--- title: "Snowflake" description: "Participants close their eyes or look down and follow identical folding and tearing prompts without speaking or asking questions. Unfolding the papers reveals distinct paper shapes, opening an inspection of how one-way instructions produce different results." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/communication-team-building-activity-about-diversity-snowflake/" --- # Snowflake Participants close their eyes or look down and follow identical folding and tearing prompts without speaking or asking questions. Unfolding the papers reveals distinct paper shapes, opening an inspection of how one-way instructions produce different results. **Time:** 10 minutes. UWT suggested duration based on a 5-15 minute exercise band **People:** 4 to 24. Individual work followed by full-group observation ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Compare how people interpret identical instructions differently when feedback is removed. **Use it when:** Use when a team prepares to examine handoffs, assumptions, or process clarity. **Skip it when:** Skip when the group needs an open-ended dialogue rather than a structured demonstration. ## Materials and tools - One sheet of standard copy paper (letter or A4) per participant - A few spare sheets of copy paper - One recycling bin or wastebasket for paper scraps ## Before participants arrive 1. Place one sheet of plain paper at each participant seat. 2. Keep spare paper within arm reach of the facilitator station. ## Say this to open Pick up your sheet of paper. Hold it in front of you. In a moment, I will give you a sequence of folds and tears. Follow each instruction as I speak it. Please remain silent and do not ask any questions. Close your eyes, or turn your gaze down toward your lap if you prefer to keep your eyes open. ## How to run it ### 1. Frame and blind instructions (2 minutes) Check that everyone has paper. Deliver the opening script. Confirm that participants have closed their eyes or lowered their gaze. Remind the group that no clarification questions are permitted during the sequence. ### 2. Deliver folding and tearing sequence (3 minutes) Read each prompt clearly, pausing 5 seconds between each: 1. Fold your paper in half and keep it folded. 2. Tear off the bottom right corner. 3. Fold in half again. 4. Tear off the top left corner. 5. Fold in half again. 6. Tear off the bottom left corner. 7. Fold in half again. 8. Tear off the top right corner. 9. Fold diagonally and crease firmly. ### 3. Unfold and compare results (2 minutes) Tell the room: Open your eyes. Unfold your paper completely. Hold your paper up in front of your chest so everyone can see it. Look around the room. Give participants 30 seconds of quiet observation to notice the differences across the papers. ### 4. Debrief interpretations (3 minutes) Facilitate a short discussion using the debrief questions. Invite 3 to 4 participants to share what caused their paper to look different from their neighbor paper. ## Debrief questions - Where did you feel uncertain about what an instruction meant, such as folding in half or finding a corner? - What assumptions did you make when you were not allowed to ask questions? - What simple changes to the communication process would make everyone produce matching results? **Finished output:** Unfolded paper patterns held up for comparison, followed by concrete observations about ambiguous instructions. ## Remote Each remote attendee needs one sheet of blank paper. Have everyone angle their camera away or turn off self-view, then close their eyes. Facilitator reads the prompts aloud. On cue, everyone turns their camera back to center and holds their unfolded sheet up to the lens simultaneously. ## Hybrid In-person and remote participants follow spoken instructions together with eyes closed or lowered. When instructed, in-person participants hold sheets toward the main camera while remote participants hold sheets to webcams. Facilitator highlights differences across both groups. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may keep eyes open and cast gaze downward onto their lap instead of closing eyes. - Individuals with limited finger strength may crease edges instead of tearing, or observe as a silent auditor. - Anyone may choose to observe without displaying their paper. ## If the session gets stuck **A participant paper tears completely apart during folding.** Hand them a fresh sheet and whisper that they can complete the remaining steps from their current fold state, or simply watch the remaining tears. **Someone asks aloud which direction to fold or which side is top right.** State immediately: Interpret the instruction however you understand it. No questions during the folds. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Playmeo library records, where the activity is attributed to Mark Collard. Retained the blind folding and tearing sequence from the Playmeo source record. Removed the source instruction to use teeth on thick paper folds for hygiene and safety, replacing it with manual tearing or creasing. Formatted instructions into explicit timeboxed steps under 90 words with access choices. [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/team-building-problem-solving-activities/snowflake/) [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/team-building-problem-solving-activities/snowflake) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/communication-team-building-activity-about-diversity-snowflake/