--- title: "Two Zero-Prep Energizers (Space Counting and Your Add)" description: "Partners complete two rapid, physical micro-challenges: racing to draw numbers 1 to 30 in the air, and calculating the combined sum of fingers revealed on count." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/two-zero-prep-activities-when-you-need-something-fast/" --- # Two Zero-Prep Energizers (Space Counting and Your Add) Partners complete two rapid, physical micro-challenges: racing to draw numbers 1 to 30 in the air, and calculating the combined sum of fingers revealed on count. **Time:** 6 minutes. Source describes 1 to 2 minute individual micro-games; UWT sets 6 minutes to run both activities with partner rotations. **People:** 4 to 24. Pairs facing each other ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Reset group attention and energy through brief partner coordination and speed challenges without materials. **Use it when:** Use during sudden schedule gaps, mid-workshop slumps, or while technical setups are resolved. **Skip it when:** Skip if the group requires quiet reflection, or if multiple participants cannot manage fast arm movements or mental arithmetic under time pressure. ## Materials and tools - No special materials. ## Before participants arrive 1. Clear enough floor space for participants to stand or sit facing a partner at arm's length. ## Say this to open We have a quick break in our agenda. Find a partner and stand facing each other about two feet apart. We are going to test your hand speed and quick addition with two zero-prep mini-challenges. ## How to run it ### 1. Pair up and set ground rules (1 minutes) Ask everyone to find a partner and stand or sit facing them. If an odd number of people participate, form one trio where two players compete while the third acts as caller/judge, rotating roles each round. Emphasize that participation is lighthearted and players can opt to keep score, play gently, or observe. ### 2. Play Space Counting (2 minutes) Explain the first game: partners point their index fingers toward each other with about a foot of space between them. On the call 'Go!', each person traces numbers 1 through 30 in the air directly in front of them as quickly as possible. The first person to trace 30 pumps their fist and calls out. Run two quick rounds, encouraging players to switch drawing hands for round two. ### 3. Play Your Add (2 minutes) Introduce the second game. In each pair, Player A calls 'SET', prompting both players to put both hands behind their backs and choose any number of extended fingers (0 to 10 total). Player B calls 'GO', and both simultaneously thrust their hands forward. The first person to shout the correct combined total of extended fingers scores a point. Have pairs play three to four rapid rounds, alternating who calls 'SET' and 'GO'. ### 4. Wrap up and transition (1 minutes) Call time. Ask one quick observation question to 1 or 2 volunteers, thank partners with a quick nod or fist bump, and transition immediately back to the main agenda. ## Debrief questions - What technique helped you add or trace faster under speed pressure? - How did shifting from a passive state to rapid physical action change your alertness? **Finished output:** Two completed quick-response partner rounds with no physical artifacts generated. ## Remote Run in the main room using gallery view. Pairs are assigned via screen names or verbal callouts. For Space Counting, partners trace toward their webcam. For Your Add, partners show hands to the camera on 'GO' and shout the total into their unmuted microphone. ## Hybrid Pair remote participants with other remote participants in breakout rooms or via shared audio, and pair in-person participants with room partners so neither group faces camera lag. ## Access and participation choices - Participants who prefer not to use fingers or arms can play Space Counting by counting aloud or tapping a foot. - Participants who prefer not to do speed math can serve as caller and referee for a pair, or simply observe without having to justify the choice. ## If the session gets stuck **Partners bump hands while tracing numbers in Space Counting.** Remind players to keep at least 12 inches of separation and trace within a compact personal window directly in front of their own chest. **Disputes arise over who shouted the correct sum first in Your Add.** Remind the room that ties go to both players and prompt them to launch the next round immediately. ## Terms used here - Zero-prep: An activity requiring no advance handouts, physical props, digital boards, or room rearrangement. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Playmeo blog post 'Two Zero-Prep Activities When You Need Something Fast' by Mark Collard (2026). The source post by Mark Collard presents two distinct micro-games (Space Counting and Your Add) as short filler activities. UWT packaged both into a single 6-minute paired run sheet, structured the turns, added trio handling for odd group numbers, and supplied specific remote and accessibility options. [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/two-zero-prep-activities-when-you-need-something-fast/) [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/two-zero-prep-activities-when-you-need-something-fast) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/two-zero-prep-activities-when-you-need-something-fast/