Title and Description
Ping Pong Knockout is a fun game that guarantees lots of laughter, as a few unlucky participants attempt to knock down cups by swinging their bodies.
Team size
8 – 15 people
Materials required
- Raffia string
- 20 Styrofoam cups
- Markers
- 2 ping pong balls (table tennis balls) per group
Time required
About 15 minutes
Instructions
- Split the group into two (or three, depending on the number of participants)
- Groups will be will first required to make a two pendulums with the ping pong ball and the raffia string. Note that the string should be about ¾ of a person’s height.
- Next, each group will nominate two participants.
- The other end of the two pendulums should be tied about the neck of the two participants.
- In an open area, 20 Styrofoam cups are placed. 5 of these Styrofoam cups will have smiley faces, while the other 15 will have angry faces.
- The participants should stand on the four corners of the open area.
- Once the game starts, the participants with the pendulum must use their body to swing the pendulum to hit the angry faces. The participants cannot use their hands, but only their bodies to swing the pendulum.
- The other participants are also not allowed to touch the pendulum but they are allowed to give advice/commands to the person attempting to knock it down.
- For every cup with an angry face knocked down, one point will be awarded. For every cup with a happy face knocked down, one point will be deducted.
- The aim is to knock down all the angry faces in the areas in the given time.
- When the game ends, the group with the most points is the winner.
Debriefing Notes
- When you heard the game instructions, who were the first two people you guys thought of? Why?
- (To the pendulum swinging participants) During the game, when things are intense, whose commands did you listen to? Why did you listen to him/her?
- In the end, did you think you executed the strategy well?
- Usually, we choose participants that are able to let themselves loose and just be spontaneous; we instinctively know that they don’t mind making fun of themselves and allow themselves to be the butt of jokes. Such people are a joy to be with, and they bring life and fun to a team as well.
- During intense competition, it is the leader’s voice that we listen to amongst many others, such people naturally command some influence and authority and its usually those voices that we listen to.
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