Teaching PLI: How to use Delicious in Your Leadership Class

General: Activities for Your Leadership Class (Part 4)

This is the fourth post in a new series sharing many of our favorite leadership activities we do with our audience members across the nation. Each activity has a proven track record since we actually present at over 300 conferences, retreats, school assemblies and corporate events every year and have for the past 20 years.  Enjoy and feel free to share via Facebook, Twitter or email with your network of friends, teachers, trainers, speakers or absolute complete strangers!  (We are @pli_leadership on Twitter.)

This Way/That Way

PLI Essential – Masterful Communication

Objective – To stand or sit based off of the answer to a question

Time Needed – 3-7 minutes

Material Needed – Open space if you want to change the game up and have them take a step forward or backward

When not to do it – If you do not have a predetermined list of topics

Debrief Possibilities – This is really just a fun mixer but it falls under the lines of masterful communication due to the listening aspect. It is also good to do as an opener to help students learn about one another.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. When a question is asked (all questions start with “do you prefer”) if you prefer the first object mentioned take a step forward (or stand up if there is no room) and if you agree with the second object mentioned take a step back (or sit down).

2. The questions should be a series of comparable objects that a student would prefer one over the other. i.e. “Do you prefer texting or talking”, “Do you prefer milk or orange juice” “Chevrolet or Ford” “MTV or ESPN” if they like the first object mentioned they can take a step forward or stand up and if they prefer the second take a step back or have a seat.

3. Have at least 10-15 things to compare but make sure they are things that each student could take a stance on.

4. Note: Stay away from political based or controversial topics.  These activities are designed to help us learn about one another not start a debate and/or riot.

One of our most popular curriculum pieces is The Activator.  It contains this activity, as well as 49 other effective leadership activities!

Purchase Activator Here

General: Activities for your Leadership Class Series (Part 3)

This is the third post in a new series sharing many of our favorite leadership activities we do with our audience members across the nation. Each activity has a proven track record since we actually present at over 300 conferences, retreats, school assemblies and corporate events every year and have for the past 20 years.  Enjoy and feel free to share via Facebook, Twitter or email with your network of friends, teachers, trainers, speakers or absolute complete strangers!  (We are @pli_leadership on Twitter.)


Balloon Toss

PLI Essential – Fostering Relationships, Wise Judgment, Goal Processing

Objective – For each team to keep as many balloons off the ground as possible

Time Needed – From 45 - 60 minutes

Material Needed – 12” round Balloons, Trash Sacks

Best Case Scenario – At least a few teams of 8 people and room to play

When not to do it – If there isn’t any floor space to work with

Debrief Possibilities – This activity teaches how to work with others, how to overcome challenges, how to recognize and work with human behavior patterns, how to communicate, how to plan strategically, and to not be satisfied with status quo

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Each team of 8 gets 1 sack of balloons (3 more balloons than people in the group, i.e. if there are 8 people in the group they will need 11 balloons) and 1 trash sack.

2. Each person must put their strongest hand behind their back and they cannot use it at any time during the activity (except for the feeder).

3. Each team selects a feeder.  The feeder holds the trash sack.

4.Blow up all the balloons and put them in the trash sack.

5.The team needs to figure out how they are going to keep the balloons off the ground by only tapping or nudging them.

6.The feeder will take a balloon out of the sack and feed it to the team at 10-second intervals.

7.Once a balloon touches the ground, the team must sit down and try again after all teams have been seated and the activity leader re-starts everyone. 

8.This process can continue as long as time allows or until the teams have completed the task.

One of our most popular curriculum pieces is The Activator.  It contains this activity, as well as 49 other effective leadership activities!

Purchase Activator Here

General: Activities for your Leadership Class Series (Part 2)

This is the second post in a new series sharing many of our favorite leadership activities we do with our audience members across the nation. Each activity has a proven track record since we actually present at over 300 conferences, retreats, school assemblies and corporate events every year and have for the past 20 years.  Enjoy and feel free to share via Facebook, Twitter or email with your network of friends, teachers, trainers, speakers or absolute complete strangers!  (We are @pli_leadership on Twitter.)

