Touch & Sign

In this activity, all you have to do is do two things: touch someone or sign their name. Still, it’s incredibly easy to make a mistake, but that’s what makes it so much fun. Mistake is a good thing. Mistake drives you further, develops and teaches you how to be better. We love mistakes!

Details of activity

Function

Focusing | Creating a focus | Active involvement and presence | Practising signs | Self-perception and partner perception

Description

As a starting point, each participant chooses a sign for himself / herself, which is practiced together. Or we can play the activity with name signs.

We stand in two circles, the two session leaders stand in one circle. In the circles, the participants stand close together shoulder-to-shoulder. To begin with, the facilitator signs someone’s name or the sign they received in the practice circle (e.g., dog). Whoever has this sign selects another person from the circle and touches his shoulder. The person who is touched selects the next participant and signs his / her sign. He touches again… and so on. The system is therefore: touch - sign - touch - sign. If someone spoils or hesitates, they run over to the other circle, stand there, and continue playing there, making their job harder because they have to use a new sign. Due to the mistakes, running from one lap to another is continuous. It is not necessary for participants to note exactly who received what sign (although it is appropriate and will happen by the end of the activity), but it is enough to know the signs of the topic that have been distributed. The activity requires a lot of concentration, followed by a relaxing, moving game is recommended.

Eligible competencies, skills, attitudes

Memory | Visual memory | Accuracy of signing | Concentration | Don't be afraid to make mistakes! | Take advantage of the opportunities that arise from the error! 

Related or background activity

If we play the activity with definite Sign Language signs, the activity has to be preceded by the joint learning and memorization of signs, according to the topic. 

Form of work

Whole group in 2 circles (12 people mnimum)

Time of activity

10 – 15 minutes 

Age group

Tool, material

Difficulty

Over 10 years of age

3

Deaf Culture / awareness / discussion

Other

If we play the activity with definite Sign Language signs, the activity has to be preceded by the joint learning and memorization of signs, according to the topic.

If we are not playing with name signs, we need to know at least as many characters from the given topic as we have participants, since everyone needs a separate character.

The activity is suitable for practicing name signs, a good starting game in a longer training process.