Division into small groups

15.04.2019

“Choose (10 min.)

If you want to divide the group into 4 subgroups, 4 volunteers are called; if there are 5 subgroups - 5 volunteers, etc.

The presenter asks the volunteers a question: “Who would you take with you on a hike?”

Volunteers select one person to join their team. Those who are chosen are asked the following question: “Who would you trust to carry the backpack?” The presenter can come up with the rest of the questions himself, or he can use the following: “Who would you share the apple with?”, “Who would you trust your secret with?” If there are several people left who were not chosen, you can invite them to determine the team in which they would like to work. "Trick" (10 min.)

Materials: if you want to divide the group into 3 subgroups, prepare leaves of 3 colors; if there are 2 subgroups - 2 colors. (For a group of 15 people, 5 leaves of each color, etc.) Participants stand in a circle and close their eyes. The leader attaches pieces of paper to each person’s back. At the leader’s command, everyone opens their eyes. After which, without words or sounds, all participants should be distributed into groups.

"Molecules" (5 min.)

The presenter gives instructions: “Imagine that we are all atoms that move in a chaotic order, sometimes unite into molecules, and then scatter in different directions, gather into a whole cell, an organism... Now the music will play, and we will begin to move in space, like atoms in chaos. And then I will name any number, and such a number of atoms will unite into one molecule, and then several molecules into a cell, cells into an organism,” Music sounds, all participants move in a chaotic order. The trainer says “2 atoms”, then “2 molecules”, “2 organisms”. Participants are divided into two groups.

"Colors" (5 min.)

multi-colored leaves (red, yellow, green) according to the number of participants. Before class, you need to prepare tokens of two or more colors. Before the start of class, mix the tokens and distribute one to each participant. When it is necessary to divide the group, you just need to inform the participants that one color of tokens is the first team, and the second color is the second. Warm-up exercises

These games are necessary for the presenter to keep the participants in working order. They are held at those moments when the participants are tired of sitting or the group work is carried out in lecture form and requires great concentration and attention. Typically, these exercises include many active movements: jumping, movements of the head, arms, legs, etc. In these exercises, the leader usually demonstrates certain movements or pronounces words. The participants’ task is to repeat everything after the leader.

Goal: to activate, “warm up” group members, create a certain emotional mood in them, and relieve tension that may arise in the initial stages of the group’s work.

"Zoo" (5 min.)

Each member of the group must imagine themselves as some kind of animal, and then walk in an imaginary enclosure, trying to imitate the habits of this animal.

"Empty Chair" (15 min.)

Participants are divided into first and second. Participants numbered “one” sit in a circle, participants numbered “two” stand behind their chairs. One chair must remain free. The task of the participant standing behind the chair is to invite someone sitting to his chair with his gaze. A participant who notices that he is being invited must run to an empty chair. The task of the partner behind him is to detain him.

"Hurricane" (10 min.)

Participants sit in a circle, the leader goes to the center of the circle and invites everyone who has a certain characteristic to change places (white shirt, teeth brushed in the morning, green eyes, etc.). Moreover, if a participant has these characteristics, he must change his place or become the leader. The presenter names only the sign that he is interested in at the moment possesses. When participants change places, he must take someone else's place. The participant left without a chair becomes the leader. If a participant cannot sit in a circle for a long time, he can say: “Hurricane,” and then everyone sitting in the circle must change places.

"Molecules" or " Brownian motion"(10 min.)

All participants gather in a tight group near the leader, close their eyes and begin to move chaotically in different directions, buzzing. After some time, the presenter gives one signal. What does it mean - “silence and freeze”, two signals - “line up in a circle with your eyes closed”, and three signals - “open your eyes and look at the resulting figure”. There is another option for playing with music. All participants move freely. At any moment, the leader can give a signal: “Gather in groups of 5 people (3, 7...)!” Participants need to quickly organize such groups by standing in a circle and holding hands. And so on several times, changing the number of people in groups (the number of atoms in a molecule).

“Count by 3” (10-15 min.)

stimulate the efficiency and cohesion of the group.

