Add@Me Learning Methods Database (EN)

Ask participants to stand in two lines facing each other. Introduce the stick by calling it “helium stick”. Ask each participant to hold his/her index finger of their right hand outstretched to chest high. The vi facilitator places the “helium stick” on top of the outstretched fingers. Participants are then asked to perform the following challenge – to lower the stick to the ground while keeping everyone’s fingers touching the stick. In case anyone’s finger loses contact with the stick, then the activity starts again. (At first the stick will seem to rise, this is the reason why the activity is called Helium Stick – this is simply due to the upwards pressure of everyone’s fingers causing the stick to go up instead of down). If the facilitator is visually impaired a sighted acompanying person would be advisable to be present in the room to offer support when necessary.

Breaking the ice with the group / helps the gorup relax, have fun and work together.

A long stick / broom stick or white cane.

The steps and rules of the exercise are explained in the summary section.

At the end of the exercise the vi facilitator will ask the participants what happened? How it was to work in a team? Do they think the task was acomplished? Was it hard? What would they change if the exercise was to be performed again?

A sighted person or a person with partial sight should accompany the vi facilitator in order to explain verbally what is happening in real time with the stick and the whole task. If this is not the case there might be a risk involved if the tasks is not performed well or someone does not touch the stick anymore during the exercise.

No adaptation is needed for organising this exercise with participants of any age.