Amoeba Scavenger Hunt
Time Allowance: 20-30 Minutes
Equipment Needed: Forty feet of rope and a set of scavenger hunt directions. Prepare the scavenger hunt site by placing the items to be found in specific locations, It is helpful to have scavenger hunt directions written out and handed to the group. Examples include: find someone with a birthday within the last month and sing "Happy Birthday to that person as a group.
1. Prepare the group by informing them of the physical closeness of this activity and ask for their participation. Provide alternatives for individuals that choose not to participate. This is an advanced initiative that requires prior activity in support sequence (e.g., trust exercises or blindfold initiatives). Groups larger than ten members work better if separated in two groups.
2. The group is lost in a vast kingdom with only a set of directions to locate keys to a puzzle which will point the way home.
3. Students work together in this activity to form one large organism called an amoeba. The group stays together using a rope wrapped around the outside of the group and tied off, or they can interlock elbows. The group travels to a variety of sites and participates in a scavenger hunt. Once the hunt is completed, the amoeba finishes its journey by reaching a designated spot.
4. When traveling up stairs, or through difficult terrain, the group must be ready to deal with the complexity, or the instructor must be prepared to assist. Specffically:
a. The group must take small steps, no running.
b. The group must stay together.
c. At any time, any member can shout stop and the group must stop.
d. When indoors, the amoeba can only whisper.
e. The amoeba can communicate only face-to-face.PROCESSING ISSUES
Debriefing Questions:
a. What happened?
b. What did you experience?
c. How were decisions made?