Silly to Sacred
12 Connection Games to Bring Together Teenagers
Connecting Through Group Games
How do you bring together teenagers and invite them to meaningfully connect with each other?
This is a tricky question that we’re constantly asking at Unschool Adventures. Fortunately, one part of the answer is crystal clear: playing group games.
But not just any games. Over 17+ years, we’ve gathered a specific set of group games—ranging from the the silly to the sacred—that have proven themselves incredibly powerful for generating group bonding, interpersonal empathy, and budding friendships.
Join Unschool Adventures director Blake Boles for this live virtual workshop that shares 12 of our favorite field-tested games: one that reliably create laughter, understanding, and surprisingly deep conversations.
You can use these games within your family, homeschool group, (un)school community, or even just among your adult friends. As long as your group members possess the spirit of youth and a willingness to expand their comfort zones, these games are proven to connect.
When
July 8, 15, 22, and 29
5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET
90-minute sessions
Where
Online, hosted on Zoom
Who
12-20 adult participants, plus guests
Cost
$___ (TBA)
Just a draft
(this is just a draft, for archival purposes)
How it Works
Group Calls
We’ll have four live sessions (90 min each) over four weeks. In each session, you’ll learn three different games, ranging from light to deep. Each will be explained, demonstrated, and debriefed.
Real-Time Feedback
Between each session, you’ll have a chance to play the games—whether at home or within your community—and then report back and get personalized feedback on what worked and what didn’t.
Focus on Facilitation
How you facilitate the games are just as important as what the games are. Blake will teach you how to reliably move a group from “awkward and distracted” to “laughing, honest, and connected”—without ever getting too weird, forced, or overly therapeutic.
Friends are Welcome
You’re welcome and encouraged—but not required—to bring a partner to at least one of our sessions. This might be a teenager, co-organizer, spouse, friend, or any other +1 who’s interested in helping you bring these games to life.
The Games
Here are the games you’ll learn each week (subject to revision). Feel free to look them up beforehand, but remember: our version may not match what you discover online, and ours are tailored for self-directed teenagers.
Week 1
Flock
Incorporations
Hot Seat
Week 2
Silent/Blind Lineup
Walk With Me If
Empathy
Week 3
Mindmeld
Powerpoint Karaoke
Curiosity
Week 4
G’day Sheila
Poop Smoothie
Trust Circle
Throughout the workshop, you’ll also receive occasional bonus games, advice on sequencing your games, and links to online resources and game repositories for deeper exploration.
Your Facilitator
Blake Boles
Blake is the founder of Unschool Adventures, a regular facilitator of teen workshops, and a lover of all things “connection.” After completing a training in Authentic Relating—and sitting down to document every group game he’s ever run—Blake decided to create Silly to Sacred. Learn more at blake boles dot com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the sessions be recorded?
Yes, session will be recorded in case you cannot attend or must leave early. To get the most from this workshop through live demonstrations and Q&A, we highly recommend attending every session.
What makes something a “connection” game?
Connection games require more trust, attention, vulnerability, and (often but not always) seriousness. These aren’t camp games for massive groups, nor are they copy/pasted from the world of improv comedy or corporate teambuilding. Connection games have a unique lineage, with roots in the human potential movement, authentic relating, and massive amounts of cross-pollination between unaffiliated networks of experiential educators.
Are the games just for teenagers?
While older teenagers (ages 14-19) are the main audience for these games, We’ve also successfully used these games with mixed-age groups of adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. A sense of playfulness and openness is the main prerequisite! Some of the games may also be appropriate for tweens (ages 11-13).