Better Than BingoActivity slides
Better Than Bingo · Activity Slides
Paper-Airplane Idea Exchange
Send anonymous ideas across the room by paper airplane, then improve whatever lands nearby.
10–15 min8–100 peopleIndividual
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Facilitator prep · Do not project yet
Set the room up for success.
Materials
- One sheet of scrap paper per person
- Pens
Before you begin
- Clear a central flight path
- Choose a low-stakes prompt
- Know a simple fold or allow crumpled-paper comets instead
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Facilitator language · Do not project yet
What to say
“Write one brief idea, fold the paper into the simplest airplane you know, and send it only when I count down. We are aiming for idea exchange—not aviation excellence.”
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Facilitator notes · Do not project yet
Keep it comfortable and useful.
Make room for everyone
- Offer a pass-around version with no throwing.
- Use soft crumpled paper when folding is a barrier.
- Ensure nobody must bend to the floor; partners or facilitators can retrieve papers.
- Keep the launch away from faces, equipment, food, and narrow spaces.
Watch out for
- Skip the flying version in crowded, safety-sensitive, or sensory-sensitive spaces.
- Use only low-stakes prompts because handwriting and wording may still make authors identifiable.
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For the group
Here’s what to do.
- 1
Ask participants to write one anonymous response in the center of the paper.
- 2
Fold planes or crumple paper into soft comets.
- 3
On a countdown, send all papers toward the open center or opposite side of the room.
- 4
Everyone retrieves the nearest paper, reads it, and adds one question, extension, or useful example.
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For the group
Keep going.
- 5
Repeat the send-and-add process one or two more times.
- 6
Return to seats and invite participants to read the final paper they hold before posting or collecting ideas.
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Prompt 01
One way to make the first week feel more welcoming
Take a moment to think. Passing or writing instead is always okay.
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Prompt 02
A tiny routine that could protect everyone's time
Take a moment to think. Passing or writing instead is always okay.
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Prompt 03
A question worth discussing with students
Take a moment to think. Passing or writing instead is always okay.
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Prompt 04
A joyful idea the school could try once
Take a moment to think. Passing or writing instead is always okay.
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Wrap it up
One last thought.
- How did the idea change as other people added to it?
- Which addition made an idea more possible or interesting?