This is one of our favourite energisers and we first came across it during a family party. We’ve since successfully used it a number of times during training courses. It really helps participants to re-focus when they start to flag during an event.
We find that the energiser works well in communication programmes or where participants are learning to collect, analyse and draw conclusions from information.
The energiser works best for groups of at least 6 people and no more than 12.
Training course contents:
Instructions for running the energiser, ‘I Can Fly in the Balloon’ can be downloaded in Word format from the link at the bottom of this page, or you can follow the notes below.
1. Without saying who you have selected, choose a member of the group.
2. Next ask participants to sit in a circle or around a large table. Say that you will be playing a game called, ‘I can fly in the balloon’, and that you will be starting it. Explain that they need to work out what is going on.
3. Participants need to work out for themselves what this game is about, and who you have chosen, so do not give any further instructions. Just launch into the game.
4. Pick a visual characteristic about the person you selected. This should be a characteristic that applies to a number of people in the room (e.g. male). Now announce: ‘I can fly in the balloon because I am male’ (if male was the characteristic you chose). It is often best to use a characteristic you share with the person you chose because it will keep participants off track to begin with.
5. Now tell the person next to you that it is his/her turn. Ask why they can fly in the balloon. They should announce: ‘I can fly in the balloon because…’ If he/she chooses a characteristic that applies to the person you selected say: ‘Yes, you can fly in the balloon’ If they chose something that does not describe your chosen person say: ‘No, you can’t fly in the balloon’
6. Ensure everybody in the group has an attempt and then take your next go. Choose another characteristic of your chosen person (e.g. wearing a watch) and announce this: ‘I can fly in the balloon because I am wearing a watch’
7. Go around the group again using the same approach as 5 above. And keep on going around the group until everybody realises who you are describing.
8. Eventually everybody will work out that only one person can fly in the balloon and who that person is. Congratulate them for achieving this.
Use this energiser to help re energise participants during a lull in a training programme.