Teambuilding

The Aqus Juggling Project is an interactive and innovative way of using the activity of juggling to inspire self-growth, focus and determination while creating community.  We work with both adults and kids to create environments of teamwork that build on cooperation, trust and interdependence.

Juggling is an active form of meditation that helps strengthen mental focus and healthy brain function while improving and maintaining hand-eye coordination.  Researchers and physicians believe that people over 50 who juggle regularly can stave off degenerative brain diseases, such as Dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Educators have also found that juggling increases the capacity to maintain focus in students and as such, it is especially beneficial for those with Dyslexia, ADD and ADHD.  As an effect, it also improves determination and builds discipline while providing the benefit of movement and physical agility.

 Juggling in teams or “Partner Juggling” can serve to break down social barriers and provide the opportunity to create positive relationships. Through social coordination, this exercise helps people exercise cooperation and interdependence by providing a common focus.

Yes!  Take, for example, a case of juggling implemented at Petaluma High School. The Aqus Juggling Project was asked to organize a juggling activity for 130 students for their first day of the new school year. For these students, it was not a typical first day of school.  Rather than experiencing the usual anxiety-filled day worrying about how to fit in, navigating the social norms, finding friends, etc., these students found immediate ease through the ice-breaking activity of partner juggling.  By the end of the first hour, they were teamed up with someone new, laughing and enjoying a new activity together.

Participants are randomly paired up into teams of two and are then set to the task of creating their own juggling balls from the materials provided.  Once the teams have created 4 balls each, participants are shown the basics of partner juggling where partners stand facing each other with a ball in each hand and learn to juggle by throwing and passing all 4 simultaneously in circular pattern.  Depending on the age and coordination of the participants, each team is typically able to juggle anywhere from 2 to 4 balls.

While there are countless variations on juggling, everyone can gain satisfaction and reap the benefits of this practice by juggling even 1 ball.  Typically, most people over the age of 8 can learn to partner juggle with 4 balls within an hour.  And most importantly, everyone has fun!  Through this exercise, participants learn to relax, laugh and make new friends.  In the process, they are practicing cooperation, focus, interdependence and building social capital.