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building
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Hello! I’m Tom Heck and I’m passionate about creating sustainable
win-win team consciousness worldwide. I believe the fastest, easiest
way to creating this level of consciousness is through experiential
learning exercises like this one you’ve downloaded.
If you find this resource helpful, you can buy
one of my multimedia training CDs.
Tom Heck
Teamwork Coach
Each CD is filled with over 30 teambuilding
games designed to teach the skills of
leadership, cooperation, trust, creativity,
communication, and confidence.
The CDs contains video clips, color photos, detailed printable
directions, easy and quick navigation, and special bonus
material. They are used by people around the world.
CLICK HERE
to learn more
Is TRUST an issue on your team? I’ve found the most potent
about my CDs
teachings about trust to be experienced through an activity
called “Mousetrap Trust.” It’s a powerful game that helps create
an opening for you to discuss how to build trust between people. Find it on CD # 1
Does your team struggle with COLLABORATION? I love teaching the principles of
collaboration through the game I call “Four Corner Traverse”. There is only one way for
a team to achieve success in this game and that’s by collaborating. Find it on CD # 2
Are you in need of new and engaging ways to DEBRIEF an activity? I recommend the
“Metaphor Cards” activity to help people open up to new ways of thinking about and
learning from the teambuilding games you lead. Find it on CD # 3
If you find this resource you’ve downloaded valuable, look for
the TeachMeTeamwork TIP JAR at the end of this document.
There you’ll find instructions on how to easily contribute $2, $5,
$10 or whatever amount you feel moved to give. Your
contribution will go directly towards the maintenance and
continued expansion of teambuilding resources such as this
one.
Tom Heck
1
 Copyright 2006 by Tom Heck. All rights reserved. www.teachmeteamwork.com
You have permission to use these directions to lead this activity with a group you are directly working
with. Contact me for permission to use these directions for purposes beyond those described.
teachmeteamwork.com
Have
fun
building
your
high
performing
team!
Penny Goals
Teambuilding Game
Group Size: Individuals or teams of 2
Age Range: elementary – adult
Intensity: Mental=2, Physical=1
Time: 5-30 minutes
Space: Minimal – Medium -- Lots
Set Up Time: 1 minute
Props: Each person (or pair) is supplied with:
eyedropper, penny, small water container,
paper towel
Objective
Using a regular eyedropper, place as many drops of water on the head of a
penny as you can. Keep track of the number of drops.
Set Up / Preparation
Provide one eyedropper, one penny, one paper towel, and one small container of
water (half a cup) per person. Have everyone place his or her penny heads up
on the paper towel. Before the group starts placing drops of water on their
penny, ask them to FIRST determine how many drops of water they think they
can get on the head of their penny (and write this number down). Then begin.
Remember to count drops.
Rules
The game is over when you place so many drops of water on the head of the
penny that the water leaks off the penny and on to the paper towel.
2
 Copyright 2006 by Tom Heck. All rights reserved. www.teachmeteamwork.com
You have permission to use these directions to lead this activity with a group you are directly working
with. Contact me for permission to use these directions for purposes beyond those described.
teachmeteamwork.com
Have
fun
building
your
high
performing
team!
Comments
The first time I did this activity I was asked to set a goal as to how many drops I
thought I could fit on the head of a penny. I figured I could get 20 drops on. The
reality? I was able to get over 50. I was totally amazed. The science behind the
ability to place lots of drops of water on the head of a penny is called “surface
tension”.
Debriefing Suggestions
This is an awesome activity to show the effect of setting goals. The first time I
did this I way underestimated the number of drops I could fit on the head of my
penny. I learned a great lesson - - or should I say, I EXPERIENCED a great
lesson: I must be careful when setting goals because I may be greatly
underestimating my real potential.
Quote
“Everyone has faith in God though everyone does not know it. For everyone has
faith in himself and that multiplied to the nth degree is God. The sum total of all
that lives is God. We may not be God, but we are of God, even as a little drop
of water is of the ocean.”
-- Mohandas Gandhi
Variations
Before the group arrives, contaminate one of the cups of water with a small
amount of liquid soap. This will severely reduce the water’s surface tension
which means the person who ends up with this cup of water will not be able to
get nearly as many drops of water on the head of their penny. When I’ve done
this in the past I watch the reactions of the person with the cup AND the reaction
of the people around this person. Often times people will place judgment on this
3
 Copyright 2006 by Tom Heck. All rights reserved. www.teachmeteamwork.com
You have permission to use these directions to lead this activity with a group you are directly working
with. Contact me for permission to use these directions for purposes beyond those described.
teachmeteamwork.com
Have
fun
building
your
high
performing
team!
unfortunate soul because they are having such miserable luck getting the water
to bead up on their penny. During the debrief (process) I’ll ask this person to
share the frustration they felt and then I tell them about the soap I added to their
water. This leads to a discussion about “contaminating the environment we work
in” and how contamination (rumors, back stabbing, jealousy, etc.) decreases the
capacity of the team rather than increases it. How can we manage the culture of
our team / organization to maximize capacity?
History
I learned this activity from Dev Pathik who offers training and consulting for
adventure education programs. Visit his website: www.challenge-advisory.com
4
 Copyright 2006 by Tom Heck. All rights reserved. www.teachmeteamwork.com
You have permission to use these directions to lead this activity with a group you are directly working
with. Contact me for permission to use these directions for purposes beyond those described.
teachmeteamwork.com
Have
fun
building
your
high
performing
team!
Click Here to Contribute to the
TeachMeTeamwork TIP JAR
http://tinyurl.com/ottn2
Your contribution will go directly towards
the maintenance and continued expansion
of teambuilding resources such as this one.
Making a contribution for the use of these materials helps “prime the pump” to
keep things working...
A man was crossing a desert in the days of the
pioneers. He ran into trouble and was dying of
thirst when he spotted a pump near an abandoned
shack.
He had no water to prime the pump, but he noticed
a jug of water near the pump with a note attached.
It read:
"There is just enough water in this jug to prime the
pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour the
water in the top of the pump and pump the handle
quickly. After you have had a drink, refill this jug for
the next person who comes along."
Will there be times when people choose not to contribute? Certainly. However,
82% on average do give back, leaving water in the bucket so the system continues to
work.
You decide what feels right for you. If you download activities for free and
choose not to contribute to my TIP JAR, then perhaps you'll buy one of
my CDs. I trust you’ll make the perfect choice.
The most important thing is for you to teach team skills and promote winwin consciousness. Let me know how I can assist you in doing your
good work.
Tom Heck
5
 Copyright 2006 by Tom Heck. All rights reserved. www.teachmeteamwork.com
You have permission to use these directions to lead this activity with a group you are directly working
with. Contact me for permission to use these directions for purposes beyond those described.