Human Knot

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Description

Hold hands and tangle yourselves into a knot, then work together to untie yourselves without letting go of each other.

Resources

None
Optional: 0.5 metre lengths of string or rope, or even neckies/neckers/scarves.

Safety
When holding hands, don’t squeeze too tight. Don’t pull or twist people’s arms. An adult should watch the teams, to make sure no one is twisting too far or causing injuries.

REMEMBER - THIS ACTIVITY MAY NOT BE SUITABLE WHERE COVID SAFE PRACTICES ARE REQUIRED, CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE IN PLACE AT THE TIME BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS ACTIVITY. COULD IT BE ADAPTED BY PLAYING OUTSIDE WITH PLAYERS HOLDING LENGTHS OF ROPE AND REMAINING SEPARATED AND WITHOUT MAKING PHYSICAL CONTACT?

Instructions

Instruction from The Scout Association activity: https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/human-knot/
Create your knot
1. Split into small teams. Each team must have at least six people, and an even number of members.
2. Each team should stand in a circle, facing each other. Everyone should help anyone who’s new to join in.
3. Each player should raise their right arm. They must link right hands with another player in their team. They can’t link hands with the players directly next to them.
4. Players should repeat the same action with their left hands.

Untie your knot
1. Teams should make one move at a time. Players can step over, under, or through the linked hands – but they must not let go of each other’s hands.
2. The person running the game can ‘cut the rope’ twice. This allows two players to drop hands to complete one move. After this move, they must rejoin hands.
3. To complete the challenge, teams must get as far as possible towards untying their knot. Sometimes it’s impossible, or there may be two loops left in the circle. Teams still complete the challenge if they can work out why they can’t untie the human knot.
4. Teams might want to repeat the game, after reflecting on what they’ve learned.

Change the level of challenge
You can increase or decrease the number of ‘cut the ropes’ each team is allowed.
Give players rope to hold to increase the space between them, so it’s easier to move.
Add another pair of players to a team to create a bigger knot.

ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS
- All the group stand in a circle
- RULE: Do not cannot grab the person stood next to you or the same person twice or it wont work!

Option 1:
- Everyone lifts up their right arm and grabs anyone elses right hand.
- Then with their left hand, they grab the left hand of a different person.

Option 2:
- Half the people holds a length of string, rope or a neckie, in their right hand, the right-handers, and half the people hold a length in their left hand, the left-handers.
- The right handers swing out their length to be caught in the free right-hand of a left-hander.
- The left handers swing out their length to be caught in the free left-hand of a right-hander. The right-hander must be a different person from the one you are joined with on your right-hand.

- Remember to remind them that they cannot grab the person stood next to them or the same person twice or it wont work!
- The group then need to unravel themselves without letting go with their hands, or lengths of rope.
- Make sure the group has an equal number of people otherwise the game will not work.

As an added challenge try unraveling in silence.

Human Knot

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