CO

MPLILEDBY 1

WALTER HOUGHTON
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GROUP WORK ACTIVITIES

These activities are designed to teach various group work and leadership skills like
communication, listening skills, creative thinking skills, problem solving, etc. Some are similar to
initiative tasks in that there is some type of problem to solve but the problems are a little different
from some big group challenge. They are more along the lines of figuring out how to make a group
more effective. Most of these activities can be done in the classroom and tend to be a little less
active than some of the other sections.

One of the things that I tell my students or any other group that I am working with is that
their ability to work well with others is going to be one of the most important skills they will learn in
school. People that can‟t work well with others often find themselves unemployed. It‟s surprising
how many people, adults and children, don‟t understand the importance of being able to work with
others, even those they don‟t get a long with or like. I am always pointing out that in today‟s world
of technology, the one thing that hasn‟t changed is the fact that most accomplishments still require
more than one person to pull it off. When I drive over a bridge, I want to know that there were
hundreds of people who were working well together that designed and built it.

Just like any other skill, group work needs to be learned. Very few individuals come
together in a group for the first time and know how to work effectively with each other. It is a skill
that should be taught in schools but too often it is taught by putting students in groups and having
them work together on some project without ever really teaching them how to work together in that
group. That‟s where this section of this book comes in. One of the best methods to teach people
how to work together is to first have them work as a team on tasks that aren‟t really all that
important but allow for specific lessons on what is successful and not so successful group work.
That‟s what you will find in this section.

As you use this section with your different groups and teams, make sure that you spend the
time before and after each activity to analyze the results with your different groups. While you
could just pull out some of these activities to fill in the time and have some fun, that defeats the
purpose of the tasks. The very first activity includes some common games like Charades which at
first glance is nothing more than a fun party game but if used properly can facilitate a discussion on
what is effective communication and what happens when it doesn‟t occur.

As part of teaching group work, you also need to teach about the different positive and
negative roles that can exist in a group.
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Express Yourself

A number of thinking & communication activities that can be done anywhere.

Works on individual thinking and verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

Any group size.
None.
To get the group at large to guess correctly the topic.
Charades
1. A person from the group is given a topic and they must act out that topic in such a way
that someone in the group is able to guess what it is and say the topic.

2. The person at the front is not allowed to make any sounds, mouth any words, draw or write
anything down.

3. The person at the front is not allowed to have the group run through the alphabet in order
to guess letters.
Pictionary
1. Similar to Charades except that the person at the front has to draw whatever they can to
get the group to guess the topic.

2. Again, they can‟t make any sounds, mouth any words or have the group run through the
alphabet.

3. If the group guesses a word or part of a word from the topic, the person may write it on the
paper to help guide the group.
1. A neat variation of Pictionary is to do it using clay instead of drawings. The person at the
front is given a lump of play dough or clay and has to mould it into whatever they want in
order to get the group to guess the word(s). To start with you might want to stick with
actual objects that can be moulded in clay. Move onto difficult concepts later on.
Team Charades or Team Pictionary
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1. The facilitator has a list of 10 words.

2. The teams are in different areas or rooms.

3. The first person from each team comes to the facilitator and gets the first word.

4. That person returns to the group and acts or draws it out until their group guesses the
word.

5. The next person then goes to the facilitator and gets the next word and so on.

6. The first team that gets all the words and returns to the facilitator wins.

7. For each round, mix up the teams so that no one group of people dominates.

Taboo
1. Just like the other games, the person at the front has to get the group to guess the topic.

2. The person at the front has a list of words that they CANNOT say as they are trying to
verbally describe what the topic is.

3. They cannot say any form of any word on this list like plurals or shortened forms, etc.

4. They can‟t draw pictures or act it out.

5. Example: On the paper you would give them would have the topic BASEBALL at the top
and the following words underneath. WORLD SERIES, BAT, GLOVE, DIAMOND,
PITCHER. Some more examples follow.

