61. Ball under chins
Make some small balls out of any material that is available, such as crumpled paper. Participants split into teams and each team forms a line. The line passes a ball under their chins. If the ball drops, it has to go back to the beginning of the line. The game continues until one team has finished passing the ball along their line.

62. Knees up
Participants stand in a close circle with their shoulders touching and then turn, so that their right shoulders are facing into the centre of the circle. Ask everyone to put their hand on the shoulder of the person in front and to carefully sit down so that everyone is sitting on the knees of the person behind them.

63. Get up,sit down!
Give each participant a number (several participants could have the same number). Then tell a story that involves lots of numbers – when you say a number, the person(s) with this number has (have) to stand up.

64. Knots
Participants stand in a circle and join hands. Keeping their hands joined, they move in any way that they want, twisting and turning and creating a ‘knot’. They must then unravel this knot, without letting go of one another’s hands.

65. Coin game
Participants divide into two lines. The two people at the end of each line start the race by dropping a coin down their clothes. When it drops free on the floor, they hand the coin to the next person in the line who does the same. The race continues until the coin has reached the end of one of the lines.

66. Countdown
Ask participants to form a circle. Explain that the group needs to count together from one to 50. There are a few rules: they are not to say ‘seven’ or any number which is a multiple of seven. Instead, they have to clap their hands. Once someone claps their hands, the group must count the numbers in reverse. If someone says seven or a multiple of seven, start the counting again.

67. Fizz buzz
Go round the group counting upwards. The group replaces any number divisible by three with ‘fizz’, any number divisible by five with ‘buzz’, and any number divisible by both three and five with ‘fizz buzz’. Count up and see how high you can go!

68. Group balance
Ask participants to get into pairs. Ask pairs to hold hands and sit down then stand up, without letting go of one another’s hands. Repeat the same exercise in groups of four people. Then form into groups of eight people holding hands in a circle. Ask members in each group to number off in even and odd numbers. At a signal, ask the even numbers to fall backwards while the odd numbers fall forwards, achieving a group balance.

69. Leading and guiding
Participants split into pairs. One participant puts on a blindfold. Their partner then leads them carefully around the area making sure they don’t trip or bump into anything. After some time, the facilitator asks the pairs to swap roles. At the end, participants discuss how they felt when they had to trust someone else to keep them safe.

70. Clap exchange
Participants sit or stand in a circle. They send a clap around the circle by facing and clapping in unison with the person on their right, who repeats the clap with the person on their right, and so on. Do this as fast as possible. Send many claps, with different rhythms, around the circle at the same time.

71. People to people
Everyone finds a partner. A leader calls out actions such as “nose to nose”, “back to back”, “head to knee”, etc. Participants have to follow these instructions in their pairs. When the leader calls “people to people” everyone must change partners.

72. Count to Seven
The group sits in a circle and someone starts the process of counting. Each person counts in sequence. When the counting reaches seven, the next person starts over with the number one. Every time someone says a number, they use their hands to point out the direction that the counting should go in.

73. Football cheering
The group pretends that they are attending a football game. The facilitator allocates specific cheers to various sections of the circle, such as ‘Pass’, ‘Kick’, ‘Dribble’ or ‘Header’. When the facilitator points at a section, that section shouts their cheer. When the facilitator raises his/her hands in the air, everyone shouts “Goal!”

74. An orchestra without instruments
Explain to the group that they are going to create an ‘orchestra’ without instruments. The orchestra will only use sounds that can be made by the human body. Players can use hands, feet, voice etc, but no words; for example, they could whistle, hum, sigh or stomp their feet. Each player should select a sound. Choose a well-known tune and ask everyone to play along, using the ‘instrument’ that they have chosen. Alternatively, don’t give a tune and let the group surprise itself by creating a unique sound.

