Tatiana Thomas

LEI 4724

Activity: Think Fast

Source: RA Conributor. (3 Sept 2013). Think Fast. Retrieved from
http://www.residentassistant.com/ra/think-fast/
Equipment: Random Object that can be passed around (ball, stuffed animal, potato)
Activity Description:
1. 8-25 people. Have the group stand in a circle. One person will stand in the middle of the
circle as the leader (at the beginning of the game that person may be the facilitator).
The facilitator will explain to the group that this game requires people to think quickly.
2. An object will be given to someone standing within the circle and when the leader yells
start!, the object must be passed around the circle. The leader will yell stop!
whenever they want to.
3. When the leader yells stop! they must quickly yell a letter from the alphabet.
4. The person holding the object must quickly say three nouns that begin with the letter the
leader chose.
5. The person with the object has 5 seconds to give the three words. If they do so in 5
seconds, the person in the center must stay the leader and the game continues. If they fail
to say the three words in 5 second, they must exchange places with the person in the
center and be the new leader.
Leadership Considerations:
1. The activity should be light-hearted and fun, but the timing aspect may increase tension
and agitation if a participant cannot say the words in a timely manner. It is imperative
that the facilitator be fair and consistent with timing. No throwing of the object as it
passes around the circle.
2. When playing with a participant who has had a moderate traumatic brain injury but has
lever VII or VIII functioning on the Rancho Los Amigos Cognitive Scale, they may need
more time to come up with the words. It may be helpful to provide them with a sheet of
paper containing a large list of words where they can choose the words beginning with
the same letter if they are the one picked by the leader. This game will also improve the
tolerance and help manage skills during situations where things are not so quiet and
multiple things are happening at once.
3. For participants with upper extremity amputations with a prosthetic, their grasp will be
altered. The object chosen should be big enough for the participant to grasp as quickly as
the other participants. As the game is played more often or for longer periods of time, the
facilitator may choose to switch up the object so that the amputee may improve their
grasping skills with the prosthetic.