BODY BUILDING

EXERCISES AND GAMES TO ENHANCE CHURCHES

MINDFUL MINISTRIES,

BY

NICHOLAS E. STACKS

15 NOV 12

Ice Breakers & Introductions

THE GREAT DIVIDE

WHAT YOU DO For lines: Alphabetical order by first name Alphabetical order by last name Alphabetical order by mother's first name Birthday Shoe size (smallest to biggest) Hair color (darkest to lightest) Hair length (shortest to longest) Height (shortest to tallest) Skin color (darkest to lightest) Thumb size (shortest to longest) For groups: Male or female? Cat or dog? Vanilla or chocolate? Eye color Hair color Shirt color Fold your hands, which thumb is on top? Fold your arms, which arm is on top? Season in which you were born

THE HUMAN ETCH-A-SKETCH

WHAT YOU NEED Pencil and paper for every two people WHAT YOU DO Divide into pairs (one will hold the pencil, and the other will draw). The one with the pencil holds it above the paper and closes his eyes. The one drawing holds the paper under the pencil and decides what to draw. The drawer will tell the pencil-holder either to put his pencil on the paper by saying down, or to lift his pencil off the paper by saying up. The drawer moves the paper around to create the picture.

FIND YOUR PEOPLE

WHAT YOU NEED Multiple sets of 6 plastic buttons of different shapes, sizes, and colors WHAT YOU DO Everyone takes a button without looking at it or showing it to anyone else. Instruct the group to find your people by only asking questions that describe their button. When everyone finds their group, everyone reveals their button to see what shapes they have and if they found the right people. WHAT YOU SAY Discuss ways to learn more about others, and the assumptions that people make about others based on little to no information.

QUESTIONABLE PAIRS
WHAT YOU NEED Name tags WHAT YOU DO Write the names of famous pairs (Peter & Lois, Clark Kent & Lois Lane, Adam & Eve, etc.) onto name tags. When one walks in, tag his back with one part of a famous pair. Each has to ask yes or no questions to find out who he is, and then he has to find his pair. When he finds his pair he has to introduce who he really is.

SHOW & TELL SHOES

WHAT YOU NEED People and the shoes off their feet WHAT YOU DO Have everyone sit or stand in a circle. Ask them to take off their shoes and immediately toss them into the middle of the circle. Begin by having one volunteer pick a pair of shoes; describe the owner (without knowing who it is). Have the volunteer guess the person's age, hobbies, and attitude. When he is done, the owner of those shoes comes forward and picks another pair of shoes to continue the activity.

HAVE YOU EVER...

WHAT YOU NEED 1 Piece of paper per person (minus 1) Sharpie Tape WHAT YOU DO Number the paper for as many people people as you have, minus one (i.e. if you have 10 people, there will be 9 numbered papers). Tape the paper to the floor in a row or two with an arms length between them. Each person will stand on a piece of paper. The person without a spot stands in the middle and asks a yes or no question. Anyone who answers yes must leave his spot and find a new one. He can't stay in the same spot or move to a spot immediately to his left or right. Whoever is left without a spot now asks the next question.

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE

WHAT YOU NEED Pencils Index cards WHAT YOU DO Have each person write down two true statements and one false statement about themselves. When everyone is ready, take turns reading your own statements and having the rest of the group guess which one is false.

TENNIS BALL INTRODUCTIONS

WHAT YOU NEED A tennis ball WHAT YOU DO Have everyone sit in a circle facing each other. The one who holds the tennis ball has to introduce himself. After your introduction, toss the ball to another in the circle to have him introduce himself. After the introductions, encourage the group to keep talking and throwing the ball.

Communication & Teamwork

HELIUM STICK
WHAT YOU NEED A lightweight 8' tent pole (preferably aluminum or titanium) WHAT YOU DO Line up in two rows which face each other. Ask the group to extend their arms and point their index fingers. Lay the helium stick on their fingers, and allow the group to adjust their finger heights so that the helium stick is horizontal and all index fingers are touching the stick. Challenge the group to lower the helium stick to the ground. The tops of each person's index fingers must be in constant contact with the helium stick, therefore pinching or grabbing is not allowed. If anyone's finger is not touching the helium stick, they must restart. The helium stick will mysteriously have a habit to float upward, especially in the beginning. Often the more the group tries, the more it will float (being anxious causes their fingers to collectively jitter upward). If a group is succeeding too fast, pay close attention to their fingers; your reminders of the rules will cause the group to try too much and force the pole upwards.