6. BOOK: READING, PAGES, LIBRARY, TEXT, WRITING

7. COFFEE: DRINK, TEA, CUP, HOT, LIQUID

 These are really good activities to do as a break from other more active initiative tasks if
you are doing some type of leadership camp.

 They are also really good activities to be able to pull out at any time when your group
needs a break from their work load.

 Just because these activities are fun does not diminish the amount of learning that occurs
as a result, especially in the area of communication.
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Mirage
Quiet activity that can be done anywhere.

Works on verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

Any group size.
Paper and pencils/pens.
To draw the object(s) described by one person.
1. One participant is given a drawing and stands at the front of the room facing away
from the group.

2. This person does their best to describe the drawing that they have to the rest of the
group that do their best to draw the object.

3. The drawers may not ask any questions or talk.

4. The person describing must make sure that no one can see the drawing that they are
looking at.

5. The person at the front may make no gestures.

6. When this person feels satisfied that they have described the object, they draw it on a
blackboard or larger piece of paper for the entire group to compare their drawing to.

7. Get someone else to go up and try this activity.

8. Drawings should include different combinations and size of shapes like squares,
triangle and circles inside each other, stacked on top of each other, etc. The more
complex, the more challenging the task will be.
1. Just like above but the group can ask questions of the person at the front.

2. The person at the front faces the audience and is only able to use gestures in the air.
No verbal communication at all.
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3. The person at the front is able to do all of these things: talk, answer questions and use
gestures.

4. Have two people at the front of the group with the same picture describing it to the
group. Facing away, no questions and no gestures.

5. Partner everyone up. One partner is blindfolded and does the drawing and the other
person gives verbal directions to this person. Put the shapes up on the board and
have the partnerships work together to copy the drawing. The seeing partner can
look at the blindfolded partner's drawing and give verbal directions only.
 This is an excellent activity to do with a group to work on effective communication
skills. Students never get tired of it. It‟s similar to charades.

Puzzle Sharing
Quiet activity that can be done anywhere.

Works on silent communication, sharing and give and take cooperation.

Any group size although you will want at least 16 to 20 people for the task to be an effective
lesson.
Five simple puzzles. The puzzles should be fairly different from each other and only have
between 20 and 30 pieces. You can just take five full page pictures from a magazine and cut
them up into at least 20 pieces.
To complete your group's puzzle.
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1. Take the puzzles and evenly distribute all five puzzles into four different piles so that
there are an equal number of each of the five puzzles in each pile.

2. Divide the class into four groups.

3. Each group goes to a different corner of the room.

4. Each group is given one of the four puzzle piles.

5. The objective of each group is to complete one puzzle.

6. If they want, one member of each group may go to the center of the room at any time with
one puzzle piece to trade with a different group.

7. Only one member from each group may be in the middle at any time.

8. No talking can occur between the groups at any time including in the middle of the room.

9. Only one piece can be taken to the middle of the room at any time and only one piece may
be taken away from the middle at any time.

10. A piece may be given away for nothing, traded for another piece or taken away for
nothing in the middle.

1. You can make this activity competitive by declaring the first group to complete their
puzzle the winners.

2. You can make this activity cooperative with the objective being for all four groups to have
a completed puzzle.

3. Instead of using 4 puzzles, use a deck of cards. Cut each card into four pieces, either as
rectangles or as 4 equal triangles. Mix all of the pieces well and give each group an equal
number of pieces. This is a good one to use if you want to have more than 4 groups. You
could potentially have lots of groups of 3 to 4 people so everyone is very involved.

Work Horse
Any group size. Entire team.
1. Get all four teams side by side at one end of the gym.
2. The goal is to get all of your teammates to the other side of the gym.
3. To cross the open area a person must be carried.
4. The carrier must return and be carried him/herself.
5. The only person allowed to walk across the open area is the last person.
6. If the carried person touches the ground while being transported, both members must return to the
start.
7. The number of people being carried and carrying can vary with the strength and/or imagination of
the group. In other words, one to one is not the only way.
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 A safety concern would be watching out for persons running when they are carrying someone and
stumbling.
Mini Marshmallow Toss & Catch
Any group size. Entire team.
One bag of mini marshmallows.

