Innovative tool that inspires valuable sharing & fun.
Here’s a quick introductory video to learn more about this highly versatile team-building resource:
Video Transcript for UBUNTU Cards
presented by Mark Collard
Just take a card. It won’t matter what it is or what you get. They’re all different. Take a card or take the one I give you, as the case may be.
Right. Now these are really cool. This is new. I just come back from the States a few weeks ago, so a colleague work with these. They’re called UBUNTU Cards.
I don’t actually know the origin, but I’m told that it may have something to do with what you have in common. It could be a great story, but I like it, so that’s what I’m going to run with.
So what you’ll notice is there are two sides to your card. There’s a very big picture. And there are 54 cards in this set. Every picture is different. So that the big picture. I’ve got for example, a dice.
Sharon, you’ve got a toy penguin. Excellent. Are these the extras? Thank you. On the other side you’ll notice that there are smaller versions of the big things, okay?
I don’t understand how this works, folks, but every pair of cards, so we might look at our two cards, there’s always one thing that matches.
So that is… I’ll find something on my card that’s also on Sharon’s card. I swear at least one group of pairs will come up to me and say Mark, we’ve found the anomaly, we’ve found where it doesn’t work, and every single time I’m able to show them where it is.
It’s amazing. I don’t know how they do that. Only eight things on the card, but somehow…
(How many cards?)
There are 54. Now you’re trying to work out the math now? Get back to me on that one, would you?
So here’s the activity. Start with a partner, for example Sharon and I might be facing off. You might want to introduce yourself if you choose, if you don’t already know each other. And we’re going to go one, two, three, and you show the little side up.
Our objective is quickly to identify which one item is the one that matches. So…
(Hammer!)
Okay, great. So in this case, she wins. It doesn’t really mean anything, but she’ll feel really good about it.
And so Sharon feels good, and then we find something we each have in common. So we just found something that was in common with our cards, we know have a quick chat to find out which one thing we have in common.
It would be very easy for you to say oh, we’re both members of ACHPER and then you move on, except I’m going to ask you to go to another level. It might be that we both have two sisters, or the last digit of our mobile phone numbers is the same.
I don’t mind, but find something unique about what you might have in common. It’s kind of crazy.
Once you’ve found it, great. Swap cards, go find yourself a new partner and do exactly the same. You keep swapping cards each time you find a match and have that conversation. Got the idea? Go!
(people playing UBUNTU Cards)
These cards are my latest, favourite prop – here’s just one of a zillion of ways to use them.
Distribute one card (there’s 54 in the pack) to each person in your group. Describe that there are two sides to each card, every one of them different.
On one side, there is a large picture of a unique object such as a hammer, a rubber chook or a model train. On the other side, there are eight smaller images selected from the 54 larger items.
Now, I’m not a mathematician, but somehow any two cards will always have one item in common among these eight images. Crazy, I know! But it works every time.
Ask your group to mingle and find a partner. On “GO” each person flashes the multi-image side of their card so that each of them can see both cards face-up. The first person to identify the common image/object earns a brownie point!
From this point, you can take one of many routes. You could, for example, simply ask that each person finds a new partner to continue playing. Or, even better, once the match is identified, ask each partnership to have a quick chat to discover at least one thing that they have in common – but – encourage them to look beyond the obvious.
Then, each person swaps UBUNTU Cards and returns to mingling to seek out a new partner. If commonality is not found within a minute, each person will thank their partner for the conversation, then swap cards anyway.
Repeat many times over the course of 5 to 10 minutes.
Then, try something new from one of dozens of ideas as described in the Variations tab.
Take a look at What Is An Ice-Breaker? article to help you present successful ice-breaking experiences every time.
Word of advice – get your own set of UBUNTU cards. I. Love. These. Cards. If I was told that I could only use one prop for the rest of my training career, I would choose these cards. Click here to buy one or more sets of UBUNTU Cards today!
The UBUNTU cards set comes with its own instruction sheet which features 18 different ways to use the cards (both single- and multi-image sides) to invite interaction, connection and sharing.
A useful tip – encourage pairs when discussing what they have in common, to go beyond the obvious, eg “We’re both women.” Challenge them to look for something that is not obvious or more interesting or surprising commonalities such as “We both drive a Volkswagen,” or “We have both visited the San Diego Zoo,” or “We both broke our arms when we were young.”
One of the attributes of these cards that helps make them so successful in encouraging people to share is that, often, the focus is on the cards, and not on the individuals, thus making the interaction less threatening.
UBUNTU cards are almost bereft of words, so they are ideal for use with people all over the world, no matter their native language.
That said, there are 11 words hidden throughout the cards – can you find them all? You may need a magnifying glass to discover some of them. They are Leadership, Hope, Respect, Teamwork, Fun, Patience, Ideas, Motivation, Helpful, Inspire & Confidence.
Oh, and there are three objects featured on the multi-image side that are not represented on the single-image side. Do you know what they are? Tell me when you discover the answer!
FYI, this set of unique cards was developed by Ryan McCormick, from High-5 Adventure Learning Center, in Vermont, USA. The images were sourced from objects Ryan found in his own home, indeed, several feature drawings were created by his beautiful daughter Hannah.
Proceeds from the sale of UBUNTU Cards help support High 5’s Edge of Leadership Program which is designed to help young people discover and refine their leadership skills. Awesome!
You could integrate UBUNTU Cards as part of a well-designed SEL program to promote and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse people.
Specifically, this activity offers ample opportunities to explore and practice the following social & interpersonal skills:
Self-Awareness
Self-Management
Social Awareness
Relationship Skills
Responsible Decision-Making
You can learn more about SEL and how it can support character education here.
There is no specific health & wellness perspective to this activity other than promoting the benefits to one’s well-being of enjoying lots of healthy social interaction and a few laughs.
In a small way, you could argue that the focus required to interact and engage socially with others may speak to the benefits of having developed a set of supportive and healthy behavioural norms in advance. Or, if not, you could use these less-than-desired interactions or outcomes to explore what sorts of behaviours your group would prefer to see. For example, you could invite your group to reflect on the types of interactions that demonstrate and embrace diversity, inclusion and equity and relate these to a set of observed impacts on others.
If you can think of more explicit ways in which UBUNTU Cards could be purposefully integrated into a health and wellness program, please leave a comment at the base of this page.
Have you heard of the word UBUNTU before? It is an African word which describes that ‘there exists a common bond between us all’ or that ‘I am because we are.’ This is true. And yet, while every one of us is unique, there are many bonds which unite us all. This exercise celebrates both this diversity and unity…
How often have you felt that you had nothing in common with others around you? At a party, or starting at a new school, or job? Perhaps you just see things differently to others? No matter, when we begin to dig a little deeper, beyond the superficial outer layers, we often discover that we have many attributes in common with those around us. Your challenge is this exercise is to explore these areas of commonality…
Coupled with one or more reflection strategies, here are some sample questions you could use to process your group’s experience after playing this highly interactive and fun series of games:
What You Need:
8+ people, 20 mins, deck of UBUNTU Cards
What You Need:
8+ people, 60 mins, deck of UBUNTU Cards, hula-hoop, stopwatch
The inspiration for UBUNTU Cards was sourced from Ryan McCormick, from High 5 Adventure Learning Center, who first demonstrated this awesome, versatile prop to me.
Contributor Mark Collard
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Like the Spot it game.
Yes Claire, the design of the UBUNTU CARD deck is similar to Spot It cards – the biggest differences are that UBUNTUs are double-sided and are intended for facilitating conversations about ‘UBUNTU’ that is, to help people connect and discover that we have many common bonds that bind us all. Enjoy!