Shipwreck

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Energize a group and practice immediate auditory response through collective physical movements.

Use it when: Use during a midday energy slump, after long seated presentations, or to transition between stationary agenda items.

Skip it when: Skip when the meeting room lacks clear floor space, when participants prefer quiet reflection, or when physical movement poses safety hazards.

Group arrangement: Whole group in an open space, forming spontaneous pairs or triads during specific calls.

Timing: Playmeo recommends several minutes; UWT suggests 10 minutes including orientation and cool-down.

Materials and tools

• 4 directional signs (Bow, Stern, Port, Starboard)
• Painter tape to post signs

Before participants arrive

1. Clear chairs and tables to create an open central floor.
2. Post 'Bow' on the front wall, 'Stern' on the back wall, 'Port' on the left wall, and 'Starboard' on the right wall.

Say this to open

We are stepping onto the deck of a ship. The front of our room is the Bow, the back is the Stern, the left is Port, and the right is Starboard. When I call a direction, move toward that wall. When I call an action, perform that nautical role on the spot. Move briskly while keeping yourself and others safe.

How to run it

1. Map the ship 2 minutes

   Gather participants in the center of the room. Point out Bow, Stern, Port, and Starboard. Review the four directional commands and demonstrate the action commands: Attention (salute), Swab the Deck (mimic scrubbing floor), Sailor Overboard (lie down or sit and wave limbs), Lifeboats (three people form a seated line and row), and Rig the Sails (pairs link hands and pretend to hoist sails).

2. Practice slow calls 2 minutes

   Call out two directional commands and two action commands at a moderate pace. Allow participants to locate the proper walls and assemble into small groups for Lifeboats or Rig the Sails. Confirm everyone understands each prompt.

3. Run rapid sequence 4 minutes

   Call out commands in rapid succession with 4 to 6 seconds between prompts. Mix directional runs with stationary or group actions. Keep everyone in play without eliminating people who arrive last or end up in an incomplete subgroup.

4. Cool-down and reflect 2 minutes

   Bring the group back to the center for a brief standing debrief. Take two observations on listening patterns and physical focus.

Debrief questions

• Which commands required the quickest mental adjustment, and why?
• What strategies helped you form groups quickly during Lifeboats or Rig the Sails?

Finished output: A fully energized room that completed a series of coordinated whole-group and small-group physical responses.

Remote

This active physical movement game requires a shared physical space to run as designed. For a fully remote group, substitute a seated camera-based response game: assign screen directions (Look Up, Look Down, Lean Left, Lean Right) and screen poses (Salute, Row, Scrub). The facilitator calls commands while viewing gallery view.

Hybrid

Hybrid delivery is not recommended because in-person participants navigate physical space while remote attendees watch stationary screens. If running hybrid, assign remote attendees the role of callers or callers' assistants who select and announce commands to the in-person room.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may walk at their own pace or point toward the designated wall instead of traveling across the room.
• For ground-level actions like Sailor Overboard, participants may remain seated in a chair and raise arms and legs.
• Anyone may step out of active play to serve as co-caller or ship navigator.

If the session gets stuck

Participants collide while sprinting to the walls.

Set a rule of brisk walking rather than running, and remind everyone to watch their landing space near the walls.

People feel left out when triad calls leave odd numbers without a full group.

Explicitly state that incomplete boats or sails still count, or let the spare participant serve as captain to call the next prompt.

Terms used here

• Bow: The front section of a ship.
• Stern: The rear section of a ship.
• Port: The left-hand side of a ship facing forward.
• Starboard: The right-hand side of a ship facing forward.