1. Dream Big,
Lead with FUN!
Dr. Lisa Gonzales – Santa Clara COE
Dr. Julianne Hoefer – Fountain
Valley SD
Dr. Devin Vodicka – Vista USD
2. Agenda
Outcomes:
• Experience new activities to be used with
teams at school/district/parents/students
• Add more pizzazz to meetings and improve
work quality and communication
WHO’S IN THE ROOM?
STAND UP, SIT DOWN…
3. Battle Scars
Communication, teambuilding
# of people – 6 to 200+; need to have
groups of 3-4
10-20 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Materials needed? None
4. Battle Scars
In small groups, have each person
share the story behind a scar on their
body.
The “best” story shares out to the
larger group.
5. Boggle
Communication, brainstorming
# of people – 6 to 200+
10-20 minutes depending on what you
need to brainstorm
Prep: 5 minutes
Materials needed? None
6. Boggle
Instructions:
This activity is intended to have group members brainstorm a
topic of discussion in a staff meeting, retreat, or training.
Begin with the “END” in mind – what do you want people to
discuss in more depth?
Let teams know that, in groups of 2-3, they have 1 minute to
write down all the facts, opinions, and statements they know
about a topic (such as Common Core, explicit direct
instruction, or transitional kindergarten).
Time them for 1 minute. Have groups count their suggestions.
The group with the most should share their comments and
have other groups chime in afterward.
7. How Quickly They Forget
Getting to know you
# of people – 8 to 100+
2-5 minutes
Materials Needed: Pen/Pencil
and Paper
8. How Quickly They Forget
Find a person that you do not know
and introduce yourselves
Stand back-to-back
Use the paper and pen/pencil to
write down answers to the
questions
After the questions, turn to your
partner and check your responses
9. Song Battle
Communication, teambuilding
# of people – 6 to 200+; need to have
teams of 5-10 people
10-20 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Materials needed: Select a word that
is commonly found in songs such as
love, baby, rain
10. Song Battle
Goal: Brainstorm as a team as many
songs as possible that contain the buzz
word.
Scoring: The team with the most songs,
not duplicated by other teams, wins the
challenge. In order to receive a point, a
member of the team must SING the line of
the song containing the buzz word.
Duplicate songs are canceled out and do
not count toward the team totals.
11. The Marshmallow
Challenge
Communication, creativity, teambuilding
# of people – 12 – 800 but need teams of 4
45 minutes – more time needed to debrief
and tie to your work in school/district
Prep: 10 minutes
Materials needed? Marshmallows, tape,
string, uncooked spaghetti
12. The Marshmallow
Challenge
Instructions:
In teams of 4, participants are given 20 sticks of
spaghetti, one marshmallow, 1 yd of tape, 1 yd of
string
In 18 minutes, teams must build the tallest free-
standing structure out of the materials provided.
The marshmallow needs to be on top.
You can break up, cut up, and otherwise alter your
materials and use as many or as little as you need.
13. ….AND NOW THE VIDEO…
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/en//id/837
14. Videos –
The Spice of Life!
Communication, creativity, connections
# of people – limitless
2-8 minutes depending on the video
Prep: 10 min (preview videos, unblock in
filters)
Materials needed? Computer, internet
connection, speakers
15. Videos –
The Spice of Life!
http://youtu.be/fW8amMCVAJQ
This video can be embedded in your ppt or
presentation.
Found on YouTube – The Dancing Guy and
Leadership
16. Videos –
The Spice of Life!
http://youtu.be/kDyxdXzjF9s
This video can be embedded in your ppt or
presentation.
Found on YouTube – “Snowed Down Car”
17. Videos –
The Spice of Life!
http://youtu.be/YnBF6bv4Oe4
This video can be embedded in your ppt or
presentation.
Found on YouTube – “Shucking Corn – Clean Ears
Every Time”
18. Videos –
The Spice of Life!
http://youtu.be/aRG4ySdi_aE
This video can be embedded in your ppt or
presentation.
Found on YouTube – “Lost Generation ”
19. Blind Polygon
Communication, creativity, teambuilding
# of people – 4 – 800
15 minutes – more time needed to debrief
Prep: 5 minutes
Materials needed? Long rope (20-50 ft) &
blindfolds for each person
20. Blind Polygon
Instructions:
The team forms a circle and sits down.
Participants put on blindfolds.
The rope is placed in the middle of the circle with each
member holding it.
The group is instructed to form a perfect square with each
team member holding on to the rope, no one can let go.
When the members think the task is complete they take their
blindfolds off and check the results.
Variations: Mute random people. Change shape – triangle,
star, etc.
