Floating Rod

Supplies: A long, light rod (ex: a tent pole – the kind that unfolds and connects to itself to make a long rod).

First, place the rod on the floor and direct the youth to make two equal lines on each side, facing each other. Then instruct the youth to form their hands into fake pistols and point them at the person across from them. Pick up the rod and hold it over everyone’s fingers and tell the youth that you are now going to place the rod across everyone’s fingers.

The Rules Are:

1. 1. Everyone must keep their fingers touching the rod on the underneath side.

1. 1. No one can use any of their other 8 fingers to help.

1. 1. Everyone must keep their fingers straight. (No curling their finger around the rod.)

1. The object is for everyone as a group to lower the rod to the ground.

At first, because not everyone will lower the rod in the same way at the exact same time at the same speed, the rod may seem to rise even though they know the objective is to lower it. After a couple of tries, they will hopefully work as a team to lower the pole to the ground.