eyes closed, please have them pick up the rope. Every person should be touching the rope with both hands. Instruct the group that they will create five shapes out of the rope while their eyes are closed. You will let them know when they achieve each shape so that they can move on to the next. Remind them to keep their eyes closed. Once they have completed a shape or think they are close, allow them to open their eyes briefly to see how they did. They have a limited amount of time to complete all shapes. Ask if anyone has questions before you begin. As you call out each shape, make sure you’re observing participants to ensure safety. If you have a co-facilitator or participants who are assisting you with this, make sure they’re equally distributed around the circle.
Shapes:
- Rectangle
- Square
- Triangle
- “W” shape
- “Z” shape
Debrief Questions:
- Did your group come up with a plan or just dive in and start working? If you had a plan, did you follow through with it? Why or why not?
- What would you do differently if you had the opportunity to do this activity again?
- Did your group work well as a team? Why or why not?
- In your opinion, what did your group do best? What could you use more improvement on?