Copy the Model
Teams rebuild a hidden model from building bricks, sending one member at a time to study it and report back to the builders.
- Time
- 20 to 30 minutes
- People
- 6 to 30
- Where
- In person
- You need
- matching sets of building bricks for each team, one extra set for the hidden model, timer
How to play
- Build a small model of 15 to 25 bricks out of sight, in another room or behind a screen.
- Give each team an identical set of loose bricks that includes every piece used in the model.
- Every minute, one person from each team may look at the model for ten seconds, without touching it or taking photos.
- The looker returns and describes what they saw; only the builders may touch the team's bricks.
- Rotate the looker role so everyone gets a turn, and keep going for ten to fifteen minutes.
- Reveal the model and compare each team's copy, then discuss how teams shared information.
Tips
- If walking to another room is hard for someone, place the model behind a nearby screen they can reach from their seat.
- Ask in the debrief what made one description clearer than another, which ties back to real handoffs at work.
Variations
- Paper version: use a drawing of simple shapes instead of bricks and have teams redraw it.
- Single speaker: only one team member may talk to the builders.