Team Building Event with Cleverley & Associates

We had a terrific visit to Cleverley & Associates. After the monthly associate lunch we jumped into some fun games, while some folks had chips and salsa in hand.

Then we broke into two groups and then compared insights and experiences.

Team Building Event with Perkins Middle School

We had a great time with 200 students of the 8th Grade Class at Perkins Middle School

Team Building Event with the Ohio Young Professionals Weekend 2013 Conference

We had a great time playing The Eureka Games on the Columbus Commons. The weather was beautiful and I came away with a bunch of new friends (and a sunburn).

Team Building Demonstration with Shawn Ireland and Lisa Colbert on Good Day Columbus

Did you see me on Fox28 Good Day Columbus?

I had a blast playing in the Spider Web with Shawn and Lisa, this morning.

Take a look around and visit our facebook page for more photos and fun.

Eureka Games works with a wide variety of groups (e.g., Middle to High School, Sports Teams, Businesses, Executives, Non-profit and Faith-based organizations) to help them rethink the way they think. 

I would love to work with your group. Does your group need to rethink the way they think?

Learn how to play The Eureka Games.

SHOUT OUTS:

- Thank you, Julia (the segment producer) for helping me plan the line up.

- Thank you Shawn Ireland and Lisa Colbert for playing, you were great.

- Thanks to everyone that watched.

Update: The video is no longer on the Fox28 website. When I get a copy, it will be uploaded here.

Scion Motivate contest

A few months ago, I saw a Scion commercial on television that introduced a new contest for people who have already started turning their passion into their profession.

The contest application required five short essays and a video submission. Here is the video I created for Eureka Games.



Thanks to everyone that helped out!

Team Building Event at the Dublin Teen Institute 2013 Retreat

The 2013 Dublin Teen Institute Retreat was this past week and I led a Eureka Game with two groups.

The topic, Dream Big. A big shout out of thanks goes to the awesome people that attended my workshop. We spent some time talking about what kinds of things can prevent you from reaching your dream. It was a pretty hefty list. Then...

Team Building Event with Columbus Downtown High School Students

I was blessed by the power of weak ties once again.

This past November I participated in the Governor's Road to Readiness program, which paired up high school students and IT professionals for a few hours of shadowing.

Several bright students from Columbus Downtown High School visited Nationwide Insurance, which is my day job. During the group luncheon the students swapped stories and I met the student advisor.

A few weeks later...

Team Building Event with Susan E Thomas, CPA ltd.

The Panera lunch rush gawked at me as I carried in the supplies for our Eureka Games into the community room. Despite me looking like a pack mule, the brightly colored foam noodles clashed with Panera's earthy color palette.

We had a lot of fun and several great debrief discussions.

Team Building Event with STAND UP: Leadership Team • Delaware County

Through a connection with a close friend, I met the event planners for Stand Up.



Stand Up is a annual event hosted through a combined effort of several organizations and by the effort of countless volunteers. Eureka Games was asked to energize the students after lunch with a team building activity for thirty people.

The students made the games their own and had a lot of fun. We ended the session with a group debrief. The student advisor was so amazed how during the debrief discussion, the students offered up so many comments and insights that it was easy to label this session a success.

(see photos after the jump)

Team Building Event with Nationwide Insurance - Web Usability Team

The Nationwide Web Usability Team had an offsite meeting at Sparkspace, and they got caught in a Spider Web.

Team Building Event with International Friends

A good friend of mine was hosting the Thanksgiving dinner feast for the Ohio State chapter of International Friends, inc.



When I explained my new found passion and how I was looking for opportunities to practice, he invited me and my family to join and bring a Eureka Game, too.

That was my first time building the web for anyone outside of my basement. Setup and teardown time proved to be a little longer, and bulkier than anticipated. 

Overall the Spider Web was a hit. Shout out goes to Richard and his family for letting me rearrange your living and room - you rock.

(View photos after the jump)

Faith Building Event with Mountview Church - Youth Lock-in

The middle and high school students group had an all night lock in. I saw an opportunity to practice and so I volunteered for ice breakers and other games at the wee hours in the morning.

Wrist ropes is a interesting activity, but does not work well as an energizer. As for a Group Sit, it is somewhat invigorating, but the high-touch requirement does not bode well with the middle and high school students desired image of coolness. Chalk it up to experience.

Most of the Eureka Games require some level of thinking and strategy. When it was time to break out the gear, most of the students had already spent their reserves energy on broom hockey and dodge ball. 

I wrangled a some friends into a round of a Group Juggle and Rope Polygon, but it fizzled out when I blindfolded someone for letting go of the rope. This was a experiential learning event for me, chalk it up to experience, again.

One thing I learned is that you have to match the energy and mind set of your group. I was not ready. I'm glad my audience was (and still is) small.

Rope Polygon is tough enough, but try it at 4:30am and it adds a whole new degree of "Argggh."

Shout out to all the folks who played Eureka Games with me. 

Faith Building Event with Mountview Church - Cleverley Group

Mountview Church has been an amazing place to grow my faith. This past week I was asked to fill in as the teacher for our home study group, I brought Eureka Games.



The metaphor of sheep and a shepherd are used throughout the Bible to describe the role of the Christian disciple. Other scriptures instruct Christians to live their life as an example to all. The obligation to fulfill both roles can be difficult.

To illustrate the lesson, the group played Blind Polygon. Half the group members were dubbed coaches. The other half of group members were dubbed players, and were muted or blindfolded. The coaches (at the left), had a hard time accepting that the furniture was not part of the challenge.

After the game, we discussed their roles of a leader and a follower and how both sides carried benefits and burdens. The parallel to the life of a Christian was brought to the forefront and we discussed the how following Christ and leading others holds similar dynamics.

(Photo of the game, after the jump)

Faith Building Event with Mentor Church - 2012 Youth Rally

Each year the Mentor Church of Christ hosts a Youth Rally to encourage and challenge middle and high school students to live out their beliefs as the new school year moves into high gear.

This year over forty teenagers showed up for the weekend event. I have been part of the activities for a long time, and with my new found passion, I was super excited to break out the Eureka Games.

Team Building Event with Columbus Young Professionals Club

The CYP Club hosted its first high ropes event in partnership with The Eureka Games.

Summit / Giant Swing: On the Summit course your exit involves stepping off a 40' high platform while attached to the Giant Swing.

Kilimanjaro / Zip-line: On the Kilimanjaro course you launch from the top deck and race along dual Zip-lines.

Our picnic was sponsored by Pepsi Next

View more photos on Facebook