New processing tool added to the back of the original Tool Cards!

Tool Cards

Tool Cards are a collection of cards with pictures of different common tools. The back side of the Tool Cards have a Domino set printed on them. There are a variety of ways to use this great tool:

A great debriefing activity to get your group thinking and talking about what ways they represent various tools. ie. Level- in what ways am I level headed. Ruler- How do I measure success. File- what areas need smoothing out in my life, etc.

Directions:

Debriefing Tool: This is a great way for people to express their feelings. Spread the cards out before the group and have them pick a tool that best represents an experience or a feeling that they have had. Go around the group and ask each participant to share why they picked the card they did and why that card represents them or an experience they have had.

Pre-briefing Tool: When used at the beginning of the day, these cards can be a great pre-briefing for the day. Spread out the cards and ask them to pick out the cards representing the "tools" they are going to need to be successful as a team. Go around the group and ask each participant to share why they picked the card they did and what team tool it represents.

Intervention tool: When a group is having a hard time during an activity and needs an intervention, stop the activity and spread out the cards before the group. Ask them to think about the role they are playing within the activity and then pick a tool card that would best represent the role they are playing. This allows each participant to reflect on their own behaviors and place an external role with that behavior. Go around the circle and ask each participant to share why they picked the card they did and what tool they are portraying.

Onimod (domino spelled backwards!)

Onimod Mixer: Ask everyone to meet and greet everyone else who has one of the same numbers on their domino. For example, if I have the 4-3, I'll network with everyone with a 4 and everyone with a 3 on their domino. Everyone will meet 10 others if you eliminate the doubles and have 21 people.

Onimod Links: A link in dominoes occurs when two pieces have the same number of dots on an end. For example a 6-4 and a 4-2 link because they share the number 4. You match the ends together to start a line of domino pieces. The activities below use the concept of linking to get into a line or a circle next to someone you can introduce yourself to. The Onimod Links can take some time to solve unless a leader or coordinator emerges from the group. Onimod Pairs: If you count all the dots on each piece and line them up in numerical order, you will end up with a bell-shaped curve if you graph the frequency of the numbers.

Notice too that you can pair people by simply asking them to partner with someone so the sum of their dots equals 12. You will end up with 14 pairs of people if you start with 28 people. If you have fewer people, just remove pairs of dominoes that add up to 12 until you have left the number of pieces you need.

Source: Executive Marbles, pg 128-131

Onimod Debrief: Give each person a domino and ask them to go and connect with someone else that has at least one similar number on their domino. Then, as the teacher/facilitator, ask a processing question. i.e. How do you think the group communicated during the activity? Or Discuss with your partner ways the group worked well together to complete the task. In this activity, everyone gets to answer the processing questions as opposed to 1 person talking while everyone else listens.

40 cards in all, mesh stuff sack, and directions included.

Here is a testimonial from one of our customers:

"I work in a day treatment program for youth age 12 – 18 with mental health issues. We use many of your products in our experiential groups but my personal favorite is the tool cards. This summer I have been facilitating a wood shop group with at risk girls in our program and we have been processing each day’s experiences with the tool cards. The fun thing to watch is how they are now picking some of the tools that they did not know about before and using them as a metaphor for how they had done that day. The kids really enjoy it and it is great fun to see how they are learning new skills and applying them to how they feel during their day."

Rob Peters, Program Coordinator, Cross Creek Day Treatment