Games and exercises for community meetings

It's spring! What better time to introduce some light and lively exercises to help community members get to know each other better or shift the energy during a challenging meeting? Playing games might seem frivolous for community members who are more business-oriented, but these exercises actually can help groups build consensus and make decisions faster.

Big Wind Blows
Optimal size: 12–60 participants
Approximate time required: 10–20 minutes
Intention: To create some light fun or a deeper understanding of community members

Known by many names, this kid-friendly game is a version of musical chairs. One person, let's say Karen, starts out as the caller and stands in the middle while everyone else sits in a circle of chairs. Karen says, "The big wind blows for..." and adds a characteristic that is true for herself and at least one other person in the group. For instance, "The big wind blows for everyone with a younger sibling," or "for everyone who listens to music by Ani DiFranco," or "for everyone who's been a member of this group for less than a year." Then everyone for whom the statement is true quickly stands up and switches seats. The person who remains standing becomes the next caller, offering up a new characteristic.

You can use this game to whatever depth is appropriate for your group. If running around presents a challenge for anyone, you can substitute this alternate version: Everyone stands or sits in a circle and take turns making statements. Participants who hear a statement that's true will move briefly into the middle of the circle and then return to the outer circle.

Three-Person Machines
Optimal size: 12–45 participants
Approximate time required: 20–45 minutes, depending on size of group
Intention: To inspire creativity and evoke a kinesthetic sense, which rarely gets shared in groups

Form groups of three and give the groups five minutes to choose and design a machine that they can act out together. Each triad then takes a turn showing off, while everyone else tries to guess what kind of machine the group is demonstrating.

Person-to-Person
Optimal size: 10–60 participants
Approximate time required: 10 minutes
Intention: To loosen up or energize a group

One person, let's say Tom, starts out as the caller, while everyone else pairs up. Tom offers ever-shifting instructions for how the pairs will connect physically. For example, if Tom says, "Elbow to elbow," then each pair touches elbows. Then Tom says, "Back to back," and the pairs stop touching elbows and touch their backs together instead. After a few calls, Tom says "Person to person," and everyone changes partners. Whoever ends up without a partner becomes the new caller. (Because this game requires an odd number of participants, whoever gives the instructions at the start can opt in or out, depending on what's needed.)

Solar Eclipse
Optimal size: 12–50 participants
Approximate time required: 10 minutes
Intention: To create a fun and playful interaction

Every participant in this game follows the same instructions. Here's what each of you does. First you select one person in the group to be your personal sun and another person to be your personal moon, without telling anyone who've you chosen. Then you try to create a "solar eclipse" by keeping your moon person between you and your sun person at all times. Much chaos – and laughter – results as you and everyone else move in between each other.

Who's at the Table?
Optimal size: 8–100+ participants
Approximate time required: 15–30 minutes
Intention: To create a deeper learning about each other in a playful way

Divide the full group into smaller groups of three to five participants. Each group's goal is to discover something that everyone has in common and one thing in which they all differ. If you have enough time, allow each small group to share with the rest of the group what they discovered. If you want to be bold, ask each small group to perform a skit that shows what they have in common and how they differ.

Doubles
Optimal size: 8–35 participants
Approximate time required: 10–20 minutes
Intention: To offer a teaching tool for people who feel shy about saying "no" during a consensus process

Unless you and others in your group feel free to say "no," then your "yes" or consent isn't authentic. This game can serve as a cathartic process by offering opportunities to say no without needing to justify or explain why. The player who chooses to start this game says a word or compound phrase consisting of two words, such as "out/law" or "con/tact" or "attorney general." The next person to speak then takes the second word of the first player's double and uses it as the first word of a new double, such as "law firm" or "tact/less" or "general hospital." If for ANY reason someone doesn't accept someone's double, she simply says "no." Any player may do this at any time.

For example, Harmony starts the game by saying "attorney general." Darcy speaks out "general hospital" and David follows with "hospital bills." Shawna then says "no." David then must either come up with a new word or compound, such as "hospital bed," or say "no" to Darcy, who gave the previous double. If they wish, players can say continue to say "no" all the way back to the beginning of a chain.

Players choose for themselves when to take a turn, and all participants can take as many turns during the course of the game as they wish. The chain of doubles continues until everyone who wants to play has had a turn. Try to play quickly. If the group seems stuck, players shouldn't hesitate to say "no."