Unity

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Contributed by:  Rachael in Michigan  rachaelhayes@mail.deseretmail.com

Here's a couple of unity/teamwork activities we did at girl's camp this year that were great:  
 
Lay a telephone pole on the ground and divide the youth into two even teams. Line up one team standing in a line on each end of the pole (you can only fit about 12-14 youth total) and tell them that each team needs to get all of their teammates from one end of the pole to the other without ever touching the ground. Whoever touches the ground (with any part of their body) will have to go to the end of the line and start over. There are adult leaders standing by to "spot" the youth but they are not allowed 
d to talk or touch them unless they seem in danger of injury. Pretty soon the youth figure out that they cannot do this activity without coordinating and cooperating with the other team and, by the time they finish, they are cheering each other on and can't really remember who was on what team. You can also do this exercise silently (youth can't talk, only pantomime). If you have too big a group to do this exercise at one time, don't let the youth watch until they have had their turn at it themselves.  
 
Another game is the hula hoop minefield. This one needs to be done outside in a grassy field. Place hula hoops randomly within a 50x15 (or so) foot area. You will need to experiment with leaders to determine how closely you want to space the hula hoops. Divide the youth into two teams and place one team on each end of the field. One person from each team is blindfolded and sent through the mind field (at the same time) by following directions shouted to them from their teammates (who cannot cross the  
line beginning the minefield). The object is, of course, to get to the other team's side without touching a hula hoop or stepping inside one. If the size of your field is right, when the blindfolded players are about half-way through the field, the teams will find that they cannot see the hula hoops for the rest of the course no matter what they do. Eventually, they figure out that they need to work with the other team and help the "opposing" team's player across when they are on their half of the field 
.. You will need to have several adult leaders hovering on the field to see if any hula hoops are touched or stepped into although they cannot talk (which can be tough sometimes when you see one of your YW about to walk into a hula hoop). They can also adjust the spacing of the hula hoops if the field is too easy or too hard. I hope that makes sense and helps you some.

Contributed by: Vicki in Ohio hsman@iapdatacom.net

Hi...Something we did once at camp had a big impact on the girls. We sent 3 girls away from the group. We gave the group these instructions...they were to stand in a circle holding hands. When the first girl returned they were to let her into the circle right away...each trying to get her to stand by them. When the 2nd girl came in they were to be indifferent...at first not let her in and then someone open their part of the circle and invite her in. When the 3rd girl came in they were in no way to let her into the circle. (The 3 that were out did not know these instructions...choose girls who have a good attitude) We then brought the girls in one by one. Then we asked each girl how she felt, and discussed those feelings. We sang Circle of Friendship from A Song of The Heart and gave out the poem:

He drew a circle that shut us out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout
But love and I had the wit to win
We drew a circle that brought him in.

(I forget the author, sorry)

M1L20 Index

More Unity Ideas

Personal Progress - I.W.

Leadership

Boring the Youth

Activities

 

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