There are five different ways to use 'Sense of Adventure'. Choose which way is best for the group you are working with.
Method 1
1. Clear a space on the floor.
2. Lay out the three opinion cards at one end of the cleared area.
3. Place all the event cards in a stack face down at the opposite end of the room.
4. Each person can take an event card and place it near the opinion card that they agree with.
5. The next person can then either pick another event card or change the position of the previous card laid.
6. Each person then takes turns picking the top card or changing another.
7. Encourage discussions around their choices and why they made them.
8. For example;
9. Young person (YP) picks up ‘Take drugs’ card,
10. YP; “No way am I ever taking drugs”
11. Another YP; “but I use an inhaler so I do”
12. A third YP who picks the ‘Get Drunk card’ may say they would never get drunk . . . You get the idea.
13. This activity should be taken at the pace of the group. Although you have over fifty cards you do not have to use them all!
14. After the appropriate time end the activity and encourage reflection.
Method 2
1. Set out chairs in a circle.
2. Set out three tables in a triangle, in the middle of this place a forth table.
3. All the tables should be inside the circle of chairs. (As per diagram)
4. Place one of the opinion cards on each of the outer tables.
5. On the centre table place the pile of event cards face down.
6. Get young people to sit on chairs.
7. Explain the activity and how there is no right or wrong answer and it is about putting the card down with their initial response.
8. Ask young people to select a card in turn and then to read/show the card to the group.
9. Ask them to place it on the table that they think reflects how they may feel about this event.
10. A pile will emerge on each table with only a single card showing.
11. Each person in turn may select one of the cards on show, to move it to another table (opinion) or take a new event from the deck as described and place it on top of that pile.
12. Encourage discussion, and try to ensure that the person who initially talks about their feelings or opinions can feel safe during that discussion.
13. Encourage young people to ‘challenge’ the issues not the person.
14. At the end of the activity evaluate with young people and discuss their learning.
15. It is important to take this activity at the pace of the group, try to ensure everyone has a turn, you have 54 cards but you do not need to use them all.
Method 3
1. Write some of the card phrases onto stickers- enough for everyone in the group you are working with.
2. Clear the room asking everyone to put any valuables or potential trip hazards to the side of the room with chairs around the edges.
3. Ask everyone to stand side by side in line in the middle of the room.
4. (They all need to be facing the same direction)
5. Explain that you will be putting a sticker on everyone’s back and for the activity to work, it is important for them not to know what it says.
6. Stick on the stickers.
7. Hand out opinion sheets.
8. Explain how to fill out.
9. (They are self explanatory but to avoid confusion explain verbally)
10. Each young person has to mingle and seek a temporary partner. The two people will each consider the event displayed on the other persons back and then inform the other of the opinion they most agree with. When each opinion has been recorded the pair split up and both seek new temporary partners. This will continue for a short period until everyone has had sufficient opportunity to share their opinions on a variety of events.
11. Ask everyone to sit down and look at their sheet, considering everyone’s opinion, they then should try and guess what the activity is on their back, and write it in the box on the top of the sheet.
12. When everyone has written their guess on the top of the sheet they can carefully peel off the sticker from their back and stick it on the bottom of the sheet.
13. Optional;
14. Ask the young people to stick the sheets on the wall in order of ‘scariness’
15. Encourage discussion about what the young people feel they have learnt.
Method 4
1. Clear the room putting all trip hazards to the sides.
2. Blue tack to the wall or lay out on the floor two opinion cards (I would feel safe doing this to the left and I would never feel safe doing this to the right):
3. There should be as much space as possible between each opinion card.
4. Give everyone an event card.
5. Explain that the idea is to create a line between the two cards that show a continuum from the least scary activity to the most scary.
6. Explain that they may need to ‘negotiate’ their position on the continuum, explain that they are ‘challenging’ the issue and not the person.
7. Ask everyone now to position themselves along the line, giving permission to keep moving until they are happy with their relative position.
8. Everyone now invited to say out-loud the activity on their card starting from one end or the other.
9. Facilitate discussion supporting or positively challenging the judgements others have made, and encourage immediate thoughts about the overall ‘picture’.
10. If you have time throw in some ‘what if’ for example; with the ‘take drugs’ card ask them what if it is an inhaler for an asthmatic? Invite opinions from within the group about how this may change the relative position.
11. Before asking everyone to sit down ask them to leave their card in the continuum and encourage evaluation of the activity identifying key elements in their learning.
Method 5
1. Clear the room making sure that all trip hazards are put away safely.
2. Mark the room with three clear zones using incident tape.
3. Put the three opinion cards on the wall or in/or near the zones.
4. Tell everyone that you will shortly be handing out the event cards, explain for this activity to work effectively and to have maximum fun, they need to wait for the appropriate time to reveal what is written on their card.
5. Hand out the event cards
6. Tell them to look at their card and from their initial emotional response move to the area that they think is appropriate for them personally. Keeping their card secret.
7. When they are in their respective ‘zones’ invite them first of all to discuss the physical feelings they may experience or would anticipate. This is a good time to facilitate discussions about the difference between emotional responses and physical sensations (Early warning signs). Non verbal communication can be a great way to get the ‘feelings’ across, and may help others understand. Secondly, invite them then to discuss emotional feelings that could be experienced.
8. This is the point for the young people to reveal their cards to each other, and explore any differing opinions - encourage the young people to ‘negotiate’ their presence within their chosen zone.
9. At this point they can change zones if they wish, but will need to negotiate their way into another zone.
10. At the appropriate time ask everyone to come together as a group and reflect on their learning experiences, in particular draw out how it felt for those who had been influenced to move.