Hi-Ha-Ho

  • Form a bond
  • Maintain the bond
  • Move
  • Energize
  • Meet
  • Play

Goals:

Increase the sense of cohesion and bring lightness to the group. Ideal for shifting energy or addressing a drop in attention.

Participants:

7 à 15, dès 16

Duration:

10'

Required equipment:

None

Space requierment:

Any area that allows the group to form a circle.

Requirements:

None

Preparation

The facilitator leads the group through the protocol, reading and then carrying out each point, one after the other.

Process

Step 1:

  • Form a circle, with enough space between each person to extend your arms.

  • Stand with your hands together, pointing downward, knees slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart

  • The facilitator energetically raises their outstretched arms, hands joined, above their head, while shouting "HI".

  • Energetically lower the arms with hands joined, pointing toward a group member while shouting "HO."

  • For the person who receives the "HO": energetically raise their outstretched arms, hands joined, while saying "HI," then lower their arms while saying "HO" addressed to a new person, and so on.

  • Aim to find a steady, common rhythm between the "HI"s and "HO"s within the group, never overlapping.

  • Continue rotating until everyone has done it at least once.

Step 2:

  • For the two people next to the one receiving the "HO": point their joined hands toward the waist of the person between them while simultaneously shouting "HA."

  • For the person in the center, once the "HA" is heard: lower their hands while shouting "HO" directed toward someone else, and the cycle continues.

  • Aim to find a steady, common rhythm between the "HI"s, "HA"s, and "HO"s, never overlapping.

  • Gradually increase the speed.

Time 3:

  • "Temporarily eliminate" participants who are late, by sitting on the floor

  • Continue until only two participants remain standing. These two participants are the "winners."

Variant:

  • Start the game as usual.

  • Invite the sitting participants, once they are numerous, to initiate their own "HI-HA-HO."

  • For the sitting participants who are "eliminated" again: stand up and join the outer circle, so that two sessions are happening simultaneously.

Notes

This protocol is usually known as Sa-Mu-Rai. For political reasons, we have renamed it Hi-Ha-Ho. During the variant, chaos is guaranteed. The more time we take during Steps 1, 2, and 3 to learn, the longer we will extend the fun during the variant .

References

Multiple versions of this game exist. Some interesting variations can be found here: https://www.caucus.fr/pedagogie/exercices/samurai

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