Time: 7-10 minutes   

Overview: Partners stand and engage in a counting and clapping focusing activity. The facilitator guides the reflective process with questions.  

When and Why: The purpose of this activity is to help a group quickly bond in preparation for collaboration, especially when you want to encourage innovation during the engagement.   

SEL Focus: This activity builds skills in Self-Awareness (Accurate Self-Perception), SelfManagement (Impulse Control), and Building Relationship Skills (Working Cooperatively), and demonstrates how making mistakes together can be a fast track to generous, creative collaboration.  

Steps: The same partners face each other during each of the three rounds.  

Round 1:  

1. Ask participants to find a partner (in any way that is appropriate). 

2. Explain that pairs will count to three over and over again, with each player saying the next number in the sequence.  

3. Model slowly with a partner.  

4. Once everyone has had a minute or two to play, call the game to a close with your agreedupon attention signal. Ask, "How many of you made a mistake?" "What did you do when you made a mistake?" (Common answers: “Laughed” or "Said sorry" or “Pulled back.”)

5. Explain that these are all ways that people give cues to the group that say, "I've got this. I'll laugh at myself or apologize as my way of handling making a mistake."  

6. Tell the group that during the next round, whenever they make a mistake, they should raise their hands in the air and say, "Tah-dah!"  

Round 2:  

1. Explain that for this round, pairs should replace the number “1” with a clap and then continue the number sequence “2-3" counted out loud (Clap-2-3, Clap-2-3, etc.). 

2. Model slowly with a partner. During the modeling purposefully make a mistake, such as saying “1” instead of clapping after “3.” Raise your hands in the air and say, "Tah-dah!" 

3. Once everyone has had a minute or two to play, use your attention signal to call the round to a close. Ask, "Was anyone glad that they weren't the one making a mistake?"  

4. Tell the group that in the next round when one person makes a mistake, both partners will raise their hands in the air, give each other a double high-five, and both say, "Tah-dah!" 

Round 3:  

1. Explain that in this round, participants should clap for “1,” replace the number “2” with a foot stomp, and say “3.” (Clap, stomp, 3; Clap, stomp, 3; etc.).  

2. Model this with a partner and purposefully make a mistake, such as saying “2” instead of stomping. You and your partner now give each other double high-fives and shout, “Tah-dah!” together, and start over again.  

3. Once everyone has had a minute or two to play, call the round to a close with your attention signal.   

Debrief by:  

●  Asking participants what they noticed (e.g., that they were taking care of each other, were learning to sync with each other, finding the right pace for everyone to succeed, etc.)  

● Noting aloud the positive energy that was created with each mistake in the group, explaining that they will be working together for the next [time period], and encouraging them to keep that same energy when mistakes are made. Tah-dah!