Participants stand in a circle. The task is to take turns counting out loud. The person who names a number that is a multiple of three or contains the number “3” claps his hands and jumps at the same time. He shouldn't say anything. The group keeps score until one of the participants makes a mistake and is eliminated from the game. The game continues until the remaining number of participants is counted without errors. The group applauds the winners. “Charging” (5-10 min.)

Goal: to increase the performance of the group.

The driver leaves the group. The whole group stands in a circle and chooses a person who will give it movement. He must change these movements, and the group must adapt to him. When the driver enters the room, his task is to find the person who is giving the commands. The “exposed” participant becomes the driver.

Communication games

“I want...” (10 min.)

Goal: practicing reflexive skills.

The exercise is done in a circle. Each person takes turns saying a sentence starting with the words “I want.” Don't get distracted by arguments and discussions about your desires. Just say them one by one, impartially and quickly.

For example: “I want to finish my studies,” “I want to live in Sochi,” “I want to get the highest score in English this semester.”

“I like you because...” (20 min.)

Option 1. Participants stand in a circle. The presenter throws the ball

to one of the participants, while saying “I like it about you...” and naming the quality you liked (several qualities).

The participant who receives the ball throws it to another person and names the qualities he likes. The ball must reach all participants. Option 2: Divide the group into pairs. This exercise can be

do in pairs.

“Compliment” (10 min.)

2 circles are lined up - internal and external. The number of participants in both circles must be the same. Participants standing opposite each other compliment each other. Then, at the command of the leader, the participants in the inner circle move, changing partners. The procedure is repeated until each member of the inner circle has met each member of the outer circle.

“You’re doing great anyway, because...” (15 min.)

Participants are divided into pairs. One partner tells the other about a difficult situation in life, something unpleasant, or talks about some of his shortcomings, etc., his interlocutor listens carefully and says the phrase: “You’re doing great anyway, because...”.

“You and I are similar in that...” (20 min.)

Participants line up in 2 circles - outer and inner. The number of participants in both circles must be the same. Participants in the outer circle say to their partners a phrase beginning with the words: “You and I are similar in that...” (for example: you and I are similar in that we live on planet Earth, study in the same class, etc.). Participants in the inner circle answer: “You and I differ in that...” (for example: you and I differ in eye color, long hair etc.). Then, at the command of the leader, the participants in the inner circle move, changing partners. The procedure is repeated until every member of the inner circle meets every member of the outer circle.

"Berlin Wall" (30 min.)

Materials: rope or enough chairs (5-7).

The room is partitioned in the middle with chairs or a rope (the rope is held by the presenters at a level of 0.5 m above the floor). The group is invited to move to the other side of the barrier. If at least one person remains on the other side of the obstacle or the obstacle is touched, all participants return back. The rope, according to the decision of the presenters, can be raised to any height. Depending on the characteristics of the group, it is possible to play the game in one or two stages. That is, the “wall” can become much higher and the group will have to repeat the assault to get back. The second stage is desirable if, in the process of getting to know each other and developing rules, the group showed discord, rivalry, and a tendency to “label”. After completing the game, the host discusses a strategy for solving the problem or the reason for its absence. He also discusses with the participants why they had problems and what other strategies the group could have chosen.

“Labyrinth” (30 min.) Objective:

Materials:

find a way out, a way out difficult situations, learn to listen to the opinions of others, paper tape or strips of paper for building a field. The size of one square on the field is approximately 20 by 30 cm.

end of field beginning of field

Group task: Conditions:

On the floor, the leaders lay out a field consisting of small squares. Some of these squares are “mined” (empty squares). Crosses mark a non-mined road that participants must find and all participants must move to the opposite side of the field.

participants are given 5 minutes. to discuss the action strategy. After this they should not talk; cannot be shown on the field; One participant cannot walk across the field 2 times in a row; You cannot step through one square. If someone steps on a “mined square”, the presenter gives a sound signal (claps, stomps, hoo-hoo-hoo, etc.).

