1. Have students stand in a circle with their backs facing inside the circle. This is so they won't be able to see what color dot you are placing on other student's foreheads.
2. Have students close their eyes. You don't want them to see what color dot they have on their forehead either!
3. Place a colored dot on their forehead. You can get these at an office supply store, or in the office supply section of most discount stores. I usually use 5 different colors.
4. Tell students that the object of the "Dots" game is to find the other students who have the same dot on their forehead. They have to group up in a corner of the room. Here's the catch- they can't talk! They have to find the other people with the same colored dots without talking. They can use hand signals, but absolutely no noises! The other challenge is they won't know what color their dot is either.
5. Instruct students to open their eyes and begin moving around the room to find their friends with same color dots.
6. In order to complete the challenge successfully, they must be in a group and have all the same colored dots.
When you do this activity, you'll see students try some unique strategies. Some student leaders will definitely emerge in the group.
I'll never forget when one of my quiet students watched his friends try to get people in a group and their hands were flailing, trying to communicate without talking. He just slowly walked to the corner and waited for the rest of the group to join him! Really, a genius move on his part!
You can add an extra challenge by adding a time limit.
Check out some of my other brain breaks in previous posts at The Teacher Dish!
-Karen
The office board game competition that was planned was a big success. It was an inexpensive exercise that allowed everyone to show off their humorous side and promoted cooperation and smart thinking. It undoubtedly strengthened our friendship!
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