Best Practices Pre-Return Orientation - Activities

From AFSWiki

Luggage Relay

From the fertile mind of Ann Callahan

Purpose: to drum into their thick heads the idea that they really don't want to take too much home.

Supplies: four large suitcases on wheels, filled with books so that each weighs 50 pounds, 2 backpacks, filled with books so that each weighs 25 or 30 pounds, 2 stuffed animals or other awkward to carry thing, 2 soccer balls.

Activity: divide the students into two groups for a relay race. Each student in turn has to put on the backpack, hold the stuffed animal and the soccer ball, and manuever two suitcases down a hallway about 30 feet, turn around, and come back 30 feet.

Occasionally during the race a volunteer might accidentally get in a student's way, bump the student or perhaps bump the soccer ball.

The kids have a lot of fun with it, but at the end, the warnings about taking too much stuff sink in a little.

One World Team has used this exercise since 2007 and it has been fun to watch. The kids enjoy it. And MAYBE, just MAYBE, it helps the kids to decide to throw things away, give things away, ship things home.

We like to do this in large group ... with the host parents as spectators ... because it is fun to watch and the host parents can remind the students while packing about the activity.