Minefield

• Small
• Medium
• Large

Rope or orange ribbon to mark the boundaries. Cones or other random toys/objects to be obstacles. A few squeaky toys. Blindfolds

Outline an hourglass type shape about 10-15ft long, with straight lines on ends to serve as “start” and “end” lines, and a narrow part about center. Randomly place cones or toys around in the hour glass to serve as obstacles. (Note in placing objects, go back to the end and make sure there is not easy straight path through from start to finish) Line the narrow center with cones/objects (so everyone must cross over). Leave 3 squeaky toys in there as well.

The object is to get the entire team from the “start” to the “finish” going through the minefield. Everyone must go through. While participants are in the minefield, they must be blindfolded. If a participant steps on a “mine” or on or outside the boundary line, he or she is frozen. Someone else in the field may unfreeze that person by stepping on a squeaky toy. (Participants may unfreeze more than one person, but one person may not “hover” at a squeaky toy. Teammates outside the minefield may only verbally guide the blindfolded people. They may not physically touch them!

Another version of a similar game with the same name is to create a grid of squares on the ground with tape, chalk, or rope (I would suggest 6 squares x 6 squares for a group of 4-7 people). In advance, a facilitator will draw a small replica grid on paper marking ONE specific route a team can take to successfully make it from one end of the grid to the other without hitting a mine (which is any square not on the "safe route". Typically, a participant can move only one square at a time either right or left, front or back, but not diagnally. The object is for the entire team, one person at a time, to successfully navigate across the "minefield" without hitting a space designated as a "mine". To begin, the facilitator will guide the first participant to the starting square, and then the participant must chose a square which they think is "safe". If the square they choose is not on the pre-designed "safe route", they hit a mine, and then must backtrack to the starting point the exact way they used to get the mine. Once successfully back to the starting square, the team must start over with a new member of the team attempting to find the "safe route". This continues, one team member at a time, until they have discovered the "safe route" and all members of the team have made it across the minefield. No team member should go twice until each team member has taken a turn. Additional twists can be added by making certain members of the team unable to speak or give directions to their teammates, or by blindfolding a team member. Competition between different teams can be made by keeping score of the number of "mines" each team hits (both on the way to the finish, and while backtracking back to the start), or by keeping track of the amount of time it takes to get the whole team successfully across. If in a competition, each team should do the exercise seperately with a different "safe route" (although the facilitator should make each "safe route" similar enough to the other as to not create an advantage for one team).