1. Each team has 5 people chosen to stand behind a line or bench with the rest of their team standing
behind a table about 5 to 7 feet away.

2. On the table in front of the rest of the team, place as many mini marshmallows as you wish, equal
number for each team competing.

3. Each team needs to have an adult supervisor standing in visual range of the 5 people who are going
to be “catching” the marshmallows.

4. On “GO”, the first person in line picks up a marshmallow and tosses it to the first person in line
behind the bench or line. The person behind the bench must catch the marshmallow in their mouth
with no hands for it to be considered a point for that team.

5. The people that just threw and caught go to the end of their lines and the next 2 people do the same
thing.

6. When all of the marshmallows are gone, the team with the most points, according to their adult
supervisor, wins.

7. There is no time limit. In other words, it is not a race and teams should be encouraged to take
enough time to make a good toss.

8. If a person does not successfully catch the marshmallow in their mouth, they can still pick it up and
eat it if they so desire. (5 second rule)

9. If you want to give other members of the team an opportunity to catch the marshmallows with their
mouths, you can have multiple rounds.

Hula Hoop Passing

Any group size. Entire team.
One hula hoop per group.
1. Each team stands in a circle holding hands in their corner of the gym.

2. One hula-hoop is placed so that 2 people are holding hands through the hoop.

3. The goal is to move the hula hoop around the entire group without breaking any grip.

4. The group has to pass the hoop over their bodies onto the next person.
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NOTES
1. Record the time it takes and then try to beat that time.

2. To add more challenge, have two hoops, one going clockwise and the other going counter-
clockwise. This gets real interesting when it gets around to the other side. Everyone tends to pass
the hoop as fast as they can so they don‟t have to deal with two going different directions.
 One warning….be prepared for the hula hoop to get stretched and/or broken.

Circle Tug of War

10 to 20 participants per team depending on the size of the rope. (4 teams)
 One heavy duty rope that is at least 30 meters long and tied in a large circle.

 Four pylons with balls on them or flags.

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1. Tie 4 colored flags or bibs so that the rope circle is divided equally into four sections.

2. Each team has its selected participants grab onto their section of the rope.

3. Team members can go inside or outside of the circle.

4. No one may twist the rope so that it wraps around a person. This is very dangerous.

5. Make sure that the rope is centered in the middle of the gym.

6. Place one pylon in each corner of the gym with a ball balanced on it or flag.

7. On go, each team tries to pull the rope circle towards their corner of the gym so that one of their
teammates who is holding onto the rope can grab their ball.

8. Only a person holding onto the rope with at least one hand may grab onto the object in the corner.

9. When a team is successful at doing this, all of their team carefully lets go of the rope and the other
three teams continue to battle it out.

10. Every time a team is successful at reaching their pylon, they carefully let go of the rope until there
is only one team remaining.

11. This insures first, second, third and fourth placings.

12. Make sure that when a team has successfully grabbed their object that they don‟t just instantly let
go of the rope otherwise some of the other teams may fall over. Have some type of signal so that
everyone knows what is about to happen.

13. You could even have all of the teams stop and stand up, get the one team to let go and on a
signal have the remaining teams start up again.

Zipper
Any group size.
1. Have all four teams lie down from one end of the gym to the other so that you have four rows of
people lying down. One row per team.

2. Everyone lies down on their back with their heads beside each other but the direction of their bodies
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alternating.

3. In other words, they are not lying side by side but instead one person lies in one direction, the next
person beside them lies in the opposite direction and so on but they all have their heads beside each
other.

