Group Energiser for Facilitators:

Engaging Activities to add to your collection

I came across another great idea for a group energiser that can be a good exercise for 1+ participants, with the range varying from one person to thousands. In one of my previous articles, I shared a few ideas for group energisers. But during a designathon I participated in, I encountered a group activity that made me think, “Wow, this is interesting.” It’s simple, engages the entire crowd, helps to energise a group, and is fun.

The reason for writing this article is not just to introduce you to this energiser but to help you become creative.

The energiser was a simple game we used to play as kids with our grandparents. It’s a common game in India known as “Chidiya Ud” in Hindi and “Chimni Ud” in Marathi. I’m sure every Indian regional language has a name or variation of this game.

The rules are simple. My grandma would say one word after another. If she said something that can fly, you had to say “ud” (fly) and raise your finger, throw your hands in the air, or gesture flying. She would say the words at a steady pace. After naming a few things that can fly, she would name something that cannot fly. If you guessed wrong and said “ud” for something that cannot fly, everyone would laugh as kids and we used to compete with cousins, but we enjoyed this simple game. The rhythm of the game made it tricky, and sometimes you would accidentally gesture “fly” for something like a fridge, car, or hair.