75. Hands slapping
Ask participants to kneel on the floor, link arms with the people on either side of them, and place their palms flat on the floor. Now ask people to slap their palms on the floor in turn so that it goes round the circle. Having linked arms makes it difficult to work out which hand is your own! If someone makes a mistake, they have to put a hand behind their back and the game continues.

76. Pass the action
Participants sit in a circle. One person (A) stands in the centre. A moves towards another person (B) using a specific action, such as jumping. When s/he reaches B, s/he takes B’s place and B then moves to the centre of the circle using A’s action or movement. When B reaches the centre, s/he walks towards C, using a new action or movement. The game continues in this way until everyone has taken part.

77. Clap and point
Participants form a circle. The facilitator sends a clap all the way around the circle, first in one direction, then in the other direction. The facilitator then shows participants how they can change the direction of the clap, by pointing the clapping hands in the opposite direction. Repeat this until the clap is running smoothly around the group and changing direction without missing a beat. Finally, show how you can ‘throw’ the clap by pointing the clapping hands at someone across the circle.

78. Rainstorm
Everyone sits quietly in a circle, with their eyes closed, waiting for the facilitator’s first movement. The facilitator rubs their palms together to create the sound of rain. The person to their right makes this sound, and then the next person until everyone in the group is making the same sound. Once everyone is rubbing palms, the facilitator makes the rain sound louder by snapping his/her fingers, and that sound in turn is passed around the circle. Then the facilitator claps both hands together, and that sound is passed around the circle to create a rainstorm. Then the facilitator slaps their thighs, and the group follows. When the facilitator and the group stomp their feet, the rain becomes a hurricane. To indicate the storm is stopping, the facilitator reverses the order, thigh slapping, then hand clapping, finger snapping, and palm rubbing, ending in silence.

79. Statue stop
Ask participants to form two circles of people of equal numbers. The people in the inner circle should face outwards. The people in the outer circle should face inwards. Each person in the outer circle uses the person opposite them in the inner circle to create a ‘statue’. They have only ten seconds to do this. The person in the inner circle allows the ‘sculptor’ to bend and twist their body into any shape that they wish, provided they do not hurt them. The ‘statue’ must remain in that position without speaking, until you call ‘time’. The outer circle then moves round one person to the left and they begin sculpting again. The people in the inner circle are bent and twisted into new positions through this process. Continue in this way and then ask people in the inner circle to change with people in the outer circle so that everyone has a chance to be ‘sculptor’ and ‘statue’.

80. Orchestra
Divide the group into two and ask half to slap their knees and the other half to clap their hands. The facilitator acts as the conductor of the orchestra, controlling the volume by raising or lowering their arms. The game can continue with different members of the group taking the role of conductor.

Things to consider when using Energisers

• Try to use energisers frequently during a workshop or meeting, whenever people look sleepy or tired or to create a natural break between activities.

• Try to choose games that are appropriate for the local context, for example, thinking carefully about games that involve touch, particularly of different body parts.

• Try to select games in which everyone can participate and be sensitive to the needs and circumstances of the group. For example, some of these games may exclude people with disabilites, such as difficulty walking or hearing, or people with different levels of comfort with literacy.

• Try to ensure the safety of the group, particularly with games that involve running. For example, try to make sure that there is enough space and that the floor is clear.

• Try not to use only competitive games but also include ones that encourage team building.

• Try to avoid energisers going on for too long. Keep them short and move on to the next planned activity when everyone has had a chance to move about and wake up!

Source: 100 ways to energise groups
This is an extract from 100 ways to energise groups: Games to use in workshops, meetings and the community, published by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in 2002.

To view the whole report follow this link.

To download, complete with graphics, in pdf format (which requires Adobe Acrobat software to read it) follow this link (file size 618kb). This report is also available in French (file size 652kb) and in Spanish (file size 638kb).

 

Resources for working with groups

100 ways to energise groups

• Games to use in workshops, meetings and the community
• Games 1 to 20
• Games 21 to 40
• Games 41 to 60
• Games 61 to 80
• Games 81 to 100