4. Everyone puts their arms straight in the air and palms up so as to form the support mechanism.

5. The volunteer lies down on their back on these supporting hands and keeps their body rigid.

6. This person is passed down the line of people.

7. All of the people lying down should be as close to each other as possible so as to insure as many
hands touching the lying down person as possible.
1. The person at the end lies on the hands and is passed down. Once this person is passed along, the
next person in the line is up and passed down. When these people reach the end, they lie down and
are ready to pass the next person coming along.

2. Put the person moving along on a gym mat and the people lying down, over their bodies drag the
mat. For this one, the people lying down should have their waists in line instead of just their heads.

3. Everyone just lies down beside each other with the person at the end lying on his/her stomach on
top of them. The people in the lineup roll their bodies in such a way as to move the person who is
lying on top of them along the human “conveyor belt” to the other end.

4. Everyone stands in two lines and facing each other with their arms out in front of them similar to
the set up for catching people in Trust Falls. The person lies down on their back on the hands at one
end and is passed along the lines to the other end.
 Safety is always an issue and with this one you have to make sure that people are not just thrown
along the line because they will fall and get hurt. You should have a spotter follow each person
along the Zipper to make sure they don't fall and hit their heads.

 It also may not be feasible to have everyone go. Someone who is heavier may overwhelm someone
who is smaller and trying to support him/her. You may want to just stick to a couple of smaller
volunteers or allow people to choose whether or not they want to travel along the line.

The Clock
Any group size. Entire team.
1. One team at a time competes to try and set the fastest time.
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2. Everyone in the group forms a large circle with everyone holding hands.

3. Have the circled group rotate clockwise 360 degrees in one direction and then return 360 degrees
back to the start.

4. The goal is to see how quickly the group can complete the double rotation.

5. The attempt is timed and becomes invalid if anyone breaks his/her grip with a partner.

6. Keep trying to beat that time. After they do it a couple of times, set a specific time that they have to
try and beat and away they go.

7. If they get good at this, have them start and finish seated on the ground.

8. A good time would be about 1 second per person in the group minus 1 second per ten people.
1. If the group is really large or you want them to experience a bizarre effect. Place one circle of
people inside another group and have each circle go in a different direction to start.
 Make sure you keep an eye on the obvious safety concerns that can exist with a bunch of people
running and dragging each other in a circle.

 Remember that this is a very physical activity so after a while the group will be getting tired.

ALL ABOARD
ICE BREAKERS &
WARM-UPS
Leadership & Groupwork Training

The activities in this section are designed to introduce your group members to each other and to get
them warmed up and into the appropriate mood for trust and risk taking. You will need to gauge the
needs of the group that you are working with. Groups that are experienced with initiative tasks and
working together may not need any of these activities to get into it. Other groups may need to spend
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the entire session just doing the activities in this section.

The beginning of this section contains ice breakers that get people to learn each other's names and
be introduced to each other. Following these are a number of activities that are designed to help people
learn a little bit more about each other. The final part of this section are warm-ups that help to break
down barriers between group members and get people in the mood to play and work together.

Don‟t be afraid to focus on this section more than others, especially in the beginning. These
activities are just as useful as others and overdoing them will not cause any real harm whereas jumping
too quickly into the more challenging ones later on in this book can have disastrous effects on a group
and the individuals in that group.

As the facilitator of the group, most of these activities are excellent ones for you to be involved in
as well. With many of the initiative tasks, the facilitator cannot really be involved as they might
inadvertently give away a possible solution but with most of the activities in this section, there is no
real objective or solution. Seeing their illustrious leader playing along beside them will go a long way
to earning their trust and respect which you are going to need to pull off the rest of the activities in this
book.

One other thing about the activities in this section and others, always keep an eye on the group and
stop it before the people involved become bored. Always leave them wanting more. It's better than
having group members getting bored and potentially causing problems.

Invisible Object
Mildly active activity that can be done anywhere.

