This article give you a couple of exercises you can use if you feel your group is ready for some advanced games. These two games take a lot of focus, and a group ready to get something out of them.

Hunter, Hunted:Preparation- two blindfolds and a rolled up newspaper, taped to hold it together. Have your group form a circle, sitting cross-legged, knees touching. Explain the purpose of the game: You will have the group close their eyes. You will walk around the circle and blindfold two people. Then you will place the rolled up newspaper somewhere in the circle. When you say "GO!" everyone will open their eyes, and the two people who have been blindfolded will proceed to find the newspaper. When one person locates it you will yell "STOP!" The two people in the circle must freeze. Wait for a few seconds, they yell "GO!" The person who did not find the newspaper must find their way back to one of the open spaces in the circle which they vacated. Either space will do. The person with the newspaper must tag the other with it before they make it back into the circle. Do this until everyone has had a chance. What you will see is pure, undilluted tactics/objectives playing out. Discuss how each duo went about locating the paper, then what happened during the moment when one had found the paper, and the other hadn't, then how they proceeded to find the open space or tag the other. Discuss the focus each player had, and point out how captivating it was to watch two people with such focused objectives/tactics. ** As the game goes on, put the newspaper on one of the people sitting in the circle...don't place it anywhere initially, let the people search for a while, the drop it in loudly...yell "STOP" when no one has the newspaper...the last time blindfold only one person, don't place the newspaper anywhere and proceed as normal... ** I think you will be amazed at the variety of responses you will see.

The Wall: Preparation- A very large space, an extra person to assist, and an object with which you can beat time on. This game is very intense, takes about 1/2 an hour, but can bond a group together in an amazing way and free up the imagination. Line your group up on the floor, on their stomaches, at the end of the stage or room so there is a good distance for them to crawl across. Turn out all the lights and instruct your group to close their eyes and not open them until you tell them. This is very important that the eyes remain closed. For ease I will write out what you should tell them:

"You are a tribe, a family. Each of you depends on the other. Never forget that fact. Now, imagine that the floor you are on is a wall. I want you to establish that wall, in precise detail. First, what kind of wall is it? Brick? Stone? How rough is it? How cool is it? What color is it? Feel the wall on your hands, your face, your body. Touch it, find the grooves your fingers can fit in. See it reach up into the air."

(Take your time as you go through this list - don't rush, it is critical that the wall feels as real as if it were there...)

"Now, when you hear the beat of the drum, I want you to climb it. Take your time, be careful as you climb. Find each hand and foot hold. Climb until you reach the far wall, the top. When you have reached the top, just stay still, keep your eyes closed, and wait until the rest of your tribe has joined you."

(Motion to your extra helper to begin to beat the drum at a soft, even, moderate pace. The purpose of the beat is to simulate the human heart beat - LUB-dub, LUB-dub - so that it subtly governs the groups feeling. Let the group "climb" the length of the stage/room until everyone has reached the top.)

"Ok, your tribe has reached the top. Open your eyes and lets walk back to the other end of the room. Lay down again, close your eyes, don't open them until I tell you, and feel your wall again."

(Take some time to let the group find their wall again. If you took enough time to initially establish it, this shouldn't take long.)

"All right, the tribe is going to climb again, but this time, as you climb, you must help at least one person next to you as you climb at least twice. Again, wait until you hear the beat, don't rush the climb..."

(Begin the beat again, this time just a bit faster, just so the pace feels a bit faster - but not to fast! Let the group climb again as before until all have reached the top.)

"Ok, the tribe has reached the top. Open your eyes and lets make our way back again to the other side. Lay down again, close your eyes and find your wall....Ok, you feel your wall once again. This time, as you climb, an enemy tribe is behind you. They want to kill your tribe and safety lies getting to the top of the wall!"

(Quickly begin the beat, loud and fast. As your group climbs, wait until they are over half way across the stage/room then quietly walk behind someone and grab their ankles and pull/slide them back to the other side. Do this with about 3 or 4 people. You should hopefully get a scream to two, which will help heighten the moment. They may even grab onto one another. If that happens, don't break them loose, let go and let them help each other. Stop when all have reached the top.)

At this point, just have everyone sit where they are and talk about the experience. Some guidance questions to ask, if you need them might be: How real did the wall feel? Could you see it pass in front of your face? Could you feel someone next to you? Like I said, this is a very intense game. When I played it, it was so real it was eerie, but I guarantee your group will be closer after having played, and the level to which the imagination is taken will reap benefits as your group continues to grow.