Learning Objectives Relate the experience of the Communication Traps game to basic principles of communication Understand how listening can be an important part of communication Develop strategies to overcome barriers to communication Practice some skills of effective instruction

Materials Needed Five mouse traps, 5 blindfolds, and 5 bean bags Two 15-foot pieces of rope One toy or old cell phone Key points of the session, presented as flip-chart binder pages

Delivery Method Communication game In today’s face placed world, we communicate in many different ways. During the game" Communication traps” each patrol member is going to experience various roles in the communication process.

Delivery Continued Communication Traps 10 minutes to play the game and fairly quickly to leave time for the questions. Not everyone needs to successfully navigate the length of the corridor. Task: To move as many patrol members through the corridor of mousetraps as possible in 5 minutes.

Delivery Con’t Note: All participants need to wear closed toe shoes during this activity. Set-up: using 2 15 ft. ropes, create a narrow corridor between 2-3 feet wide. Distribute mouse traps randomly across the length of the corridor at varying distances from the sides of the corridor so that there are obstacles that need navigating around. Put the cell phone somewhere in the middle of the mousetrap corridor.

Delivery Con't Have the patrol choose one participant to be the primary communicator and have him/her stand at the far end of the corridor facing the patrol. The other members line up blindfolded at the end of the corridor opposite the primary communicator. The “communicator” will give them verbal directions as to how to proceed through the maze. The TG will call out 30-second penalty if the members bump into the object or spring the mousetraps. The groups goal will be to get as many members through the communication corridor as possible in 5 minutes.

Game How to Play: The TG will introduce the game. Before every great team reaches success, there are often many setbacks. Proper communication is key to overcoming these barriers. Your goal as a team today is to move as many members of your team through this corridor of obstacles as possible in 5 minutes. One patrol member will be selected the primary communicator, while the others will be blindfolded and guided through this task. members of the team can only talk to lead communicator by using the special cell phone in the course.

Game Con’t In the game, the setback comes when you trigger a mousetrap or step on a beanbag. When this happens you will need to stop and stand still for 30 seconds. If the primary communicator is able to guide you to the cell phone in the middle, you can, while standing still, remove your blindfold and discuss the strategy with the primary communicator for 30 seconds. At the end of 30 seconds, you must put the blindfold back on and continue the challenge.

Game Con’t Once you have made it through the corridor, you may remove the blindfold and assist in helping the rest of the team navigate through the maze of mousetraps. You may not, however re-enter the corridor but must stay at the end with the primary communicator. At the end of the time, we will gather together and debrief your experience.