Description
Help your group learn the difference between a right and wrong choice through an interactive game.
Supplies
- No supplies needed
How to Play
- Divide the group into smaller teams. There should be at least four people on each team.
- Have each team stand and get in a huddle with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
- Explain that a situation will be read aloud and as a team, they have 10 seconds to decide if this situation is a YES Mess or not.
- After the 10 seconds are up, each team either gives a thumbs up, showing they think it is, or a thumbs down, showing they do not think it is a YES Mess.
- Once all groups show their answers, you will instruct them on a specific movement for the huddle.
- Explain that teams who give correct answers will get an easier way to move, while teams who give incorrect answers are given a harder way to move.
- Read aloud a situation from the list on the next page, give teams 10 seconds to decide, and reveal the correct answer. Then instruct them on the assigned movements.
- Example Situations and Huddle Movements:
-
- Staying up late
- correct answer: take 3 steps back
- incorrect answer: hop with one leg three times backward
- Telling a lie
- correct answer: take 3 steps to the right
- incorrect answer: slowly make 2 full spins
- Sharing an idea
- correct answer: take 4 steps to the left
- incorrect answer: take 2 hops forward with both legs
- Teasing someone
- correct answer: take 4 steps forward
- incorrect answer: move to the right in slow motion
- Raising your hand
- correct answer: take one giant step forward
- incorrect answer: move to the left in slow motion
- Staying up late
Activity Prompts for Reflection
- Share a YES Mess you experienced during this activity.
- Name some other choices you and your team could have made during this activity.
- Can anyone explain why some of these situations were YES Messes?
- Can anyone share an example of how they avoided a YES Mess recently?
Other Ways to Play
- Have students link elbows and move in a group with linked elbows.
- Pair students together and tie one of each of their legs together. They will compete in this challenge like a 3 legged race.
- Add situations that you’ve seen your students in before to help them apply YES MESS to their own lives.
Additional Notes
- Use the SEL Activity Prompts to tie other SEL competencies to this activity.