Dynamics to animate groups (Part II)

Animating is an important part of the work that many of us do with groups of people regardless of the context and their number. As words are not enough (and are often the cause of fatigue and boredom ), we resort to dynamics capable of activating , stimulating and exciting the participants .

This entry is the second part of the series on dynamics to animate groups that we have elaborated based on the compilation published by the non-governmental organization (NGO) International Alliance against HIV/AIDS .

Stand up, sit down and sing

The participants sit in a circle and sing a song that everyone knows. They choose two letters that are repeated frequently in the song; ask the men to stand up when they sing a word that starts with one letter and ask the women to stand up when they sing a word that starts with the other letter. For example, all the men have to stand up each time the group sings a word beginning with the letter 'm', while the women have to stand up each time the group sings a word beginning with the letter 'm'. 'F'.

This dynamic will activate the body and concentration of your group, while causing several smiles and spreading good spirits . You will have to know your group well to choose the song properly, but if not, you can explore options beforehand or resort to popular songs .

mirror image

The participants divide themselves into pairs. Each pair decides which of them is going to be the 'mirror'. Then this person imitates (mirrors) the actions of his partner. After a while, ask the couple to switch roles so that the other person can be the 'mirror'.

With this dynamic you will be able to bring the participants closer to each other, which is good if they have not interacted much. Despite being based on the physical component , it will help to generate empathy , harmony and communication . Try to form pairs with people who do not know each other and do not extend the activity too much because the participants could lose interest .

Storm

With eyes closed, everyone sits quietly in a circle, waiting for the facilitator's first move. The facilitator rubs their hands together to create the sound of rain. The person to your right makes this sound and then the next person and so on until everyone in the group is making the same sound. Once everyone is rubbing their hands together, the facilitator makes the rain sound louder by snapping their fingers as this sound passes around the circle. The facilitator then claps his hands and that sound passes around the circle to create a storm. The facilitator then pats his legs and the group follows him. When the facilitator and the group stamp their feet on the ground, the rain becomes a hurricane. To indicate that the storm is passing, the facilitator reverses the order, slapping legs, clapping, snapping, and rubbing hands, ending in silence.

For this you must learn well the sequence of body sounds to make and make it clear to the participants the order in which they must imitate their partners. The dynamic is useful to generate relaxation and full awareness of the moment, as well as a certain experience of group connection . If you accompany the activity with short, simple explanations and in a soft voice , you will increase the relaxing effect .

birthday chart

Ask people to line up in the order of the months or seasons of their birthdays. Have a discussion about which month or season has the highest number of birthdays and what reasons might explain this.

A dynamic that facilitates mutual knowledge . Some recommended variations for her are to ban the use of words and ask for the most creative or wacky explanations they can think of. Always take into account the context and the characteristics of the people who make up the group .

act a lie

Everyone stands up and forms a circle. The facilitator begins by acting out an action. When the person to your right says your name and asks "What are you doing?" that person responds that he is doing something completely different; for example, the facilitator pretends to be swimming and says “I am washing my hair”. Then the person to the right of the facilitator has to simulate what the facilitator said they are doing (washing their hair), while saying that they are doing something completely different. Continue around the circle until everyone has had a turn.

Perfect for breaking the ice , this dynamic requires concentration and creativity . It will cause several laughs and you will create an environment of greater trust , not to mention that you will be able to take items if your main activity is related to communication .

As you can see, a dynamic is more than just an exercise to do; it is also an activity that allows you to work on different individual and group aspects while, simultaneously, it can be a bridge or the perfect excuse to give continuity to your workshop or meeting .