G. Evening Activities

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G.2. Freeze Improvisation

Two group members begin a dramatic improvisation on any theme.
Any group member may yell “Freeze”, at any time. At this point, the two actors freeze in the position they find themselves.
The group member who shouted “Freeze” taps one actor on the back, at which point that person leaves the improvization and the group member assumes the identical exact physical position.
S/he then starts a new improvization and the game continues in this fashion, until a variety of scenes are improvized.

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G.3. Electric Current

Players stand, or sit in a circle, holding hands.
All close their eyes and the leader taps one member on the back. That person then squeezes the hand of the person next to him/her.
As soon as someone feels the hand squeeze, s/he passes it on to the next person in the circle.
The electric current may be sent from two different starting points, or in two directions simultaneously.

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G.4. This is a Shoe

This is a semi-dramatic, silly rule game for a crystallizing group, which also channels communication around the group in a structured manner and involves practices, like hearing someone out. If members are cooperative, it can also be played in a new group to improve acquaintance in a non-threatening manner.

Players sit in a circle.
The leader has an object in his or her hand (for example, a shoe) and explains how the game is played, going forwards and backwards, one person at a time.
S/he passes the object on to the next in line, saying, “This is a shoe.”
The next person asks, “A what?” The first person again answers, “A shoe.”
Now the leader repeats, “This is a shoe” and the second player repeats to the next in line: “A shoe.”
The third player now asks “A what?” and passes this question back down the line to the leader who answers, “A shoe.”
This word is passed on down the line until the fourth person is reached, who also now asks the question, “A what?” is passed back again to the leader.
The game continues in this way until everyone has participated.

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G.5. Paper Bag Dramatics

Prepare a bag with a variety of objects (e.g., Shabbat candles, Magen David, Hebrew newspaper, etc….).
Divide the players into small groups. Each player picks one object from the bag.
After everyone has an object, each group must compose a short skit using all the objects its players have picked. The best skit wins.

Hint:
For large groups use one bag for each subgroup.

Variation:
Instead of composing a skit, the players should compose a song, or tell a story,
using the objects.
Use objects related to a Festival (i.e., dreidel, matzot). Tell all the players that their skit has to revolve around that Festival.

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G.6. Touch Back

Divide the group into couples, with partners standing and facing each other.
At the signal, they simultaneously try to touch each other’s back three times (not consecutively).
First one to do so wins.

Variation:
After the first game, have everyone in the room touch anyone else’s back three
times.
As soon as the person does so s/he sits down.
The object is not to be the last standing.

G.7. Toe Stomp

This game is good fun, but not suitable for all groups. If participants have heavy shoes, it is best played without any footwear – and gently.

Divide the group into couples.
The object of the game is to gently stomp on your partner’s toes three times, while you are holding each other’s hands.
The first one to do so wins.

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G.8. The Rule of the Game

Rules are important in groups, but ridiculous rules can be used to release tension.
This rule game sets one player against the others, so it should only played for fun and in a group which is cooperative internally.

Have the group sit in a circle. One person goes out; others choose a rule. Example of a good rule to begin with:
Answer every question as if you were the person on your right.
When s/he comes back, s/he has to discover the rule by asking people questions about themselves.
Players have to answer questions honestly, according to the rules.

How to set rules:
Rules can be hard or very simple, according to age and experience.
Rules may be visual (scratch head before answering), or structural (each answer begins with the next letter of the alphabet).
Another example:
One gender tells lies, the others tell the truth.

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G.9. Lawyer

Rules are part of everyone's life, including the group's, but everyone should be part of the process of creating them, during norming. This game helps do it for fun and allows the leader to bring non-dominant members into the process.

Place chairs in a circle.
Designate a “lawyer” and explain how to play the game, to him or her.
The lawyer stands in the center and announces to the players, “Starting from now, you must not answer when I speak to you; the person on your left must answer for you. You must not nod, or smile, or respond to me in any way. Do you understand?”
The players almost invariably answer, and they are out...
The lawyer starts again, asking different people questions and putting them out, if they answer for themselves, or break the rules of nodding/smiling.
The lawyer progress to another rule, making it more sophisticated, such as: no one may answer “yes” or “no”…
New rules may be added as you go along (up to a point!), or new "lawyers" appointed.

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