Works on learning everyone's name and breaking down some barriers by using their
imagination.
Any size group.
 No real equipment. Just your imagination.
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To be able to say the names of others in the group to pass them the object.
1. Everyone stands in a circle facing the middle.

2. The leader starts by walking across the circle to a specific person and says the person‟s
name s/he is now facing followed by “Here is the RED BALL”.

3. The person says “Thank you for the RED BALL” and then s/he walks to someone new, as
the leader takes his/her place in the circle, and says his/her name and says the same thing
and so on.

4. There is no red ball. You are all just using your imagination and should act as if you are
carrying a red ball.

5. If that was it, this would be a pretty boring activity. After the red ball has moved on, the
leader now walks to someone else and says that person‟s name s/he is facing followed by
“Here is the Blue Bag of Cement.” That person says „Thank you for the Blue Bag of
Cement and then off s/he goes. The leader should have set the tone as s/he walked across
the circle having difficulty carrying this big bag of cement.

6. And so on. The leader keeps introducing a new object, crazier than the last every 30
seconds or so until you have as many people as possible walking back and forth across the
circle and racing to try and get to those few people not going anywhere yet. Objects could
include stinky socks, crazed cat by the tail, unconscious person and so on.

Did You Catch My Name

e Active activity that can be done anywhere.

Works on learning everyone's name.

Groups of 10 to 20.
 Three or four balls per group.
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To be able to say the names of others in the group quickly.

1. The group stands in a circle.

2. One person starts with the ball, states his/her first name and then throws the ball to the next
person beside him/her.

3. The next person also says his/her first name and tosses the ball to the next person and so on
around the circle until everyone has introduced him/herself.

4. Now the first person says the name of anyone in the circle and then tosses the ball to that
person.

5. That person says the name of someone else and tosses the ball to him/her.

6. The ball continues moving back and forth across the circle with name being called.

7. The ball tossing should speed up as people learn everyone‟s name.

1. Have everyone say first and last names of the person that they are tossing the ball to.

2. Have more than one ball moving around the circle.

3. If you have more than 20 people, you should have a couple of different groups formed. After
each circle has done this activity for about 3 to 5 minutes, have ½ of the people in one circle
exchange places with ½ of the people in another circle and so on so that everyone can get to
know everyone in the larger group.

4. Throw something other than a ball….rubber chickens are always a favorite of mine. There‟s
just something about handling a rubber chicken that brings out the best or worst in people.

5. Have the group has a whole just mingle all around while still throwing the different balls or
objects to each other after calling that person‟s name.

Socked
Active activity that can be done anywhere.

Works on introducing people and getting them to know each other's names.
Groups of 6 to 10.
One large sock with another sock stuffed inside per group.
To avoid getting hit with the sock by saying the name of someone in the group.
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1. Everyone in the group stands in a circle facing the middle.

2. One at a time, everyone introduces themselves and says one thing about themselves.

3. After the introductions, give one person the sock and have them stand in the middle of the
circle.

4. Choose one person in the circle to say the name of someone else in the circle before the
SOCKER in the middle hits them below the thighs with the sock.'

5. Who ever is named must say the name of someone else in the circle before they are hit below
the thighs with the sock.

6. If someone is hit before they are able to say a name or they say an incorrect name, that person
trades places with the SOCKER.
 Make sure that the circle is not too spread out and not too close. The farther apart they are,
the easier it is to say a name before they get socked and vice versa.

 From a safety stand point, make sure that whoever is SOCKING does not do it too hard.

Signatures
Active activity that can be done anywhere.

Works on introducing people to each other and learning things about them.
Any group size.
 Pens/Pencils

 One copy of the signature sheet per person.

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To find people who match the items on your list.
1. Everyone gets a copy of the signature sheet.

2. Everyone is to go around and find someone that they can ask a question.

3. Each person introduces themselves to each other and then each get to ask the other person one
of the questions that they have on their sheet.

