F. Trust Games

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F.2. Wall Crash

This is a good jump-start to trust-building,: one of its advantages is that it is based on forward movement; another is that it allows individual contact, rather than using the group en masse.

Trust develops through a feeling of safety each time the person is caught by the “safety nets,” so that, in the end, members feel safe even when running.

Have the whole group form a line facing a wall, a few meters away.
The leader names two people to act as safety nets. They stand near the wall opposite the line.
The person at the front of the line walks, eyes closed, toward the wall. The “Safety nets” catch each person before he or she hits the wall.
After each person has had a turn at a walking pace, the pace is speeded up on each turn, until group members are running at full speed.

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F.3. Conveyor Belt

Set up two lines of people facing each other (about two feet apart). Try to have people of similar height opposite one another.

The first couple detaches and one person lies down on his or her back between first six/eight people in both lines.

The person is lifted to head height and is then slowly passed down the whole length of the chain and is carefully lowered to the ground at the end.

Better results are obtained if the person relaxes and closes his or her eyes.

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F.4 Pile Up

This game is an all-group experience in trust-building, which is simple to run, fun to play (not for playing in good clothes!) and helpful to cohesion and trust. The leader should clear all known obstacles in the area beforehand and watch the process carefully, to prevent minor accidents.

Members of the group lie on their stomachs and close their eyes.
All start crawling toward a central point and they meet. They should crawl over each other until pile starts to form in the center.
When the pile is complete, everyone can open their eyes.

Variation:
Blindfold “bumps”. Group is blindfolded and walks to the center to form a knot.

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F.5. Blind Find

Many trust games use elements of dark or simulated blindness to create opportunities for building personal trust. This introductory game requires careful clearing of all obstacles to prevent accidents.

The leader(s) should push all furniture out of the way and darken the room. Explain that everyone should close their eyes and begin walking slowly around the room silently. When people meet they should greet each other non-verbally and move on.

After a trial of a few minutes, the leader gives a series of instructions and allows some time for the group members to follow through, for example:
- Find someone with hair as long as yours.
- Find someone with feet as big as yours.
- Find someone with arms the same length as yours.
- Find someone with a nose like yours.

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F.6. Control Tower

This is another simulated blindness trust game, but with pairs, which is slightly more challenging in terms of testing and building trust, which is why the roles are reversed half-way. It is therefore important to explain that this is to be played with care: some people find the experience rather hair-raising if played on rough grass or ground, so it is best played in a previewed environment.

The review helps group members gain an awareness of their trust.

Set up an obstacle course of rows of chairs and tables in the room and have group members choose a partner. One member of the pair is asked to put on a blindfold.
The blindfolded partner goes through an obstacle course, with the sighted person acts as the guide.
When half the group has been through the course, the sighted person puts on the blindfold and a new course is created.
Review the experience and feelings of participants when blindfold first and guiding first; compare with the feelings of those who played the game the other way around.

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F.7. Backward Fall and Catch

This standard trust game is remarkably challenging, which is why the group must be ready for it (choosing partners of their choice) and the leader needs to keep a close eye on reactions of participants.Once again, this is a one-to-one experience, but it does test and build greater trust in a crystallizing group.

Have group members find a partner and the group forms an inner circle and an outer circle, so that partners stand at about one meter distance, as if one person were behind the other. Both circles should be facing inwards.
The person in the inner circle allows himself or herself to fall back and be caught by ther partner. The front person must be relaxed. Distance can be varied within a safe limit.

Reverse the roles.