Stone Soup
Objectives
Creativity; reflections on collaboration; enjoyment of sharing food . . .
Group Size
Materials
The organizer supplies a space for preparation, a large crock pot for cooking; space and tools for preparing; and bowls, spoons, etc. for eating.
Set Up
The folktale "Stone Soup" could be shared (read aloud, circulated, posted. Each person is invited to contribute to the creation of a single soup: one fresh, raw, or dried food ingredient (organizer should specify a quantity, e.g. two cups worth) and one spice. They are not to reveal ahead of time what they will bring. Note: the organizer should collect information about dietary restrictions and allergies, and communicate the "do not bring" food list (perhaps keeping the people's identities anonymous). E.g., no gluten, no meat, no hot peppers. The organizer could supply salad, bread, and dessert to go with the soup - or those dishes could be brought by everyone potluck style.
Directions
Together, people wash, chop, peel, or otherwise prepare their food ingredients and add them to the pot. The organizer can determine the amount of each spice to add. When the soup is fully cooked, everyone eats together.
Debrief
Discussions can be about the result, what is learned about the diversity of the group, any metaphors and lessons that could apply to the team's regular projects. For example, the team may discuss whether prior agreements about what ingredients each person would bring would make the result better - or, if the random combination "worked" - should other projects be left to chance?
Alternatives
Instead of soup, the shared dish could be a casserole, salad, stew, pie . . . See also the Teampedia activity Potluck.