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This activity aims to have the participants determine what items they can bring on the trip.

1. The facilitator picks an item in their head, and the participants must guess what type of item this is via guess and test.

2. Participants will then ask the facilitator, "Can I bring a ...." and if it matches the type of item (or colour, or theme) of the facilitator's mystery item.

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1. Participants sit in a circle.

2. One participant is selected to be "it" to start.

3. The player who is "it" walks around the outside of the circle designating the other participants as "duck" or "goose".

4. When a participant is selected as "goose" that person should get up and chase the "it" player around the circle. If the player who is "it" manages to run the full circle and sit down in the goose's seat before being caught, the goose becomes "it" for the next round.

5. If the goose catches the "it", "it" sits in the center of the circle, and the goose becomes "it" for the next round. The player cannot get out of the center of the circle until another person is tagged and they are replaced,

Note: Can replace with different scientific terminology based on the days experiments.

Leaf, Leaf, Tree

ADP, ADP, ATP (ATP has the energy, ADP not ready to release it yet)

Atom, Atom, Molecule

Proton, Proton, Electron

Rock, Rock, Volcano

Nerve, Nerve, Impulse

Cloud, Cloud, Rain

Cell, Cell, Virus

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This sheet could be printed in various sizes or used as a template for participants to make their own.

Participants can colour or fill in with other craft materials - labelling the bases Cytosine (C), Guanine (G), Adenine (A) and Thymine (T) with different colours and having a distinct colour for the DNA backbone.

Remind participants to label the opposite base to the ones labelled C-G and A-T

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Repeating Name Ball (Activities that introduce) but adding a round with multiple balls where you don't say people's name and ask people to make sure they use eye contact before they throw the ball to someone, to communicate non-verbally.

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Have each participant individually, in their head or on paper:

Name 5 things you can see

Name 4 things you can touch

Name 3 things you can hear

Name 2 things you can smell

Take 1 big deep breath

This is a relaxation exercise, aimed to calm anxiety. But also can be used to re-set a high-energy group.

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Aim: Count to 10 as a group, communicating non-verbally.

No one can say a number at the same time and no one can speak twice in a row. You can't talk except to say a number. If two people say a number at once you go back to zero.

Advanced: Increase the target number. 20 is possible but tricky!

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1. Participants start in the middle, a captain (facilitator) is standing in the middle calling out the directions in a loud voice

2. Directions are laid out, each corresponding with a direction. (Using a wall or corner as a reference to each direction)

Port, left of the captain in the direction they are facing

Starboard, right of the captain in the direction they are facing

Bow, in front of the captain

Stern, behind the captain

3. The participants must run in the direction specified. The last one to reach the direction is out and is eliminated. They will sit down near the wall, corner or place they were eliminated near.

4. If the captain yells poop deck participants will all have to run into the middle and pretend to climb the mast

Notes: This game promotes listening skills and lets them burn off the initial energy, and can also be done without elimination

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In advance: Print enough copies of the attached bingo sheets for each participant to have their own.

1. Give each participant a sheet and instruct them to find someone who fits each characteristic.

2. Ask that person to initial the box in which they fit.

3. When any participant has 5 in a row marked, they call out "Bingo!".

Notes:

They can only write someone's name once per sheet

This is an American resource as it has references to sleepaway summer camp etc, so maybe only some sheets are applicable.

Participants to first call out "Bingo!" may be selected for a special job like team leader if appropriate.

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A great warm-up where there is a big space and over 20 participants.

One person is 'it', and they are trying to catch the person who is not a part of an ant 'hill'.

1. Participants decide who is 'it' and who will first run away from the 'it' person.

2. Everyone else lays down (can be in a giant circle or randomly) in groups of three, lying on their stomachs facing the centre of the room with their shoulders next to each other.

3. The person being chased can then decide if they want to keep running or join an ant hill by lying down next to a group of three. Then, the person on the opposite end must stand up and run away from the 'it' person. there MUST only be 3 people in an ant hill at one time

4. If the 'it' person tags someone, then the person who was tagged is now it, and the roles swap!

5. This can be played as long as you want!

Note: To increase the difficulty you can add more people who are it and lessen the groups of ant hills

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Aim: To become a monster

1. Get organised into pairs to play rock, paper, scissors. Everyone starts off as an egg.

2. The winner of the round becomes a chicken, and the loser stays an egg.

3. For the next round, chicken's walk around clucking to find anther chicken and eggs need to find another egg. Play rock, paper, scissors with the new pair.

