Ages 6 - 15

• Improving communication skills,

• understanding the importance of clarity,

• promoting teamwork,

• building awareness of communication challenges.

• Proximity: Improving communication skills involves bringing individuals closer together in terms of understanding and conveying messages effectively.

• Closure: Understanding the importance of clarity requires individuals to mentally fill in missing information to comprehend the message fully, emphasising the need for clear and complete communication.

• Similarity: Promoting teamwork involves recognizing similarities in goals and actions among group members, fostering cooperation and alignment in communication efforts.

• Continuity: Building awareness of communication challenges entails understanding the continuous flow of information exchange and the potential disruptions or distortions that can occur along the way.

No special materials are required—just an open space where participants can move freely and see each other clearly. 

Until the last participant performs the gesture and explains what the gesture represents

The group forms a long line. Everyone faces the same direction (showing their backs). The game leader, who is not a participant in the line, tells or describes to the first person in line what gesture to perform (example: Primož Roglič won a cycling race). The description should be simple, short, and concise. The first person in line considers how to represent the description with gestures to the next person in line. The game leader demonstrates the gestures to the first person and then taps the shoulder of the next person in line, who stands with their back turned to them. Throughout the game, explaining the meaning of gestures is prohibited. The person who was tapped on the shoulder turns around and watches the gestures of the predecessor and then shows them to the next person in line in the same way (the person in front of them gently taps their shoulder to turn them around), and so on until the last performer in line, who must demonstrate the gestures and try to explain their meaning. Only then does the game leader tell them whether their explanation matches the original task.

For younger children, use simple and familiar actions (like brushing teeth or waving); for individuals with limited mobility, adapt movements to be seated or upper-body only; for virtual settings, participants can mime one by one on camera; for a creative twist, use themed mime prompts (e.g., weather, animals, or daily routines).

After the activity, invite participants to sit quietly and reflect on how they experienced movement, attention, and nonverbal communication. Encourage them to notice how it felt to lead, follow, and stay connected without words.

This activity encourages non-verbal communication, attentiveness, and creativity in expression. As gestures are passed down the line without explanation, participants must interpret and convey meaning using only their bodies, which enhances their ability to observe and adapt. It also highlights how easily messages can change or be misinterpreted, fostering awareness about the importance of clarity and perception in communication. The game naturally promotes laughter and bonding, while also offering a light-hearted way to explore how individuals perceive and transform information.

The game is intended for relaxation, so reflection is not necessary. The game requires a lot of silence and patience from participants; keep your students’ limits in mind when dividing a class into groups.

Make sure the objects are ones that the participants

are likely to have used or seen used often enough that they don’t get stuck trying to figure out how the thing works.