The feeling of belonging, as well as creating a healthy and cohesive social environment, are two of the most important objectives of group integration dynamics. That’s why it’s important to know which strategies operate in a class or group of workers.

In this post, we’ll present some simple activities to start out with if you’re a facilitator, manager, or teacher. Don’t miss a thing because, with them, you’ll achieve very beneficial effects for those you direct.

What are group integration dynamics?

Before organizing the activities, you should know that group integration dynamics are exercises that help improve cohesion and motivation. They’re also used as a way to evaluate groups, know how individuals relate, and know what the environment is like.

These strategies contribute to creating positive interactions through experiential activities. According to the book Las dinámicas grupales y el proceso de aprendizaje (Group Dynamics and the Learning Process), “an appropriate technique has the power to activate individual impulses and motivations, to stimulate both internal and external dynamics so that the forces can be better integrated and directed towards the goals of the group.”

The dynamics explained below, despite being classified according to the target audience, can be adjusted to different ages and contexts.

Fun group integration dynamics for children and adolescents

Creating a pleasant and collaborative climate is essential in groups of minors, as it helps them lay the foundations for good psychosocial development. On the other hand, it allows studying interactions to prevent future problems, such as bullying, for example. Take a look at the strategies we’ll show you.

1. My name is… and I like…

This is an ideal activity as a quick presentation method. As it’s not very complex, it’s suitable not only for children but also for people who are shy, as the interventions are quick.

It consists of saying one’s own name and a specific interest, skill, hobby, etc. The facilitator begins, and the participants continue. In the end, you have the option of going around once again to see how much each of their classmates remembers.

2. The mirror: Empathy in infants

While this activity can be adapted for adults, it works best for elementary school children. The exercise is simple: Separate the children into pairs where one moves while the other imitates those movements. Humiliating or violent gestures and actions are prohibited.

Then, ask the participants how it felt to “be the other person” and allow them to reflect on their responses. This exercise can also be useful for improving psychomotor skills.

3. A shared story

This activity is very useful for collaborative and creative environments, as it allows you to focus attention on all participants. The person leading the exercise begins a story in which they appear as a character and leave it open-ended,  pointing to the next participant.

For example, “Ahmad decided it was time to live an adventure. So he took Katia by the arm, and they went to…” And then, Katia will add to the story and involve the next participant, and so on.

This works very well with children but can be adapted to adolescence and adulthood. [/atomic-in-text]

4. The question ball

Another great group cohesion dynamic for young children is as follows: Using a ball and a music player, participants are told to pass the ball around while a melody plays. When the music stops, whoever has the ball in their hands will say their name and ask the rest of the group a short question.

All teammates must respond quickly and in order because, when the music starts playing again, they have to resume passing around the ball, and so on, until everyone has a turn.

5. The telephone game

This is one of the most useful group integration dynamics among teenagers. It allows us to think about how information is distorted when it passes from one person to the next by word of mouth. It’s ideal for teaching how rumors and fake news spread.

You may be familiar with this game: The participants line up or form a circle, and the first person whispers in the ear of the person next to them, who then transmits the message to the following participant, and so on. When the last person in the group receives the message, they repeat out loud what they’ve heard. When you compare this to the original message, you’ll often see that they’re a bit different–or perhaps the final message is nothing at all like the original. Allow the participants to reflect on the activity.

Group dynamics for adults

These types of group integration games are also very useful among adults. They can be used in therapy, leisure activities, support groups, and many more contexts. Let’s take a look.

1. Dreams: One of the dynamics linked to perseverance

During this group activity, participants sit as close as possible to each other in a circle and blow up balloons that represent their dreams and aspirations. Then, getting up, but without leaving the circle of chairs, they’ll try to make their balloon the highest it reaches.

If any balloon leaves the circle, it’ll be eliminated (the balloon can be popped or simply removed). This represents competitiveness and effort as well as the ease with which others destroy them. Although the message it leaves is negative, it’s important to reflect and reorient it toward the concept of resilience.