BALLOON TOWERS
WHAT YOU NEED 6+ people per team 100 balloons (any size) per team 1 roll of masking tape per team WHAT YOU DO Give 100 balloons and a roll of masking tape to each team. The goal is to make a free-standing tower using only the provided balloons and masking tape.

GUTTER BALL
WHAT YOU NEED Various lengths of pipe/half-pipe A marble Bucket or container WHAT YOU DO The object is to get the marble from one location to the bucket using the pipe/half-pipe. The challenge is that each person is holding a different section of the pipe/half-pipe in mid-air, obstacles must be navigated to get to the finish point, and leap-frogging is required in order to reach the distance (so set up the course to be longer than the sum of the pipe/half-pipe lengths). Once the marble starts, it cannot stop or change directions on the current pipe/half-pipe.

THUMB BALL
WHAT YOU NEED A white soccer ball (any object with panels will do) A sharpie WHAT YOU DO Depending on the intended goal, write a different subject or question on each panel of the ball. Have everyone stand in a circle. Toss the ball around, having each react to the panel under his thumb (or any finger specified).

ALL STARS
WHAT YOU NEED 5-10 people 50' rope WHAT YOU DO Have everyone pick up the rope. The goal is to form a five-point star with the rope, with no rope left over at either end. They can move their hands along the rope, but cannot change places.

COUNT OFF
WHAT YOU DO Have the group stand or sit close together in no particular order. The goal is for the group to count to a number twice the number of people in the group. Each person can only say two numbers during the entire game, and only one person can say a number at any given time. If two people say the same number, the group has to start over. If the group is large enough, you can split into multiple groups and split up to see which group can finish faster.

ESSENCE
WHAT YOU NEED Paper Pen A hat WHAT YOU DO Have the group sit in a circle, write their name on a piece of paper, fold it in half, and toss it into the hat. Choose one person to begin by picking a name out of the hat and describing that persons soul, but not letting anyone else know who it is. The point is not to describe features such as gender or appearance, but to describe the essence of who that individual is on the insidetheir personality and soul. Include enough details to narrow it down to a few people, then allow the group to guess who was being described. The person who was described then chooses a new name out of the hat and describes the essence of that person, and so on, until each has been described. It is very uplifting and motivating, but has to be done with a group that has been together long enough to know each other.

WASHBALL RACE
WHAT YOU NEED 5+ people per team 1 large metal washer per team 5+ strings (2' long) per team 1 tennis ball per team 1 bowl per team WHAT YOU DO Tie the strings randomly around the washers. Place the washers on the ground, a ball on the washer, and have each team stand in a circle around a washer and each team member hold onto a string. The team must work together to place the ball in the bowl on the other side of the room (or course, if you want to set up obstacles for the teams to maneuver). WHAT YOU SAY Discuss how one person taking the initiative by assuming leadership can save the entire team.

BLIND SQUARE
WHAT YOU NEED Blindfolds 50' rope WHAT YOU DO Blindfold the majority (use an odd number of people) of the group and ask them to hold onto the rope. Ask the others in the group to quietly observe the blindfolded group. Tell the blindfolded group to make the best possible square with the rope, and that the rope cannot be put down until the group reaches a consensus. For more of a challenge: Blindfold everyone, spin them around, and sit them down. Silently lay the coiled rope within reach of one of them. Explain that the rope has been positioned within reach, and that the group must work together to form a square with it. WHAT YOU SAY Discuss how well the group communicated, and in what way they communicated. Ask if any felt like they had a good idea but did not feel like they were being heard. Ask the observers to discuss what they saw.

PASS THE CLAP

WHAT YOU DO Stand in a circle. One person starts with the clap in his hands and turns to face the person next to him. When the two make eye contact, they clap simultaneously. Then that next person has the clap and turns to pass it to the next person, and so on. When everyone has the hang of it, they can move around to different parts of the circle, or reverse the direction of the clap.

60 SECONDS
WHAT YOU NEED Index cards A hat WHAT YOU DO Write a different Biblical subject on each index card and throw them in the hat. Have the first person draw a card and give a 60 second speech on his subject. If he knows nothing about the subject, he can make things upthe key is no pressure when learning how to communicate! Before moving onto the next person, discuss the subject for a few minutes after his speech.

