Encourage creativity
Stimulate memory and logical thinking
Encourage collaboration
Set the group in a circle, the tutor is part of the group
Materials needed
✓ No materials needed
Proposed location
✓ Large room to accomodate the participants in a circle
Steps
1.
The Tutor starts the exercise with the sentence: “There is a Road”
2.
The Tutor continues adding a new element to the image following this structure: “(position related to a previous element) there is a (Adjective) (New element)”
ex: “On top of the road there is a Yellow Dog”
3.
The next in the circle repeats what was said beforehand and add a new detail following the same Structure: “(position related to a previous element) there is a (Adjective) (New element)”
ex: “There is a Road.
On top of the road there is a Yellow Dog.
Tied to the dog’s Tail there is a Thin String”.
4.
The turn to talk pass through every member of the circle, everyone repeats the sequence of elements and add a new element following the same structure
5.
Once each of the members has had at least one turn, close the exercise.
Closing up
- Congratulate the participants for their creativity.
- Ask the participants which were the easier to remember elements, brainstorm a little about why they were easier
To go further
- This exercise can be developed more trying to turn the situation into a story: once everyone had their turn and the situation is set youcould say “the yellow dog starts barking” unlocking the possibility to use verbs and describe the actions of the characters involved.
Tips
✓
If someone has difficulties in remembering the sequence ask the whole group to help them by miming each element and their position, a clearer image helps memory;
✓
Avoid the repetition of the same position too many times (it’s easy to abuse “next to” “over” and “under”) ask the participants to be precise and creative;
✓
Don’t stop the exercise as soon as the circle is complete, let the ones who began the exercise try to repeat a more complex sequence, if repeated more times during the course of the workshop this exercise gets more interesting and challenging by adding more rounds;
✓
If the sequence becomes too difficult to follow (often because the details start to get too random) remind the participants that the aim of the game is not to make it difficult for the others, but to build an image together.
