Synonyms
None.
Introduction
Please form a circle.
Description
Categories is both an exercise, handle and warm up. This is the warm up version of the structure.
The team leader will guide the players in choosing a broad category. For example, cars, toys, cutlery, food, etc. The players will be tasked with coming up with offers from the category. While the exercise has many ways to administer Categories the warm up has but one.
The players call out offers from the category around the circle. If the category was food it could sound like “dinner”, “turkey”, “ice cream”, etc. As time is spent on the category it become more challenging to come up with new ideas. The players should be encouraged to not repeat ideas.
In Categories, the warm up, once a player has called out their offer she will point, and keep pointing, to another player in the circle. That player then calls out her offer and points to another player. Players cannot point at a player who is already pointing. Eventually every player in the circle will be pointing at another player.
This process is repeated using the same offers and the same order of pointing. Once the players feel that they have the sequence memorized they are ready for complications.
The first complication is to repeat the sequence without pointing. The sequence will sound exactly the same but the cues are given by making eye contact and listening for the offer that preceded yours. It is a bit harder to do.
The next complication is add another category into the mix. This new category will have a new set of offers and a different order of pointing. Once this new sequence is memorized they leader will combine the two categories such that a category sequence of food could be happening at the same time as a category sequence of cars.
The leader can keep adding complications like more categories, eyes closed, or other distractions. Like any good warm up this one fails with grace and laughter.
This warm up focuses on two main elements of LACE (Listen. Accept. Commit. Expand.) The player must be listening to both words and phsyical cues. The player must also commit to their offer and get used to making mistakes.
Gimmicks
- None.
Variations
- None.
Credits
None.