ASKshownotes

#92: What's New at Training Wheels?

8/18/2024

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

Breakthrough Bricks

Inspired by Tim Elmore's book, A New Kind of Diversity: Making the Different Generations On Your Team a Competitive Advantage.

Arrowhead Puzzle

Using the seven pieces (pictured below), create five arrowheads that look like this one.... (show the complete arrowhead from the pieces). If you use the words, "looks exactly like this one" there may be fewer solutions.

Here are the five answers we've seen so far...

Ask a Question or leave us a Comment HERE

Find Us At:
Michelle Cummings - Training-Wheels.com
(Online Store for Team Builders, Trainings, Activity Database, FREE Resources)
Sign up for Michelle's weekly E-Newsletter HERE
[email protected]

Chris Cavert - OnTeamBuilding.com & FUNdoing.com
(Online Store - Digital Downloads, Blogs, Online School, FREE Resources)
Sign up for the FUNdoing Fridays activity email HERE
[email protected]

Music from Josh (our Ask Michelle & Chris podcast editor)
OTB Graphics - Riki Resources Mentioned in the Episode

#91: Back-to-School Community-Building Ideas

8/6/2024

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

Story (Name) Cards – A nice way to encourage learning names, as well as learning specific things about others. (FUNdoing Blog Post – Chris)

Icebreaker Wheelies for Kids

Icebreaker Wheelies – General Deck for most groups.

Icebreaker Thumball

Handshakes Videos – Learning Handshakes & Do the Handshake Frenzy!

Comfort Zone Wheelies – a nice way to start learning personal preferences.

Protector/Destroyer – This is the link to 'Ask Michelle & Chris About Team Building' Episode #82, where Michelle talks about how to use this game to open up some conversations about bullying – setting norms and expectations related to how people want to treat each other.

#90: How Do I Start My Own Business in Adventure/Experiential Education?

7/23/2024

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

Online (mostly) MEd in Adventure Education If you want to get an advanced degree to boost your credibility, check out this new program.

1000 True Fans – Read this for a perspective on followers – How big will you build your list?

List Building Software/Companies
Convertkit.com (Chris' email marketing software of choice)
Constant Contact (Michelle's software of choice)

How Do We Use Our Facilitation Skills to Market Our Programs w/ Paul Cummings – on the 'Ask Michelle & Chris About Team Building' podcast.

Ready to Learn (A LOT)
Smart Passive Income – TONS of professional development resources for entrepreneurs! (Be sure to check out the 'All Access Pass' to Pat's courses – an amazing value for anyone who wants to start a small business. Or a large one!)

#89: Training Wheels 25 Year History Recap with Lesson Learned

7/3/2024

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

Join us for the Author's Activity Workshop on July 18th, 2024 in Littleton CO!

Share a Short Video about your Training Wheels connection! Deadline July 10th!

The Spokesperson (Training Wheels) E-Newsletter – sign up today!!

Minnesota State University at Mankato – Both Michelle and Chris completed their Masters Degree in Experiential Education (Educational Leadership) with MSU Mankato. However, this program is no longer available.

Alpine Towers – One of Michelle's first jobs in Adventure Education.

Project Adventure – One of the oldest Adventure Education Companies in the United States. And one of Michelle's few product competitors when she got started.

EOS Traction Process – The Training Wheels team just went through its current Traction meeting to plan for the exciting future ahead. Plans put into action move the needle in the right direction. We recommend this method.

#88: Reinvigorating Classics, (Vol. 4) Moonball & Human Knot

6/18/2024

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

Moonball - the earliest write up we know of for this cooperative beachball challenge is in Karl Rohnke's Silver Bullets (1984). Karl shared with Chris, New Volleyball from The New Games Book (1976) inspired this classic. Chris remembers Karl telling him, "I just took away the net."

Beach Ball Challenge – Here's the write up of the Moonball variation Chris explained in the episode.

Moonball Through Time – Check out this little historic collection of Moonball activities over the years at FUNdoing (Chris).

Knot Exchange – can be found in, Raptor and Other Team Building Activities, by Sam Sikes.

#87: Soft Start – Ideas for Engaging Participants Before Your Program Begins

5/21/2024

Ideas and Resources Shared in the Episode

Unofficial Start, from Serious FUN: Your Step-by-Step Guide To Leading Remarkable Fun Programs That Make a Difference by Mark Collard – "I build into all of my programs activities for people to do before the program is scheduled to start...arrival activities...gently inviting people into the space..."

Threshold Moments described in The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker.

Adventure Slips – Read all about them and get your FREE printable copy of the slips at FUNdoing.

Table of Torture is described by Sam Sikes in his book, Raptor: And Other Team Building Activities. Sam tells us, "A variety of teaching methods is one of the keys to learning. [A] table with puzzles and small games [is] a good way for people to take a break from the main training focus and still work on a number of skills such as seeing situations in a new way. For people who tend to be more analytical or shy, the puzzles offer a good way to socialize one on one while working on the puzzles."

Name Tags – Be creative with name tags. For example, put questions on the back of for participants to ask each other. Check out Chad Littlefield's new WE! Connection Sticker Name Tags (a video of Chad showing you how they work).

