Helium Stick Activity

The Helium Stick game is a great team building, collaboration, problem solving activity.

Helium Stick

Materials

• Large group of 8-12
• 1 long lightweight metal rod

Set-up

• Line up in two rows which face each other.
• Introduce the Helium Stick- a long, thin, lightweight rod
• Ask participants to point their index fingers and hold their arms out.
• Lay the Helium Stick down on their fingers.  Get the group to adjust their finger heights until the Helium Stick is horizontal and everyone's index fingers are touching the stick.
• Explain that the challenge is to lower the Helium Stick to the ground as fast possible

Procedure

• Each person's fingers must be in contact with the Helium Stick at all times. Pinching or grabbing the pole in not allowed - it must rest on top of fingers.
• If anyone's finger is caught not touching the Helium Stick, the task will be restarted.
• Particularly in the early stages, the Helium Stick has a habit of mysteriously 'floating' up rather than coming down, causing much laughter.
• A bit of clever humoring can help - act surprised and ask what are they doing raising the Helium Stick instead of lowering it!  
• Some groups or individuals after 5 to 10 minutes of trying may be inclined to give up, believing it not to be possible or that it is too hard.
• Offer suggestions or suggest the group stop the task, discusses their strategy, and then has another go.
• Less often, a group may appear to be succeeding too fast - Be particularly vigilant about fingers not touching the pole.
• Eventually the group will calm down, concentrate, and very slowly, patiently lower the Helium Stick - easier said than done.

Reflection

• Once the group is successful, discuss with the group…
• What worked and what didn’t work?
• What was it like to work under pressure?
• How does this activity simulate a real-world scenario?
• What did you learn about relying on other people?