SUPPLIES: Paper and pens, box or bag, chairs arranged in a circle (one chair more than the number of players; four of the chairs aligned in a straight ‘couch’).
THE GAME: Divide the group into two teams (splitting into teams of boys and girls works well if numbers are even) and ask players to sit. Ask each person to write his or her first name on a slip of paper and fold it in half. Collect slips in the box, mix them up, and have each person draw his or her “new” name. The object is to seat four members of the same team on the “couch,” using their new names.
The player to the left of the empty chair goes first and calls teh name of a player other than the one he or she has drawn. Whoever has drawn that name moves to the empty chair. The person to the left of the new empty chair calls out a second name. Encourage players to keep in mind the “new” names of players on each team so they can eventually place their teammates on the “couch.” Play continues until one of the teams seats all four of its members in a row on the couch.
GOING DEEPER:
• What was hard about the game?
• What strategies did you use to get all four of your team members on the couch?
• How did you remember the new identities of your team?
ASSET CATEGORIES: Social Competencies, Support, Commitment to Learning
Source: Great Group Games: 175 Boredom-Busting, Zero-Prep Team Builders for All Ages
© 2007 Search Institute
