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Exercises/Reflection and Learning/Simple Tag Game With Strategic Partner Switches - Elbow Tag
Team Reflection · Reflection and Learning

Simple Tag Game With Strategic Partner Switches - Elbow Tag

Simple Tag Game With Strategic Partner Switches - Elbow Tag is a team reflection exercise for reflection and learning: it helps participants reflect on experience and turn observations into learning.

5 to 15 minutesTIME
Medium group (9-25), Pairs, TriadsGROUP SIZE
ActiveENERGY
In person, RemoteSETTING
High cognitive loadCOGNITIVE LOAD
Strengthens Learning Transfer This reflection and learning exercise strengthens Learning Transfer, one of the eight Gathering Effectiveness pillars.

How to run it

  1. Link arms/elbows with partner, and place outside hands on hips.
  2. Position pairs randomly throughout the playing space, not too close to other pairs.
  3. Nominate one pair to uncouple, and assume the role of ‘cat’ and ‘mouse.’
  4. The ‘cat’ will chase the ‘mouse’ around the stationary pairs attempting to tag them.
  5. If a tag is made, roles immediately reverse.
  6. During the chase, the ‘mouse’ is permitted to link arms with any other person to escape the ‘cat.’
  7. Linking with a person will cause their partner to be unlinked and released into the chase as the new ‘mouse.’
  8. Introduce more cats and mice into the action as appropriate.
  9. Elbow Tag is a simple tag game that cleverly introduces the twist of linked pairs to create dynamic movement patterns and unexpected role changes.
Live facilitator

Run this exercise live

The facilitator console stays in this browser. Its QR handoff is a short-lived participant snapshot containing only public exercise instructions, phase, prompt, and timer state.

Prompts to use +

Link arms/elbows with partner, and place outside hands on hips.

Nominate one pair to uncouple, and assume the role of ‘cat’ and ‘mouse.’

Elbow Tag is a simple tag game that cleverly introduces the twist of linked pairs to create dynamic movement patterns and unexpected role changes.

Run this with your AI assistant +

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

Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Simple Tag Game With Strategic Partner Switches - Elbow Tag. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Link arms/elbows with partner, and place outside hands on hips.; Nominate one pair to uncouple, and assume the role of ‘cat’ and ‘mouse.’; ; Elbow Tag is a simple tag game that cleverly introduces the twist of linked pairs to create dynamic movement patterns and unexpected role changes.. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.

Origin unverified

  • Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Playmeo; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Playmeo.)
  • What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
  • No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
  • Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.

Pairs well with