21. Common Thread
Communication, teambuilding
# of people – 6 to 200+; need to have
groups of 4-6 people
10-20 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Materials needed? None
22. Common Thread
In small groups, have the
members find 7-10 things they
have in common. Challenge
them to think creatively: places
they have traveled, TV shows
they watch, etc.
Extra points for creativity.
23. The Cereal Business
Communication, creativity, teambuilding
# of people – 12+ split into 4-5 groups
30 minutes
Prep: 30 minutes to purchase and organize
Materials needed? 6 different kinds of
cereal (bulk), bowls, creative containers,
large labels, markers, instruction sheet
24. The Cereal Business
ACSA has decided to open a cereal division and needs
your team to create is very first product. The cereal
is going to be a blend which utilizes a combination
of other cereals (at least 50% of which are brown).
Although not as abundant, dried fruit and other
options need to be part of the blend.
Prizes will be awarded for:
Best Cereal
Most Creative Packaging & Logo
The Best Sales Pitch
25. The Cereal Business -
INSTRUCTION SHEET
Appoint a team leader.
The leader will evaluate the talents of the team and assign
tasks:
1. Blend the best cereal following the guidelines (at least
50% brown; some dried fruit and other random
cereals
2. Create a package and logo for the new cereal.
3. Create a commercial for the cereal – each team will
have 30 seconds to present.
Have fun!
26. Adaptation to the Cereal Business is “Meritage Mission”
Supplies needed: wine cups, 1 empty wine bottle/group, ½ bottle
of each type of wine to be used (one per group), labels, markers,
instructions
ACSA has decided to open a wine division and needs your team to create its
very first product. The wine is going to be a Bordeaux Blend which utilizes as
much Cabernet Sauvignon as possible (at least 50%). Although not as abundant
as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot will need to be a part of the blend.
Appoint a Team Leader
The leader will evaluate the talents of the team and will assign tasks. The
following tasks need to be accomplished:
Blend the Best tasting wine following the Meritage guidelines.
Create a label for the wine complete with winery name and logo.
Create a commercial for the wine: Each team will have 30 seconds at the end of
the hour to present their wine to the rest of the room. The team leader can do
this presentation, can delegate this to someone else, or the entire team can
participate in the presentation.
HAVE FUN!!!
Prizes will be awarded for: Best Meritage Blend, The Most Creative Winery
Label & Logo, The Best Sales Pitch
27. Adaptation to the Cereal Business is “Meritage Mission”
Meritage:
In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to
identify handcrafted wines blended from the traditional “noble” Bordeaux
varietals. Most American wines are labeled after the grape variety that
comprises at least 75% of that wine. A label with “Cabernet Sauvignon”
indicates that the wine is comprised of 75% or more of the grape variety
Cabernet Sauvignon.
“Meritage,” pronounced like “heritage,” was selected from more than 6,000
entries in an international contest to name the new wine category. Meritage is
an invented word that combines “merit” and “heritage” – reflecting the spirit of
members of The Meritage Association. While many wineries prefer to use
proprietary names in addition to, or rather than, Meritage, to obtain a license and
use the term Meritage a wine must meet the following criteria: A red Meritage is
made from a blend of two or more of the following varieties: Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, St. Macaire, Gros
Verdot, and Carmenere. No single variety may make up more than 90 percent
of the blend.
28. Call of the Wild
Communication, teambuilding
# of people – 10 to 50+
5 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Materials needed: 2+ cards with the
name of an animal written on them
29. Call of the Wild
Each person receives a card with an
animal name on it (participants
should keep it a secret). Make sure
at least 2 cards are distributed for
each animal. Participants “call out”
the animal noise and try to find the
partner(s) with the same animal.
Welcome – stand up, sit down 1 st timer, 10 or more first 2 years as an admin, 3-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31+ Mentoring program? Award winners?
Julianne - #1
Julianne - #1
Lisa - #2
Lisa - #2
Devin - #3
Devin - #3
Julianne - #4
Julianne - #4
Lisa #5
Lisa #5 – who tends to do the worst? Why? Who tends to do the best? Why? What improves performance? What kills it? Shared experience, common language, prototyping facilitation
Lisa #5
Julianne #6
Julianne #6 Funny – The Dancing Guy and Leadership
Julianne #6 – Snowed in car
Julianne #6 – Shucking Corn, Clean Ears Every Time
Julianne #6 – Lost Generation
Devin #7
Devin– who tends to do the worst? Why? Who tends to do the best? Why? What improves performance? What kills it? Shared experience, common language, prototyping facilitation