Since we are taking our facilitation more and more online, find here four all-time favorites from the Wondercards team (Ute + Nadja). Let’s make facilitation more fun!

Wondercards energizer: Stop faster

We learned this energizer at #play14, an amazing global movement for more serious games. Check the website out to find an event in your region!

Here is the VIDEO from the exercise:

wondercards stop faster — *(Screenshot from the video)*

I used four commands here:

move/stop (+ move faster) – than turn around (stop means move, move means stop, here you get the name from: stop faster!)
clap/name – after some time, turn around as well to get more fun

In a “real life” setting we would move around in the whole room (instead of “move” the word “walk” fits better than). Add the jump/dance commands pair to have even more energy – it also works online if no one is using wired headphones! :-)

Wondercards Warm-Up: Standogram

Create a visual for the scale. This can be a line on a whiteboard or a Mentimeter question or just question in chat where you describe the endpoints. Ask the participants to “position” themselves in relation to each other and to the question. Define the scale well. Examples:
∙ My excitement today… (big – small)
∙ How long am I in this team?
∙ I am more thinking/more intuitive type of person
∙ My knowledge about today’s topic is (0 – 100%)

You can also create two scales (X&Y):
X = I lead more people-oriented
Y = I lead more task-oriented

When everyone has found their relative position, ask a few participants why they are „standing” there.
This warm-up creates an understanding of who is in the room. It also helps to start into the topic of the workshop/conversation.

wondercards standogram example — *(Online Standogram example)*

Wondercards Energizer (in Zoom): Danish clapping game

In a “real space”, this exercise is an amazing energiser. To make it work in an online setting, we adapted some steps. Here is the instruction:

Assign participants in pairs (eg from the list or from your screen view) – no need to send your participants into breakout rooms!
Put all microphones on!
Indicate that this game is about presence, decision, and perception.
Explain the rhythm: clap thighs simultaneously, then point in one of four directions (up, down, left, or right). Each player chooses individually which direction to point to. If they happen to point in the same direction, they high five each other. If they point in different directions, then they clap again and point in a new direction.
Ask the participants to become faster. Short version as an energizer. Longer version with a debriefing on topics: Decision Making, Empathy, Cooperation, Communication, MultiTasking, Flow

Works perfectly in Zoom where you can see each other on the screen. Have fun!

PS: We played this game in the Weekly facilitators remote café and did some reflexion of what worked well or less well, and these are our learnings:

wondercards danisch clapping game — *(Danisch clapping game – the learnings)*

Wondercards structure: HoWoRiCha

This card is perfect for a critical audience! In this video you cal learn how to use it in the beginning, middle or at the end of your workshop/session. You also can use this WonderCard for a virtual meeting!

Why?	– get to know your participants- connect your participants- dive into a (complex) topic
How?	– in the beginning: introduction round- to dive in: after the warm up- at the end: evaluate the outcome,work on next steps and actions
What?	– use sticky notes or cards- work virtual (e. g. on a white board)- move participants in the room, useany technique to connect brain and body

Please check out our Vimeo channel where we explain you a bit more about this structure.

HoWoRiCha on Vimeo