MULTI-WAY TUG-O-WAR
WHAT YOU NEED 4 lengths of climbing rope 1 large steel ring 8 climbing carabiners WHAT YOU DO Lay out the ropes as shown below, and have fun!

TOXIC WASTE
WHAT YOU NEED 5-12 people Approximately 90' of paracord Knife 2 buckets A bungee cord or bicycle tube

WHAT YOU DO Use about 40' of paracord to create a circle 8' or larger in diameter to represent the radiation zone. Place one bucket in the center of the radiation zone and fill it with something light such as crumpled up newspaper to represent the toxic waste. Place the second bucket 30' or more away from the radiation zone to represent the neutralizer. Put the remaining paracord, knife, and the bungee or bicycle tube in a pile near the radiation zone. The challenge is for the group to work out how to place the toxic waste bucket inside of the neutralizer bucket using only the paracord and bungee. A radius of 4' must be maintained between the toxic waste and the players at all times. The solution usually involves attaching multiple lengths of paracord to the bungee or bicycle tube (which is usually doubled over several times), then everyone pulling on the bungee or tube with their cord in various directions in order to stretch it over the bucket in order to lift it up.

BLIND & MUTE

WHAT YOU NEED A blindfold for each person WHAT YOU DO Have everyone blindfold themselves, then give them the task of lining themselves up in order of their birthdays. The Mute variation is to have everyone line up by height or weight by allowing them to see, but not talk.

REPLICA
WHAT YOU NEED Poster board Markers/crayons/pencils WHAT YOU DO Make a poster as detailed as you would like (as simple as a squirrel under a tree, or as detailed as an entire city at rush hour). Post the poster outside the room where no one can see it. Each team will need builders, one runner, and one looker. The looker is the only person that can see the poster, and he must describe the poster to the runner. The runner must run from the looker to the builders. The builders have to replicate the original poster based on what the runner tells them. The runner can run as many times as needed to clarify information. For more of a challenge, require that the builders ask the runner questions to which he can only answer yes or no. A variation is to arrange multiple objects on a table for the teams to replicate.

FLOOR DESIGNER
WHAT YOU NEED A pencil A pack of copier paper A large, open floor space WHAT YOU DO Designate one person as the designer; the rest are builders. The designer is the only one allowed to talk. Have the designer draw a picture of anything on a piece of paper. Give the builders the pack of paper and tell them to mimic the drawing on the floor. If there is a large group, divide them in half and have the groups compete to see who can lay out a more accurate picture.

THE HUMAN KNOT

WHAT YOU DO Everyone stands in a circle and puts his right hand into the middle, clasping hands with someone across the circle. Then everyone puts his left hand into the middle, clasping the hand of a different person. The object is for the group to untangle itself without releasing hands.

MINE FIELD
WHAT YOU NEED Mines (shoes, foam noodles, balls, bowling pins, pots/pans, etc.) Blindfolds 4 boundary cones WHAT YOU DO Make a field boundary as big or small as you wish with the 4 cones. Plant the mines randomly throughout the field, careful to not leave any straight paths, but allowing room for people to navigate through to the other side. The purpose of this exercise is for pairs of two to navigate their way through the field without touching any mines. The one going through the field will be blind and mute (blindfolded and not allowed to talk), and the one giving verbal commands must remain outside the boundaries of the mine field while navigating his teammate through the field. Give teams a few minutes to create a game plan before starting. You may also establish penalties for hitting a mine, stepping out of bounds, or for bumping into other players (if all teams are navigating at once). A variation is for treasure to be planted in the mine field that must be retrieved.

HOLY TARP
WHAT YOU NEED One 6'x8' tarp for each group of 4-8 people One tennis ball for each tarp WHAT YOU DO Cut five five-inch diameter holes in the tarp in the pattern of the number five on a die. Have each group of 4-8 people tightly hold the tarp off the ground so that it is taut. The object is for the group to circumnavigate the tennis ball around all five holes without the ball falling to the ground. Players are not allowed to let go of the tarp unless they need to fetch the ball after it has fallen off. WHAT YOU SAY Discuss how you can overcome obstacles better when you work together, and how one person can make a big difference.

UNDER-WHERE
WHAT YOU NEED A 6'x8' tarp WHAT YOU DO Tell the group to get under the tarp without using any part of their arms or hands. (Question is, what is under? Toes? Feet? Legs? Torso? Head?)

