Engaging Activities to add to your collection
I came across another great idea for a group energiser that can be a good exercise for 1+ participants, with the range varying from one person to thousands. In one of my previous articles, I shared a few ideas for group energisers. But during a designathon I participated in, I encountered a group activity that made me think, “Wow, this is interesting.” It’s simple, engages the entire crowd, helps to energise a group, and is fun.
The reason for writing this article is not just to introduce you to this energiser but to help you become creative.
The energiser was a simple game we used to play as kids with our grandparents. It’s a common game in India known as “Chidiya Ud” in Hindi and “Chimni Ud” in Marathi. I’m sure every Indian regional language has a name or variation of this game.
The rules are simple. My grandma would say one word after another. If she said something that can fly, you had to say “ud” (fly) and raise your finger, throw your hands in the air, or gesture flying. She would say the words at a steady pace. After naming a few things that can fly, she would name something that cannot fly. If you guessed wrong and said “ud” for something that cannot fly, everyone would laugh as kids and we used to compete with cousins, but we enjoyed this simple game. The rhythm of the game made it tricky, and sometimes you would accidentally gesture “fly” for something like a fridge, car, or hair.
Shared from giphy.com
Shared from giphy.com
Facilitation
Facilitator’s Role: The facilitator says one word after another at a steady pace.
Participants’ Action: If the facilitator names something that can fly, participants must say “ud” (fly) and either raise their finger, throw their hands in the air, or make a flying gesture. If the facilitator names something that cannot fly, participants should do nothing.
Objective: The aim is to correctly identify whether the named object can fly or not.
Mistakes: If a participant mistakenly says “ud” for something that cannot fly, it usually results in laughter, making the game more fun.
Example Gameplay
Facilitator: “Bird”
Participants: “Ud” (raise finger or gesture flying)
Facilitator: “Airplane”
Participants: “Ud” (raise finger or gesture flying)
Facilitator: “Fridge”
Participants: (do nothing)
Tips
Maintain a consistent pace to make the game challenging.
Mix up the sequence to catch participants off guard.
Enjoy the moments of laughter when someone makes a mistake.
This game is a great way to engage a group, foster quick thinking, and bring a lot of joy and energy to any gathering.
When I played this game at Global Designathon 2023, I was amazed by a couple of things.
A small entertaining childhood game can be turned into an energiser.
The facilitator was Indian but to integrate with the Dutch culture she used Dutch names of animals and birds.
This game got me thinking: can I turn a simple game into a fun energiser? My quest is still on. Let me know if you can find a simple childhood game and turn it into a group energiser or a group activity.
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