What is something you can relate to throughout your mentorship journey?
Where do you aspire to go forward?
Warm Up
Straw Game
Goal of the game is to lower the stick until it is touching the ground
Make your own magic cane using straws attached together as a long line
Split the group into two lines facing each other.
Ideally, you should have an even number of people on both sides.
Instruct the group to raise their arms and point their index fingers out.
Lay the magic cane across their fingers.
The stick should be at the chest level height of the tallest participant.
Once the stick is laying across participants fingers, the group's challenge is to lower this stick to the ground.
Everyone's finger must remain in contact with the stick at all times during the challenge. If it slips, they have to start from the beginning.
Pinching or grabbing the stick with other fingers is considered cheating. Everyone must be standing on their feet when you start.
It sounds like a simple task, but it is deceptively challenging. At first, people will likely lift the stick or set it off balance. This can lead to confusion or perhaps even frustration among the team.
The tendency of the stick to float can lead group members to begin blaming others for the group failure. However, the group won't be able to succeed unless they shift from blaming to asking questions. The more open-minded and collectively responsible the group is, the more quickly they'll succeed.
This simple activity encourages communication and problem solving, since every member of the group is needed to complete the task. It also reinforces the idea that everyone is equally important, valuable and necessary for the team to succeed.
Reflection questions:
What was the group's initial reaction?
What were the biggest challenge?
Did team work come easily or was it a struggle to get through?
What skill were used to succeed in the challenge?
Were any creative solutions purposed? How were they received?