Note: if the whole group manages to move to another hundred

ron in 10-15 minutes, then we can conclude that the group is well united and can find the right strategies to get out of difficult situations.

“Building a Bridge” (50 min.)

Materials: A4 sheets, pencil, ruler and scissors.

Divide the groups into two teams. One team, together with the leader, goes out the door, the second remains with the other leader in the room. The first group is given the following task: the participants must portray missionaries, and the remaining group must portray the natives of a tribe that does not know writing, mathematics, or engineering. An epidemic recently began in their tribe, and people are dying in dozens. It is impossible to bring them to the hospital, because the road to it is 105 km; and directly - 5 km, but the path lies through impassable swamps. It is necessary to teach them how to build a bridge, because if they build it themselves, they still will not learn how to repair it. The bridge should consist of 5 meters of sheets of paper glued together, the width of the bridge is half the width of the sheet of paper with a 5 mm indentation on the larger side. In addition, the missionaries must convince the natives of the need to build a bridge. Construction time - 20 minutes. The native team is told the following rules: only the head of the tribe can communicate with the missionaries. Women do not have the right to hold scissors in their hands, men do not have the right to hold a ruler. Every 3 minutes (at the leader’s command) they must pray intensely, giving up everything they are doing. When gluing the paper, they should glue one triangle and a flower to each joint.

Exercises to divide participants into groups

The task of dividing the training group into separate subdivisionsgroup problem arises for the leader quite often. The point is not only that many training exercises involve working in pairs, threes or fours. After all, the task is to intensifycite the processes of communication between participants and generally givedynamism of training can be solved precisely through fractionaldivision into subgroups. At the same time, one should remember the very importantcondition - these subgroups cannot be allowed to “froze” in the definitionline composition. You need to constantly “shuffle” the part nicknames to provide everyone with the maximum opportunity communicate with other participants. And for this you should use use random assignment procedures. PrimaParticipants will quickly become bored with repeating the same techniques.Therefore, we offer a set (by no means exhaustive!)ants of dividing training participants into separate subgroups. Of course, it is more interesting if the creation of subgroups is not direct tive, but playful in nature.

Exercise "Calculation"

This is the most basic way. Perform calculations perfirst - second", "first - second - third", etc. dependingdepending on how many groups are required. It is important not to confuse it here: raceeven needs to be done based on the required number of groups,and not from the number of participants in each group. Banal prewarning, however, experience shows that novice trainers,Apparently, out of excitement in such situations, they completely stopget along with arithmetic.

Exercise "Segmentation" circle"

Also from the elementary category. The group can be divided in half by drawing an imaginary diameter of the circle from yourself (the leader) to the participant sitting opposite. In case more is requiredtwo teams, the circle is simply divided into the required number of segments.

Exercise "Color separation"

The division into groups is carried out according to the external characteristics of the student.stnikov, for example, but the colors of clothes. Those who prevailgreen, are called “greens” (you can also call them “Greenpies”). "Red" and "White" may appear. Those who don'tfell into any category, they form, say, a “motley team.” We do not recommend creating a “commonwealth” dark forces", even if a lotSome participants are dressed in mourning colors so that people will not be“strength anchors” that you don’t need at all. However, if you are just about to play a game like “The Scary Judgment”(see "School Psychologist" 2000) or another in which a group of negative characters is required, and also if you considerroar dark color the clothes of these specific participants asunconscious reflection of them negative emotions, those in needin “playing out”, then it is quite acceptable to separate them into a separategroup with special role functions. The criteria youdivisions of individual groups can be not only the colors of clothing,but also other external signs, such as the presence of jewelryor hours; sweaters or T-shirts; trousers or skirts (if the group is predominantly female); hair color; eye color, etc.

Exercise “Building by ranking”

Participants stand in a line. At the command of the leaderFor the shortest possible time, they should line up silently: according to eye color;by hair color; by height (with eyes closed); by heightlos (after the game it is checked, for example, executionby playing the note “A”, pronouncing the word “mother” and in other waysbami) and other signs. In this case, the leader must each timewives clearly indicate which side the participants should stand on, for example, “with the lightest hair,” and which side, “with the brightest hair.”dark." These games are usually played with fun and enthusiasm.After the construction on any basis is completed,the leader divides the line into the required number of groups with differentdegree of expression of the selected characteristic.