Conversation Starter Buttons and Quotables by Jennifer Stanchfield.

#86: Managing Large Groups (30 to 100) by Yourself

4/23/2024

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

The More The Merrier: Lead Playful Activities with Large Groups (book) at Training Wheels

Simple (Versatile) Props – Lots of uses and easy to distribute:

Playing Cards
Index Cards (Name Cards, Number Cards, Letter Cards)
Webbing (e.g., 15 foot sections)
Soft Tossables
Spot It Cards (multiple decks with groups of over 48 players)

All Group Activities

Handshakes (at FUNdoing with Chris & Machelle)
Pair and Share Questions (Icebreaker Wheelies at Training Wheels)
Finger Fencing, Opera Man, Partner Shoe Tie (with enough shoes with laces) – a blog write-up at Training Wheels
Switch, Change, Rotate (here's a short video to get the idea)
Group Blackjack – Everyone gets a playing card and places it, face out, on their forehead – without each person seeing their own card. Then, the group works together to create smaller groups whose cards equal 19, 20 or 21. (Aces are 1 or 11, face cards are 10)
Six Count (and some other large group challenges at FUNdoing)
Spot It Card Activities

Dividing Up a Large Group

Playing Cards – distribute cards in a way so you can quickly call out different group sizes. For example: Like rank and like color (pairs); Like rank (groups of up to four); Like suits (groups of up to 13). With groups of more than 52 players, use additional decks of cards – each deck needs to have a different back so when you're grouping, the groups will also be looking for the same back.

Climer Cards – The first deck of Climer Cards have a sorting system on the backs – shapes, colors, and numbers.

Smaller Group Simultaneous-Play Activity Ideas

Key Punch (and Number Flips variation)
Word Circle Puzzles – Find the group handout and lots of puzzles to make at this link.
Gutter Ball (a.k.a., Pipeline)

Attention Seeker Ideas

Noisemakers (e.g., Cow Bell, Bike Horn)
Call & Response

Hand Up

#85: Using Index Cards for Teambuilding Activities

4/9/2024

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Resources Mentioned in the Episode

Name Card Exchange and Story Cards – Full descriptions of these connection activities.

Diversity Dots – Instructions at Training Wheels (Michelle).

J U S T O N E W O R D – Write each letter of this phrase on a separate index card (you'll have 11 index cards). You'll want a set of these (11) cards, shuffled up well, for each group of two or three players. Tell them this, "Using all 11 cards, spell just one word." Talking Point: Mental Models – What do the directions mean to you? How are you defining the directions? In what other ways can the directions be defined?

Name Letter Opener – Full details at the FUNdoing Blog (Chris)

Puzzle Partners – Pick up some large index card. You'll need one index card for every two participants in your group. Cut each index card in half in a unique way. Shuffle up the pieces and then distribute – each person needs on 'half' of an index card. Before mingling and finding partners, tell everyone the question you want them to discuss after they find their match. For example, "What is life teaching you right now?" (Thanks to Chad Littlefield). Then, everyone goes into the crowd to find the other half of their puzzle (index card) piece and discuss the question.

Quick Mentions

Game Spots (e.g., Have You Ever, Traffic Jam)

Grouper (forming groups) – Create a set of numbered index cards, like a deck of cards. Make four sets of numbers 1 to 13 – each set of 13 cards has different colored numbers. Then you can distribute the number cards and call out number combinations to form groups of different sizes.
Make a set of letter cards – like a Scrabble Letters set of cards. Use them to play all sorts of letter teambuilding activities. (Search 'Crowd Words' and 'Jumbo Bananagram' at FUNdoing.com/blog for lots of letter activities.)
Making Lists – the best 'in-your-pocket' way to keep your program outline and your list of favorite activities (especially the no prop keepers).

Teambuilding with Index Cards
at Training-Wheels

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#84: Building and Supporting a Staff Culture That Efficiently Reflects On Their Facilitation After Programs

3/26/2024

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Ideas Shared in the Episode

"Show me the incentive and I'll show you the outcome."
Charlie Munger

Ideas:
Add space for written reflection on pre- post-check sheets.

Add three points to discuss:

What was a 10 for you and how did it work?
What was a three for you and how would you change it?
What is something new you tried during the program?

Video the reflection of the program. Have fun with it.

Show up from time-to-time to go through the reflection with the staff. Ask questions, show interest. Bring 'cold' beverages to show appreciation. Help the staff close up the program and put away gear. Be a part of the culture.

As a 'manager' follow up with the staff on their reflection data – show them you care and want to help them, and the program, get better.

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#83: Designing a Game for a Specific Outcome

3/12/2024

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Resources Mentioned in the Episode

Mouse Traps (Victor "Original" Mouse Trap, a.k.a., Victor Metal Pedal) Set of 50 traps at the Training Wheels Store.

Mouse Trap Activities – in Raptor by Sam Sikes, at the Training Wheels Store.

All things Ricochet and where to find the odd-bounding R-balls at the FUNdoing Website.

Delegate What's On Your Plate – from Michelle.

Obstacle Cards – Pulled from The Obstacle is the Way, by Ryan Holiday. Find the full description and the downloadable cards at the FUNdoing blog.

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