Whenever we begin small group discussions or meetings, we like to perform a “climate check:” a quick way to find out what joys and concerns your participants bring to your meeting. We’ve discovered that just asking “how are you” elicits usually nothing but “I’m fine” from most participants.

Here are some simple, right brained, ways to get your group talking. And, when someone does share a deep joy or concern, be sure you and your group respond in loving manner.

1. Paintbrush Colors: Pass around a paint brush, asking people to share with the group “what color their emotions are today.” Ask participants not to choose the easy way out by saying white, black or rainbow. For example, one person might say they are “green” because they have got a new job and they feel like they are growing. Maybe another says “gray” because a grandparent died this week.

2. Clay Sculptures- We buy the PlayDoh® canisters in the birthday pack. There’s 10 little canisters of clay in a bag. Give each participant one container of clay and give them 3 minutes to construct a symbol of how they feel at the moment. You could also ask them to model the last week, etc.

3. Weather Report- Cut out pictures of various weather conditions from the weather forecasting page of your local paper. Glue these to 3x5 inch index cards. Pass these around the group and ask members to choose one forecast and share with the group their choice.

4. Pow/Wow- We’ve been playing this game for some time and are not sure of its original source. Pass a ball or other item to one member of the group, saying to them “pow” or “wow”. If you say, “pow,” that person must share one negative or difficult thing from their last week. If you say “wow” that person is to share one positive piece of their week. When they have finished, they pass the ball to one other person across from them in the group, saying the passer’s choice of “pow” or “wow” to the person who receives the ball. This continues until all members of the group have had a chance to share a “pow” or “wow.”