Exercise "Shooting with the eyes"

Participants stand in a circle with their eyes downcast. At the leader's signaleveryone looks up, trying to meet someone's gaze. If this is successful, then the resulting pairs leave the circle. Gamecontinues until all participants are oncebits in pairs. And then - according to the presenter’s plan: eitherwork is done in pairs, or pairs are grouped into larger onesassociations. You can play this game a little differently:A direct hit in “shooting with the eyes” does not lead to an exitfrom the circle, and attempts are repeated until the whole groupwill break up into pairs of mutually chosen participants.The drama of the game is given by situations when the number of participantsis odd and one of them must obviously remain

without a pair. In this case, the presenter can, for example, offerany pair (or team) draw lots for who will getthe remaining player, or arrange a competition between them for the rightto include this player in your roster, or find another solution that is optimal for this particular case.

Exercise “Atoms and Molecules” (1 option)

Group members scatter around the training roomaccompanied by soft “cosmic” music. The presenter says: “EveryEach of you is a lonely atom wandering in space. Are you withperform Brownian motion when encountering other atomsand even making minor collisions. But sometimes something happenswalks, and you get the opportunity to combine into molecules.You will do this on my command. Number of atoms in a moleculeI'll name it." After a while the presenter claps his hands,the music stops and he says, for example: “Four.”Participants quickly form groups of four. Those,those who did not manage to enter any “molecule” (let’s say there are three players left) are eliminated from the game. "Molecules" decay againare transformed into atoms that continue to “wander in space” until they are followedthe leading command. As a result of the game, you can either create two teams - from those who dropped out and from those who remainedIn the game, - or at a certain moment give the command to gatherinto molecules with the number of atoms needed for further procedures (it’s good if this number is exactly equal to the number of eliminated participants who then form their own group).

Exercise "Leaders"

The leader quickly and unexpectedly commands: “Stand up, those whoconsiders himself a leader! The first two (three, four - depending how many subgroups are needed), who jumped up from their seats, are declared leaders who have the right to recruit their teams.

Leaders are given the right to take turns calling the name of the person they are talking about.whom they take to their team. You can do it another way:each leader is asked to choose only one partNick, whom he wants to see on his team. Then selectedparticipants in the queue choose the next ones, and so on until thoseuntil the group is divided into two parts. If participants odd number, then a situation will arise when someoneone will remain unclaimed. "Unclaimed" participantmay feel very uncomfortable. That's why I'm leadingThe speaker must turn the situation into a positive one, say, offerlive the leaders of the two groups argue about the right to this lastparticipant: say short monologue, in which to prove thatdue to such and such merits, this person is necessary precisely in histeam. After this, the participant chooses a team for himself.

Exercise “Any Number”

Another game that can be used for timesbeating into groups. The presenter calls any of the players by namecov. He must immediately name some number from one to a number equal to the number of participants. Leading the teamEt: “Three-four!” So many games should be running at the same timekov, what number is named. In this case, the player who named this random number can either stand up or remain seated. Some of the players may realize that there are win-winExtensive options: you need to call either “one” and jump up yourselfmu, or name the number of group members, and then everyone will stand up. AfterAfter one or two successful attempts, participants experience a feelingincreased group cohesion. Here the presenter needs to taketake the initiative into your own hands. “And now I’ll give the command myself!” - declareshe names the number, which (according to his plan) means the necessarymy number of players in one subgroup. If it has risen so much O players, as many as were ordered, good. The presenter is simply talking aboutasks them to leave the circle and continues the game with the remaining ones, calling the same number (in case there should be subgroupsmore than two; if the group had to be divided in half, then it is enough to name a number equal to half of the participants). IfIf there are more or fewer players, the presenter adds or subtracts players at his own discretion.