If the participants tossed one another’s balloons out of the circle, it’s important to note that, whether they “won” or not, they would all have advanced in their “dreams” had they collaborated instead of competing.[/atomik- in-text]

2. Collective drawing

The method allows you to observe how people represent themselves and use their creativity by building scenarios. It serves in school, work, and other environments.

In this activity, the participants take turns painting an element on a piece of paper or a larger surface. Ideally, they should be things you can interact with, like houses, cars, and tools. Once the image is finished, each participant will draw themselves doing something in the illustration and explain why.

3. The challenge

For this integration technique, several simple challenges are written on pieces of paper and put in a box. You can divide the participants into smaller groups or have them do it individually.

The teams or individuals pass the box around while a song plays. When the music stops, whoever has the box chooses a piece of paper and decides whether to carry out the challenge written on it. If they complete the challenge, they gain points. If not, they lose points.

This dynamic can be very fun if the challenges are chosen well. In addition, it promotes teamwork. [/atomic-in-text]

4. Pressure from the environment

This dynamic helps to show the effects that the opinions of others (positive or negative) have on emotions. Two people are asked to leave the room while you provide instructions to the rest of the group.

The group is divided into two, and one of the groups will motivate one of the people who’s out of the room; meanwhile, the other group will discourage the other person. As for the two people who’ve left the room, you must instruct them to go back in to carry out a short building task (you can use a puzzle or building blocks).

At the end of the activity, the two builders can share their experience before you reveal the instructions you tell them about the instructions you provided to the rest of the participants. Then, as a whole, reflect on the feelings, impediments when building, what it feels like to motivate or discourage another person, etc.

Group integration dynamics in the workplace

In companies, it’s essential to foster a collaborative climate and healthy relationships. Otherwise, camaraderie will be absent, and productivity will be compromised. Take a look at these methods below.

1. The desert island

The exercise in question is applied, above all, in the workplace, but it’s also beneficial in educational settings, as it allows us to better understand the dynamics between colleagues. In it, participants are put in three different scenarios:

• Which three companions would you go on a trip with?
• Who would you organize an important event with?
• Which companion would you rather get lost on a desert island with?

The answers will be recorded on anonymous cards, and a justification will be requested. This way, you can identify certain keywords and use them as values to direct the group. For example, ” companionship,” “fun,” ” responsibility,” etc. Likewise, the facilitator will obtain information about the relationships between colleagues without them losing their anonymity.

2. Someone like me

This is a perfect strategy when unity is lacking among a team or the team doesn’t socialize much. The members are given a paper and pencil to write down a series of relevant data about themselves, such as their profession, particular tastes, or personality traits.

Afterward, they’re left to ask each other questions and group themselves into pairs according to their common ground. You can carry out several rounds so that more interaction between different members is possible.

3. Indiscreet questions

Although this exercise requires the preparation of material, it can be presented as a very interesting game for all ages and contexts. A series of cards with written questions is required, stacked like a deck so that each participant can draw them in their turn.

Each person is also given a pass to use when they don’t want to answer a question. According to the integration theme, the questions can refer to different topics, such as values, experiences, tastes, opinions, etc. The idea is for each individual to show themselves to others in a deeper way than usual.

Some tips for applying these exercises

It’s important to adjust the contents of each dynamic to the age of the participants. You must also keep one thing in mind: It’s your task to get everyone involved. Identify those who have the least desire to get involved and, without pressure, try to get them to participate at least once.

At the same time, it’s essential to create a safe environment in which you’re the one who observes and moderates without taking anyone’s side (or giving that impression). If the people you’re trying to motivate don’t feel safe in the group, the exercise won’t meet its objective. Always remember that group integration dynamics should feel like a game before drawing conclusions in the reflection round.

A useful tool for routing groups

When groups aren’t developing in a healthy direction, the dynamics that you’ve found here are a useful tool to guide them, as they promote the creation of bonds, motivation, and fluidity in work and help to develop capabilities (such as empathy or creativity).

However, you should know that the benefits of these exercises aren’t obtained on the first try. You have to persevere in using them. It’s important to know how to apply them, with whom, and how to resolve them if they go wrong. Therefore, always consult with a professional before you get started.

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