What is Reflective Listening? In this activity, we reflect our best understanding of what the other person expresses to us. The goal is for the speaker to feel heard and understood. Note: Empathy is not necessarily about agreeing, but understanding.

The facilitator assembles a group of common household items (e.g., a pen, a paper clip, a fork) to be used as props. Player 1 selects an item and writes down five things that they will transform the prop into, showing their list to no one by placing it face down.

One player is the designated “conductor” and starts with a simple beat or mouth noise. After about ten seconds, they point to the next player to add on a sound. This could be either a new sound or mimicking another player’s sound.

I’m going to build a Culture of Empathy and I’m going to bring…
GAMEPLAY
Player 1 says, “I’m going to build a culture of empathy and I’m going to bring a _________” (player names an object). Player 2 repeats the phrase and adds an item to Player 1’s statement.