Go and See (SEL)

Go and See is a great activity for using observational skills and moving from place to place. One person volunteers to move ahead while the rest of the group counts down from 10; when the group gets to 0, the volunteer stops, looks around, and finds something special or interesting to share with the rest of the group. When they have found what they want to share, they give the group a thumbs-up, and the group moves forward to join them. Lead the group in asking, “What did you find?” Let the volunteer point it out and share anything they want to say about it. Ideas include: What do you notice about it? What do you wonder about it? When discussion about their find has concluded, the next person takes a turn, until everyone who wants a turn has had one, or you’ve reached your destination. (Activity adapted from Life Lab)

According to our evaluation survey, Go and See was a teacher favorite at our SEL workshops this summer. The simplicity of this activity makes it a real winner. It doesn’t require any prep or materials. This activity allows the volunteer to seek out something that is meaningful to them or something that sparks their interest; by allowing the volunteer to go ahead of the group, we eliminate the peer pressure to see what others are choosing and allow them space of their own to find something they would like to share. Asking “What do you notice?” and “What do you wonder?” may help reluctant participants to share their thoughts more easily.