Fruit Salad
The aim of the exercise is to break the ice through laughter and movement which strengthens the energy and spirit within the group.
A. If you have a diverse group, including people from a more religious Muslim background, this exercise may be one they would prefer to stay out of.
B. The facilitator should join in the game to create contact, and thus trust, confidence and reassurance within the group.
C. Using the variation, it can also serve to begin to address the issue of communication and dialogue.
D. The exercise is easy to manage, and it works well for the vast majority of groups.
Required Material: chairs for all participants
Put a number of chairs equivalent to the number of participants minus one in a circle
Participants are divided into at least three teams, each representing one fruit, e.g. banana, apple, lemon etc.
One participant stands in the middle of the circle, while the others sit on the chairs. The game is about getting seated rather than standing in the middle. The person in the middle says (aloud) either the name of one of the fruits or the word ‘fruit salad’. If, for instance, the person says ‘lemon’, everyone belonging to that team must stand up and try to find a new seat. If the person says ‘fruit salad’ everyone must stand up and try to find a new seat. Whoever fails to sit down (since there is one chair less than the number of participants) must now stand in the middle. He/she either says the name of a fruit or ‘fruit salad’. The participants should always try to find a seat to avoid standing in the middle.
Variation:
Once participants have mastered the exercise using fruit names, the focus shifts to communication. The person in the middle uses an example of communication (instead of a fruit) that s/he either likes or dislikes. The facilitator could also give an example:
‘I dislike when people text message while I am talking to them.’
Everyone who agrees stands up and tries to swap places. Whoever lacks a seat and ends up in the middle comes up with a new statement. If participants need help for ideas, the facilitator can come up with an example. It is important to maintain a relatively high and dynamic pace. After the exercise, consolidate by talking about how different types of communication work, and so forth. The opportunity can also be taken to begin to define dialogue.
Tip: if participants are later to be divided into groups, these can be the same as those with the fruit names.
