Team building Activities
BACK TO BACK: Every group member must find a partner
of approximately equal height and weight, if possible. The
partners will lock arms with their backs to one
another. With arms remaining locked at all times, the
partners will sit down on the ground, kick their legs out
straight, and try to stand back up. Then groups of four will
try the same thing. Then groups of eight, sixteen, and
eventually, the entire group together. This is the perfect
activity to begin a trust sequence.
Directions
Everyone sits in a circle. The facilitator introduces the
game and the object (to figure out what you can bring
through the Green Glass Door). The facilitator should start
with an example, and then each person around the circle
asks the facilitator if they can bring an object through the
Green Glass Door. The facilitator answers yes or no. Go
around the circle until most of the participants seem to
have figured out the pattern. The pattern is that they can
only bring things that are words with doubled letters in
them. Examples: Jelly but not Jam, Kittens but not Cats,
Apples but not Oranges, A Jeep but not a Mustang, etc. If
a participant thinks he or she knows the pattern, ask him or
her to give an example rather than stating the answer so
that other participants can continue to play.
Variations
You can create numerous variations to this game. For
example, the pattern may simply be an object with the first
letter of the person sitting next to you. So if John is sitting
next to me, I could take a Jacket through the Green Glass
Door, but not a Coat. Harder variations may be an object
that ends in a vowel or one that makes a sound (bird, ipod,
drums, telephone etc). Another variation is to only use
words that start with or contain other words ('beautiful'
starts with 'be,' 'pen' in 'suspend, et cetera).
Directions
1. Break off into groups of two, with as many groups as
you want. 2. Each group must try to build an
aerodynamic paper airplane from the paper provided
that will be able to fly the farthest in a paper airplane
contest. 3. After constructing the airplane, each group
member must write characteristics they think are
important about themselves on each side of the plane,
or on the inside. 4. Conduct a flying contest to see
which plane can go the farthest. 5. The plane that
went the longest distance will be the first one for the
rest of the team to try and guess - the object is to
guess which plane belongs to which group based on the
characteristics written on the sides of the plane. 6.
After everyone guesses which airplane is which, the
correct answers are revealed. 7. Repeat with all planes
according to distance, with the closest plane guessed
last. 8. Everyone wins!
Directions
In pairs, ask participants to sit holding hands, toe to toe.
The object is for the pair to stand up simultaneously and
connected with toes touching. Once the pair has mastered
the activity, ask the group to try with 4 people and then six,
etc. still touching toes.
Variations
You can also try having the participants sit back to back and
ask them to stand up. The trick is to link elbows!
Balloons
Have the students spread out and tell them once they have
found a spot they have to stay there. They need to pretend
their feet are glued to the floor. They can only use their
hands, heads or arms. A balloon is thrown into the group
and they must keep it in the air. After they get the idea of
how to work together, start adding more balloons. They can
time themselves to see how long they can keep the balloons
in the air.
Sheet Flip
Lay two sheets out on the floor. Have the kids take off
their shoes before doing activity. Put half the class on one
sheet and half on the other. They need to turn the sheet
over using only their feet and no one can get off the sheet.
Coordinated Walking
Take a large washer and attach about 6 or 8 pieces of yarn
about a meter long. Each person takes ahold of one string.
Put a ping pong ball in the middle of the washer. The
students must walk together and keep the ball from falling.
Cross Your Arms
Have students stand shoulder to shoulder holding hands.
The first person in the line should put their free hand
against the wall. The students need to make it so all of them
have their arms crossed in front of their chests. They
cannot let go of hands.