Age group: Elfins/Pioneers/Venturers

How long it will take: 1 hour

What materials you will need: Objects which will be available in your hall - chairs, clothes etc.

The aim of the activity: To explore what it would be like to have to flee your home

What to do:
If you have not previously done the 'Communication Game' activity, start with the opening discussion from that page.

Elfins: Go round the circle and choose which one item each elfin would take with them if they had to leave their home.

Make things that represent these items, e.g. a large cardboard box might be a TV, a coat could be a blanket. You can spend as much or as little time on this as you want.

Each elfin then has to cross the room with their item, give them handicaps to make this more difficult e.g. 'you can only hop'.

At the other side they must set up home, explain that there is no electricity etc. Talk about how useful the different things they have brought with them are; are they more successful if they share all the items?

Pioneers/Venturers: Split the group into 'families' of 3-5 and get them to set up their 'home' in an area of the hall.

Explain that they will have to flee. Give them 2 minutes to decide within the group what to take with them but explain that they can each only carry 1 item.

A very simple 'obstacle course' should then be set up in the hall. This represents the journey the refugees must take.

Along the way stop and talk about what is happening, e.g. 'You have now been travelling for 3 days and your group didn't bring any food\a blanket etc.'

If they are finding it too easy add difficulties, e.g. someone could become injured and have to hop, or become blind.

End the journey at a 'refugee camp' with drinks and songs to end the session. Make it clear that this is not just a game by discussing every stage.