---
title: "Alter Shake"
description: "Participants complete a circuit where everyone greets every other person exactly once, alternating which hand or gesture they use on each turn. The group experiments with sequencing to keep the pattern intact from start to finish."
last_updated: "2026-09-20"
canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/no-props-team-game-active-group-challenge/"
---

# Alter Shake

Participants complete a circuit where everyone greets every other person exactly once, alternating which hand or gesture they use on each turn. The group experiments with sequencing to keep the pattern intact from start to finish.

**Time:** 15 minutes. UWT suggested allocation: 15 minutes fits introduction, multiple attempts, and brief debrief. Playmeo original lists open-ended attempts.
**People:** 4 to 24. Subgroups of 4 to 8 people in open floor clusters

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Coordinate an alternating sequence across an entire group without repeating a greeting or using the same hand twice in a row.
**Use it when:** Use when an in-person group needs an active physical icebreaker that highlights systemic communication and simple error-checking.
**Skip it when:** Skip when participants cannot comfortably move around an open space, prefer to avoid physical touch without close proximity alternatives, or when meeting entirely online.

## Materials and tools

- No props required
- Visual timer or stopwatch

## Before participants arrive

1. Clear an open floor space free of tripping hazards.
2. Divide large groups into pods of 4 to 8 participants. An even number per subgroup is easiest for mathematical balance, but odd numbers work if participants wait for available partners.

## Say this to open

Your mission is simple on paper but tricky in practice. Everyone in your group must greet every other person in your group exactly once. However, you must strictly alternate hands on every single greeting. If you use your left hand first, your next greeting must be with your right hand, and so on. You monitor yourselves. If anyone uses the same hand twice in a row or greets someone a second time, reset and plan a new approach.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce rules and set pods (3 minutes)

Explain the two core rules: greet every person in your pod exactly once, and alternate hands with each consecutive greeting. For example, if Jake greets Sherry with his left hand, his next greeting with anyone else must be with his right hand. Form pods of 4 to 8 people standing in a loose circle. Remind participants that anyone who prefers not to touch hands can use alternating left and right air-waves or elbow taps.

### 2. First attempt and discovery (4 minutes)

Signal groups to begin. Let participants attempt the greetings organically without extra facilitation intervention. Groups usually experience confusion when two people approach each other needing opposite hands or when someone loses track of their sequence. If a rule breaks, the group calls a reset.

### 3. Strategy and repeat rounds (5 minutes)

Give groups 1 minute to confer on a systematic method (such as establishing a rotation order or designated starter). Have them run a second or third attempt to execute the complete cycle cleanly. Stop when a group completes all pairwise greetings correctly or when time expires.

### 4. Debrief and observation (3 minutes)

Gather the room. Ask two debrief questions about how the group coordinated the alternating sequence and tracked mistakes. Take 2 or 3 brief comments from volunteers.


## Debrief questions

- What strategy helped your group track alternating hands while moving between partners?
- How did your group detect and call out when a rule was broken without stalling momentum?

**Finished output:** Completion of a full round where every participant in a subgroup greets every partner once using alternating hands, verified by self-monitoring.

## Remote

UWT non-contact video adaptation: Use the same 4-to-8-person pods, with a separate breakout for each pod. For totals that do not divide evenly, distribute people into pods of 4 to 8, such as 4 plus 5 for nine. Display the pod roster and an initially empty list of completed name pairs. A greeting is one reciprocal event: both named partners greet each other at the same time. It counts once for both people. Each participant chooses their own first hand and strictly alternates their own hand after every greeting. Partners may use the same or different named hands; each person's own sequence determines their next hand. Record that pair immediately and never repeat it; do not run a separate turn in the opposite direction. Call a reset if a person repeats their previous hand or if the pair has already greeted. On a reset, clear the pair list and begin a new hand sequence for each participant. Keep the existing attempts, planning, time limit and debrief. A completed attempt greets every pair exactly once; completion is not guaranteed before time expires.

## Hybrid

UWT hybrid adaptation: Everyone uses the non-contact video procedure described under Remote, including participants in the room. Form 4-to-8-person pods from the full roster regardless of location, with a separate breakout for each pod. For nine people, use pods of 4 and 5; distribute other totals so every pod remains within 4 to 8. A lone remote participant joins a mixed pod. Each participant needs an individual device with video and access to their pod's displayed roster and completed-pair list. Room participants use headsets, sit apart and mute except while arranging their greeting. Both partners wave reciprocally on camera, using their own alternating-hand sequence; their hands need not match. Record each pair once. Check devices, breakout access, roster and pair-list permissions before starting. Keep the same timed attempts, planning period and whole-group debrief; do not split pods solely by physical location.

## Access and participation choices

- Offer non-contact variations: participants may use alternating left/right air waves, high-fives in the air, or elbow taps instead of traditional handshakes.
- Participants can opt out of moving and instead serve as the group's external auditor or timer.

## If the session gets stuck

**Two partners are unsure whether their next greeting requires the same hand or different hands.**

Clarify that the rule only dictates which hand each individual extends; if both extend right hands, that works, but if both extend left hands, they can shake left-to-left. If one extends left and one extends right, they can touch palms crosswise or use an air-tap.

**Groups lose count of who they have already greeted.**

Suggest a systematic rotation, such as standing in two lines or having one person anchor while others rotate past.


## Terms used here

- Pod: A small breakout subgroup of participants clustered together in the room.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo under the title 'Alter Shake', where the site attributes the activity to Mark Collard.

The original Playmeo activity ('Alter Shake') provided minimal rules with no structured timing, accessibility adjustments, or debrief. UWT added subgroup sizing (4 to 8 people), structured time steps totaling 15 minutes, non-contact adaptation options, debrief questions, and remote guidelines. UWT clarified the delivery instructions on September 20, 2026 to preserve the stated task, make participation across locations explicit, and distinguish digital variants from physical procedures.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/team-building-problem-solving-activities/alter-shake)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/team-building-problem-solving-activities/alter-shake/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/no-props-team-game-active-group-challenge/