Imaginary Ball
A group warmup for attention and eye contact: participants in a circle pass an imaginary ball to specific recipients, choosing the receiver only by gaze. Gradually several balls appear in the game, developing sustained concentration and non-verbal interaction.
Full description
Setup and Launch
Place the group in a circle. Explain that an imaginary ball is "flying" in the center: the pass is addressed to a specific person, and the choice of receiver is confirmed only by gaze — no nods or signaling gestures. The one who catches the ball immediately looks for the next partner and passes to them.
How It Works
Work at a steady pace: a precise address and clear eye contact matter more than speed.
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One ball. The host starts: chooses a partner on the other side of the circle with their gaze, establishes eye contact, and passes the imaginary ball through the center.
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Continuous passing. The one who received the ball immediately chooses the next recipient with their gaze and passes on in the same way.
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Multiple balls. When the group is stably managing one ball, add a second, then a third — as many as fit within the group's collective attention.
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Priority of contact. As the number of balls grows, let go of trying to track "which ball exactly" you're passing: the main task is to quickly find the partner's gaze and confirm the agreement eye to eye.
Key rules
The selection signal is gaze only; avoid nods and gestural cues.
Pass through the center of the circle and clearly address the ball to a specific partner.
Add new balls gradually, gauging the group's attention capacity.
When there are many balls, don't fixate on "which specific ball" — confirming eye contact is more important.
Context
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