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Abstract

and chase each other.</p><h2 id="9cf0">10. Feeding the Zircon Gorilla — REAL</h2><p id="1c11">I have no idea how to play, but it’s the title of an activity book by Sam Sikes.</p><h2 id="94e7">11. Fun Fun Noodle Run — REAL</h2><p id="5596">Running through a flurry of pool noodles as a trust exercise.</p><h2 id="e8b8">12. Ga-Ga Ball — REAL</h2><p id="fa85">If your kids attend summer camp, they’ve played this game. Inspired by baby noises, not Lady GaGa.</p><h2 id="c991">13. Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper — FAKE</h2><p id="d6ef">I wish it were real. It’s a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103435/">90’s sitcom</a> about a streetwise English teacher.</p><h2 id="9046">14. Hot Chocolate — REAL</h2><p id="8e56">Like the Floor is Lava, but with fake marshmallows made of rubber.</p><h2 id="4ef4">15. Knot or Not a Knot — REAL</h2><p id="c233">Consensus building activity. Is there a knot in the rope? Or not?</p><h2 id="303b">16. Nebula Tracks — REAL</h2><p id="c81c">Variation of the Pipeline activity with tarps and a giant ball.</p><h2 id="3fda">17. Noodle Slappy — REAL</h2><p id="7eaa">My memory is a little fuzzy, but it involves tagging kids in the knees with pool noodles.</p><h2 id="c30a">18. Not a Square to Spare — FAKE</h2><p id="c830">Seinfeld reference when Elaine ran out of toilet paper. I admit I sometimes use this name as an alias for Diminishing Resources.</p><h2 id="63b5">19. Old One Tooth — REAL</h2><p id="598e">Another noodle game with a story about a snake with one fang.</p><h2 id="e0c5">20. Peek-a-Who — REAL</h2><p id="c395">A “get to know you” game with a tarp.</p><h2 id="0cc9">21. Proudy’s Landing — REAL</h2><p id="958b">An alternate name for the Nitro Crossing low ropes element.</p><h2 id="3e6c">22. Reign of Arrows — FAKE</h2><p id="ee43">Fictitious, but sounds dangerously fun.</p><h2 id="6685">23. Rock, Paper, Scissors, Splits — REAL</h2><p id="4efc">Head-to-head RPS challenge that is hard on the hamstrings. Popularized by Michelle Cummings.</p><h2 id="8eaa">24. Speed Rabbit — REAL</h2><p id="1da0">Make animal shapes on demand as fast as possible.</p><h2 id="a3ca">25. Steal the Bacon — REAL</h2><p id="b36c">Teammates want to be the first person to capture a stuffed animal toy on the ground.</p><h2 id="0a63">26. Spider Tag — REAL</h2><p id="1d93">When I say this game out loud, kids immediately assume we will throw spiders at them. We don’t. It’s a dodgeball game.</p><h2 id="dcba">27. The Meat Grinder — REAL</h2><p id="cca8">One of the original, but mostly discontinued, low ropes elements. Participants climbed over a giant wooden spool before falling to the ground. It’s on my “you used to do what???” list of sketchy outdoor activities.</p><h2 id="9154">28. The Pentaverate — FAKE</h2><p id="b795">Imaginary organization from the 1990s comedy classic, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108174/">So I Married an Axe Murderer</a>.</p><h2 id="86fa">29. Thumb Ball — REAL</h2><p id="cedd">Catch a ball with writing all over it. Do whatever it says under your thumb.</p><h2 id="6530">30. Up Jenkins — REAL</h2><p id="9fff">I found this game in a P.E. manual published in 1927. Kids sit around a table, hiding a coin and guessing its location. It was the most popular game of the year.</p><h2 id="71be">31. Velocity Raptor — FAKE</h2><p id="34ff">Not real. But it sounds fantastic!</p><h2 id="5b6a">32. Welded Ankles — REAL</h2><p id="c2b1">A silly walking activity where kids’ ankles are tied together with bandanas. Like a group version of a three-legged race.</p><h2 id="8ae7">33. Wild Woobley — FAKE</h2><p id="057e">I told a group of participants the Wild Woozy low ropes element was called “the Wild Woobley because that sounds funnier.” My rule-following co-facilitator was not amused.</p><blockquote id="a978"><p>“It’s called the Wild Woozy, Mark!”</p></blockquote><h1 id="1b59">Scoring:</h1><p id="a209">Give yourself a point for every game or fake you got correct.</p><p id="91f2">Then check out the article curated for you.</p><h1 id="d4e4">28–33 Points: Ropes Course Ninja</h1><p id="0ca9">Great job! You earned the right to brag at parties with this useless niche knowledge. Never stop learning. You may enjoy this article on experiential program design.</p><div id="7862" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/four-outcomes-leaders-seek-from-teambuilding-experiences-58b40effd21c"> <div> <div> <h2>Four Outcomes Leaders Seek From Teambuilding Experiences</h2> <div><h3>How do I know which is right for my team?</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*atRKDU7IOtwP52SF)"></div> </div> </div>

