Nails, Knots and Egg Grenades

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Nails, Knots and Egg Grenades

• ASTD OC Learning Event
• August 26, 2009

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Nail Balance

• Purpose This is a game used to stimulate
  creative problem-solving and challenge
  perceptions.
• Preparation 12 large nails and a piece of wood
  holding a vertical nail that has been hammered
  into it.
• Delivery Instruct group to do the following
• The object of the game is for the group to
  suspend, off the ground, as many nails as
  possible using only the head of the single
  vertical nail already attached to the wood.
• Nails may only come in contact with other nails
  or the top of the vertical nail head not the
  ground or the wood.
• You may not use any additional resources.
• It is possible to suspend all 12 nails.
• Debrief After the group has completed the
  challenge, ask the following questions
• Did you think that this challenge was impossible?
• What is the difference between an impossibility
  and a possibility?
• What methods did you utilize in finding your
  solution?
• Was your effort effected by your perception of
  whether or not it was possible?
• Solution Create this solution on the table
  before balancing it on the nail head. Lay one
  nail on the table. Save one nail for the end.
  Take all the other nails and, in a row, rest the
  nail heads so that they hook onto the side of the
  nail. Now, take every other nail and reverse it
  so that it is hooked onto the middle nail, but in
  the opposite direction of the nail next to it.
  It should look like an outrigger canoe with
  paddles off to each side. All nail heads are
  still hooked onto the middle nail just in
  opposite directions. Put the final nail on top
  the same way you put the first nail. It should
  serve to lock in the heads of the other nails
  so that when you gently lift the bottom nail, the
  nails will counterbalance and be held on by the
  top nail.

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Helium Hoop

• Purpose This is a game used to stimulate
  conversation around areas such as teamwork,
  focus, communication, leadership, speed of work
  and continuous improvement.
• Preparation One hoola hoop or a 10-12 foot PVC
  pipe for every group of 6-8 people.
• Delivery Instruct group to do the following1.
  The object of the activity is for the group
  together to lower the hoop or pipe from the waist
  to the ground. 2. Everyone must be resting the
  hoop/pipe on one finger from each hand during the
  entire lowering process. You may not grip the
  hoop/pipe.
• 3. Every time a finger loses contact with the
  hoop/pipe, the group must raise it back up to
  waist level and begin again.3. There are no
  restrictions to communication during this process
  and there are no other rules.
• Debrief After the group has lowered the hoop to
  the ground ask the following questions
• How did that go?
• In what ways did you work well as a team? What
  challenges did you face?
• How did focus play into your experience during
  this exercise?
• What did you do to continuously improve the
  process? How was your speed affected?
• What roles did each of you play? (who led, who
  followed, who coordinated, communicated, gave
  ideas, etc.) Did you find yourself playing a
  similar or different role? How did that feel?
• 6. What connections can you make to how you
  worked together in this context with how you
  do/will work together in your business function?
  What would you like to replicate? What would you
  like to change?

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Tied In Knots

• Purpose Break the ice, increase energy in the
  room, increase camaraderie, explore problem
  solving in a team
• Preparation
• Carefully read instructions
• Practice the activity
• Delivery
• Ask group to stand close together in a circle
  and do the following
• Raise their left hand over their heads
• Hold their right hand in front of them facing
  the circle
• Lower their left hand and grab anyone elses
  right hand
• Instruct group members
• Not to let go of either hand
• To untangle themselves without breaking contact
• When they are done they will be in one large or
  several small circles
• Not to worry if some participants are facing
  the wrong way
• AN IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP If they are being
  manipulated into a potentially challenging
  position, they CAN break contact and reconnect as
  soon as possible
• IF STRUGGLING, they can maintain hand contact
  instead of hand grip
• Debrief

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Partnership Ropes

• Purpose This is a game used to stimulate
  conversation around areas such as teamwork,
  creative problem-solving and perception.
• Preparation One Partnership Rope for each
  participant. Each is one 60-inch piece of small
  diameter rope, with a sliding knot tied at each
  end so that there is a loop/circle for each
  wristas if you had made handcuffs.
• Delivery Instruct group to do the following
• Break into pairs and designate an A and B
  member.
• Have A put their rope loops onto their wrists
  (like handcuffs) and then stand with arms apart.
• Have B put one of their rope loops around their
  first wrist then loop the rope over As rope
  and then attach their second loop to their other
  wrist below As so that A and B are now
  intertwined.
• Partners must figure out how to separate from
  each other without
• Cutting the rope
• Untying the knots or
• Removing the loops from their wrists.
• Solution
• Bend your partners ropes in the center creating
  a closed loop (or bight).
• Pass this loop back through either of your wrist
  loops (from the elbow side to the finger tip
  side) so that the closed loop portion is closest
  to your fingers.
• Pull the loop through with your other hand and
  open the loop to a size that will accommodate
  your hand.
• Pass the loop over your hand
• Pull it down and through the wrist loop, and
  youre free!

