Number of People: 6 or more
Materials: Hula hoop or lightweight tent pole
Description: The beauty of this game is it's simplicity. Present the group with a hula hoop. Tell them they must lower the hoop to the ground quickly and evenly. Each member must hold out a finger on each hand. Those fingers must maintain contact with the bottom of the hoop at all times. Hands must stay parallel with the ground and participants cannot hook the hoop/pole. The second the facilitator lets go of the hoop/pole it will start to rise and the participants will start blaming each other. Because it is so lightweight the particpants keep trying to push up in order to maintain contact with it. With everyone having the same idea the hoop will rise upward like magic. It's really funny to see the reactions to this phenomenon. I put my scouts through some physical activities prior to using this one. They think it's gonna be simple and end up going mad. It's a great activity for going over communication and placing blame. As an added challenge I'll have them lower the hoop around a small orange cone. With our pirate theme the hoop is a key to a magical lock (the cone). I usually place something under the cone that ties to the next activity.
Also Known As: Helium stick, Helium Pole, Helium hoop
Originator: Learned with Out of the Ordinary in San Diego | Posted by: james Bennett