For the next few blogs, we will be highlighting some activities that you can easily do with your group online! As a reminder, you can always visit our Activities Database to find more activities to help your students connect, grow, and learn as a team.

This week, we are featuring Coat of Arms, which offers a creative way for your team to check-in with one another. To facilitate this activity, follow the instructions below, and check out the video to see it in action.

VIRTUAL INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Explain to participants that their task is to create their own personal “Coat of Arms”
   • What is a Coat of Arms? A Coat of Arms is a unique and distinctive shield for a person or group.
2. You may give participants approximately 10 minutes to silently create their own Coat of Arms or ask them to come to the next session with it completed. 
3. You may either structure what participants put on their Coat of Arms, or give them the freedom to put anything that represents or describes them, from their favorite color to their life goals. For the video below, we asked the following prompts, but feel free to make your own! 
   • What was your favorite part of your week?  
   • What is one thing you have learned about yourself recently? 
   • In what ways do you still want to grow or change?
   • Which of your values has/have been most helpful to you?
4. After everyone has created their Coat of Arms, ask for volunteers to share as much as they would like of their Coat of Arms. They can hold it up to the camera for everyone to see.

Safety: If you work with minors and are a mandated reporter, remind your group of your responsibilities to report abuse or suspected abuse BEFORE you begin this activity.

VIDEO: 

See what some of our participants had to say!

• “I love Coat of Arms because it really allows people to show off their creativity and allows you to see how different yet similar we all are. It gives space for connection that can be surface level or go deeper.” – Kait
• “I like that it’s a unique way to check-in. It encouraged me to reflect on what I was doing to better myself and the world around me, which I don’t always stop and do in my day-to-day life, and it was nice to hear what others were doing as well!” – Caroline
• “This activity really made me stop the regular flurry of my day to reflect on each question.  It not only provided a good mental break from work, but it made me really think about my life at this moment.  I also loved hearing and seeing what everyone else shared with the group!” – Kim

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS: 

Once you try the activity, spend a few minutes debriefing it. This can help your group generate ideas and reflect on the ways a simple activity can change the dynamic of the group! For Coat of Arms, here are some questions we’d encourage you to ask: 

1. What were some of your thoughts as people shared?
2. How were you able to connect with others during this activity?
3. What does this show us moving forward?

Share what has been working in your classroom! Email learning@leadershipinspirations.com