I’m always afraid of how people will react when I run this activity… but every time the response has been phenomenal.

It’s called “Magical Gifts,” and I learned it from my colleague Erica Marx.

I love doing it at the end of a session, as a closer.

Pair people up to send to breakout rooms.

(Tip: To prevent awkward silences, establish a speaking order by having the person with the shortest hair go first. Or the brightest shirt. Or the oldest chair. Or make up your own!)

Person A tells Person B a takeaway—for example, something that’s “alive” for them from the session.

B listens, then offers A an imaginary, magical gift, related to the share. The gift is just what A needs.

A receives the gift, thanks B, and adds to the detail of the gift.

Here’s an example:

Shaniqua shared that she loved the laughter from the workshop—she needed it, because she’s exhausted from sleep-deprivation.

Bernie: “I give you a magical sleep mask, that gives you perfect sleep every night.”

Shaniqua: “Thank you! This is great! I love that it’s pink velvet—it will match my pink pajamas!”