| Aim | The purpose of the exercise is to develop creativity and cooperative skills in a group of participants. An interesting goal is also to develop the ability to deal positively with the consequences of other participants’ behavior/decisions. |
| Trainee profile | Any. People with special needs can participate as long as they are able to express themselves. |
| Learning Objectives | To develop creativity and imagination.
To develop cooperation in a group. To strengthen participants’ communication skills. |
| n° participants | Between 10 and 20 people |
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Preparation | Identify and print out the introduction of some children stories or fairy tales. We provide you with three examples:
Beyond the seven mountains in a cottage on the edge of the forest lived resourceful Mary, who was friends with… Once upon a time, brave Prince Peter woke up in his castle and decided… In a big castle lived an angry King and a good Queen. Every morning the King strolled around… |
| Implementation | 1. Have all participants make a circle, either standing or sitting on a chair. You are part of the circle.
2. Tell participants that together you are going to co-create a story. You will start reading the introduction and they, one by one, will have to continue that story by contributing with at least one sentence. 3. Begin the story by reading the introduction and pass the word onto the person on your left. You are therefore the last one to speak. 4. When the story has been passed on back to you, conclude it with an ending. You may repeat the whole story if you feel like it is a wrap up. 5. Ask a big round of applause for this co-creation. |
| Tips and hints | You may create smaller groups of at least 5 people and make the story into 2 or 3 rounds. With fewer co-creators, the story should progress more rapidly. |
| Added value | Exercise strengthens team communication, creates a fun atmosphere, and develops creativity and imagination. |