Group integration dynamics are methods used in groups to achieve an objective. They are activities that bring benefits, as they allow learning in a fun way and interacting with other people.

The purpose of each dynamic may change, but the essential thing is that they allow for the fostering of companionship while acquiring new knowledge or improving interpersonal relationships.

In this article we will talk about its main characteristics, as well as explain some examples of dynamics used in groups of varied ages .

Characteristics of the dynamics of group integration

The dynamics of group integration are carried out with the intention of offering a lesson, be it moral, educational or of companionship. Participants are offered to reflect on what they have done with the activity, and to explain how they feel.

Spheres such as education and organisations are very popular , given that they make it possible to improve relations between students and workers, breaking down interpersonal barriers. In addition, in the case of education, they make it possible to transfer theoretical knowledge to a more experiential field, favouring significant learning.

For a group integration dynamic to be carried out correctly, it is necessary to have one or more facilitators . These people are in charge of indicating the steps to be followed, besides being the one who elaborates the dynamic after having studied the characteristics of the group where it is going to be applied.

Examples of group integration dynamics

These are several examples of group integration dynamics for adults, children or adolescents.

1. My name is and my likes are

It is ideal for use on the first day of kindergarten . Its aim is to introduce the children and get them to know each other. Groups of about 10 children are recommended.

The facilitator begins by saying "My name is Juan and I like to play with my dog". In an orderly way, and starting from the same example, each child will introduce himself and say his likes .

When all the children have spoken, the facilitator will ask if they remember the names of their classmates and gather those who have similar tastes.

2. Shared story

Children need motivation and to practice their creativity . That is why this dynamic is perfect, since it involves creating a story all together.

The facilitator will start the story, telling some story in which he appears and also in which one of the children appears, whom he will point out. The child pointed out will have to say his name and continue explaining the story. He will have to mention another child, point him out and continue telling the story.

It is highly recommended for kindergarten and elementary school children. Ideally, the group should consist of 8 or 10 people .

3. Rio Turbio

The participants are sitting in a circle and have bottle caps in their hands. A song is sung: "through the river passes a very muddy, murky water". With the bottle caps they must follow the rhythm of what they are singing. At each beat the cap must be passed to the partner on the right.

The song is getting faster and faster. Those who lose the rhythm are eliminated until only three remain. The last three participants will require very good coordination to continue doing the activity.

In this dynamic companionship, coordination and synchronization are practiced .

4. Dreams

It is a dynamic widely used with adolescents and young people to teach them the importance that, despite the difficulties, they should never stop pursuing their dreams.

It lasts about 15 to 25 minutes and it is recommended to do it with groups of 10 to 20 participants. Balloons and chairs are needed, one for each participant.

At first all participants are sitting in a circle as close as possible and must choose a dream. Each one inflates his balloon and pretends to introduce the dream into it .

Then, they stand up and turn the chairs to form a very small circle, inside which they are. The balloon should go as high as possible. The facilitator has an object, such as a BB gun, to pop the balloons that come out of the circle.

The idea of this dynamic is to understand that it is necessary to get out of the comfort zone in order to achieve your dreams, but that there will always be someone who will try to destroy them.

5. Backs attached

This dynamic encourages teamwork and lasts approximately 10 to 25 minutes. The number of participants is very varied , ranging from 2 to 40 people.

Two participants, for example, sit on the floor with their backs to each other and hold on to their arms without turning. The idea is to get them to stand up by pushing against each other but without putting their hands on the floor.

It is important that, if they are made in pairs, their members have more or less the same physical constitution , height and that they do not have back problems.

The fundamental learning in this dynamic is that by joining efforts, great milestones can be achieved.

6. Sum of equipment

It lasts about 20 minutes and requires between 10 and 20 people. Sheets with numbers from 0 to 9 are needed.

It is necessary that there are at least two groups , in which each person receives one or two sheets with numbers.

The facilitator says a multi-digit number aloud and the groups have to form it with their sheets of paper. The group that first forms the number wins the point .

The numbers can be said directly (e.g.: 45) or a mathematical formula (e.g.: 10×10:2-10+5).

Mathematical skills are tested interactively and a sense of sportsmanship is promoted

7. The mirror

It is an ideal dynamic for improving confidence among children, as well as helping them to reflect on their emotions.

The facilitator forms pairs of children, who will stand facing each other . One of them will make movements and the other will imitate him/her.

Empathy is promoted, since they are free to imitate their partner but must do so in a way that is not humiliating. Timing, coordination and concentration are also tested.

8. The wrong message

Ideal for teenagers and young adults. It is fun and allows you to reflect on the transmission of information in a chain of several interlocutors.

The participants line up . The first person in line is the one who receives the message directly from the facilitator. The first person in the queue will tell the second person the message, and the second person will tell the third person the message, and so on.

The last one should say aloud the message that has come to him. The facilitator will compare what he or she said at the beginning with what has been said at the end.

This exercise tests the memory of the participants, their attention span and their communication skills .

9. Putting the word together

This activity makes it easier for members to interact and get to know each other.

The facilitator will hand out sheets with pointed letters. Each participant will have one sheet and will not know what letters the others have.

The facilitator has chosen these letters to form a word, and it is up to the participants to find out which one it is. In addition, rules can be set , such as that they should be introduced every time they talk to someone.

10. The most inquisitive ball

It is ideal for working with small groups. You need a ball and a music player .

The children form a circle, and as they play music, the ball is passed from one to the other. When the music stops, the person with the ball should say his or her name and ask a short question to the others.

The other partners must answer before the music is played again . When the music plays again, the ball will be in motion again. The game will last until everyone has introduced themselves.

Bibliographic references:

  • Backstrom, L.; Huttenlocher, D.; Kleinberg, J.; Lan, X. (2006). Group formation in large social networks. Proceedings of the 12th ACM SIGKDD international conference on Knowledge discovery and data mining – KDD $002706. p. 44.