Tree and wind

Tree and wind

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Time:

30 minutes

Goal or purpose:

Trust games help to highlight situations of insecurity or fear, and of confidence in yourself and the group

How it's done/facilitator's notes:

Form a tight circle of six to seven participants, with one person placed in the middle. The person in the middle should place their feet solidly on the ground, close their eyes and let themselves fall to one side (as if you were a tree being moved by the wind). The rest of the group is around them, with their hands in front of their bodies and they pass the person that is in the middle from one to the other, without any brusque movement and not letting the person in the middle fall. It's important that everyone in the circle coordinates to make the 'tree' move from one side to the other. After a minute, another person from the group goes to the middle. Ideally, everyone will have a turn as the 'tree', so that they can share their experiences.
 
After everyone has been in the middle, debrief the activity. The following questions might be helpful:

• What did it feel like to trust the group for your safety?
• Have you had experiences in your activism where you have had to trust a group?

Don't assume that everyone is comfortable or willing to touch other people or to be touched themselves; this exercise is quite intimate, and a facilitator should make sure that people do not feel pressured into participating if they do not want to.