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Line Up

• Purpose This is a game used to stimulate
  conversation about communication.
• Preparation No materials needed for this
  activity. Works best with groups of 7 -15 people.
• Delivery
• 1. Explain the objective To arrange yourselves
  in order of you birthday month without speaking
  to each other.
• 2. Explain the rules - Nobody may speak
  - Tell the facilitator when you are done
• 3. Tell them to begin and observe how they
  communicate, work together, and make decisions
• Debrief After the group has indicated that they
  have completed the task, ask these questions.
• How did you feel?
• How would you describe the leadership?
• Was the leadership supported?
• How would you evaluate the strategies you came up
  with?
• What contributed to the development of ideas?
• What got in the way?
• How was listening?
• How was participation?
• How can you apply this to work?

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Egg-Grenades

• Overview of Activity
• Teams are tasked to create a shatter proof
  housing for an uncooked egg which will prevent
  breakage when tossed 20 feet across hard
  pavement.
• Purpose To have participants work as a team to
  solve a problem and complete a project within a
  designated time frame. Some key discussion areas
  include teamwork, strengths, communication ,
  leadership, problem solving , time management and
  customer service .
• Preparation
• Prepare one egg grenade kit for each team. Each
  team will have 5-7 participants.
• Kits should
  include
• 1 Raw egg in shell
• 2 Balloons
• 1 pair of scissors
• 1 Ruler
• 4 index cars
• 4 rubber bands
• Select a suitable area for a test site ( egg
  throwing)
• Procedure
• Break the group into small teams of 5-7.
• Tell the group that they will be participating in
  a competitive activity and distribute Egg Grenade
  Kits.
• Explain the each team has 25 minutes to construct
  an Anti-Egg Grenade Device that will prevent the
  egg from cracking when tossed 20 feet onto hard
  pavement.
• Every anti -grenade device must
• Be made of only items included in the Egg Grenade
  Kit.

• 10 straws
• 6 paperclips
• 2 disposable plastic cups
• 3 feet of string
• 4 inches of sticky tape
• 1 disposable plastic bag to put kit into

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Delivery continued To make activity more
engaging, your briefing may go something like
this Your teams are finalists in a list of
tenders for the supply of landing devices to be
used on spacecraft in future NASA programs. The
tender documentation indicated that you are all
equally qualified to produce these items. The
final selection will be made today. You have
all been asked to come here today to create what
NASA refers to as an anti-grenade . An anti
-grenade is basically a device that doesnt
explode on impact. Using only the materials
provided in your kit , you are to construct a
landing device that is safe enough to carry an
egg and not break on impact. Your anti grenade
must contain a raw egg. If your egg doesnt
break when tested , you will be awarded a NASA
contract. However, if your egg doesnt survive,
neither will you chances. The evaluation will
require you to throw your anti grenade 20 feet
without damaging the egg inside. Another factor
in our final selection will be distance. The egg
thrown the farthest with out breaking will win!
Rolling or catching the egg grenade will result
in disqualification. The clock begins now. You
have ___ minutes till the testing. Good
Luck! The Test Before the debrief, have one
representative from each team step behind a
throw line ( use a rope or tape) and toss their
grenade. After each toss , have a team member
open up the device to check the egg. You may
have more than one team successful at not
breaking the egg, but choose the team whose egg
was tossed the farthest without
breaking. Debrief Depending on your purpose of
the activity your debrief questions will vary.
Some simple question to initiate conversation
might include How did your team do? What went
well? If anything, what went wrong How did your
team decide how to go about the task? ( planning
/ strategy) Did anyone take a leadership role on
the project? Did everyone feel like their input
was listened to and valued? What team strengths
did you observe? Was the competitive component
an issue in your process? How does this activity
apply to the workplace? Adapted from Games
Trainers Play Outdoors by Gary Kroehnert
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Contact Information
If you have questions about any of the
activities, feel free to contact any of the four
facilitators Susan Gerke sgerke_at_sbcglobal.net (
949) 831-7088 Anita Goldin anita_at_thecoachingcompa
ss.com [phone] Heather Hafner heather_at_hafn
erteamtraining.com  [phone] Denise
Lamonte deniselamonte_at_cox.net [phone]
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