ROPES Experiential Activities
Humble ISD 281-641-8408
1) Wampum – (Building Relationships)
Materials: 1 Wampum Bat for each group of 10-12 people
Participants stand in a circle with one person in the middle holding the wampum bat.Someone from the circle says the name of someone else. The person in the middle tries to “wamp” the person whose name was called, before they can call someone else’s name. If you are hit before calling a new name, you go in the middle with the wampum bat and whoever was in the middle calls out the next name.
2) Warp Speed – (Concentration)
Materials: 1 tossing ball
Everyone stands in a circle. The goal is to toss the ball to someone else in the circle so that everyone receives the ball once while being timed. When completed, ask the circle if they could do it faster and in the same order. Keep trying to beat the old time. What is the strategy? Some teams will realize that they can move so that they’re standing next to the person who gave them the ball.
3) YOWZA! – (Concentration)
Materials: None
Participants stand in a circle with the instruction to look down at the ground. When they look up, if they are making direct eye contact with another person they are shocked and must yell YOWZA! They are then out and must move outside the circle and become hecklers trying to get the others out as well. Facilitator then gives the commands of “Look down”, Look up” etc.
4) Electricity – (Healthy Relationships)
Materials: 1 coin
Entire group splits into two even lines. One end is the head, the other end is the tail. The goal is to pass the electrical current down the line by joining hands and squeezing in the direction of the current. The fastest line to pass the current wins.
5) Everyone’s Royalty – (Celebrating Differences)
Materials: Deck of playing cards no jokers, one card for each participant
At the end of the activity, our class will be divided into 3 social groups, based on the card that you have. Cards that are from 2-5 are the bottom social class. Cards that are from 6-10 are the middle social class. Cards that are Jack, Queen, King or Ace are the top social class. Your goal is to find the social class where you are accepted.
6) Immortal – (Problem Solving)
Materials: None
Participants will need to understand the game “rock, paper, scissors.”
All participants begin at the egg stage, then progress by battling another participant in order to move through multiple stages. Egg, Chicken, Taradactal and Immortal. The goal is for everyone to become immortal.
(Typically the game ends with one remaining egg, chicken, and taradactal. After processing, they realize that an immortal may battle with anyone in order for all to become immortal.
7) Helium Hoops – (Problem Solving)
Materials: 1 Hoola Hoop for each group of 4-5 people
Participants will stand in a circle with hands out as if pointing at someone, with thumbs touching. The goal is to lower the hoop the the ground in 30 seconds.
8) Circle the Circle – (Problem Solving)
Materials: Hoola Hoops
Everyone joins hands with the goal of passing the circle around the circle and ending where it started. Then add other hoops going in different directions to add difficulty.
9) Hog Call – (Trust, Communication)
Materials: Open space to move, one bandanna for each participant
Participants divide into pairs. Each pair comes up with a compound word. Each person then determines which half of the compound word is theirs. Participants then separate from their pairs and move far away from each other. Everyone is then blindfolded. When we begin, each person may ONLY say their half of the word, with the goal being that each compound word be reunited in the group.
10) Headlights – (Trust, Communication)
Materials: Open space to move, one bandanna for every 2 people, nerf balls
Everyone finds a partner. One will be blind, one will be sighted. The goal is for blind people to toss a ball at other blind people, scoring a point for each time your ball hits a blind person. The only way the blind person knows where to go and throw, is by listening to their sighted partner who can not touch them or the ball at all. After a few minutes have the partners switch roles and play again.
11) Prui – (Teaming, Communication)
Materials: 1 bandanna for each individual
Explain that prui is an unusual individual who never moves and never talks. Our goal is to find prui. You will know you’ve found prui if you connect to a person and the person doesn’t move or speak. As we find prui, prui grows. The only thing we may say as we look for prui is his name.
12) Don’t Spill a Drop – (Teaming, Communication)
Materials: 1 chair and cup of water for each 5-6 participants
Have each small group of people stand around the chair. Bring the full cup of water and have it sit on the chair. The goal is for each group to lift the chair off the ground without spilling a drop of the water. Each member of the group must be connected to the chair the entire time, and no person may touch the cup. Once each group has their chair lifted, ask for the groups to bring their chair to where another group is standing. (Ex, groups 1 and 2 bring their chair and switch places.) While moving, the rules are still in effect, with the goal being to not spill a drop. Once each group has moved, the final goal is to have each group end where they are now, however they must switch chairs with another group. The rules are still in effect, and while switching the student must be connected to one chair at all times.
(If a cup spills at any time, refill it with water and place it back on the chair.)