Yanely Martinez

LEI 4724
Activity File 6
Activity Title 3: Mine Field
Source:
Dattilo, J. (2012). Learn About People, Inclusion, and Disability. In Inclusive Leisure
Services (Third ed., pp. 385-485). State College, PA: Venture Publishing.
Mine Field. (2013, April 28). Retrieved October 20, 2015, from http://www.w
ilderdom.com/games/descriptions/Minefield.html
Equipment:
Markers or lengths of rope to indicate the boundaries (e.g., 50 yard rectangular field),
bowling pins or many soft objects, such as larger throwables and blindfolds
Description of Activity:
The activity will begin by the therapist pairing all the participants in twos. Once
the therapist has done, he/she will have participants sitting down, so they can create a
50-yard rectangular field with rope or markers. Then they will distribute the "mines,"
which are balls or other objects such as bowling pins, cones, foam noodles, etc. One
person is going to blindfold and cannot talk and the other person can see and talk, but
cannot enter the field or touch the person. The challenge is for each blindfolded person
to walk from one side of the field to the other, avoiding the "mines", by listening to the
verbal instructions of their partners. Allow participants a 5-minute period of planning
time to decide on their communication commands, and then begin the activity.
Be cautious of blindfolded people bumping into each other. The therapist can
float around the playing area to help prevent collisions. Decide on the penalty for hitting
a "mine". There are multiple ways the game can conduct penalties. It could be a restart,
so participants would have to start from the beginning. It could be time penalty, like they
would have to freeze for 10 seconds if they hit a mine or simply a count of hits without
penalty, so the person with the least hits would be the winner. It can help participants if
you suggest that they each develop a unique communication system. When
participants swap roles, give participants some review and planning time to refine their
communication method. Allow participants to swap over and even have several
attempts, until a real, satisfied sense of skill and competence in being able to guide a
partner through the "minefield" develops. At the end of the activity the therapist will
recap on times that occurred in the activity and build a discussion among those events.
Leadership considerations:
This activity recommends the group size 2 to 30. Everyone will have a partner, so
the goal is to have an even number of participants. The activity will take around 60
minutes. It is recommended that the activity be performed outdoors. The therapist main
goal in this activity is to develop and improve participants communication and trust
skills. The therapist plays an important role in creating an optimal level of challenge; for
example, consider introducing more items or removing items if it seems too easy or too
hard. The therapist is highly involved with the activity in the beginning when explaining
the game and pairing all participants. The therapist will become an observer once the
activity begins. He/She will be on the look out for possible chances of participants

bumping into each other. Also therapist should consider coaching participants with
communication methods.
A safety hazard to be cautious about is the blindfold people. They can provoke
trust and care issues and trigger post-traumatic reactions if an accident were to occur.
To minimize the risk of this occurring, sequencing the mine field within a longer
program involving other get-to-know-you and trust building activities before entering the
mine field can benefit the participants. The therapist should always keep an eye out for
participants and to make they are hazard-free and ready to play. During the discussion
the therapist will begin and pick topics based on the participants interests and needs.
Adaptations:
*Participants with Hearing Loss:
This activity requires participants to be blindfold and to trust their partners verbal
directions to get through the mine field obstacle. The participants who are unable to
hear due to hearing loss would have to use a different strategy to complete the
obstacle. These participants are going to face their partner and walk backwards through
the field. The partner directing the participants would point with their finger right, left,
stop, and straight. It is the same concept just without verbal directions. All
participants will do this because some participants with hearing loss are unable to speak
as well. When explaining the activity to the deaf participants, the therapist will use
images to show what is going to be done. Also provide a visual demonstration of the
activity so participants know exactly what to do.
*Participants with Cerebral Palsy:
There are many degrees in cerebral palsy. Some participants are able to walk
with the help of walker, but are not capable of walking so they use wheelchairs. These
participants are still able to participate but will require more time to complete the activity.
They can still be blindfold and listen to commands of their partners. Have extra help
from any therapeutic assistant to help each participants complete the activity. When
placing the mines make sure to spread them apart enough to have enough space for
wheelchairs. Therapists need to encourage participants to complete the activity and
provide any extra assistance if participants ask for it.