Morals & Lessons

VALUE
WHAT YOU NEED 1 deck of cards WHAT YOU DO Explain to everyone that they will be given a card at which they are not allowed to look, but when told to do so, the card should be held to their forehead so others can see it. With the cards on their foreheads, tell each participant to treat everyone else according to the value of their card. After a few minutes of this, ask the group to line up according to how they feel they were being treated. WHAT YOU SAY Discuss why each stood where he did, how he was treated, and what gave him the indication of his card value. Discuss the value of people in Christ, and how one should treat another inside and outside the church.

INNER-WEB
WHAT YOU NEED 1 large ball of yarn WHAT YOU DO For introductions: ask each to share his name and one thing about himself that the group does not already know. For team-building: ask each to share one reason why he values being a part of the group. For leadership: ask each to share one characteristic of a good leader.
Start with everyone standing close together in a circle. Give the ball of yarn to one person, ask them to provide the requested information, and toss the ball of yarn to another across the circle while holding onto the end of the strand of yarn. The next one catches the ball of yarn, provides the requested information, and holds onto the strand of yarn while tossing the ball of yarn to another across the circle. Continue until all in the group have responded at least once.

WHAT YOU SAY Discuss the bond that we have in Christ, and how each is needed in order to keep that bond strong.

PAPER CUTS
WHAT YOU NEED A piece of paper for each person WHAT YOU DO Give each person a piece of paper. Have them close their eyes and hold the paper in front of them. Tell them to fold the paper in half, and then in half again to form a triangle. Have them rip off the lower-right corner of their triangle, open their eyes, and unfold the paper. WHAT YOU SAY Each ones paper will look differentsome will be folded crooked, while others will be ripped in different places in different quantities. Reflect on how people are alike, yet different because of how each perceives and understands the same instructions.

TOOTHPASTE
WHAT YOU NEED 1 tube of toothpaste per team 1 piece of cardboard per team 1 felt tip marker per team WHAT YOU DO Break groups into teams of four or more. Give each group a piece of cardboard and a marker only (the toothpaste will come later). Explain that the teams have two minutes to think of one word that describes something that each in the group has in common and to write that word on their piece of cardboard. When the time is up, give each team a tube of toothpaste and give them two more minutes to outline their word at neatly as possible using the toothpaste. When the time is up, give them two more minutes to get as much toothpaste as possible back into the tube. When the time is up, explain that toothpaste can't be forced back into the tube. WHAT YOU SAY Discuss how words cannot be taken back, and that one must think before he speaks.

Fun & Silly

25 STEPS
WHAT YOU DO Partner up, stand back-to-back, and interlock elbows. Ask everyone to think of a number between one and twenty. On the count of three, partners should exchange numbers, add them together, and jump up and down together as many times as their number.

HOSPITAL TAG
WHAT YOU DO Each person is it and also has three lives. The first time a player is tagged, he must put his hand over the spot where he was tagged. The second time a player is tagged, he must put his other hand over the spot where he was tagged. The third time a player is tagged, he is out.

THE GREAT EGG DROP

WHAT YOU NEED Plastic straws Masking tape Rubber bands Paper towels Paper clips Eggs WHAT YOU DO The task is to build a single-egg package that can sustain a fall of 8' by using the provided materials.

LAPS
WHAT YOU NEED A chair for each person WHAT YOU DO Arrange the chairs in a circle, and have everyone sit down. One person will make a statement telling how many chairs to move and in what direction to move if the statement applies to you (i.e. Move five chairs to the left if you have black hair). When moving to your assigned chair, if someone is already in the chair, sit in his lap. If the one with people in his lap has to move, everyone on the chair moves with him.

ALL IN
WHAT YOU DO Ask the group to try to fit inside a small area which can be marked by a circle of rope, a blanket, a tarp, etc. When the group succeeds, shrink the area and challenge again. See how far the group can go!

CELEBRATION
WHAT YOU DO Designate a word or phrase to be the celebration cue. Whenever someone says the word or phrase, everyone has to cheer, high five, clap, dance, bark like a dog, flap their arms like a chicken, run in place, etc. in celebration. This is particularly amusing when everyone has forgotten about it and a celebration randomly breaks out at the spoken word or phrase later in the day!