Exercise "Breakdown" by criterion"

The facilitator offers the group some criteria thatdo not imply ranking, but a clear classification with evenby dividing participants into different categories. This methodbreakdown is especially convenient in cases where it is not necessaryis an equal number of players in subgroups.

For example, in the process of group dynamics a moment ariseswhen it is necessary to work through the feelings of participants regardingbut the events taking place during the training, and for this purpose the presenterit is necessary to obtain information about these feelings. Then veThe presenter tells the participants: “Psychological training can becompare to dinner in a restaurant.

Imagine that you are visitors to this restaurant. you alreadyspent some time there, tried some of the dishes,offered on the menu. Some people liked it, some didn't really like itsomeone has already had enough, and someone has just “starved the worm”\Let's try to sit down in our "restaurant" according todealing with your feelings. Those who tried it liked ithappened, but they had not yet satisfied their hunger and would like to tasteanything else from the local kitchen, please go to this corner. Those whoI'm already full and would like to change the restaurant to some other placehundred, take places in the opposite corner. Maybe forFor some, the dishes from the restaurant menu were not quite to their taste.

I ask such people to position themselves in the third corner. Well, and the fourththe corner will be occupied by those who have not yet realized how much the local cuisine is theirs.satisfies, and therefore while in doubt he picks with a fork in the salad. So, settle down!” Depending on the foldingcircumstances, the leader makes a decision on the directionthe latest work. For example, you can offer each groupdiscuss and justify your choice, maybe express yourwishes regarding the quality of cooking, recipes and preparationsserving dishes. Let's say, someone considers food “bland”, someonethen you want something “hotter”, some would be satisfied with more refineddishes, less “catering” and more “exclusive” recipes, etc. Instead of the “restaurant metaphor”, we can offer huge amount others. Let's say, hanging in differentin the corners of the training room there are faces depicting different emonational states - from hopeless melancholy to uncontrollabledelight - ask participants to choose the most suitable a place for yourself.

Tasks for the formed groups can be given in accordance withwith their mood. Let's say, “enthusiastic” participants canask you to come up with ways to cheer up the “mourning” person group.

Exercise “Who’s new?”

This method involves transferring the initiative to create subgroups to the participants themselves. The presenter simply suggests eachwe must choose someone with whom we interact in the process of trainingacted the least, communicate with him with his eyes, non-verbalbut agree and approach each other. Then (if requiredwork in fours or sixes) find a pair or two partnersditch, with whom both members of the couple also had communication so far not enough.

Exercise "Jungle" dil", "camel", "hippopotamus"). Names of animals on pieces of papermust be repeated in such quantity that on their basis it is possiblewas to divide the group into the required number of micro groups of 3-4 people catcher.

After the leader’s instructions, the participants move their seatslie down, freeing up space for movement, and find leaveswith the names of animals. Without discussing the contents of the card with othersdots, on command everyone begins to move, depicting their lifesky movement, sometimes combining into molecules. Pace, direction of movement, number of atoms in molecules and places of connectionThe host sets the tone.

For example: “Molecules, three cubits!” - everyone should oncefight in groups of three and huddle togetherelbows. The speed of movement is indicated by the number: “plus 20”,“plus 45”, “plus 80”. This means in this case that the speed is increasing, although it can also be slowing down. Speed "minus 50"means you have to move backwards. At the end of the exercise, you need to form subgroups (“molecules”).

Exercises to divide participants into groups

Exercise "Calculation"

Exercise "Segmentation" circle"

Exercise "Color separation"

The division into groups is carried out according to the external characteristics of the student.stnikov, for example, but the colors of clothes. Those who prevailgreen color, are called “greens” (you can also call them “Greenpies”). "Red" and "White" may appear. Those who don'tfell into any category, they form, say, a “motley team.” We do not recommend creating a “commonwealth of dark forces,” even if manySome participants are dressed in mourning colors so that people will not be“strength anchors” that you don’t need at all. However, if you are just about to play a game like “The Scary Judgment”(see "School Psychologist" 2000) or another in which a group of negative characters is required, and also if you considerchange the dark color of the clothing of these specific participants asunconscious reflection of their negative emotions, needyin “playing out”, then it is quite acceptable to separate them into a separategroup with special role functions. The criteria youdivisions of individual groups can be not only the colors of clothing,but also other external signs, such as the presence of jewelryor hours; sweaters or T-shirts; trousers or skirts (if the group is predominantly female); hair color; eye color, etc.

