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Engage (What you need to know)
Ages
11+
Number of Participants
8-20
Time frame
30 minutes
Necessary components
A rod, PVC pipe, Straight stick, or pole of about 3-4 feet.
One for each participant.
Exactly one of these should be a different color or distinct in some way.
Purpose
This is a very challenging game that requires a group to learn a high amount of cooperation and movement. It is important for all
Demonstration / guide
This game was something that I learned from my brother who was taught it by a man from New Mexico. Well, my brother was in Iowa so he could use it for a camp in Wisconsin. So of course, it is called Minnesota Stick Shuffle.
First you are going to gather everyone into one giant circle. Everyone should pick up a pole and place it in the dirt. One of the poles should be a different color from the rest of the poles. The goal is for the entire group to make an entire circle.
If a pole falls over, the entire group must go back to their original starting point. If the base of a pole shifts, this is also normally counted as a “slip” or “fall.” This is very difficult to do, as participants can only be holding onto one pole at a time.
So, a participant must let go of one pole, and quickly move to the one to the right before it slips. All of the participants must do it all at the same time as they are a team, and if any of them slip, they must all restart. This requires them to use a high amount of communication to be able to know when they can switch.
Extensions!
You must pass your stick two people over. So instead of going to the stick immediately on your right, you must skip the stick right and go two over. This decreases the amount of time that participants have to move over.
Doing it in silence. This increases the amount of nonverbal cues that students must pick up on with one another .
Explaining the requirements
Everyone gather into a circle
Everyone hold onto one rod at a time
If any of the rods fall over, you must all restart
The goal is to get everyone back to the original pole that they started with
You must communicate with one another to make sure everyone is in sync with one another.
Engage (What you need to know)
Ages
11+
Number of Participants
8-20
Time frame
30 minutes
Necessary components
A rod, PVC pipe, Straight stick, or pole of about 3-4 feet.
One for each participant.
Exactly one of these should be a different color or distinct in some way.
Purpose
This is a very challenging game that requires a group to learn a high amount of cooperation and movement. It is important for all
Demonstration / guide
This game was something that I learned from my brother who was taught it by a man from New Mexico. Well, my brother was in Iowa so he could use it for a camp in Wisconsin. So of course, it is called Minnesota Stick Shuffle.
First you are going to gather everyone into one giant circle. Everyone should pick up a pole and place it in the dirt. One of the poles should be a different color from the rest of the poles. The goal is for the entire group to make an entire circle.
If a pole falls over, the entire group must go back to their original starting point. If the base of a pole shifts, this is also normally counted as a “slip” or “fall.” This is very difficult to do, as participants can only be holding onto one pole at a time.
So, a participant must let go of one pole, and quickly move to the one to the right before it slips. All of the participants must do it all at the same time as they are a team, and if any of them slip, they must all restart. This requires them to use a high amount of communication to be able to know when they can switch.
Extensions!
You must pass your stick two people over. So instead of going to the stick immediately on your right, you must skip the stick right and go two over. This decreases the amount of time that participants have to move over.
Doing it in silence. This increases the amount of nonverbal cues that students must pick up on with one another .
Explaining the requirements
Everyone gather into a circle
Everyone hold onto one rod at a time
If any of the rods fall over, you must all restart
The goal is to get everyone back to the original pole that they started with
You must communicate with one another to make sure everyone is in sync with one another.