Transitions to Indoor Programs

As a full time ropes course operator we are constantly looking for ways to transition to indoor facilities and to provide our services year round. We love our ropes course as a vehicle to work on group dynamics and we have a huge amount of pride in our successful program sequences but all of these successes can be transferred to an indoor facility using minimal equipment.

With an open  mind and and little creativity we can develop an equally rewarding experience to clients. We always talk about the group being able to work together towards a common goal and how that actually happens when trying to solve a particular problem. The communication that is essential in the planning stages before leadership kicks in to get the ball rolling, right through the frustration stage of early failures and then into small successes which we build on to process the good and the not so good and to carry that to the next activity. All of this can be achieved with a simple hoop or ball or indeed any other small piece of equipment that can be carried into a conference room or meeting space.

What is your favored indoor activity and how does it compare with some of the traditional outdoor ropes course activities?

My personal one is called "through the hoop".

Challenge the group to see how fast they can get all members through a simple hoop. This immediately begs the question to define what through the hoop means. I encourage the discussion to see how deep they will go with the creativity but generally come back to passing the whole body from one side of the hoop through to the other. After some time of getting individuals to step through the hoop some one will suggest getting couples and triplets to have the hoop passed over them. This can then develop into more specific actions and the success will just follow from there. I have had a group of 12 people go through the hoop in less than 5 seconds. What successes have you had?