Building trust

Divide the group into pairs, with participants sitting facing each other.

One participant mimes various movements (e.g., dancing, eating, playing), while the other acts as a “mirror,” carefully reproducing the movements in real-time.

Students observe their surroundings and choose a natural element to embody, such as a tree, swaying grass, a bird, water, wind, or a butterfly – anything they see or feel in nature.

There are two versions of the exercise:

1. Charades-style version: One student silently acts out their chosen natural element while others guess what it is.
2. Full-group movement version: All students move freely within a defined space, embodying their selected nature-inspired motions simultaneously. Afterwards, they gather in a circle, take turns sharing one movement they enjoyed, and reveal which natural element they represented. The whole group then repeats the movement together.

1. Writing the situations
   • Each student anonymously writes a specific situation that causes them tension, anxiety, fear, sadness, or frustration at school.
   • Situations should be detailed. Instead of “I feel stressed in math class,” they should write “I feel anxious when I have to go to the board in math class while everyone watches me solve a problem.”
   • Students can include both social situations (e.g., “I feel bad when I hear that someone was talking behind my back”) and personal challenges (e.g., “I get really nervous before a math test.”).
   • If appropriate, the facilitator may expand the scope to include experiences from extracurricular activities, family life, or even emotions felt during a hike.
   • No names should be included to ensure anonymity.
2. Collecting the responses
   • The facilitator gathers all the written notes.
3. Silent acknowledgment circle (Standard version)
   • Students sit or stand in a circle, lowering their heads and closing their eyes.
   • The facilitator randomly selects and reads aloud one situation at a time.
   • After reading, the facilitator asks those who have felt similarly to open their eyes and lift their heads.
   • Students look around and make eye contact with others who share similar feelings.
   • After a few moments, they lower their heads and close their eyes again.
   • The process repeats for each note.

• This version is conducted in the evening or at night in a forest setting.
• During the day, students write down their situations, and the facilitator collects them.
• After dark, the group gathers in a circle in a designated spot, each wearing a headlamp or holding a flashlight.
• The process remains the same—students close their eyes as the facilitator reads each situation aloud.
• If a student relates to the situation, they not only open their eyes but also turn on their flashlight and point it toward the sky.
• The darkness provides a sense of safety, making it easier for some students to participate.
• Those who feel too shy to open their eyes can still see the glow of flashlights around them, reinforcing the idea that they are not alone in their experiences.

1. Form groups: Depending on the number of participants, divide them into two or more groups.
2. Choose a location: Each group selects a spot in the available space where they will build their village.
3. Gather materials: Using natural elements, along with ropes and scissors, groups construct their village.
4. Collaboration: Each group designs and personalizes their village, ensuring all members contribute by dividing tasks.
5. Create an anthem: Once the village is complete, the group composes a tribe anthem, which they will perform when other groups visit.
6. Thematic variation: The activity can be centered around a specific theme (e.g., love, war, nature), influencing the design and storytelling of the villages.

Participants sit in a circle, all facing the same direction, one behind the other. The group’s task is to “prepare an Italian pizza”, with the tray (their hands) positioned behind each participant’s back.

They must follow these steps:

• Knead the dough (massage the back muscles).
• Roll out the dough (apply a gentle pressing motion).
• Add ingredients (pretend to sprinkle cheese, crack eggs, and slice salami).
• Place the tray in the oven and wait for it to “bake.”
• Enjoy the pizza!

The facilitator/teacher demonstrates the movements for each step, ensuring participants follow along with the corresponding gestures.

After the first “slice” is taken out of the oven, the group switches directions, allowing those who gave massages to now receive them.