Cross the Circle
Catch someone's eye across the circle. Both nod. Now swap places.
You find somebody across the circle, catch their eye, both nod, and swap places — with several pairs crossing at once. It is silent, it looks like choreography from outside, and it needs people to actually look at each other, which most rooms have not done all day.
Circle up. Find someone across from you and catch their eye. When you've both nodded, walk across and swap places. Several pairs at once. No talking at all — the only signal is the nod.
A room needs to look at each other rather than at you, and you want something quiet with movement in it.
Props: None
Run this when…
If none of these is your room, pick another.A group who have been staring at slides
Before anything about non-verbal communication
A calm activity that still gets people moving
How to run it
Written to be glanced at mid-room, not memorised.
- Circle up with a clear space in the middle.
- Everyone finds somebody across from them and catches their eye.
- Both nod, then walk across and swap places.
- Several pairs go at once — that is the point, and it is what makes it look good.
- Once they have it, speed it up: keep swapping continuously for thirty seconds.
- Finish by asking them to hold the last position and look round.
Running it well
Only the host sees these. Participants never do.
- Insist on both nods before anybody moves. One-sided crossings mean two people arrive at the same spot and the whole thing turns into apologies.
- The silence is what makes it work. A room allowed to talk will just say names across the circle and never look at anyone.
- Watch for anyone who has not been picked and pair them yourself with a nod. Standing in a circle unchosen is a horrible thirty seconds.
Watch out for
Space, safety and the traps worth knowing before you start.
- People cross the middle at the same time from several directions. Say walking pace and keep the circle wide enough to absorb it.
- Eye contact is genuinely hard for some people. A raised hand instead of a nod works identically and nobody notices.
Seated version
“Everybody stand up” is not a neutral instruction. Offer this alongside, not instead.
Pairs point at each other instead of crossing, then both raise a hand. The looking works; the swapping is lost.
Run it yourself
Free for thirty days, no card. Put it on the projector and step through it — nobody in the room needs a phone.
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- Where
- Needs a room
- Props
- None
- Big screen
- Required
- Teams
- Individual only