This College and University Marketing website by Armstrong|Shank Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations
“Handcuffs” or “People to People Ties”
Supplies: 5' of soft clothesline rope (per person)
Instructions: After cutting the rope, tie a knot or burn the ends so they don't unravel. Tie a slip knot at each end of the rope. The resulting "loop" will go over each of the person's wrists.
To play: Person A puts the slip knot from one end of the rope on one wrist and the other slip knot on the other wrist. Person B puts one slip knot from his/her rope on one wrist. Person B loops his/her rope through Person A's rope, so that when the two people are standing face to face, their ropes are linked. The challenge is to disconnect from the tangle without removing the handcuffs or untying/cutting the ropes.
Solution: Stand facing each other. Person A holds hands apart horizontally, and person B holds hands apart vertically (forming an "X" axis and "Y" axis). After noting which hand is at the top of the vertical axis, person B takes that top hand and places it near the elbow of person A's corresponding arm (if it's person B's left hand, then go to person A's right arm). Person B pulls the center of the rope so that it goes under person A's cuff moving from the elbow side toward the hand. This "loop" should give person A enough room to slip his/her hand through it. Voila!
Interested in more team activities? E-mail lori@armstrongshank.com for a bibliography, or check out these sites:
http://www.tcm.com/hr-books/teams.htm
http://www.learningunlimited.com/TrainingProducts/allbooks.asp
We highly recommend books by Sam Sikes.
Armstrong|Shank
Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations
Serious Creativity Since 1981
Wichita Office
P.O. Box 16719 • Wichita, Kansas 67216
p: 316.522.3000 • f: 316.522.2827
e: susan@armstrongshank.com
Oklahoma City Office
1000 W. Wilshire • Oklahoma City, OK 73116
Phone: 405.286.5655 • Fax: 405.842.6259
e: sherry@armstrongshank.com
Take a look at some samples here.