Exercise “Building by ranking”

Exercise "Shooting with the eyes"

Exercise “Atoms and Molecules” (1 option)

Exercise "Leaders"

Leaders are given the right to take turns calling the name of the person they are talking about.whom they take to their team. You can do it another way:each leader is asked to choose only one partNick, whom he wants to see on his team. Then selectedparticipants in the queue choose the next ones, and so on until thoseuntil the group is divided into two parts. If there is an odd number of participants, then a situation will arise when someoneone will remain unclaimed. "Unclaimed" participantmay feel very uncomfortable. That's why I'm leadingThe speaker must turn the situation into a positive one, say, offerlive the leaders of the two groups argue about the right to this lastparticipant: deliver a short monologue in which to prove thatdue to such and such merits, this person is necessary precisely in histeam. After this, the participant chooses a team for himself.

Exercise “Any Number”

Exercise "Breakdown" by criterion"

I ask such people to position themselves in the third corner. Well, and the fourththe corner will be occupied by those who have not yet realized how much the local cuisine is theirs.satisfies, and therefore while in doubt he picks with a fork in the salad. So, settle down!” Depending on the foldingcircumstances, the leader makes a decision on the directionthe latest work. For example, you can offer each groupdiscuss and justify your choice, maybe express yourwishes regarding the quality of cooking, recipes and preparationsserving dishes. Let's say, someone considers food “bland”, someonethen you want something “hotter”, some would be satisfied with more refineddishes, fewer “catering” and more “exclusive” recipes, etc. Instead of the “restaurant metaphor,” a huge number of others can be offered. Let's say, hanging in differentin the corners of the training room there are faces depicting different emonational states - from hopeless melancholy to uncontrollabledelight - ask participants to choose the most suitable a place for yourself.

Tasks for the formed groups can be given in accordance withwith their mood. Let's say, “enthusiastic” participants canask you to come up with ways to cheer up the “mourning” person group.

Exercise “Who’s new?”

The leader of a training group often has the task of dividing it into separate subgroups. The point is not only that many training exercises involve working in pairs, threes or fours. After all, the task of intensifying the process of communication between participants and generally giving dynamism to the training can be solved precisely through fragmentation into subgroups.

However, one thing should be remembered important condition- these subgroups cannot be allowed to “frozen” into a certain composition. You need to constantly shuffle the participants to give everyone the opportunity to communicate with everyone.

Using the same techniques quickly gets boring, so I offer a set (by no means exhaustive!) of options for dividing training participants into separate subgroups.

Calculation

This is the most basic way. The calculation is made for “first-second”, “first-second-third”, etc., depending on how many groups are required. It is important not to get confused here: the calculation should be made based on the required number of groups, and not on the number of participants in each group. (As an option - orange, tangerine, banana...)

Circle segmentation

If the training takes place in a circle, then the group can be divided in half by drawing the imaginary diameter of the circle from the leader to the participant sitting opposite. If more than two commands are required, the circle is simply divided into the required number of segments.

Color separation

The division into groups is carried out according to the external characteristics of the participants, for example, by the color of their clothes. Those whose predominant color is green are called “greens” (you can also call them “Greenpeace”). Both “red” and “white” may appear. Those who do not fall into any category can unite, for example, in the “motley” team.

I do not advise creating a “commonwealth of dark forces,” even if many participants are dressed in mourning colors. An exception may be a game where there are negative characters, and also if the presenter considers the dark color of clothing of specific participants as an unconscious reflection of their negative emotions that need to be “acted out.”

The criteria for identifying separate groups can be not only the colors of clothing, but also other external signs: the presence of jewelry, watches, hair color, eye color, etc.

