I know this game for the first time when I came to RMI-The Indonesian Institute for Forest and Environment, an environment NGO. They call this game : "Tree and the chipmunk." We play this game to re-energizing participants.It's a very fun game and we used to laugh after this game.
This game try to simulate a relationship between two or more living creature. It can be:
- Tree and chipmunk
- Coral and shrimp
- Mangrove tree and crab
- and more
For modification, like I said before, we can play this game with tree or more creature:
- Tree, chipmunk and orchid
- Coral, shrimp and algae
- Mangrove tree, crab and bird
But for this time I will only explain the game for two character game. I believe you can modified this game with your own imagination - for three character symbiosis game.
Nothing, children only
Tree and Chipmunk game example:
First make a circle from the kids. Then they count one to three. Kids with number one and three will become a tree. Kids with number two will become a chipmunk.
The two kids who become a tree will stand together, near to each other and like a branch, they will put their hand on each other shoulder. For the chipmunk, they squat down under the tree.
There are some instructions:
HUNTER : Tree will stand still. Chipmunk will run, must leave their tree and then squat down under different tree.
CUTTER : Chipmunk will stand still. Tree will run (with hand tie each other with their tree couple; must leave their chipmunk and stand again on another chipmunk)
Repeat this two instructions a couple times until participants get used to follow this instructions.
And then add more instructions:
FLOOD : The tree will lower they branch. The chipmunk will sat in the tree branch and the tree will back to normal position. So the chipmunk will sat on the tree.
EARTHQUAKE : It will be a scramble position. Everybody can change their character at once.
FIRE : everybody will run into one target (make a target or line first)
Play this game for 5 to 10 minutes. For some more difficulties:
- Read faster with scramble technique - use last instructions only with special tone (louder)
- Relate this game with mutualism symbiosis between living creature.
- For less children, you can play tree with only one person
- Back to the circle set when It's already broken
- Create more character and another special instructions.
shrimp picture taken from garrettm.com/
crab picture taken from www.divegallery.com/