Bridgette Bielawski

Name Game
Sources:
Icebreakers (n.d.). Blanket Name Game. Retrieved from: https://www.icebreakers.ws/medium-
group/blanket-game.html
Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Depression (Major Depressive Disorder) - Symptoms and Causes. Retrieved
from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-
20356007
Souma, A., Rickerson, N. and Burgstahler, S. (n.d.). Academic Accommodations for Students
with Psychiatric Disabilities | DO-IT. Washington.edu. Retrieved from: https://www.was
hington.edu/doit/academic-accommodations-students-psychiatric-disabilities
Myself

Equipment Needed:
Twin-sized (~ 5.5’ x 7.5’) opaque sheet/blanket

Activity Description:
The RT will begin this activity by instructing all participants to stand next to one another in
circle-formation and have participants take turns introducing themselves (“My name is ___”) in a
clockwise rotation. The RT will then proceed to ask the participants for one volunteer* and
divide the remaining participants into two even teams. The RT will ask both teams to sit facing
the opposing team—closely beside one another’s teammates—with approximately three feet of
distance between both teams. The RT will stand between both teams on one side and pick up an
opaque, twin-sized sheet/blanket holding one end while instructing the volunteer to hold the
other end of the sheet between both teams on the other end—away from the RT—so that it is
unfolded completely in front of both teams and they cannot see one another. At this point, the RT
will ask that one participant from each team crouches forward in front of the sheet/blanket. The
RT will count to three and then the RT and the volunteer will drop the blanket; upon doing so,
the chosen participants—now facing one another— must shout the other participant’s name. The
participant who shouts the other’s name first will score a point for their team, which will be
mentally recorded by the RT. Each team will continue taking turns sending a new participant
forward until all members have had a turn. The team with the most points will win the game;
however, if both teams have an equal amount of points, both teams will tie.
*In the event that the RT’s group consists of an even number of participants, the RT will ask the
participants for two volunteers to hold the sheet/blanket and the RT will instead observe the
game, in order for both teams to have an even number of members.

Primary Interaction Pattern:

Intergroup; action of a competitive nature between two or more intragroups. I chose this
interaction pattern in order to promote a sense of teamwork and belonging among team members
as they work toward a mutual goal. I feel that this interaction pattern is particularly successful
with this activity in promoting a sense of belonging as this activity introduces familiarity among
all participants; therefore, future interactions among participants will not be exclusive to those
they had originally worked in teams with (i.e. when people work together and feel more familiar
with each other, then when presented with another assignment, choose not to “branch out” and
work with others) but also to those who were not originally in one another’s teams for this
activity.

Adaptation:
For participants who have a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD)—otherwise known as
clinical depression—social withdrawal is a commonly experienced symptom. When facilitating
this activity, the RT will adapt the activity by further breaking down both teams into partnered-
pairs within their teams; each team member will be partnered with another member of their team
and, together, will come forward in front of the sheet/blanket to share the challenge of shouting
both names of the team members before them, on the other side of the blanket. The DO-IT
(Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center’s article, “Academic
Accommodations for Students with Psychiatric Disabilities” discusses that classmate assistants
are a possible accommodation for a student diagnosed with MDD (Souma, Rickerson and
Burgstahler, n.d.) and, in having a partner for the Name Game activity, the participant(s) who
have MDD will be able to receive support and encouragement from their partner, thereby
encouraging their active and continued participation.