How To Cook - Using An Exercise

Use the Exercise drop down menu or the Search facility to find the exercises you want. The Exercise drop down menu provides a list of categories. Choose the categories that you feel may have exercises on the theme that you are looking for. You may need to look in more than one category.

When you select a potential exercise you will first be provided with a summary of that exercise and its credit rating. This should provide you with enough information to decide if you want to purchase the whole exercise. You can do this either with your membership credits or through pay as you go.

Once you download the whole exercise this amount of credit will automatically be debited from your account.

Once you access the full exercise you will have all the details you need to use the exercise including downloadable materials. Remember you don’t have to stick slavishly to the exercise details, you can:

- Use it to spark off ideas of your own
- Adapt part or all the exercise to fit your situation – many of the Resource Files are open to your own adaptation
If you run out of credits don’t worry you can top up your account very easily

Having made your selection you are now ready to use the exercise. Here is how it’s laid out and what each section is for;

Exercise Title
Each exercise in the crimson kitchen has a unique title. The same exercise might appear in different categories

What is this exercise for?
Tells you the various purposes of the exercise and gives you some idea of what an exercise is designed to achieve

Where to use this exercise
The situations in which it can be used – personal development, coaching, training, at regular team meetings, etc.

What approach does it take?
Lists the different methods or approaches used in the exercise. Each method is linked to a more detailed explanation of how that method works for those who want more background to particular methods

Target audience – special features
If the exercise is aimed at a specific audience this will be indicated here. For instance the exercise may be suitable for specific types of experience or be difficult for people with certain physical limitations.

Time required
Timings are very approximate and will vary for you depending on the size of group. With careful preparation you should be able to reduce the time an exercise takes or you may decide to extend it - to suit your needs. Remember participative exercises always take more time.

Resources you will need
A list of all the resources you will need to run this exercise. Any that are supplied with the exercise will be accessed through the Resources Files list ( described below).

Group Size
Again we provide guidelines only. Exercises may be designed for individuals only or for teams and small groups. Some exercises are aimed specifically at large groups but on the whole we recommend that participative exercises work best in smaller groupings which may mean dividing people up where there are larger numbers. Common groupings that we recommend are 2s, 3s, 4s, 4-8 people 6-12 people. You can adapt further to cater for the numbers you expect or to be used by individuals on their own.

Exercise Ratings
The ratings provide you with some idea of the skills/experience required for this exercise. A guide to the levels:

Participant Experience :The level of skills or experience that participants need to do the exercise. A rough guide only.

- Level 1 : Little or no experienced required
- Level 2 : This is not for complete beginners. It requires a little knowledge and/or experience of the issues covered in the exercise. The exercise has little emotional or personal component that participants might find threatening.
- Level 3 : This exercise requires people to be reasonably skilled/or experienced in the areas covered. There may be emotional material in this exercise that participants will need to be able to handle. Sharing personal issues may also be an important aspect of this exercise.
- Level 4 : It is recommended that this exercise is only carried out with people with a high level of skill or experience or the emotional maturity to handle issues around their own performance and behaviour.

Facilitator skills : The level of skills or experience required of the facilitator, trainer, manager, coach, to conduct this exercise. A rough guide only

- Level 1 : Little or no experienced required
- Level 2 : Helps if you have trained or facilitated or coached, etc before and know something about running an exercise.
- Level 3 : A reasonably experienced and skilled trainer/ facilitator/coach. Experience of handling people involved in participatory exercises. Some formal training as a trainer/facilitator/ coach/etc can be an advantage.
- Level 4 : Very experienced or formally trained. Used to handling emotional components of learning Understanding how adults behave and learn in learning situations.

Complexity : setting up & conducting the exercise

- Level 1 : Simple and not time consuming to set up and run
- Level 2 : Some preparation of the setting or the materials required. May require careful instruction and monitoring
- Level 3 : Complex exercise that require a lot of preparation – the setting, the materials and managing the exercise.


Special Requirements
If the exercise demands a particular type of setting or special room layout or special conditions they are described here.

Exercise summary
A short summary of the exercise, so you san see at a glance how it works

Step by Step
We take you through the exercise step by step describing what you do at each stage and providing a very rough guide to the timing of each stage. We may also provide separate instructions for different users e.g. if you are doing the exercise for own development, if you are working with a team, if you at a training event, etc.

You should feel free to adapt any part of the exercise to better suit your particular needs.

Resource files
Here you will find a list of all the downloadable materials that are provided by The Crimson Kitchen with this exercise. Clicking on any item will take you directly to a downloadable and printable pdf. These may include material for the trainer/coach etc. or material to be used by participants. Where multiple copies are required you will need to produce these. All materials remain copyrighted to The Crimson Kitchen and should only be used under the conditions of your licence. Resources Files may be in the form of print, graphics, photo selections, or video clips

Other linked exercises
Provides direct access to related exercises that you might like to look at and use with this exercise or instead of this exercise

Larder Links
If you want to know more of what lies behind this exercise there may be an article providing more theoretical information. There will be a direct link to the article here.

Variations
Ways of approaching the exercise differently or different features you could incorporate. Variations suggested by other members.

Feedback & User Rating
Here you will find feedback from other people who have used the exercise and have the opportunity to let us have your own feedback once you have used the exercise