Training Activities

Toothpaste Activity

Time Needed: 15 – 20 minutes

Number of Players: No limit—should have at least 8 for two teams of 4

Materials Needed:

Tube of toothpaste for each team of 4-6 people

8” by 10” piece of cardboard or poster board (one per team)

Felt tip marking pen

Preparation Needed (Ahead of Time): None

Instructions:

1. Break groups into teams of 4-6 people

2. Give each group a piece of cardboard and a marking pen. Tell them they will have two

minutes to think of one word that describes something they all have in common and to write that

word on their piece of cardboard.

3. When time is up, give each group a tube of toothpaste. Tell them they have two more

minutes to outline the word they have just written as creatively and neatly as possible using the

toothpaste.

4. When time is up, make a few quick comments about how well the groups have followed

directions; how creative they are, etc. Explain that the best part of this activity is about to begin

because now the groups will have two minutes to figure out how to get the toothpaste back into

the toothpaste tube. The team that can do it neatly with the least amount of toothpaste left on

the outside will be the winner.

5. After two minutes, interrupt the groups and ask them if they have completed the task. If

they ask for more time, tell them you can give them one more minute. If they ask for still more

time, allow yourself to be persuaded, but let them know that’s absolutely the most you can give

them.

6. When time is up, interrupt and ask participants for some feedback about what happened in

their groups ( see processing questions that follow).

Ask the groups if they know what this activity was all about (teamwork, creativity,

communication, cooperation, etc. are all acceptable answers, but the real answer is something

else.)

Tell everyone that the real reason for doing this activity was to demonstrate that toothpaste can’t

be forced back into the toothpaste tube. And the same thing is true of the words we use when

speaking. Once something is said, we can’t get those words back again. That’s why it is so

important to think about what we’re about to say before we say it