Ideas for Checking In with a Group

Thumb-ometer

The thumb-ometer is a great tool for checking in with a group's physical and mental well-being throughout the day so you can make informed choices about activities. It utilizes the visual of a thumbs-up, a thumbs-down, and anywhere along that 180-degrees in between. To do a thumb-ometer check-in, first, have everyone make a circle. Then, ask:

1. How is everyone doing in their bodies? Are people's bodies tired, or sore, or injured? If your body is feeling fantastic, with no fatigue or aches or injuries, that's a thumbs-up. If you're a little tired, or have a minor injury, that's a sideways thumb. If you're feeling terrible - really tired, or in pain - that's a thumbs-down.
   1. After people have extended a thumb, consider asking people to share anything that might be relevant to the group, such as, "my left shoulder is tweaky; please avoid touching it during this next game"
2. How is everyone feeling in their minds? Are you wide awake or sleepy? Excited or nervous? Happy or sad? Carefree or stressed? Again, everyone presents a thumb, and you can ask for relevant info.

5-Finger Survey

The 5-Finger Survey can be used to quickly assess the skill or experience level of a group. State a criteria, then ask people to hold out one hand with the number of fingers extended that matches the criteria. For instance, let's say you're about to lead a game that involves stalking. You could begin with, "Hey, everyone. We're about to do a game that involves stalking. I'm wondering how much stalking experience this group has. If you don't even know what I mean by the word "stalking," that would be zero fingers. If you've had one or two stalking lessons or experiences, that would be one finger. If you're a stalking master, that would be five fingers. Everyone think about it for a minute, then hold up the number of fingers that matches how much stalking you've done. Go!" Consider pointing out that there is no judgement about the number of fingers. You might say, "It's totally fine if your answer is 0, 1, or 2 fingers - this has nothing to do with good or bad, it's just to help me get information so I can try to make the activity fun for everyone."