4. If that person says yes to the question, have them sign your sheet beside that item.

5. Move onto a different person.

6. You could make it a rule that they are only allowed to ask each person one question and if the
answer is no, find someone else to ask a question. What will probably happen regardless is
that when they find someone, they will ask them if they match any of the questions on the list
and then have them sign that one. So be it.

7. One rule that you should insist on is that they are only allowed to have a person sign their
sheet once. If you have enough questions, that will force them to meet more people.

8. Some examples of things to have on the list include:

 Someone with green eyes.

 Someone with 2 sisters.

 Someone who lives out of town.

 Someone who was born in a different province / state.

 Someone who speaks more than one language.

 A good idea with this activity is to try and do some research before hand and have things
written down on the sheet that are specific to certain people.

 If you know that someone went somewhere exotic recently or owns something unique, etc, put
it on the list.

Cross Circle
Active activity that can be done anywhere.

Works on quick responses and learning names.

Any group size. You should have at least 15 or more people though.
None
To learn the names of those in your group.
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1. The entire group is standing in a circle facing each other.

2. A selected person calls out the name of someone in the group.

3. When that person acknowledges that their name has been called out, the person who called it
out starts to walk towards them.

4. The second person has to call out another person‟s name and when they are acknowledged,
they start walking towards that person and so on.

5. It is the responsibility of the person whose name has been called out to call out a name of
someone else in the group who is not moving and get walking towards that person before the
person who called out their name reaches them. Try and say all of that in one breath.

6. When the person(s) who is walking reaches the spot where the person was standing that they
called out to, they just take that spot and wait for their name to be called out again.

7. The round or game ends when someone calls out someone‟s name and reaches that spot before
that person calls out someone else‟s name and gets out of the way. COLLISION! It can also
end when you are going so fast that everything is just a blur.
1. Get two different people starting out at the beginning. This way you have 2 different cycles
moving within the same circle. If you have a really large group, try 3 or more.

2. No calling out at all. Just point. When eye contact is made, start walking and so on.
 Start out slowly at first so that everyone gets the hang of it and then see how fast you can get
things going.

Just Testing
Quiet activity that can be done anywhere.

Works on quick recognition and remembering names.

Groups of 20 to 30.
 Blanket
To recognize and be able to say the other person's name first.
1. Break the group up into two teams.
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2. The teams stand on either side of a blanket that is being held by two volunteers.

3. Each team chooses one person to go and sit in front of the blanket without the other team
knowing or seeing whom.

4. When both people are ready, the blanket is dropped and the first person to recognize say the
other person‟s name wins.
The losing person now joins the other team.

5. Continue until one team has everyone on the other team or everyone is getting bored.
1. Have more than one person sitting on either side and the side that says all of the names of the
other people wins.

2. Have the two chosen people sit with their backs to the blanket and when it is dropped, their
own team will physically describe the other person. Without looking, the first person of the
two sitting back to back to correctly name the other person wins.

ALL ABOARD
INITIATIVE
TASKS
Leadership & Group work Training

Here come the challenges. All of these tasks involve some type of problem that the group must
solve and/or work together to overcome. Most of the tasks in this section require the effective use of
both brains and brawn and making the best use of the different strengths that exist in all groups. As
much as possible, try to set these tasks up in such a way that no one homogeneous group will be
successful. Set them up so that the group will need to effectively use each person to accomplish the
goal.
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Up Chuck
Active activity that can be done outside or inside (large room with high ceiling).

Works on working together.

Any group size although if there is more than 20 or 30 people, it will be pretty difficult for the
group to be successful to say the least.
One ball or soft object that can be thrown and caught per person.

The objective is for everyone to throw their ball up in the air and catch a different ball without a
single one touching the ground.
1. Every person in the group has a ball.

2. Standing in a circle or cluster or however the group wants to arrange them, they must toss
their ball up to a height of at least 10 feet and then attempt to catch a ball that they did not
throw.

