4-8
3. SPIN THE BOTTLE
This simple game is a fair way to pick one member
of a group to answer a particular question, start off a
discussion, or do a certain job. If more than one person
needs to be picked, the bottle can be spun as many
times as necessary.
Everyone sits in a circle. One
person spins an empty bottle on
the floor in the middle of the circle.
The person The bottle points at
when it stops is the one who is
picked.
After he answers the question or does the job, the person who was picked spins the
bottle again to see who will be picked next.
Silly? A waste of time? Yes, but. . .
‘Ice-breaking’ games may seem ridiculous. In fact, they often are. Some people
may not like them or may feel they are a waste of time. Sometimes they are. But
sometimes they can help a group that is too serious or stiff, to loosen up and begin to
enjoy each other.
A friend who has worked for many years in community health says: “To waste time
is to save time.” Taking time to ‘break the ice’ and help people begin to relate to each
other openly can make a big difference in what people learn from the course.
We must never forget that, although latrines and medicines and vaccines are
important, the most important factor that determines human health is how people
work and live and share and learn together.
If we can all learn to work well together in our
training program, perhaps we can do so with those
in our villages or neighborhoods. And this would be
a real step toward health! So remember. ..
To ‘waste time’ getting to know and like
each other may save time later.