Options

</a> </div><h1 id="bfef">22–27 Points: Seasoned Facilitator</h1><p id="34a7">Nice! You know most, but not all, of the games listed. Well done! Would you like to learn a new warm-up?</p><div id="f9e7" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-to-play-postmodern-rock-paper-scissors-with-your-team-62e5ad7c4ac6"> <div> <div> <h2>How to Play Postmodern Rock, Paper, Scissors With Your Team</h2> <div><h3>An engaging twist on a classic activity.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*1-5MCuv9NHxhOHNgwer2jQ.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h1 id="59ab">16–21 Points: Summer Camp Counselor</h1><p id="c2f1">Be proud. Many experiential learning professionals start here. Read this before you graduate.</p><div id="61f4" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/5-dysfunctional-beliefs-students-have-about-life-after-college-b8b1a91da2b7"> <div> <div> <h2>5 Dysfunctional Beliefs Students Have About Life After College</h2> <div><h3>Career expert shares insights from thousands of student interviews.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*hvb4hO_BYfdW__hkyNJNrA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h1 id="a535">10–15 Points: Teambuilding Intern</h1><p id="d375">Not bad. It’s time to brush up on the basics. What makes a good facilitator? Find out here.</p><div id="2dd9" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/a-good-facilitator-9a1dbc2638d6"> <div> <div> <h2>37 Qualities of A Good Facilitator</h2> <div><h3>How to bring out the best of people for their own benefit.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*b9Bt-6zapAGm8pIp)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h1 id="b10c">0–9 Points: Future CEO of a Normal and Boring Company</h1><p id="cd62">You may be disappointed, but not everyone is destined to be an experiential educator. Every journey begins with a footprint in the sand. Or mud. Or poisonous peanut butter. Try this quiz. It’s easier.</p><div id="82ac" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/19-subtle-warning-signs-you-may-be-a-cannibal-9791f0482c29"> <div> <div> <h2>19 Subtle Warning Signs You May Be a Cannibal</h2> <div><h3>Take our self-help quiz to determine your risk factors</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*-XdKb0E36ZG-tKXJd5StvQ.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="5344" type="7">How’d you do?</p><p id="0713" type="7">Which name surprised you the most?</p><p id="050f" type="7">Post your score in the comments.</p><h1 id="778d">Thanks for playing!</h1><h1 id="0c59">Footnotes</h1><p id="7ed9">¹ Popular experiential learning activities have as many as a dozen aliases. It is common to hear a facilitator say, “Do you know Stepping Stones?” Once another person describes it, they reply, “Oh, I know that as Acid River.” Typically the AKAs are irrelevant. Except for this one time…</p><div id="0ba8" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/my-second-most-embarrassing-moment-workplay-solutions-f106c71f264c"> <div> <div> <h2>My Second-Most Embarrassing Moment</h2> <div><h3>Stu, my co-facilitator, and I decided to instruct the kids through a playful game of tag as the first activity. We…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*SNwH6lXSDI9mH89B)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="9920"><i>If you are new to Medium, did you know that you can clap up to 50 times to support my work? Want to read unlimited stories by great authors? <a href="https://medium.com/@workplaysol/membership">Join Medium here</a>, and I get some extra pennies. Cheers!</i></p></article></body>

WorkPlay

Fun Quiz: Can You Spot the Fake Games?

