Name & Purpose Walk in My Shoes is a structured empathy activity for older campers (13+). Each person wears an unseen identity label on their back. They discover what the label says by noticing how others treat them. The activity surfaces unconscious bias and stereotype in a safe, controlled setting. Powerful debrief is essential β this is not a party game. It is a learning experience.
a.k.a. Label Lens, Perspective Tags
Age Band / Group Size / Time / Space Ages 13β16 | 8β24 participants | 45β60 minutes total (never cut the debrief short) | Quiet indoor room with clear floor space and chairs for debrief circle
Materials
- Index cards, one per person
- Markers (facilitator only β participants do not see card content)
- Low-tack tape or safety pins to attach cards to backs
- Optional: journals or paper and pens for silent reflection before debrief
Quick-Run Card
- Prepare cards in advance. Use descriptors that reflect identity categories (see Facilitator Notes). Avoid slurs or degrading language on any card.
- Run the full consent pre-brief before attaching cards.
- Attach one card to each participant’s back. Participants must not see their own card.
- Participants move around the room. They interact with each other while subtly reflecting the stereotype or social attitude associated with each person’s label β not mocking, just reacting.
- After 8β12 minutes, call time. Participants guess their label.
- Reveal all cards. Move directly into debrief β do not end here.
Setup & Boundaries
- Run this only with groups that have an existing trust baseline. Do not use as a first-meeting activity.
- Prepare cards carefully. Suggested category types: personality traits (e.g. “introvert,” “leader”), interests (e.g. “gamer,” “athlete”), or social roles (e.g. “new kid,” “class clown”). Facilitators experienced with social justice programming may include race, religion, or disability β but only with thorough facilitator training and appropriate framing.
- Set the room up so participants can move freely and have a clear debrief circle with chairs ready.
- Station yourself where you can observe all interactions and intervene immediately if any participant becomes distressed.
- Have a quiet exit available and briefed.
How to Play Attach cards to backs. Participants mingle as if at a casual event. Their job: treat each person in a way that reflects the label on that person’s back β without naming the label aloud or being cruel. Participants silently notice how people are acting toward them. After 8β12 minutes, call a freeze. Ask each person to guess what their card says. Then reveal. Transition immediately and intentionally into debrief.
I-OPt Roles During the mingle phase, participants simultaneously:
- Reactor β responds to others’ labels through subtle attitude or body language (all participants do this).
- Observer β notices patterns: who is approached first, who is avoided, what the room’s energy tells them.
- Guesser β draws conclusions about their own label from others’ behaviour. Facilitator holds a fourth role:
- Safety anchor β watches the room, names anything that tips from gentle reflection into cruelty, pauses play if needed.
Inclusion Supports
- Offer participants who do not wish to wear a label the role of silent room observer β they watch and share observations in the debrief.
- Allow participants to pass on guessing their label aloud; they may write it on paper instead.
- If any participant is visibly distressed, quietly invite them to step to the side with a support person. Do not spotlight their reaction in front of the group.
- Choose card descriptors with your specific group in mind. A descriptor that feels academic to one group may be personally painful to another individual.
- Never use slurs, epithets, or terms that mock specific communities on any card.
Stewardship Collect all cards after the activity. Do not leave identity label cards in participants’ hands or lying around. 30-second reflection before debrief begins: “Sit quietly. Think about one moment in this activity where you felt something unexpected. Hold that feeling β we’re about to talk about it.”
Consent Pre-brief (do this before any cards are attached): “This activity is about perspective and empathy. You’ll wear a label on your back that you can’t see. Others will treat you in a way that reflects that label. This can bring up real feelings β and that’s the point. You don’t have to participate in the mingle. You can watch and share your observations in the debrief instead. If at any time you want to remove your card and step out, do it. No one will ask why. You can rejoin the debrief at any point.” Mid-game check-in: Scan the room continuously. If you see a participant withdraw, check in quietly and privately. Opt-out / re-entry: Any participant removes their card and sits in the observer chair. They rejoin the debrief circle when ready.
Risks & Mitigation
| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| A participant receives a card that mirrors a real personal identity and is hurt by others’ reactions | Medium | Choose card descriptors carefully; avoid directly personal categories for your specific group |
| Interactions tip into mockery or cruelty | Medium | Facilitator pre-briefs expected behaviour clearly; intervenes immediately if tone goes wrong |
| Participant becomes emotionally overwhelmed | Medium | Pre-brief opt-out clearly; have a support person available; never rush the debrief |
| Group does not take activity seriously | Low | Tone-set at the start: “This is not a joke activity. What we discover here matters.” |
| Debrief skipped or rushed | High risk if it happens | Build debrief time into your schedule as non-negotiable β 20β25 minutes minimum |
Warm-Up Suggestions
- “One Word Check-In”: each person shares one word for how they feel right now. Normalises naming feelings before the activity.
- Read a short story or watch a 2-minute clip about a moment when someone was treated differently because of how they looked or who they were. Contextualises the activity without pre-loading the answer.
Debrief This debrief is mandatory and must be given full time. Do not rush. What? “What happened in that room? What did people do when they interacted with you?” “When did you start to figure out your label? What clues did you use?” So what? “How did it feel to be treated a certain way without knowing why?” “Were there moments where the treatment felt unfair? Uncomfortable? Did anyone treat you differently in a way that surprised you?” “Where do these automatic reactions come from?” Now what? “Think about your real life. Where do you see this kind of labelling happening β at school, online, in your family?” “What’s one thing you can do differently this week based on what you just experienced?” Facilitator note: Validate all responses. Do not let the group arrive at “the lesson” too easily β sit with discomfort. That discomfort is where learning happens.
Cleanup & Reset Collect all index cards. Dispose of them β do not display, photograph, or leave them accessible. Return chairs to normal arrangement. If any participant is still processing strong emotions, arrange a brief check-in before they leave the space.
