Embodied Greetings and Categorical Groupings



Objective(s) & Context

  1. Feel more comfortable in the group.

  2. Learn about similarities and differences within the group.

  3. Elicit themes of interest to girls.

 

Duration

Approximately 15–25 minutes, depending on the size of the group.

A group of 8–14 people would take about 15 minutes, whereas a larger group of 14–24 people could take up to 25 minutes with this exercise.

 

Group Size

At least 8 participants

 

Age Group

5 +

 

Skills

Sharing, Communication and listening skills

 

Format(s) & Technique(s)

Large group

 

Materials

None

 

Facilitation Tips

  • Part 1:

Ask participants to slow down or speed up the walk for fun and if the space requires more careful movement.

  • Part 2:

In each group, a follow-up question can be asked to invite participants to get to know each other better. The question gets at where, how, when and why this challenge exists. Responses could be brought back to the larger group for further exploration.

 

Popular Education Prompts

  • Getting to know each other is an important building block for moving forward as a group.

  • Having a chance to play and have fun together cannot be underestimated in building a strong group dynamic.

 

Leading the Activity: Steps to Take

This exercise is in two parts.

 

Part 1:

  1. Ask participants to move around the room to get to know the space you will be working and playing in.

  2. Remind participants to try to move without bumping into people or objects in the room.

  3. Ask participants to greet those they pass only using their elbows. Let this happen and then add (suggestions only):

    1. Greet each other with only your right knee.

    2. Greet each other with only your left index finger.

    3. Greet each other with your feet.

    4. Greet each other with your right eye.

 

Part 2:

  1. Ask participants to notice each other’s shoes.

  2. Invite them to get into groups according to the kind of shoes they are wearing.

  3. Once in groups, ask participants to introduce themselves to one another if they have not met and to share one way that they are like their shoes.

  4. Repeat the above with different categories. Suggested groupings could be:

    1. Birth month

    2. Number of siblings

    3. Favourite school subject

    4. Best thing about being in a girls’ group

    5. Most important challenge facing girls right now

 

Debrief

  • Did we learn anything new about other people in the group?

  • What were the impressions of the workshop?

 

Success Indicators

Participants are:

  • Talking and laughing with the group

  • Sharing more about themselves with the group

 

Source: Nisha Sajnani, Creative Alternatives: www.creative-alternatives.ca