Winning Activities
For those of you who are involved in training or facilitation, here are some fun activities that spice up a session.
Whakawhanaungatanga/ relationship & connection building:
This is a 101 concept in te ao Māori/ the Māori world and there are lots of ways to build connections. I always align the questions to either previous learning and connections, or the day ahead.
I’ve been on a Lego theme… thanks to Kerri Price at the Facilitators’ Network and Miriam O’Donoghue for sharing this methodology. Serious play is a thing!
Here’s a link to an interesting article on the pedagogy: Lego Serious Play Benefits
And the smiles and surprise when adults walk in and go - Lego?! First I start with a numbered lego piece visual.
Choose a figure to represent:• The energy you’re bringing to today’s session.• How your week has been.• How you’re feeling about the project so far.• The way you usually approach today’s topic.• Or anything else you might want to pose.
I have loads of lego laid out on the table and ask participants to select a brick or element that represents what they would like to get out of the session today. E.g I pick up a clear brick - I would like to get clarity about …
Tower building I give participants 3 minutes to build a tower of their choice, but one brick or element must represent them.After 3 minutes, I share my example to get the ball rolling, linked to a question. (Note the question was not posed before building). The question can be tailored to the workshop content/ the reason you are gathering. • What skills you bring to the group today.• Cultural capability is...• What new possibilities or opportunities do you see in this model?• What story does your model tell about the current situation or challenge?• What connections can you see between your model and others in the group?• What steps or actions are suggested by your model?
The creativity and freedom of thought as people anchor their kōrero to the lego is Mī-ha-ro!! (Awesome!!) There are always lots of laughs and admiring ‘oohs’ when people think outside the box and share their whakaaro/ thoughts. Whanaungatanga is essential as I strive to create a safe space prior to our mahi.Dr. Gabor Maté’s statement links to this beautifully.: “Safety is not the absence of threat; it is the presence of connection.”
Tower building I give participants 3 minutes to build a tower of their choice, but one brick or element must represent them.After 3 minutes, I share my example to get the ball rolling, linked to a question. (Note the question was not posed before building). The question can be tailored to the workshop content/ the reason you are gathering. • What skills you bring to the group today.• Cultural capability is...• What new possibilities or opportunities do you see in this model?• What story does your model tell about the current situation or challenge?• What connections can you see between your model and others in the group?• What steps or actions are suggested by your model?
The creativity and freedom of thought as people anchor their kōrero to the lego is Mī-ha-ro!! (Awesome!!) There are always lots of laughs and admiring ‘oohs’ when people think outside the box and share their whakaaro/ thoughts. Whanaungatanga is essential as I strive to create a safe space prior to our mahi.Dr. Gabor Maté’s statement links to this beautifully.: “Safety is not the absence of threat; it is the presence of connection.”
Silent Round Robin
A great way to get content embedded with an element of competition and movement.
How to Play
1. Gather Your Crew: Form groups of 4 to 5 players. It’s time to work together without saying a word, initially!2. Prepare the Cards: You’ll need a set of cards with a specific sequence or order. These could be any labels and definitions linked to the specific content e.g Te Tiriti o Waitangi in English and Māori. Make sure they’re laminated and cut up for easy handling.
The Main Event:1. Shuffle Time: Distribute the cards randomly among the group members. 2. Silent Shuffle: Kaua e kōrero! Without speaking, work together to arrange the cards in the correct sequence. You can use gestures, but no talking or writing down numbers.3. Kōrero time: After a minute, discuss with your groupmates, what might need moving and why. Make any changes.4. Move and check aka brain break: Get up and have a look at what the other groups have done. Make any final changes - especially the tricky bits!5. Mark together and see who the most accurate group was.
Optional: Chuck in a wee treat to reward the top group/s.
Blooket
One of my favourite tools for quizzing learning is Blooket, especially the gold rush mode. It’s a great way to review learning with an element of competition as players can swap points, win or lose points along the way. I like it more than Kahoot as it shows the correct answer if answered incorrectly - supporting people to get it right next time.
Lean Coffee
Lean Coffee is a recent discussion tool I experienced and enjoyed, thanks to the vibrant Emma Kirkman! Don’t ask me where the name comes from! Lean Coffee is a fantastic way to facilitate engaging discussions without a traditional agenda. It’s perfect for small groups and can be easily adapted for virtual meetings.
Here’s how you can host a Lean Coffee session:Step 1: Gather Your ToolsSticky Notes: Grab a few pads of 3″x3″ sticky notes. These are perfect for jotting down topics.Markers: Use bright markers so everyone can see what’s written.Timing Device: A smartphone or a timer app will work great for timeboxing discussions.Virtual Tools (Optional): If you’re hosting a virtual Lean Coffee, consider using tools like Miro, Zoom, or Google Docs to create and manage your sticky notes digitally.
Step 2: Brainstorm TopicsWrite Down Topics: Each participant writes down topics or questions they want to discuss on separate sticky notes. Keep it concise!Share Briefly: Take a minute to introduce each topic with a brief explanation.
Step 3: Vote on TopicsDot Voting: Give each participant a few dot stickers (or virtual votes). They can place all their votes on one topic or spread them across multiple topics.Prioritize: Rank the topics based on the number of votes. The most popular ones go first!
Step 4: Discuss Topics Timeboxing: Set a timer for about 5 minutes for the first discussion. This keeps things focused and ensures everyone gets a chance to contribute.Roman Vote: When the timer goes off, do a quick Roman Vote (thumbs up, sideways, or down) to decide if you want to continue discussing the topic. If yes, set a shorter timer and keep going!
Step 5: Wrap UpMove to Done: Once a topic is exhausted, move its sticky note to the “Done” column.Next Topic: Bring the next most popular topic into discussion and repeat the process.Action Items: Before wrapping up, take a few minutes to note down any key takeaways or action items from the discussions.
Bonus Tips for Virtual Sessions• Use Breakout Rooms: If you have a large group, use breakout rooms to split into smaller groups for more focused discussions.• Icebreakers: Start with a fun icebreaker to get everyone engaged and comfortable.
That’s it! Lean Coffee is all about democratising conversations and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard. Have fun with it as a fresh tool!
