Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: f3ddb5d6cff7e920e05d09b2c4c17248c5fe053c41d3528f1d554b3ae72de690

# Children's Games Revisited

Participants recall childhood games, select low-barrier variations, teach them to the group, and briefly play them before examining team dynamics.

**Time:** 25 minutes. UWT suggested 25-minute duration to accommodate brainstorming, teaching two short games, and debriefing
**People:** 4 to 24. Whole group circle, with individuals or pairs volunteering to lead turns

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Compare how simple rules, variations, and leadership styles shape team participation and communication.
**Use it when:** Use during team retreats or energy slumps when a group needs a physical reset and an entry point to discuss how rules and norms form.
**Skip it when:** Skip when participants require strictly formal sessions, when physical space is severely restricted, or when physical movement poses discomfort for the group.

## Materials and tools

- 1 flipchart or whiteboard
- 2 dry-erase or flipchart markers
- Digital whiteboard or shared text document for remote participants

## Before participants arrive

1. Clear an open circle in the room with sufficient space for participants to stand or move safely without obstructions.
2. Set up a flipchart or display board visible to the entire group.

## Say this to open

Most of us grew up playing games, hand-rhymes, or rhythm challenges. Each neighborhood or family often had its own rules. Today we will recall a few of those games, volunteer leaders will teach their specific version, we will play two quick rounds, and then we will look at how rules and leadership played out.

## How to run it

### 1. Brainstorm games (5 minutes)

Ask the room to call out childhood games, songs with hand motions, or circle activities. Write them on the flipchart. Aim for 8 to 10 titles. Ask for one or two volunteers willing to teach their version of one listed game. If no one volunteers, select two low-impact options such as Rock Paper Scissors Tournament or Simon Says.

### 2. Teach and play game one (7 minutes)

The first volunteer states the game rules and any necessary modifications so everyone can participate comfortably. The volunteer leads the room through the game. Stop play at the six-minute mark regardless of outcome.

### 3. Teach and play game two (7 minutes)

The second volunteer leads their chosen game with their specific house rules. If physical contact, running, or sudden movements are involved, ensure seated or contactless variations are agreed upon before starting. Run the game for five to six minutes, then call time.

### 4. Debrief team dynamics (6 minutes)

Gather the group back into a seated circle. Pose two reflection questions to the room. Invite three or four brief responses that link childhood rules to workplace norms.


## Debrief questions

- How did differing memories of the rules affect your comfort or willingness to jump in?
- What made it easy or hard to follow the leader's specific version of the game?
- Where do unwritten or assumed rules show up in our day-to-day team communication?

**Finished output:** A shared list of recalled childhood games and identified insights on how explicit rules support team alignment.

## Remote

Run in a main video call gallery view. Limit brainstormed options to screen-compatible childhood games such as Simon Says, Two Truths and a Lie, Rock Paper Scissors, rhythm hand claps, or Categories. The volunteer leader explains rules over the microphone and observes participant webcam feeds. Participants can stay seated.

## Hybrid

Station an in-person room camera so remote participants can see the physical circle. When an in-person leader runs a game, ensure the mechanics involve hand gestures, verbal calls, or seated actions so remote attendees join on equal footing. Select at least one remote leader to run a turn.

## Access and participation choices

- Offer seated, low-mobility, or contactless versions for any running or contact games.
- Allow participants to opt out of physical play and serve as timekeeper, scorekeeper, or co-facilitator without explanation.

## If the session gets stuck

**Participants disagree vigorously over the official rules of a traditional game.**

Remind the group that folk games have local variations and that the session leader's house rules govern this round.

**A suggested game requires vigorous running or tagging that excludes members with limited mobility.**

Ask the leader to adapt the mechanic to a walking pace, gesture-based trigger, or choose an alternate game from the brainstorm list.


## Terms used here

- House rules: Custom rules or variations adopted by a specific household or local group rather than standard published rules.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Teampedia entry 'Children's Games Revisited' (contributed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.5). Original individual author is uncredited.

Retained the core mechanic from the Teampedia entry of recalling childhood games, having volunteers teach their personal versions, and reflecting on the leadership and rule variations. UWT added explicit time limits, strict non-contact/safety adaptations, a structured four-step flow, and specific debrief prompts connecting the games to adult workplace dynamics.

[Teampedia](https://www.teampedia.net/wiki/Children%27s_Games_Revisited)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/children-s-games-revisited/