Tin Can Pass

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Coordinate physical handoffs and collective timing to move an object around a circle without using hands.

Use it when: Use during in-person team workshops where an active physical coordination challenge helps explore communication, shared pacing, and recovery from errors.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have hip, leg, or mobility constraints that make seated foot manipulations uncomfortable, or when the session is entirely remote.

Group arrangement: Single circle for 4 to 10 participants. For 11 to 20 participants, split into two parallel circles of equal or near-equal size (such as 6 and 5 for 11, or 7 and 6 for 13).

Timing: UWT suggested duration of 15 minutes to allow setup, multiple attempts, strategy discussion, and debrief.

Materials and tools

• 1 clean, empty #10 tin can per circle (approximately 6 inches wide and 7 inches tall, with heavy tape covering all rim edges)
• 1 roll of heavy duct tape or athletic tape (for taping can rims)
• Armless sturdy chairs (optional, for groups who prefer seated elevation over sitting on the floor)

Before participants arrive

1. Inspect all tin cans to ensure cut rims are taped with heavy tape and completely smooth.
2. Clear floor space so participants can sit in a circle with knees bent and feet touching the inner perimeter.
3. If using chairs instead of the floor, arrange armless chairs in a snug, inward-facing circle.

Say this to open

Our goal is to pass this large tin can all the way around our circle using only our feet and shoes. You can brace your hands behind you on the floor or chair, but your hands cannot touch the can. Any time the can touches the floor, clothing above the ankles, or your hands, it counts as a fall. If it falls, pick it up, return it to the feet of the person who dropped it, and continue. Let us see how cleanly we can pass it around.

How to run it

1. Explain rules and demonstrate transfer 3 minutes

   Deliver the opening script and establish boundary conditions: feet and shoes only on the can. Demonstrate a clean transfer with a volunteer: one person holds the can firmly between their shoe soles, the receiver clamps their shoe soles onto the outside of the can, and the first person releases only after both confirm the grip. Answer practical questions.

2. Conduct first full attempt 4 minutes

   Place the taped can between the feet of a starting participant. Signal the start. Participants pass the can sequentially around the circle in one direction. The facilitator or a non-passing participant counts every fall. Stop when the can returns to the starter.

3. Huddle and execute second attempt 5 minutes

   Give the circle 90 seconds to discuss foot grip, seating distance, or vocal signals. Run a second full round attempting to reduce the fall count. If a circle completed round one with zero falls, introduce a second can travelling in the opposite direction.

4. Debrief team coordination 3 minutes

   Gather the group to reflect on communication and coordination. Invite two or three participants to share observations on how the team handled handoffs and drop recovery.

Debrief questions

• What adjustments in foot positioning or physical spacing made transfers more reliable?
• What vocal or nonverbal signals did you use to confirm a secure handoff before releasing?
• How did the group handle resets after a drop occurred?

Finished output: Completion of at least one full circuit of the can around the circle with a recorded count of drops.

Remote

This physical task requires in-person spatial interaction and cannot be run online without fundamentally changing the mechanic. It is designated as in-person only.

Hybrid

This exercise is in-person only. Remote participants cannot engage in the core physical mechanic. If a hybrid meeting must run this activity, remote attendees can only observe as external timekeepers and fall counters without directly participating in the pass.

Access and participation choices

• Participants can sit on armless chairs rather than the floor so hips and knees remain at an accessible angle.
• Any participant may choose to act as scorekeeper, fall counter, or drop resetter instead of using their feet to grip the can.

If the session gets stuck

Participants sit too far apart, causing strain or dropped cans during handoffs.

Pause briefly and have participants shift their chairs or floor positions closer together so feet easily reach across the gap.

Slick socks or slippery shoes cause the can to slide repeatedly.

Allow participants to take off slick shoes, keep sturdy shoes on, or clamp the can using the arches of their footwear.

Terms used here

• #10 tin can: A large steel food-service can roughly 6 inches in diameter and 7 inches tall.
• Fall: Any time the can contacts the floor, hands, or any body part above the shoes and ankles.