Dead Ants is a contagiously fun and cooperative tag game. One or two people volunteer to be anteaters, the rest start out as ants. Anteaters attempt to stun all of the ants on the ant hill, while the ants struggle to avoid the anteaters and rescue their friends.

Dead Ants will have your group playing hard and working together.

In the following course you will learn how to properly set-up and facilitate the activity and then if you wish, move students through an academic and/or social skills development reflection experience.

*This activity has been adapted from the Ice Breakers & Openers CD-ROM of The Inspire! Youth Series from LearningChange, LLC.

Ages
Dead Ants is appropriate for students of all ages. With younger students, you may wish to use the variation.

Group Size
This activity is best with groups of 15 and up.

Setting
Use this activity in a large open area such as in a gym or a grassy field.

Duration
This activity should take about 15-30 minutes to complete with your group. Budget more time if you wish to go into depth by using any of the extension activities or questions.

General

In this activity, some of the things you will inevitably notice include:

1. Students will naturally create strategies both independently and in groups around collaboration and self preservation.
2. Students will be afforded many opportunities to practice decision making and quick thinking skills.
3. Students will be physically active, running, walking, dodging, and ducking for the duration of the activity.

Academic Standards & Asset Development

For specific academic and social development lessons for this activity, see the Academic Extensions and Social Extensions sections in this module.

This course will walk you step-by-step through the process of setting up and leading this activity, as well as facilitating the conversations and lessons after the experience.

Begin here and move from section to section, and be sure to download and print the activity's PDF Quick Reference Guide and any handouts as you prepare for your event.

Budget about 5-10 minutes to walk through all sections and view all video and written instruction for this course.