Icebreaker
Minefield
Also called Blind Walk, Land Mines
A blindfolded player crosses an area scattered with objects, guided only by a partner's voice.
- people
- 6–30
- time
- 25 min
- energy
- Medium
- materials
- Household items
Kids-safeHR-safeChurch-safe
Before you start
Mark the field and scatter the mines across it. Pair everyone up; one partner is blindfolded at one end, the other stands outside the field.
- 1The guide calls directions; the walker moves slowly through the field.
- 2Touching a mine sends the walker back to the start (or adds a 10-second penalty).
- 3Guides may not enter the field or touch their partner.
- 4When the walker reaches the far side, partners swap roles.
What to say3
- 1“Walkers, blindfolds on. Guides, only your voice can save them!”
- 2“Slow steps — whoa, that was close!”
- 3“Boom! Back to the start — try again!”
Host tips3
- Run all pairs at once after a single practice pair. One pair at a time with everyone watching takes 40 minutes and puts the walker on the spot.
- Let finished walkers keep their blindfold on until the end so they cannot see the solution.
- Debrief: ask walkers how much they trusted their guide at the start versus the end, and what the guide did that made a difference. Ask guides what they changed when “left” turned out to mean something different to the walker.
Variants2
Noisy field
Run several pairs at once so walkers must pick out their partner's voice from the noise.
Silent planning
Pairs get one minute to agree on code words before the blindfold goes on; no plain-language directions allowed after that.
Safety3
- Only soft, low objects as mines — nothing a walker can trip and fall over.
- Clear the field of furniture edges, stairs and wet patches; outdoors, check for holes and stones.
- A walker may lift the blindfold any time they feel unsafe; never force someone to wear one.
Good for
Occasions
Team buildingSchoolRetreat
Venues
Indoor, largeOutdoorChurch hall