SUMMARY

We have been assigned to organize and carry out innovative co-curricular activities that promote the
development of leadership skills, among MSU students for a day leadership camp. We identified three
activities for the development of leadership skills and modified the activity with some innovative
elements which is suitable for the camp. As we planned among my group members, the majority
wanted to do the activity called ‘human knot’. What is the Human Knot?

The Human Knot is a quick and simple team-building activity that requires no setup,
equipment, or costs. The rules are easy to explain, and the game requires no special skill
besides flexibility. Each Human Knot is unique because each group is different. Just because an
employee mastered the knot in the past does not mean this present round will be effortless. To
succeed, employees must communicate effectively with current teammates, meaning the game
could vary wildly from one group to the next.

First, do some crowd control. Split groups into teams of five to twelve members. With four or
fewer participants, the knot solves too quickly. Add more than twelve teammates, and the knot
grows complex and unwieldy. Experts recommend eight to ten participants as the sweet spot.
Then circle up the wagons. Each team forms a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder. Participants
should stand close enough so that all members can reach the center of the circle. If this is not
possible, you may need to break the teams into smaller groups. You put your left hand in…

Players extend their left hands toward the middle of the circle. Once hands reach the middle, a
player will grab the hand of a team member across the circle. The teammate must not grab the
hand of an immediate neighbor, but rather a participant opposite the circle. If this is not
possible, some teammates may need to drop initial partners to reconfigure.

Now you should put your right hand in. Players reach their right hands across the circle and grab a
different participant’s hand. In order for the game to work, players must pick a new partner.
Now, time to untangle. Teammates must try to untangle the jumble without releasing their hands.
To do so, participants may duck, twist, and turn, squeeze through gaps in legs and elbows, step
and jump. As evidenced in the above video, this game requires a lot  of communication and
strategy. The exercise concludes once no hands remain in the middle of the circle and
participants form one large ring.