Games for inclusive grouping during pandemic:
Get outdoors! Exercising outside is generally safe. Just be sure to allow at least 1,5 meters between participants.
- Category: Getting to know your name
- Group size: 10-20
- Time: 10 minutes
- Supplies: open sheltered space
Instructions:
- This is a presentation game in which the group stands in a circle and one of the people stands in the center with eyes closed,.
- The person in the middle turns around and, when he/she stops, points to a person.
- She/He should crouch down and those to her/his right and left should say the name of the other person as quickly as possible.
- Whoever says it later (or doesn’t say it) has to sit down and is out of the game. The last two people standing win.
- Category: Getting to know your name / energizers
- Group size: 10-20
- Time: 20 minutes
- Supplies: open sheltered space
Instructions:
- We stand in a circle and keep our distance. We give each person a role that cannot be taught to anyone; or we secretly show the paper to each person so they don’t have to touch it.
- All the papers are blank except one in which a drawn eye appears and says “PIM”. The person who has that role must wink at another person who will crouch down saying “PAM” and, automatically, the two people who are left and right have to say “PUM” and point with their finger. Whoever does it more slowly loses the duel and is eliminated from the game or plays with a limitation (lame leg, arms on the head, etc)
- PIM: wink at someone (without others knowing)
- PAM: The person who received the wink squats down
- PUM: The two people on the left and right of the “pam” are pointed like a pistol and have to decide the name of their opponent as soon as possible
- To make the game easier, you can designate the person who says “pim” out loud and let the whole group know who it is.
- Category: energizers / warm up
- Group size: 10-20
- Time: 20 minutes
- Supplies: open sheltered space
Instructions:
- The group has to make different gestures according to the phase of the moon that the person who encourages the activity tells them.
- The person leading the activity has to shout a phase of the moon pointing to a partner and the latter has to make the gesture.
- Whoever makes a mistake can be left out of the game or have an added difficulty (squat, covered eyes, tongue out…).
- Phases:
- New Moon, you have to cover your face with both hands;
- Full moon, you have to make a circle with your arms in front of your face;
- Waning moon, C-shaped arms (looking to the right)
- Crescent moon, D-shaped arms (looking to the left).
- Category: energizers / warm up
- Group size: 10-20
- Time: 20 minutes
- Supplies: open sheltered space and a large rope
Instructions:
- For this exercise we need a long rope. We stand in a row along the rope that is on the ground, so that the rope is between our feet (we open our legs and leave the rope in the middle).
- The person who energizes the activity has 4 words to say: EARTH, SEA, FIRE AND AIR.
- EARTH: starting position with the rope between the legs.
- MAR: we jump to the right
- FIRE: we jump to the left
- AIR: we jump up (regardless of our position)
- Whoever dynamizes the activity intersperses the words earth, sea, fire and air so that we have to jump and place ourselves in the correct area. In case of error, the person can be eliminated or continue playing with a limitation (lame leg, hands on the head, etc).
- An adaptation that increases the difficulty of the game is to say names of animals that live on land, sea or that fly.
- Category: energizers / warm up / bodily improvisation
- Group size: 10-20
- Time: 15-20 minutes
- Supplies: open sheltered space
Instructions:
- We stand in a circle and each person thinks a distinctive gesture (peace sign, hands up, touching their nose, tapping…). With claps we will all set the rhythm of the famous song We will rock you.
- When the person who has the first turn deems it appropriate, substitute the pat for the gesture that he/she has thought. After him/her, the partner on the right must follow the rhythm of the song by adding his/her own gesture, but always leaving a rhythm + clap between the gestures.
- Thus, the turn will go by indicating it by gestures. In case of error, the person can be penalized or removed from the game
Example:
Player 1: rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose …
Player 2: rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + wave in the air, rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + wave in the air …
Player 3: rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + wave in the air, rhythm + clap, rhythm + jump, rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + wave in the air, rhythm + clap, rhythm + jump…