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An Empty Chair on my Right

Aim of the Game: To listen to descriptions of people and move to an empty chair if the description fits you.

Learning Objectives:
• To describe people's tangible and intangible attributes.
• To reflect on and relate to these attributes.

Structure: One full circle each person seated on a chair with one empty chair next to the leader who begins the activity.

Time: 20-30 minutes

Materials: One chair per person and one empty chair to the leader's right. When no chairs are available circles can be drawn (by chalk) on the floor where each one can stand with an empty circle to the leader's right.

Method:
• Ask everyone to take a seat (in the circle) and direct everyone's attention to the empty chair next to you.
• Say that the activity is about describing people, and that if anyone in the circle thinks that he or she is the person being described then he/she should stand up and occupy the empty chair.
• This leaves the chair of the person who stood up empty, thus the person to the left continues the activity.
• As the initiator of the activity, you begin by saying: 'there is an empty chair on my right, please sit with me if you ______________ (description)'.

• Set the degrees: Physical (tangible attributes first). Examples: sit with me if you…are tall for your age; are wearing black shoes; have long/short hair…

(Ask occasional questions to the persons who stand up to occupy the empty chair, e.g. is everyone in your family tall?)

Then after a few rounds, ask the Scouts to offer intangible descriptions of people. Examples: Sit with me if you..are a thoughtful daughter, are a helpful son, are friendly, etc.

(What makes a thoughtful daughter? A helpful son? How do you go about making friends?)

After a few more rounds, ask the Scouts to offer descriptions of feelings. Examples: sit with me if you..have been happy lately; in love; been very angry.

(When was the last time you were happy and what made you happy? How does it feel to be in love? What do you do when you are angry?)

Evaluation:
What do you think of this activity?
How did you feel when you heard the description and you know that you possess the attributes being described?
Which attributes are common?
Which attributes are rare and unique?
Why do you think this is?
What makes us really different from each other?

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© World Organization of the Scout Movement - 2008

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