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Walk the plank

Test your leadership skills by guiding your teammate to safety. Will they trust you enough to walk the plank?

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You’ll need

  • Masking tape
  • Buckets
  • Paper cups
  • Scarves (such as neckers)

Before you begin

  • Mark a start and finish line on the floor with the masking tape—this is the plank people will walk along. You could also use chalk or string.
  • Fill one bucket with water, and put it at the start line with the plastic cup. Put the empty bucket at the finish line.

Talk about leadership

  1. The person leading the activity should ask everyone what they think is important when someone’s leading a game.
  1. The person leading the activity should choose someone to be the game leader. They may ask for volunteers, or they may have some people in mind.
  1. The person leading the activity should remind everyone else to be good team players so they enjoy the game and help the game leader—leading everyone can be a bit scary if you’re not used to it.

Walk the plank

  1. The game leader should help the first player to put a blindfold on, and guide them to the start of the plank.
  2. Without touching the player, the game leader should help them to pick up the plastic cup and fill it with water. They’ll have to use their voice to direct them.
  3. Still without touching the player, the game leader should help them to walk along the plank. The game leader should walk along the plank beside the blindfolded player.
  1. Once the blindfolded player reaches the finish line, the game leader should help them empty their cup into the bucket—still without touching them.
  2. The game leader should take the empty cup and help the blindfolded player take off their blindfold. The game leader and player should return to the start line.
  3. The next player should have a turn. The game leader should repeat steps one to five until everyone’s had a go at walking the plank.
  4. Once the game leader has finished their turn at leading, everyone should give them a clap for trying their best to make the game fun.

Reflection

This activity gave everyone a chance to think about what makes a great leader, and gave some people the chance to give it a go. The game leaders had to manage the rest of the team and give them clear instructions, so everyone reached their goal. What was it like to guide someone who couldn’t see? Was it a lot of responsibility? If the game leaders hadn’t tried their best, others could’ve got wet or hurt themselves. It was important for the game leaders to be trustworthy.

This activity also needed everyone to work together—including the game leader who was also a member of the team. The game leader needed their team members as much as the team members needed their leader. Can you think of any other examples of where a leader is also one of the team? How about in sports? What was it like to have to trust the game leader—did you find it easy or tricky?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Water games and activities

Be careful when doing activities with, in, or near water. Check surfaces and reduce the risk of slipping where possible. Make sure you have appropriate supervision for this activity.

Outdoor activities

You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.

Active games

The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.

You could play as one group, or split into two groups with two planks and two (or more) game leaders. You could make it into a competition—the winning team is the one with the most water in their finish line bucket when time runs out.

Some people could be pirates, calling out incorrect instructions to try and confuse the blindfolded player.

You could swap the water for something solid like sand or marbles to make it a bit easier.

People can move at their own pace—you don’t need to make it competitive unless it works for everyone.

No-one has to be blindfolded if they don’t want to be. They could just close their eyes, or they could choose someone else to have their turn on the plank.

If it gets too noisy and anyone doesn’t like the noise, the game leader (or the person leading the whole activity) can remind everyone to be quieter.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Beavers Teamwork Challenge Award

People could work in small teams to make up their own simple team games where everyone has to work together to achieve a goal. You could give people something (such as a ball or piece of string) that they have to use in their game. People could practice their game, then teach it to another group. This would help them work towards their Teamwork Challenge Award or even their Sports Activity Badge.

It’s OK to support the game leaders as they take on a leadership position, but try to help them stay in control, rather than taking over.