HUGO AND HIS FRIENDS

Source: Keresztesi Andrea, Hang-Kép Kulturális Egyesület

Aim: exercise for understanding the process of communication Material: plushie and different objects (heavier, smaller and bigger items)

Description of activity:

Participants have to throw to each other different objects:

In the first round they throw “Hugo” - a small soft plushie which is easy to throw and catch. Participants have to always look at the person to whom they throw the object and then throw it.

In second round there are more objects which participants have to throw to each other.

1st ROUND > The moderator starts to throw Hugo, a small soft plushie, which is easy to throw and catch to someone and this person can choose another to keep Hugo going around. The moderator passes information about who is Hugo (old friend that he/she likes, we want to take care of him, ... build a nice friendly story on him to pass feelings and empathy from other participants!) Important: Hugo visits each person only once, he cannot be thrown twice to the same person. Call the person before you throw the puppet, make eye-contact.

2nd ROUND > Participants throw Hugo for the second time keeping the order

3rd ROUND > We start the third round with the same rules as before but this time Hugo's friends are introduced. Hugo’s friends are different objects: some are very small, some very big, some are very heavy, hard to throw (a puppet bear, a stick battery, a locker, a scarf). Participants have to throw the objects to each other. This time they have to use different methods to pass the objects to each other as somes object cannot be thrown easily.

Once all the objects have been thrown and the last object ha reached the moderator the activity is finished and starts the debriefing.

How was it for you to throw the objects? Which one was easier /more difficult? Why? Did you change the way you were throwing different objects? How is this connected with communication?!