Construction by ranking

Participants stand in a line. At the command of the leader, in a minimum amount of time, they must silently rearrange themselves: by eye color, by hair color, by height (with eyes closed), by pitch of voice and other characteristics.

Each time the presenter must clearly indicate which side the participants should stand on, for example, “with the lightest hair,” and which side, “with the darkest hair.”

After the construction according to any characteristic is completed, the leader divides the line into the required number of groups with varying degrees of expression of the selected characteristic.

Shooting with your eyes

Participants stand in a circle with their eyes downcast. At the presenter’s signal, everyone raises their eyes, trying to meet someone’s gaze. If this is successful, then the resulting pairs leave the circle.

The game continues until all participants are divided into pairs. And then - according to the leader’s plan: either work is organized in pairs, or pairs are grouped into larger associations.

You can do this a little differently: attempts are repeated until the entire group simultaneously breaks up into pairs of participants who have mutually chosen each other.

A situation can become dramatic when the number of participants is odd and someone must obviously be left without a pair. In this case, the presenter can, for example, invite any pair (or team) to draw lots for who will get the remaining player, or arrange a competition between the teams for the right to include this player in their lineup.

Atoms and molecules

The group members scatter around the training room to soft “cosmic” music. The presenter says: “Each of you is a lonely atom wandering in space. You meet other atoms, sometimes there are even slight collisions. But sometimes you get the opportunity to combine into molecules. You will do this on my command. I will name the number of atoms in the molecule.”

After a while, the presenter claps his hands, the music stops, and he says, for example: “Four.” Participants quickly form groups of four. Those who did not manage to enter any “molecule” (let’s say there are three players left) are eliminated from the game. The “molecules” again disintegrate into atoms, which continue to wander in space until the next command from the leader.

As a result, you can either create two teams (from those who dropped out and from those who remained in the game), or at a certain moment give the command to assemble into molecules with the number of atoms needed for further procedures (it’s good if this number is equal to the number of eliminated participants who will then be able to form their own group).

Leaders

The leader quickly and unexpectedly commands: “Stand up, those who consider themselves leaders!” The first two (three, four - depending on how many subgroups are needed) are declared leaders who have the right to recruit their teams.

You can do it differently: each of the leaders is asked to choose only one participant whom he wants to see on his team. Then the selected participants take turns choosing the next ones and so on until the group is divided into two parts.

If there is an odd number of participants, then a situation arises when one remains unclaimed. (You may have already guessed that this procedure, like the “Shooting with the Eyes” option, is sociometric in nature.)

An “unclaimed” participant may feel uncomfortable. Therefore, the facilitator can invite the leaders of the two groups to argue about the right to do this. last participant: deliver a short monologue in which to prove that, due to such and such merits, this person is necessary for his team. After this, the participant chooses a team for himself.

Football method

To divide into groups using this method, you will need to identify 2-3 leaders, active guys (the number of guys depends on the number of mini-groups that you want to create) and ask them to recruit a team, observing the following condition - one of the leaders makes the choice first, the other this time no action is taken. When the first leader's choice is made, the second leader can make his choice, and only after that does the third leader make his choice. Moreover, the principle of recruiting people into a team is as follows: the first chooses the second, the second chooses the third, the third chooses the fourth, etc.

Any number

The presenter calls any of the players by name. He must immediately pronounce a number - from one to a number equal to the number of participants.

At the command of the leader, the number of players that corresponds to the named number must stand up at the same time. At the same time, the player who said this random number, may not get up. Can anyone realize that there are win-win options: either call “one” and jump up yourself, or call the number of group members, and then everyone will stand up.

After one or two successful attempts, participants experience a sense of group cohesion. This is where the leader needs to take the initiative into his own hands. “And now I’ll give the command myself!” - he declares and names the number, which, according to his plan, corresponds required quantity players in one subgroup.

If as many players have stood up as ordered, then the leader asks them to leave the circle and continues the game with the remaining ones.

