"Attitudes
of inner peace, of camaraderie, of trust or of happiness cannot
be pursued directly as final goals. They merely arise from situations
that are conducive to the discovery and emergence of such attitudes.
A truly recreative milieu provides such situations..." (Geba, Being at Leisure Playing at Life, 1985).
 Trust Walk
Size:
any
Equipment: blindfolds
for half of group can be done outdoors or indoors
Objective: trust building
and understanding "trust" related feelings
Description: Pair up partners.
Blindfold one of each partner. The "sighted" partner
guides the blindfolded one around using verbal cues or slight
arm touches. Have blindfolded people guess objects around
the room or facility. If outdoors and on a sunny day, have
blindfolded guess dark & light colored objects, i.e. cars.
Safety: Reinforce safe
behavior and trust building behavior. Yell "stop"
anytime you see unsafe behavior. Share safety concerns and
process if necessary.
This activity was submitted by
Amanda, no last name given.
TRUST CIRCLE
Size of Group: 8 to 10
Discussion: Open group
with discussion on trust, how long it takes for one to trust
another, how long it takes to lose trust in another, and what
specific words or behaviors one must take in order to establish
trust with others.
Activity: Form a circle
with the participant's shoulders touching. Have a volunteer
or yourself stand in the middle with their arms crossed and
legs straight and stiff. Those forming the circle must stand
with one leg forward and the other backward with their knees
bent. Their hands must also be in a ready position to catch
the person in the middle from falling.
The group may develop a list
of rules or behaviors that will not be permitted in the group
(ex, no hard pushes, no fooling around, keep hands up and
eyes focused). Also a list of positive expected behaviors
(ex, you're doing good, stay focused, good job) can be generated.
When the group is ready, and
when the person in the middle is ready, instruct the middle
person to fall. Others catch the person and gently guide them
back to the center of the circle. Its important that people
adjacent to each other help each other out ("at least
4 to 6 hands on the falling person").
If the middle individual is scared,
bring the group closer. Once comfortable, the group can move
a step back. For a "kool" experience, the "faller"
may do this activity with their eyes closed.
Safety: REINFORCE SAFE
BEHAVIOR and trust building behavior. If participants engage
in unsafe behavior or behavior promoting distrust, stop the
group immediately and process such behavior.
PROCESS: Discuss feelings
felt by the falling individuals. Were they scared? Did they
trust the group? What things did group members do that reinforced
feelings and thoughts of trust? What things did group members
do that generated feelings and thoughts of mistrust? What
are things we can do in our lives to generate feelings of
trust in others? What have you done in your live that generated
trust/mistrust? |