Test your knowledge of experiential learning.

Testing a new team activity at the 2021 Georgia Facilitator Summit. Photo by Author

Ropes course games have a long history of ridiculous and bizarre names. Their monikers are often clever or punny but have no relation to the objectives of the exercise. I collected a list of 33 games, problem-solving challenges, trust exercises, and low ropes elements.

Only some of them are real. I made up the rest.

Can you spot the fakes? I provide answers and micro descriptions below.

Quiz: Is this game real or fake?

1. 7 Up

2. Bidet Tag

3. Big Booty

4. Blimp Britches

5. Bumpity Bump Bump Bump

6. Clothespin Samari

7. Community Toothbrush

8. Corked Forks

9. Dragon Tails

10. Feeding the Zircon Gorilla

11. Fun Fun Noodle Run

12. Ga-Ga Ball

13. Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper

14. Hot Chocolate

15. Knot or Not a Knot

16. Nebula Tracks

17. Noodle Slappy

18. Not a Square to Spare

19. Old One Tooth

20. Peek-a-Who

21. Proudy’s Landing

22. Reign of Arrows

23. Rock, Paper, Scissors, Splits

24. Speed Rabbit

25. Spider Tag

26. Steal the Bacon

27. The Meat Grinder

28. The Pentaverate

29. Thumb Ball

30. Up Jenkins

31. Velocity Raptor

32. Welded Ankles

33. Wild Woobley

Need a hint before seeing the answers?

10 of the 33 games do not exist. Want to try again or keep going?

Ready

Set

Reveal

ANSWER KEY

1. 7 Up — REAL

A game of tossing tennis balls on the beat.

2. Bidet Tag — FAKE

Nickname for a prank we played on my roommate. I discovered a hotel bidet could stream water over 20 feet. Tag, you’re wet!

3. Big Booty — REAL

A lyrical “learn everyone’s names” game. 100% real, but we recommend using different words than the traditional script.

“Big Booty, Big Booty, Big Booty,

Ahhh Yeah, Big Booty.

Big Booty, Number 5

Number 5, Number 10

Number 10, Big Booty”

4. Blimp Britches — FAKE

Intriguing. Someone should invent this.

5. Bumpity Bump Bump Bump — REAL

Another “learn everyone’s names” game. Saying the words Bumpity Bump Bump Bump acts as a timer.

6. Clothespin Samari — REAL

Participants sneak up and steal dozens of plastic clothespins from a blindfolded person with a pool noodle.

7. Community Toothbrush — FAKE

Definitely fake. When I lead a training, I include Community Toothbrush on the activity list to see how carefully people read the agenda.

8. Corked Forks — FAKE

There is a vintage activity created by Karl Rohnke where participants hold numerous wine corks in their fingers, but I don’t remember the name. No actual forks are involved.

9. Dragon Tails — REAL

Participants stuff bandanas in their belts and chase each other.

10. Feeding the Zircon Gorilla — REAL

I have no idea how to play, but it’s the title of an activity book by Sam Sikes.

11. Fun Fun Noodle Run — REAL

Running through a flurry of pool noodles as a trust exercise.

12. Ga-Ga Ball — REAL

If your kids attend summer camp, they’ve played this game. Inspired by baby noises, not Lady GaGa.

13. Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper — FAKE

I wish it were real. It’s a 90’s sitcom about a streetwise English teacher.

14. Hot Chocolate — REAL

Like the Floor is Lava, but with fake marshmallows made of rubber.

15. Knot or Not a Knot — REAL

Consensus building activity. Is there a knot in the rope? Or not?

16. Nebula Tracks — REAL

Variation of the Pipeline activity with tarps and a giant ball.

17. Noodle Slappy — REAL

My memory is a little fuzzy, but it involves tagging kids in the knees with pool noodles.

18. Not a Square to Spare — FAKE

Seinfeld reference when Elaine ran out of toilet paper. I admit I sometimes use this name as an alias for Diminishing Resources.

