KarenSorsby

LEI4724
ActivityFile10
ActivityTitle:PopsicleStickStack
Source:Gardner,B.(2010).PopsicleStickStack.RetrievedNovember12,2015,from
http://www.lianalowenstein.com/ebooklet.pdf
Equipment:3050popsiclesticks,coffeemug,smallerdrinkingglass
DescriptionofActivity:
Theobjectiveofthisactivityistoimprovetheparticipantsabilitytoworkcollaborativelyand
increasepositiveverbalizationstowardtheotherparticipants.Havetheparticipantssitinchairs
aroundthetable.Dividethepopsiclesticksevenlyamongparticipants.Thecoffeemugissetin
thecenterofthegroup.Theparticipantshavetoworktogetherasagrouptobalanceallthe
popsiclesticksontopofthecoffeemug.Eachparticipantwilltaketurnsplacingonepopsicle
stickatatime.Participantsshouldonlytouchandmovetheirownpopsiclestick.Thefirsttime
theyplaythereshouldbenotalking,directingothers,grunting,ornoisemaking.Ifapopsicle
stickfallsoffthemug,thegamestartsagain.Beforeattemptingtheactivityagain,havea
discussionasgroupofwhatwentwrongandhowshouldtheproblembefixed.Ifthegroup
successfullycompletesthetaskhaveadiscussionattheendaboutwhatwentrightandhoweach
participantfeltduringtheactivity.
Leadershipconsiderations:
Thisactivityworksbestwithasmallgroup(maximum5participants).Itisbesttoworkwitha
smallgroupsincetheywillnotbeallcrowdedaroundthecoffeemug.Itwillalsobemore
organizediftherearefewmembersandtheywillgetthechancetoparticipateinmorerounds.
Considerusingamediumsizedroomwherealltheparticipantsfeelcomfortable.Askthemif
theyprefertodoitonatableoronthefloor.Thetherapistwillbethemoderatorandfacilitator
oftheactivity.Startbydoinganicebreakergameinorderfortheparticipantstofeelmore
relaxedandcreateacomfortableenvironment.Starttheactivitybydividingthepopsiclesticks
evenlyamongtheparticipants.Thetherapistwilltheninstructthegrouponhowtodothe
activity.Itisimportanttohaveadiscussioniftheyarenotsuccessfulincompletingtheactivity
ontheirfirsttry.Oncetheysuccessfullycompleteit,haveadiscussionattheend.
Adaptations:
ParticipantswithaTraumaticBrainInjurybraininjurysometimescausessubtleorpronounce
changesinpersonalityandmightleavethepersonvulnerabletoagitation,volatileemotions,
memoryimpairment,verbalattacks,physicalaggression,andimpairedimpulsecontrol

(Cromer,2012).ForparticipantswithTBIhavethemallsitinthepositionthattheyfeelthemost
comfortable.Itisimportanttostarttheactivitybymakingarulethatnooneisallowedtotalkor
makenoises.Ifthepopsiclesstickfallsdown,haveadiscussionwiththemaboutwhatcanthe
grouptotomakeitworkbetternexttime?Didyoueverfeelliketellingsomeoneinthegroup
whattodo?Letthemspeaktheirownmind.Ifaparticipantbecomesaggressiveorfrustratedor
directssomeoneduringtheactivity,thentheactivitywillstartagain.Thiswillhelpthemcontrol
theiremotionsandalsohelpthemlearntheimportanceoftalkingthingsoutinsteadofverbally
attackingsomeone.Itisimportanttohaveadiscussionattheendaftertheysuccessfully
completedthetasktomakethemrealizethattheycansucceedbyincreasingpositive
verbalization.
ParticipantswithSocialAnxietyDisorderthisisforparticipantsthatdonothavecomplete
socialphobia.Theycanstandtobearoundsomepeopleandbeinasocialsituation.Consider
reducingthenumberofparticipantsto3.Thiswillbebetterforthemsinceparticipantswiththis
disorderhaveafearofbeingscrutinized,judged,orembarrassedinpublic(Smith&Gill,
2015).Itdependsoneachparticipantbutsomeconsidermeetingnewpeople,beingwatched
doingsomething,orbeingthecenterofattention(Smith&Gill2015)asstressfulsituations.
Thetherapistshouldstartthisactivitybydoingrelaxationtechniquesandbreathingexercises.
Thiswillhelprelaxtheparticipants.Duringtheactivity,ifaparticipantmakesthepopsiclesticks
fallthenthetherapistshouldbeveryclearthatnoonecanlaughormakeanegativecomment.It
isveryimportanttohaveadiscussionaboutwhatthegroupcandotocompletetheactivity.Once
theysuccessfullycompleteit,isimportanttomakethemfeelliketheysucceededandthatthey
allplayedanimportantroleincompletingtheactivity.Thiswillgivethemasenseofimportance
andmakethemrealizethatworkingwithotherpeoplecanbenefittheminachievingtheirgoals.

References
Cromer,J.(2012).AfterBrainInjury:TheDarkSideofPersonalityChangePartI.Retrieved
November12,2015,fromhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/professorcromerlearns
read/201203/afterbraininjurythedarksidepersonalitychangeparti
Smith,M.,&Gill,E.(2015).SocialAnxietyDisorderandSocialPhobia.RetrievedNovember
12,2015,fromhttp://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/socialanxietydisorderandsocial
phobia.htm