4. Winners of the eggs round turns into a chicken, losers are out; winner's of the chicken round turn into monsters, losers into eggs.

Notes: this game can be extended, to go higher than monsters and keep going so that egg losers do not have to stop playing. See linked idea:

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1. Find a central point everyone must touch; a tree, school building, or park works well. The facilitator can ask or delegate one person to be 'it' or the seeker.

2. The seeker stays at this point and gives the other participants several seconds to hide while counting down aloud.

3. Meanwhile, everyone else has to hide; when the seeker gets to zero, they freeze. If the seeker can see them, they join the seeker team.

4. You again and again with each round having less time until everyone is caught.

Notes: This game is great as an energy burst or to get out energy before sitting or focus work

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Aim: To untangle the human knot without dropping hands and use cooperation to succeed.

1. Create a circle, and everyone drops their hands to the side of their bodies.

2. Participants grab two different people's hands around the circle.

3. Participants attempt to untangle themselves without dropping their hands from each other.

Notes: Can be done with smaller groups (5-ish) or really big groups, but more time will need to be allowed to bigger groups.

Advanced: Add a time limit or goal to the end of the untangle

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1. Each participant comes up with three statements about themselves. Two should be true statements, and one should be false.

2. Have the facilitator call on participants one by one.

3. When called on, each participant should announce their 3 statements for the rest of the group to determine which statement they think is false.

Some different ways to play this game are:

Have the entire class vote by a show of hands, guessing which statement they think is false.

Have each student write down which statement they think is false, and see who gets the most correct.

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It can be used as an icebreaker or a warm-up before another activity!

1. Pick a song and movement/dance (optional) that the participants will do when the music is on

2. The participants stop and freeze when the facilitator stops the music!

3. Any movement after the music stops means the participant is out and will either sit down on the spot or move to the side and sit out

Notes: variations can be using different movement styles or getting the participants to move to the music or freeze in a certain pose to add extra layers

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This activity can be done with younger participants to warm them up or as a lead into another activity that can link to this one.

1. Get participants to line up or arrange themselves into a circle; the facilitator can put music on and suggest an animal that the participants can 'walk like'.

2. This can also be done with animal sounds that they must follow; a leader can also choose what they walk like, and this becomes a follow-the-leader activity as well.

Notes: Can relate this to a future activity, and would be a great one when working with STEM animal activities - and unusual animals get them to think and problem solve how that animal will move

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This is a great activity when looking for or getting feedback and helps foster reflection and the ability to take and receive feedback.

1. Group participants or a singular facilitator can run this.

2. The aim is to give three pieces of feedback in the form of two things that were awesome (the STARS) and then one thing they wish for (could be a feedback wish, something they wish to improve, or something they wish to learn)

Note: This may seem only useful for children participants, but it is a great way to build trust within adult groups and any activity where you are considering getting some evaluation points back!

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Students are prompted to either line up in some particular order (by birthday, for example) or gather in “blobs” based on something they have in common (similar shoes, for example).

Sample Prompts:

Line up in alphabetical order by first name.

Line up in order of your birthdays.

Line up in order of the number of pets you have.

Line up by the first letter of the last movie you watched.

Form a blob with people who have the same number of siblings as you.

Form a blob with people who have the same favorite season as you.

Form a blob with people who have the same favorite superhero.

Form a blob with people who share your dream job.

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In advance:

Use a permanent marker to write a question on each panel of a blow-up beach ball.

1. Have participants stand or sit in a circle.

2. Participants throw the ball to someone else in the circle.

3. When a participant catches the ball, they answer the question that is facing them.

4. Then they throw the ball to someone else.

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1. Begin with all participants standing in lines or in a large circle.

2. The facilitator reads prompts and then the participants respond appropriately if the information applies to them.

Prompts:

1. Clap 3 times if you have a pet dog.

2. Touch your toes if you ride a bicycle to school.

3. Sit down sloooowly if your favorite color is green.

4. Jump once if you have an older brother.

5. Take 2 steps forward if you can speak at least 2 languages.

6. Spin once, then sit down if you're new to the school.

7. Wave both hands if you have a pet cat.

8. Snap your fingers if you love to eat pizza.

9. Nod your head if you've been on an airplane.

10. Pat your head if you play a musical instrument.

11. Stomp your feet if you like watching cartoons.

12. Shrug your shoulders if you don't like broccoli.

13. Blink twice if you've read a book this week.

14. Twirl around if you can swim.

15. Raise your left hand if you have a younger sister.

16. Hop on your right foot if your favorite season is winter.

17. Touch your nose if you can draw an animal.

18. High five the air if you have been to a zoo.

19. Do a little dance if you enjoy science class.

20. Take a small leap forward if you like to play outdoors.

21. March in place if your favorite subject is math.

22. Flap your arms like a bird if you like to sing.

23. Crouch down if you have seen a movie in the past month.

24. Stretch your arms up high if you like to climb trees.

25. Turn around if you've helped cook a meal at home.

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A group game that has a minimum of 4 players.

