Yesterday I gave you some icebreakers to use with your school council, today I’ve got a group of team-building games for you to try. There are competitive games here: competitive games for team-building.
Remember to get the most out of all of these activities …
Before the activity
- Explain the rules as simply as possible.
- Don’t give tips on how to complete the task.
- Don’t explain what you want them to get out of it.
During the activity
- Unless a judge is needed, you should take full part in the activity.
- If everyone is struggling, pause the game and ask people what is going wrong; ask them what they could do to change it.
- Stop the games while people are still excited, don’t wait for them to start dragging.
After the activity
- Don’t make a big deal out of winners and losers – a quick cheer or round of applause is enough.
- Draw out the learning through asking them to reflect on the activity, don’t tell them what you think the learning should be.
- Ask those who succeeded: What worked well in your team? What did you do that allowed you to succeed?
- Ask those who struggled: What would you differently next time?
- Ask those who struggled but managed in the end: What do you change? Why? Did that work?
- Finally, ask them what they learned through the activity – they may well come up with far more than you intended!
Group juggling
Useful for
Learning names; Concentration; Focus on your task; Let people know what you’re doing; Stick to the agreed format.
Method
- Keep all balls hidden until needed.
- Throw a green ball round the circle, each person only getting it once.
- Remember the order and repeat in that order, adding in extra green balls as confidence grows, until all three are going round
the circle. - Explain that red balls go along the same route, but in the opposite direction.
- Discuss what needs to happen to make this work well.
- See if you can get 3 green balls and 3 red balls all going at once. When it’s working reasonably well, throw in some extra balls
in a random order. - Discuss what happened.
Resources
- Space for everyone to stand in a circle.
- In a bag:
- 3 x Green balls
- 3 x Red balls
- Some other coloured balls
Group counting
Useful for
- We all know where we’re going, but if we’re not careful we can’t get there.
- Taking it in turns can help.
- Did everyone get a chance to take part? Did some people dominate?
- Using body language and non-verbal signals.
- Having a chair person, especially one who directs rather than speaking.
Method
- Explain the rules to everyone:
- As a group we need to count to 10.
- No one person can say 2 numbers in a row (e.g. 2 and 3).
- No one can say anything other than the numbers.
- If 2 people speak at once we start again.
- As people find they can’t do it ask people to suggest rules.
- Try these out one by one and see which work.
Resources
- None
Helium stick / lower the stick
Useful for
Co-ordination; all working at the same pace; talking to one another; lateral thinking.
Method
- Split the group into two. Get each group to stand in a line facing the other group.
- Get everyone to point out a finger.
- Place the stick so that it is resting on everyone’s fingers at about shoulder height.
- Explain that they have to lower the stick to the ground without any of them losing contact with it.
- Each time someone loses contact get them to start again.
- To extend or vary the game you can get them to raise the stick as well.
Resources
- A long lightweight stick (bamboo cane, garden stick, tent pole or similar)
Turning the sheet
Useful for
Co-ordination; using your strengths; talking to one another; lateral thinking.
Method
- The whole group has to stand on the sheet.
- The aim is for them to completely flip the sheet over without any of them stepping off it.
Resources
- A sheet or picnic blanket
Sharing crisps
Useful for
Compromise; the value of talking in small groups; when under pressure we can make decisions easily about unimportant things.
Method
- Ask each person to repeat and complete the sentence: my favourite flavour of crisps is …
- Put everyone in pairs.
- Give them five seconds to decide what crisps they would share.
- Go round to each pair and ask them to announce together: Our favourite flavour of crisps is …
- Add pairs together to make fours and repeat.
- Keep going until it’s one big group deciding all together.
Resources
- None