Group Size: Any
Time Needed: 5 minutes (discussion times vary)
Goal: To discuss the challenges of change and the advantages of both preparing for change and experiencing change at your own pace
Audience: Couples, Parents, Teens, Children, Singles
Special Considerations: Do this activity before you actually present it to your group to assure that the blocks you have chosen will work.
Resources Needed: Building Blocks
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Gather a wide assortment of blocks.
- Arrange your blocks as shown in diagram. You need three medium blocks standing up vertically on the bottom of your tower. On top of those blocks you will need to arrange two long blocks. The two long blocks should meet on the center of the vertically standing medium blocks. On top of that you can build anything you like.
- Explain to participants that the blocks represent the status quo. It may not be a particularly beautiful structure and it may not be very stable, but on some level it is working. Your tower is standing. It can be helpful to mention here that some people come to class because their structure has fallen and they are working to put it back together. For others, they are afraid it may fall soon.
- Talk to the class about change. Explain that by taking this class, real change can come from this action. Clarify that some changes are big and some are little, but all can affect the structure or functioning of your family
- Ask the group: what would happen if you were to remove the center vertical block? The response should be that the tower will fall down. Discuss how this can sometimes happen when families make changes (more detailed example below).
- Ask the group: what can we do to make the change we need to make but still protect the structure? Ideally you want to have participants place several blocks similar in size to the center vertical block all around that block, supporting both long horizontal blocks. If this is done before you remove the center block the tower should not fall.
Tips for Discussion and Processing
This activity can be used to talk about how to prepare for change. It often leads to great discussions about how quick change is rarely lasting change. Participants are challenged to think of what supports they need in place as they make changes in their lives. Talk to couples about the difficulties that may occur when you change unhealthy communication patterns. For parents, you can discuss how challenging it may be when you are implementing new discipline techniques.
With two facilitators, you can take this activity to a different level. One of you will pull out the essential block while the other holds the tower up (this takes some practice). The special meaning in this is not lost on participants. Talk about the people in their lives who will support them while they make significant changes.
Note: These activities can be modified to reflect a variety of skills.