1. Players sit around a table or on the floor in a circle. Each player puts both hands out, palms facing down, onto the table/floor. Hands must interlock such that between two hands of each player is at least another hand from at least one other player.

2. The game is a sequence of taps on the table/floor. Each hand must tap in the order it is on the table when it is that hands turn. While 1 tap means continue the sequence, 2 taps means reverse the sequence.

3. Every time a player mistaps, that is, when one misses a tap when it is their turn or taps when they shouldn’t have done so, the mistapping hand is withdrawn from the table. Any player whose both hands are withdrawn, is out of the game.

4. The game continues until 2 hands are left on the table. They are the hands of the winner(s).

5. In an advanced version of the game, 3 or even 4 taps is possible. 3 taps is miss next hand and continue sequence, and 4 taps is reverse, miss next hand then continue sequence.

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This can be an intro to STEM activities or to foster collaboration or creativity!

1. Hand out a handful-sized amount of Play-Doh or a similar tool (model magic, to each participant or per group.

2. Give the participants a prompt and a time limit to create something within the time - each group member could make a part, or this can be individual.

3. This can be a-part of the STEM activity or a warm-up for the brain!

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A game or ice-breaker allows the participants to mingle and find someone with that skill, fact etc.

1. The facilitator asks if the participants can find someone with BLANK (their favourite colour is red or has a pet, a name with an E in it).

2. The participants then try and find someone in the room with this label!

3. From there, groups can find other groups, or they can reset each round.

Note: A good addition to this is to add names to each round and tell the other person more about the fact they have! Or get the other partner to introduce their partner to the rest of the participants.

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This is a great way to start off a session and warm the participant's brains up, and surely get some laughs!

Set up: Gather participants into a line or circle (groups or one big group)

1. The facilitator or a designated participant whispers a phrase or word into the ear of the next person, and it then travels from person to person.

2. Each person then says what they have heard into the next person's ear.

3. The aim is to have the word not change even though it passes through each participant.

4. The final person calls out what they have heard and see if it is the same as what the first person said!

Note: Can be easily adapted to STEM activities and have hints of the topic they are going to learn in the session.

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This Padlet is a collaborative collection of tried-and-tested "back pocket" activities useful for different purposes that have worked well in actual youth work and educational settings across Scotland.

Here, you will find micro-activities and games that you can easily pull out to respond to young people and support different needs during your sessions. These are versatile: you can find ideas for everything! From channeling the group's energy levels on any given day to introducing a session, warming-up, building focus, fostering teamwork, or simply supporting reflection.

We’d love for people to keep adding to it as any ideas pop to mind!

It's a living resource, shaped by the collective experience and curiosity of our Action Research partnerships, so feel free to add your own post any time.

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This Padlet is designed to be interactive and adaptable to your context:

1. Browse and discover: First, explore the existing posts to find games and activities that might suit your session and your young people’s needs. Each post shares an activity that has worked for others.

2. Adapt and innovate: We encourage you to adapt the activity to fit your specific context, the unique needs of your young people, and the aims of your session. Think of these as starting points to develop your own creative ideas.

3. Share your expertise: Last, this resource thrives on collective knowledge! If you have a "back pocket" game or micro-activity that has worked well for you, please add your own post to the Padlet. Simply click the "+" icon below the category of your choice to create a new post. Share what the activity is, its purpose (e.g., warming-up, energiser, focus-builder, team-builder), and why you find it useful.

We would love for you to keep adding your ideas whenever they pop into your mind, helping this resource grow and become even more valuable for everyone.

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Curiosity In Action was a two-year programme exploring the potential of STEM to support youth work outcomes through youth worker-researcher partnerships.

We partnered up youth groups with their own unique focus - from digital media to circus skills to horse interactions - with researchers who were diving into topics just as varied, like galaxy formation and greener fridges. Together they developed and trialled STEM activities using an action research approach to understand what works well and the impact this has on young people.

This resource, developed from the programme, brings together insights from youth workers and researchers on how to engage with young people.