Training Wheels

One of my favorite parts of this work is connecting with creative facilitators from around the world who are passionate about creating meaningful “aha” moments for participants. Every time I travel to the Philippines, I make it a point to connect with my friend Tina Alafriz, one of the founders of Management Strategies and a deeply talented facilitator and learning professional. Tina is a certified facilitator in my Personify Leadership course and brings such thoughtful energy to everything she creates. I always leave our conversations inspired, reminded that no matter where we live, facilitators everywhere are searching for better ways to spark self-reflection, growth, and connection within the groups we serve.

That spirit of creativity and purpose is exactly why I’m excited to introduce two new tools now available through Training Wheels: Monsters & Heroes and Dream & Dare. These activities were created by brilliant minds at Management Strategies in the Philippines, and I’m thrilled to share them with our Training Wheels community. Both tools are simple to facilitate, visually engaging, and packed with opportunities for meaningful conversation and insight.

Monsters & Heroes is a powerful metaphor-based activity that helps participants explore the inner obstacles and strengths that show up in their lives. Through playful imagery and guided reflection, participants identify the “monsters” that hold them back and the “heroes” that help them move forward. I love how quickly this activity creates honest conversations around fear, resilience, confidence, and support systems. It feels playful on the surface, yet the reflection can go surprisingly deep. This innovative game also received international recognition at the global 48-hour conference GamiCon48V, winning two of the seven Throwdown Showcase awards: Best Low Tech Use of Gamification 🏆 and the People’s Choice Award for Best Low Tech Use of Gamification 🎉. This is a fantastic tool for leadership programs, youth groups, coaching conversations, and team development sessions.

Dream & Dare invites participants to reflect on their aspirations while also identifying the courageous steps needed to move those dreams into action. The activity encourages people to think beyond limitations and reconnect with possibility, purpose, and intentional growth. Tina’s passion for learning and development shines through every detail of this experience. What I appreciate most is how naturally the activity balances inspiration with action. Participants don’t just talk about dreams, they begin exploring what it means to dare greatly enough to pursue them.

As facilitators, we are always looking for tools that help people pause, reflect, and see themselves in a new way. These two activities do exactly that. I’m grateful for the friendships and collaborations that continue to stretch across oceans and cultures, all rooted in the same mission: helping people grow through shared experiences, meaningful conversations, and moments that truly matter. I hope you enjoy exploring these new tools as much as I have.

~Michelle Cummings

Monsters & Heroes: https://www.trainingwheelsgear.com/products/monsters-and-heroes

Dream & Dare: https://www.trainingwheelsgear.com/products/dream-dare

Two New Tools: Monsters & Heroes | Dream & Dare Email from Training Wheels   The Spokesperson e-newsletter by Michelle Cummings   Team Building Kits | Training | Icebreakers | Debriefing | Therapeutic Quote: "Play is the highest form of research."

Invisible Maze & Flow Connections

Hi friends,

We just got in a big shipment of our Invisible Mazes, and I haven't highlighted new ways to use a gridded tarp in quite a while.

I'm sure you know the Invisible Maze activity. It's been around for a long time, but finding or creating additional activities using a 9x9 grid is a great way to rejuvenate props you might already have in your facilitator bag.

Flow Connections encourages participants to collaborate effectively as they solve a group puzzle, ensuring that every team member contributes to the overall success.

Have teams gather around a pre-designed grid and give each group access to the colored spot markers.

Each grid will have two spot markers for each color represented, we call these the Termination Dots. These represent the spots that need to be connected. To solve the puzzle, the participants must connect the two similarly colored spots with spots of the same color without crossing other colors.

Share with participants that this is a timed activity, meaning participants will have a certain amount of time to complete the puzzle.

Participants will have a planning time where they can discuss where they think the trail markers will be placed. Share with participants that this can only be a discussion, and no placeholders can be added within the grid until time starts.
When all participants are in consensus and roles have been determined, share with the team how long they have 60-seconds to place the spot markers on the tarp and solve the puzzle.

I've been playing with this activity for several months now, and I'm loving the connections it makes back to goal setting and working against deadlines and time challenges. Full instructions for several activities, including facilitator scripts and multiple debriefing points included with purchase of the Invisible Maze.

And a BIG thanks to Trevor Dunlap and Matthew Broda for the initial design of this activity. We are working on a book together called Grid Games, where we will have multiple activities that include grid-based challenges. Stay tuned!

So pick up a new Invisible Maze for yourself today. These activities are designed to test and enhance participants' problem-solving skills. These immersive challenges require players to work together, relying on intuition and communication to navigate through the tasks, making it a perfect tool for building teamwork and collaboration.

~Michelle Cummings

View more photos at this link:
https://conta.cc/4uH0soq

Invisible Maze & Flow Connections Email from Training Wheels A twist on a known traditional activity   The Spokesperson e-newsletter by Michelle Cummings   Team Building Kits | Training | Icebreakers | Debriefing | Therapeutic Quote:

Experiential Facilitation 101 – Learn It, Lead It, Live It

Every time I lead an Experiential Facilitation 101 course, I’m reminded how much this training would have helped me when I first started. Over three days, we cover 45 essential facilitation skills - each taught through interactive, hands-on activities that make learning stick. It’s the foundation I wish had been available 30 years ago, built to help facilitators grow confidence, expand their skill set, and design powerful learning experiences for any group.

