Training Closer Activity

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Participants remember what they do first and what they do last in training.  The purpose of a closing activity is to allow participants to reflect on what they have learned during the training and how they might apply the new knowledge, thus encouraging learning transfer.  Committing to a group activity at the end of a workshop can be an excellent way to provide closure and celebrate students' commitment to implementing change when they return to work.  "Flying Balls" is a closing activity that encourages that commitment. It works well with any size group and only takes 5-10 minutes to do.  Participants will need to commit to taking some action related to the course content by a certain period, usually within two weeks to thirty days away.   They will write their action plans on a sheet of paper, with the dates by which they will complete the action, their names, e-mail address/business phone numbers. Next, participants will copy their action plans on a second sheet of paper (this sheet you will ask them to save for their personal use).  Participants will then crumple their first sheet of paper with their action plan into balls and throw them into the air to celebrate their commitments.  Each person finds a crumpled ball and tosses it again until each person has tossed a ball three times.  After the third toss, each person keeps the ball and checks to ensure it is not their ball.   At that time, each person commits to e-mail or calling the person whose action plan they have to encourage them to follow up on the action or offer moral support for that person.  Will all participants follow through?  Probably not, but it provides a social support system of accountability for those willing to put in the extra effort and an additional opportunity to encourage learning transfer. 

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