Energizer: Volleyballoon

Energizer steps

Step 1

Warm up: Ask the adolescents to sit on the floor and choose two adolescent volunteers to help demonstrate the activity.

Step 2

Facilitator says: “Your job is to work as a team to keep a balloon in the air. I will start by tapping the balloon into the air.” (Demonstrate). “Then, the person next to me on my team should tap it, and then the person next to him/her. We have to keep going in order.” (Ask for two adolescent volunteers to demonstrate the team of three.) “We will keep this up for as long as we can. If we tap the balloon in the wrong order or if the balloon touches the ground we have to stop.”

Step 3: 

Explain: Adolescents should form groups of three. Give each group a balloon. They need to see which group can keep the balloon in the air for the longest time.

Step 4

Combine groups to form groups of six. Each group should now try to keep two balloons in the air at the same time, with each member tapping the balloons one at a time, in order. See which group of six can keep their balloons in the air for the longest period of time.

Step 5

Combine the groups to make groups of twelve and repeat the activity. Continue combining the groups until everyone is in one circle.

Step 6: 

Discuss:

• What are some of the ways we helped each other to succeed in this activity? Examples: Trying to tap the balloon into a place where the next person could reach it easily, encouraging others to tap the balloon during their turn, and stepping out of the way so that others could reach the balloon.
• How could we use the same strategies to cooperate and work together as a team during other activities? Examples: Help others to contribute, encourage each other and provide suggestions; give each other opportunities and space to participate.