Super Shaper

PLI Essential – Integrity, Innovativeness, Fostering Relationships, Goal Processing

Objective – For each team to design all of the shapes using only their bodies

Time Needed – 20-30 minutes

Material Needed – List of possible shapes, Music

When not to do it – When the students aren’t in teams

Debrief Possibilities – This activity is primarily just a fun roller-coaster ride for the students, but it does speak to their integrity in playing the game since it is so hectic, it is very easy for the students to cut corners and not get noticed.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Have students in a team pick one runner and then sit in a tight circle on the floor.

2. Explain the rules: When the activity starts (music starts) each runner will come to the activity leader and receive their first shape.

3. The runner will go back to the team and tell them the shape.  The team must make the shape, using only there bodies and hold that position for 10 seconds.

4. After the 10 seconds is up, the runner will come back to the leader, tell the leader the shape they just made and receive their next shape…repeat as many times as desired.

Shape Examples

Square
Christmas tree
Barn
Stop sign
Airplane
Horse
Circle
Computer
Rectangle

One of our most popular curriculum pieces is The Activator.  It contains this activity, as well as 49 other effective leadership activities!

Purchase Activator Here

General: Activities for your Leadership Class Series (Part 1)

This is the first post in a new series sharing many of our favorite leadership activities we do with our audience members across the nation. Each activity has a proven track record since we actually present at over 300 conferences, retreats, school assemblies and corporate events every year and have for the past 20 years.  Enjoy and feel free to share via Facebook, Twitter or email with your network of friends, teachers, trainers, speakers or absolute complete strangers!  (We are @pli_leadership on Twitter.)


Clumps

PLI Essential – Fostering Relationships

Objective – To get into the right clump

Time Needed – 10-20 minutes

Best Case Scenario – An open area with 15 – 100 students

Debrief Possible – It teaches how people are different in many regards and how we shouldn’t judge people on their differences.  We should instead recognize and appreciate differences and find points of similarity to create mutual interests, points of conversation and friendship building blocks.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Everyone gets up in the open area.

2. The point of the game is to get in a clump.

3. A clump is a circle of people with their arms interlocked.

4. Participants know how to clump up based on the “descriptor” the activity leader gives.

5. Participants know which clump to get into based on communicating with others to find people that are like them.

6. For example, when the activity leader yells out eye color, all the blue eyes get in a clump, all the green eyes, brown eyes, etc.

7. There cannot be “split clumps.”  For example, if shoe size is the descriptor, all the 10’s have to be together, all the 9’s, etc.  There cannot be two clumps of 6’s or two clumps of 8’s, etc.

8. Once all the clumps have been formed, the activity leader will give another descriptor.

9. Numbers can also be used to form the clumps instead of descriptors.  The activity leader can say 5 and everyone gets in clumps of 5 people.

10. To take the game one step further, once the clumps are made, have everyone go around and briefly introduce themselves to the other people in their clump.  The brief intros can be name, hometown, and favorite hobby.

11. Once the leader feels like the game has gone long enough, a great way to end it is to have everyone get in one big clump (by using the descriptor of “who is here today”).  Once they are in one big circle, the leader can stand in the middle and talk about how everyone is different, but there are certain points of similarity.  Point out the fact that everyone in the room has what it takes to be a positive leader.  This is also a good time to preview what will happen next, as the leader will have their attention.

12. To add an element of competition to this game, have everyone get in a clump before the leader says Stop.  All the people who are not in a clump or are in an illegal clump (like a split clump) have to sit down.  So, the leader would say get in clumps by your age.  Then say go, let them scramble, and then say stop.  Everyone not in a clump has to sit down.  Keep going until the group has been narrowed down to 3 or 4. 

One of our most popular curriculum pieces is The Activator.  It contains this activity, as well as 49 other effective leadership activities!

Purchase Activator Here