Water in the Face

This is always a fun game for those hot summer days when the patients (and us!) want to be outside and not stuck inside all day. This idea was found in the book Team Building Activities for Every Group by Alana Jones (available on Amazon). It's perfect for hot summer days when you're looking for a way to stay cool but don't want to get too wet. ;)

Water in the Face!

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Objective:
Practice social and communication skills in a fun, interactive game

Group Size:
8 or more

Materials:
Paper cup
Jug of water (or some other water source)
Towels

Description:
Gather the group in a circle, either sitting or standing.  One person stands in the middle holding the paper cup of water. (You can decide how full to fill it!) The person in the middle chooses a category (i.e., type of car, color, kind of cereal, ice cream flavor, candy, etc.) and tells the rest of the group the category.

The person in the middle secretly selects an item in the particularly category chosen! If you're worried about the person changing his mind, s/he may whisper his selected item to the facilator. Once the item is selected, the game can begin!

One at a time, each person in the circle guesses what the person in the middle is thinking of. Each person can only guess one item per turn, and cannot repeat what has already been said. As soon as one player correctly guesses what the individual in the middle was thinking of, that person gets the water splashed in his face! The correct guesser also becomes the next person in the middle of the circle.

Processing:
There are numerous ways to process this activity. You could talk about the importance of clear communication. You could discuss the necessity of social skills. Or you could have participants think about what it was like to have water thrown in their face and how we react to different things that happen in our life. Be creative! Use what happens during the group to lead where the processing goes, as that will help you best meet the needs of your clients.

Adaptations: I have also seen this done with the lid of a water bottle instead of a paper cup. This made it a little more "inside friendly" for patients that were not able to go outside for group.