The Tower of Hanoi is a mathematical game or puzzle that requires a little alternative thinking and some basic problem solving skills. Most of us might have been given this game in various forms right from when we were babies but we just didn’t know what it was. Over time it grew to be a fun challenge and gave you an opportunity to spend some time challenging yourself. It consists of three vertical rods and any number of round disks of different sizes which slide onto any of the rods in ascending order of size with the smallest at the top, making a conical shape. The objective of the game is to move all the disks to another rod by moving only one disk at a time and a bigger disk cannot be placed on top of a smaller disk.

At Discovery Village we take it to the next level and give you a chance to dust off your thinking cap and experiment with a larger model during your corporate day outing or family outing in Bangalore. The duration of the activity is about 20 minutes, but sometimes the training can be quite extensive and lead to an hour. This simple puzzle is a seemingly harmless thing to do but it is capable of stimulating the brain to bring out problem solving skills and increase mental activity. It makes a person think of different ways to do the same thing. Does it initiate circumvent thinking in some people? Can it make you better at strategizing, planning or drawing analogiesfor solvingproblems?

This game can be played by a single person or a team of any number. It can be seen as a good team building exercise and an interesting way to see how each individual thinks on their own and collectively as a team. Make sure that everyone is actively involved in the challenge. Sometimes group members make decisions by themselves and are adamant to execute them without discussing it with others. It’s important that they discuss the challenge to make sure that everyone has understood what to do so that they can get involved. Perhaps someone with great leadership qualities would suggest that each team member should get to make one move on their own and the rest of the group should be quiet throughout.

Discussing the task after it has been completed is a great way to figure out whether everyone has understood the instructions. Here are a few questions to see if there was any learning through the process. What did they feel about the way it was executed? Could it have been done differently? Was there a clear leader or did the team communicate and make it a team challenge?

Most of the fun games at Discovery Village are researched and have been tried and tested over the years on varied groups and though there is a list of suggested learning outcomes we hope to achieve, we still get constantly surprised. An individual’s ability to think clearly, creatively and identify structures and patterns in a situation that is not confined to his office space is quite impressive. Stay at Nandi Hills Bangalore or resorts near Nandi hills for a stay that is just as exciting as our activities!

Ideation, following ideas, letting go, team work, roles and responsibilities, adhering to processes, Leadership, collaboration, cooperation, coordination, conflict management, thinking out of the box, analytical thinking.