Orientation

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 * Orientation**

= Girls' Team-Building Games = 1) Divide the teams into even numbers, if possible. An odd extra person really does not hurt this activity. Either choose the team to have the extra member by random, or let the groups choose by playing up to their pride or through some playful trash talking. I like groups of 10-12, although I have done it with less, and with as many as 23. You want to have big enough groups to make it a challenge, but not so big that it becomes an impossible task. 2) The goal is to have every person participate by lying on the floor with their head on the tummy of another team member. They must say the word “HA” without laughing. Each additional team member adds “HAs” based on what number they are in the chain of bodies. 3) Instruct the group to figure out who their most giggly members are. Those are the people whom they want to lay down earlier in the activity. If any member of the group breaks out in laughter at any time, then they must get everyone up and start over. 1) The team decides what order they will go in; 2) The first member lies on the floor with his/her knees in the air and says “HA”; 3) The next person (#2) lays down, with his/her head on the tummy of the first person and says, “HA, HA”, person #1 then says “HA” 4) The third person in line lies down with their head on the tummy of person #2, and says “HA, HA, HA”, person #2 then says “HA, HA”, and then person #1 says “HA”. 5) Continue to add people in sequence, with their heads on the tummies on the previous person, increasing the number of “HAs” with each person and each person already laying on the floor repeats their number of HAs until each person has done so. Then another person lies on the floor and the sequence begins again. 6) If any person in the sequence laughs, even just, a little, make the whole group get up and start over. 7) Once the group gets each member on the floor and goes through the sequence without laughing, they are done. The first team to make it all the way through, wins. A fun variation, after the group has successfully completed the task, is to reverse the “HAs” and go back through. For example, if there are 10 people in the group, then the first person on the floor from before now has to say 10 :HAs:, #2, nine :HAs”, and all the way back down the line. If they falter at this, I suggest not making them get up, just have them start over. This part is not a competition, just a little bit of fun.
 * //Tummy Ha-Ha//**
 * Part 1: Getting set up…**
 * Part 2: Here are the steps…**

Players form a circle with one player in the middle (it). The middle person must approach players in the circle and ask, "Honey, do you love me?" The person being questioned must answer, "Honey, I love you but I just can't smile." If s/he does smile or laugh, s/he becomes "it" and the previous middle person joins the circle. The person who is "it" is not allowed to touch other players but may make as many funny faces as s/he wishes. (Have also seen it played where lap-sitting, petting hair, etc. is allowed, so your call.)
 * //Honey, I Love Ya, but I just can't Smile//**

=Boys' Team-Building Games= //**Human Dragon**// Divide your team into 4 teams of 6-8 individuals. You can have odd numbers or vary the length of the "dragon" depending on the skill, size and ability of your athletes. Each team designates the "head" person and the "tail " section of the Human Dragon. All other team members fill in behind the head of the dragon by holding on to the person in front of them at the waist. The goal of the activity is to have the head of each dragon attempt to tag the tail of any other dragon team. Only heads of the dragon can do the tagging because all other team members must remain connected (with two hands) to their teammates. Players attempt to avoid having their team's tail be tagged and skillfully attempt to shield their tail from other dragons on the prowl.

//**Snowball Fight**// Participants write on a piece of paper three things about themselves (make sure they do not write their names on it). Then they crumple the paper up into a 'snowball' and have a one to two-minute snowball fight. At the end of the time, the facilitator yells "freeze" everyone grabs the closest snowball and has to try to find the person who wrote it, by walking around and interviewing people.
 * At the end you can have each person introduce the person they found to the rest of the group, sharing the three facts.

=Advisory Groups Team-Building Games= // **Ball of String** // While sitting in a circle, roll a ball of string from one member to another (the person rolling needs to hang onto a piece and roll the rest of the ball). The rules are only the person with the string can talk. Ask a pointed question (e.g., what are you looking forward to this year, what's the most embarrassing thing that happened to you this summer, what's your favorite scar, whatever). After everyone has had their turn to speak, there will be a web of string. This web illustrates the interconnected nature of group process. Everything they do and say affects the team. Now toss a balloon in the middle and have them try to keep it up. They are not allowed to touch it. This symbolizes “teamwork.”

// **Minefield** // Have group discuss things that are detrimental to functioning as a group. For each characteristic/action, throw an object into the playing space, the "minefield." Have group choose partners. One partner is blindfolded at one end of field. The non-blindfolded partners stand at the opposite end of the field and try to talk their partners through the minefield without running into any of the obstacles.

// **Toxic River** // Everyone is on one side. You measure a space about 5 feet and call it a toxic river. You want the whole squad to cross as fast as they can. They aren't allowed to cross the toxic river without special pair of boots and there is only one pair of boots. Each person can use the boots only once. The boots cannot be tossed over the river. Each person has to personally give the boots to the next person and if they touch the toxic waste without the boots, the team must start over. Hint: Carrying people over is the key.

//**This Game is Really Fun**// Stand in a circle holding hands. Swing your hands back and forth chanting in a monotone, "This game is really fun." All participants must make eye contact with other participants. You lose if you start to giggle or smile. When you lose, you step out, creating a smaller and smaller circle of chanting, bored-looking people. The most bored and serious-looking participants win. The game ends with two people holding hands, swinging their hands, chanting and staring into each other's eyes. Whoever laughs last wins.