Icebreakers · Connectors & Mixers

Prui

A gentle, high-trust activity best used once a group already has some rapport.

Training ActivityTeam-BuildingTrust

Duration: 20 min
Participants: 1–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–50, 50+
Energy: High
Difficulty: Intermediate
Materials: Props
Prep time: 5 minutes

3 min read · Delivery: Offline

Overview

Learning objective. Use "Prui" to build skills related to team-building & trust.

Purpose. A gentle, high-trust activity best used once a group already has some rapport.

When to use. When the session's goal is strengthening how the team works together, not just individual skills.

Best for. Any group size, in person.

Facilitator preparation

Gather: A blindfold per participant.

Room setup. Arrange seating so everyone can see and hear each other clearly.

Virtual setup. This works best in person. If you must run it virtually, adapt any physical movement into a verbal, chatbased, or webcam-visible equivalent.

Hybrid setup. Give remote participants an equal way to take part, for example, a shared digital whiteboard or chat thread mirroring whatever the in-room group is doing on paper or in person.

Materials. A blindfold per participant

How to Conduct

Blindfold every participant.
Before anyone puts on their blindfold, secretly and silently tap one participant on the shoulder to designate them as the "Prui" for this round, without anyone else knowing who it is.
Once blindfolded, have everyone mingle slowly and carefully around the open space.
Explain the rule: whenever two participants bump into or find each other, they should shake hands gently and ask, "Prui?"
Everyone except the designated Prui should respond by saying "Prui!" back and then continuing to mingle separately.
The designated Prui stays completely silent when asked. Whoever finds the silent Prui takes their hand and joins them, becoming part of a growing silent chain.
From that point on, anyone who bumps into the silent chain and asks "Prui?" gets no answer, and joins the chain themselves, holding hands and staying silent.
Continue until the entire group has joined the silent chain, then have everyone remove their blindfolds together.

A real example. A team of Any size used this during a real project review, and the debrief surfaced two process issues nobody had said out loud before.

Think of it like this. Think of it like assembling furniture with the instructions this time, instead of guessing.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE GROUP

There may be a quiet stretch while people process, don't rush to fill that silence.

Trainer's Reference: why this activity needs some group rapport first

Because this involves extended blindfolded physical contact (hand holding, gentle mingling), it works best with a group that has already built some comfort and trust with each other, rather than as an opening activity for strangers. If you're unsure about your group's comfort level, offer an explicit opt-out or a sighted "guide" role for anyone who'd rather not be blindfolded.

After the activity

DEBRIEF QUESTIONS

What part of "Prui" felt easy, and what part felt harder than expected?
How did this activity's purpose, "a gentle, high-trust activity best used once a group already has some rapport", actually show up as you ran it?

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Where in your day-to-day work could you use what just happened here?

Learning outcome. Participants leave having directly practiced this activity's purpose: A gentle, high-trust activity best used once a group already has some rapport.