Breakdown by criterion

The facilitator offers the group some criteria that do not imply ranking, but a clear classification with a clear division of participants into different categories. This method is especially convenient in cases where subgroups do not necessarily have an equal number of players.

For example, during the training process, the facilitator needs to obtain information about the feelings of the participants. Then the presenter says: “Psychological training can be compared to dinner in a restaurant. Imagine that you are visitors to this restaurant. You've already spent some time there and tried some of the dishes. Some people liked it, some not so much, some are already full, and some have just finished eating the worm. Let's try to take seats in our “restaurant” in accordance with our feelings. Those who tried it liked it, but they had not yet satisfied their hunger and would like to try something else from the local cuisine - please go to this corner. Those who are already full and would like to leave the restaurant take seats in the opposite corner. Perhaps the dishes from the restaurant menu were not quite to their taste? I ask such people to position themselves in the third corner. Well, the fourth corner will be occupied by those who have not yet understood whether the local cuisine satisfies them. So, settle down!”

Next, you can, for example, invite each group to discuss and justify their choice, express wishes regarding recipes, the quality of preparation and presentation of dishes. Instead of the “restaurant” metaphor, others can be used. Let's say you can hang it in different angles training room with faces depicting different emotional states - from hopeless melancholy to unbridled delight - and ask participants to choose the most suitable place for themselves.

Tasks can be given to the formed groups in accordance with their mood. For example, “enthusiastic” participants might be tasked with coming up with ways to cheer up the “mourning” subgroup.

Who's new?

This method involves transferring the initiative to create subgroups to the participants themselves. The facilitator simply invites everyone to choose the one with whom he interacted least during the training process, communicate with him with his eyes, non-verbally agree and approach each other.

Drum

The counselor stands with his back, a child comes up from behind and puts his hand on his shoulder, and the counselor speaks to the right or left.

Calculation in a circle

Calculation in a circle for brooms, savochki, thimbles, etc. (depends on how many teams you would like to divide the squad into...) It’s just that if they stand in a circle, then there will be different teams for each game, because they won’t be able to become the same every time. ;)

Dividing into small groups is a good opportunity to additionally influence the dynamics of the training. Sometimes the way of dividing can be an exercise in itself: to fulfill the role of an energizer or to carry some meaning and opportunity for discussion.

It is very useful to think through before conducting the training different ways dividing participants into small groups to complete different tasks. I'll list some that I remember. If you know other ways, add them in the comments.

10 Ways to Divide into Small Groups

We divide the score into “first-second”. Everything is simple here.
We divide by count in another language. Method No. 1 can be decorated if the division occurs on some unusual foreign language. In this case, ask the group for help. Surely, someone knows the score in an unexpected foreign language.
Division according to some criteria. One participant is called and given the task of dividing the group into a given number of subgroups according to some criterion. Moreover, he may not name the principles by which he divided the group.
Autumn forest. Once already.
Seasons. If the group is large enough that you need to divide it into two subgroups, ask participants to stand in four corners. Those born in the spring stand in one corner, those born in the summer, etc., in the other. Next, combine the subgroups as you wish.
Cards. There are several options here. If there are two groups, then you can divide them according to the color of the suit that the participant received. If there are two, three or four, then simply according to the suit given. Well, etc.
Draw. If you have to play a game with prescribed roles, then you can distribute these roles by drawing lots. Write the names of the roles on small pieces of paper, put them in a box/bowl/hat and let the participants take turns drawing the roles.
Leader selection. Call participants according to the number of teams you need. They become something like captains and begin to take turns recruiting team members. Those. one chooses one participant, then the second, then the third. After this, the first captain chooses his second participant, then the second captain chooses his second participant, etc.
Variation item 7 The first step, like step 7, call the participants according to the number of teams you need. They choose the first team members. Next, the first ones chosen choose the second ones. Then the second ones choose the third ones. Etc.
Threads. To form pairs, the leader holds woolen threads or ropes up to one meter long (for half the number of participants) in his fist so that the ends hang down to the right and left. Each participant grabs the end of the thread (rope) and, without releasing it, looks for his partner.