We have a few seats left for our next EF101 workshop, which is June 16-18. 2026, in Littleton, CO, and will be led by Chris Cavert. This is your chance to step into a high-energy, supportive learning space and walk away with the tools to lead with impact.

We have two scholarship seats still available for this session. If you’re a student or work for a nonprofit, email me a few sentences about how the training would benefit you to be considered.

This is more than a class. It’s three days of active learning, new connections, and practical tools you’ll use immediately. Reserve your spot now, and let’s take your facilitation skills to the next level. Register Today!

We can also bring EF101 to you, whether the full course or a customized portion. If you have a group of 10 or more, we’ll come to your location and tailor the training to your team’s needs. Just respond to this email to learn more.

~Michelle Cummings
Founder, Facilitator, Big Wheel
Training Wheels

https://conta.cc/4u9JWOf

Experiential Facilitation 101 course Email from Training Wheels Registration closes   The Spokesperson e-newsletter by Michelle Cummings   Team Building Kits | Training | Icebreakers | Debriefing | Therapeutic Quote: "Tell me and I forge

Tipping Towers
~ Balancing the Imbalance Through True Teamwork ~

There’s something pretty magical that happens when you take a familiar activity and give it just the right twist. Lately, I’ve been in weekly brainstorming sessions with my good friend Chris Cavert, and let me tell you… when you put two activity geeks in the same space long enough, things start to happen.

If you’re familiar with Jim Cain’s 3-D Bull Ring, you already know the power of shared tension and coordinated movement. Chris took that idea and pushed it further. By attaching the strings below the center point of the tube, the whole system becomes unstable - like, immediately unstable. The tower tips, the ball falls, and suddenly, what used to feel manageable becomes a whole new challenge. Then comes the breakthrough: add connection points at the bottom of the tower. Now you’ve created a system where success is only possible when every level is engaged. Without those bottom strings, the task simply doesn’t work.

And that’s where Tipping Towers really shines. This isn’t just about moving an object from point A to point B. It’s about layered support. It’s about recognizing that the people “at the bottom” are just as critical - if not more so - than those at the top. Teams quickly discover that they can’t muscle their way through this one. They have to communicate, adjust, and stay connected in real time. Every small movement matters, and every person has a role to play in keeping the system balanced.

I love this activity because the learning shows up fast. You’ll see groups struggle, reset, and then start to dial it in. You’ll hear the shift in language - from individual effort to collective strategy. And when they finally get it? That moment when the tower stabilizes and the group moves as one…that’s the good stuff. It’s a powerful metaphor for how real teams function, especially in organizations where success depends on alignment across multiple levels.

If you’re looking to add something fresh, challenging, and deeply meaningful to your program, Tipping Towers is a solid addition to your bag of tricks. Each set comes with three towers and enough gear for up to 36 participants, making it perfect for larger groups or multiple teams working side by side. Give it a try, and see what happens when your group learns to balance the imbalance.

~Michelle Cummings

Check out a quick video from our Experiential Facilitators' Event when they participated in Tipping Towers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIc5fRmmqiY

New Activity! Tipping Towers Email from Training Wheels A twist on a known traditional activity   The Spokesperson e-newsletter by Michelle Cummings   Team Building Kits | Training | Icebreakers | Debriefing | Therapeutic Quote:

Last week, I had one of those moments where a familiar tool showed me something new.

We kicked off the Experiential Facilitator’s Event in a pretty standard way. After an icebreaker, we moved into group norms, acceptable behaviors, and introduced the Comfort Zone Bullseye. We used both the 16-foot model and the 3-foot version to explore physical and emotional safety. It grounded the group. It gave us a shared language. It did exactly what it has always done so well.

We also talked about how participants could use the bullseye in their own programs. That part felt tried and true. This model has been a staple in our field for a reason. It helps people understand where they are, and what it means to stretch without tipping into panic.

Then came the shift.

At the end of the event, I decided to bring the bullseye back. This time, not as a teaching tool, but as a reflection tool. Each participant received an individual Comfort Zone Bullseye to take home. I asked them to think about their full experience. What felt comfortable? What stretched them? Did anything push them close to their edge?

The depth of reflection surprised me. It gave people a simple, visual way to process a complex experience. It tied the whole event together in a way that felt natural and meaningful.

Same tool. New purpose.

That is the reminder I’m holding onto. Sometimes the tools we already have can do more than we think. We just need to look at them from a different angle.

~Michelle Cummings

Creative energy is a funny thing. It does not always show up on demand. It needs space. It needs time. Lately, I have been reminded of that in a very real way. Chris Cavert and I started blocking “New Product / Creative Game Design” time each week. On paper, it looked simple. In practice, it has been a breath of fresh air for my often full brain.

When we protect time for creativity, ideas start to flow again. Not all of them are great. That is part of the process. We sketch, we test, we tweak. We laugh when something flops. We lean in when something sparks. Designing new activities is not about getting it perfect the first time. It is about staying curious long enough to find what works.

Last week at the Experiential Facilitator’s Event, we had the chance to play-test a few of these new ideas. What a gift. There is nothing like watching facilitators engage with something brand new. You can see the gears turning. You can feel the energy shift. And based on what we heard, they event hit the mark. The testimonials say it best.

Over the next several newsletters, we will start rolling out 3 - 4 of these new activities. Many come from that protected space of creative time. Each one has been tested, stretched, and refined. Here is the simple takeaway. If you want more creativity in your work, you have to make room for it. Put it on your calendar. Guard it. Then see what shows up.

~Michelle Cummings