19. Old One Tooth — REAL

Another noodle game with a story about a snake with one fang.

20. Peek-a-Who — REAL

A “get to know you” game with a tarp.

21. Proudy’s Landing — REAL

An alternate name for the Nitro Crossing low ropes element.

22. Reign of Arrows — FAKE

Fictitious, but sounds dangerously fun.

23. Rock, Paper, Scissors, Splits — REAL

Head-to-head RPS challenge that is hard on the hamstrings. Popularized by Michelle Cummings.

24. Speed Rabbit — REAL

Make animal shapes on demand as fast as possible.

25. Steal the Bacon — REAL

Teammates want to be the first person to capture a stuffed animal toy on the ground.

26. Spider Tag — REAL

When I say this game out loud, kids immediately assume we will throw spiders at them. We don’t. It’s a dodgeball game.

27. The Meat Grinder — REAL

One of the original, but mostly discontinued, low ropes elements. Participants climbed over a giant wooden spool before falling to the ground. It’s on my “you used to do what???” list of sketchy outdoor activities.

28. The Pentaverate — FAKE

Imaginary organization from the 1990s comedy classic, So I Married an Axe Murderer.

29. Thumb Ball — REAL

Catch a ball with writing all over it. Do whatever it says under your thumb.

30. Up Jenkins — REAL

I found this game in a P.E. manual published in 1927. Kids sit around a table, hiding a coin and guessing its location. It was the most popular game of the year.

31. Velocity Raptor — FAKE

Not real. But it sounds fantastic!

32. Welded Ankles — REAL

A silly walking activity where kids’ ankles are tied together with bandanas. Like a group version of a three-legged race.

33. Wild Woobley — FAKE

I told a group of participants the Wild Woozy low ropes element was called “the Wild Woobley because that sounds funnier.” My rule-following co-facilitator was not amused.

“It’s called the Wild Woozy, Mark!”

Scoring:

Give yourself a point for every game or fake you got correct.

Then check out the article curated for you.

28–33 Points: Ropes Course Ninja

Great job! You earned the right to brag at parties with this useless niche knowledge. Never stop learning. You may enjoy this article on experiential program design.

Four Outcomes Leaders Seek From Teambuilding Experiences

How do I know which is right for my team?

medium.com

22–27 Points: Seasoned Facilitator

Nice! You know most, but not all, of the games listed. Well done! Would you like to learn a new warm-up?

How to Play Postmodern Rock, Paper, Scissors With Your Team

An engaging twist on a classic activity.

medium.com

16–21 Points: Summer Camp Counselor

Be proud. Many experiential learning professionals start here. Read this before you graduate.

5 Dysfunctional Beliefs Students Have About Life After College

Career expert shares insights from thousands of student interviews.

medium.com

10–15 Points: Teambuilding Intern

Not bad. It’s time to brush up on the basics. What makes a good facilitator? Find out here.

37 Qualities of A Good Facilitator

How to bring out the best of people for their own benefit.

medium.com

0–9 Points: Future CEO of a Normal and Boring Company

You may be disappointed, but not everyone is destined to be an experiential educator. Every journey begins with a footprint in the sand. Or mud. Or poisonous peanut butter. Try this quiz. It’s easier.

19 Subtle Warning Signs You May Be a Cannibal

Take our self-help quiz to determine your risk factors

medium.com

How’d you do?

Which name surprised you the most?

Post your score in the comments.

Thanks for playing!

Footnotes

¹ Popular experiential learning activities have as many as a dozen aliases. It is common to hear a facilitator say, “Do you know Stepping Stones?” Once another person describes it, they reply, “Oh, I know that as Acid River.” Typically the AKAs are irrelevant. Except for this one time…

My Second-Most Embarrassing Moment

Stu, my co-facilitator, and I decided to instruct the kids through a playful game of tag as the first activity. We…

medium.com

If you are new to Medium, did you know that you can clap up to 50 times to support my work? Want to read unlimited stories by great authors? Join Medium here, and I get some extra pennies. Cheers!