3. The number of balls that hit the ground is that group‟s negative score.

4. The goal is to get that score to zero.

5. Allow the group to work together to make this work. It will be pretty difficult and the group
might need lots of time or multiple sessions to accomplish it.
NOTE

1. Have the group start with only one ball thrown and caught. Each time they successfully
catch a ball, another is added for the next round until finally they drop one and then the
whole thing starts over or they don't get another ball until they through up the ones they have
and catch them all. See how many balls in total they can get to.

2. Once the group has accomplished this task, give some of them or all of them two balls and
that is of course how many they have to catch.
 The look on the group‟s face when they finally throw up the balls and catch each and
everyone and there is the dead silence of no objects hitting the ground is priceless. The
sound gives it away every time.

Raft Crossing
Very active activity that can be done outside or inside (large room).

Works on problem solving and working together.

Any group size
 Transport Pads = Gym mats, milk crates, pieces of fire wood, chairs
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 Keys = balls, rubber chickens, bean bags
The entire group is being held captive by aliens on an alien planet that is covered with lava or
toxic waste. They have an opportunity to escape the evil aliens and make it back home.
To get everyone from the starting area to the launch area alive and well.
1. The entire group starts in the corner of a large room, auditorium or gym.

2. They are in a safe place for the time being, but their job is to get to the opposite side where
there is another safe place and a "transport beam" or “escape rocket” that will take them out of
this volatile area.

3. The rest of the room is covered with a deadly substance that will kill them immediately upon
contact. (i.e. lava, acid or toxic waste)

4. This means that if they place a hand or foot or anything on the actual floor of the room, they
are dead. People who die either reappear back at the starting area or are out of the game
completely. This is a decision that the facilitator needs to make before explaining the rules.

5. They are given transport pads that they can use to stand on to cross the evil surface and make
it safely to the other side.

6. Gymnastic mats make good transport pads but almost anything that people can stand on can be
used including upside down milk crates, pieces of fire wood, chairs, etc.
1. To emphasize teamwork, it is a good idea to make the overall objective to ensure that
EVERYONE makes it to the launch area. This means that if someone has died and reappeared
back at the starting point, they have to send someone back for them.

2. If someone has died and does not get to reappear, the group has a whole has failed the task and
everyone must start over again. You need to be prepared to deal with the group‟s response to
failure and intervene if they become too negative.

3. Give a time limit. At the end of that time limit, anyone who is not in the transport beam, dies.

4. Give as few transport pads as possible. If they have to crowd onto 2 mats, so be it. The whole
idea is working together anyway.

5. Put a number of "keys" around the area that they have to collect in order to turn on the
transport beam. A good "thinker" is to tell them that upon all of the keys being in the transport
area, the beam automatically operates and takes those keys and people in the beam away.

6. They have to activate the keys before they will work. A good way of activating the keys is for
them to have to pass through something like a basketball hoop.

7. Be a "bog monster" and steal transport pads away from the group if they are not on them.

8. Another good variation is to change the transport pads. Using upside down milk crates instead
of gym mats changes the dynamics of the entire thing as the milk crates are more easily upset.
Giving them planks of wood that must be balanced on baseball bats or thick cardboard carpet
tubes make it even more interesting and challenging.
 This is a really enjoyable initiative task that groups will often request again and again. It can
easily be changed and made new by just holding it in a different location or using different
 22
materials.

 One thing that I enjoyed doing was to make the bog monster react to a specific stimuli for that
round and it was up to them to figure out what made the bog monster become more active and
interfere with their attempts.

Count Off
Quiet activity that can be done anywhere.

Works on creative problem solving.

Any number of people although preferably over 20 to create more of a challenge.
None.
To have a large group count off from 1 to whatever number of people there are without any
duplicates.
1. The entire group needs to be sitting down and facing a specific direction.
 23
2. They may not look around, make gestures or say anything except a number.

3. The goal is for the group to count from 1 to the number of people in the group in order with
no one saying the same number as another person.

4. If more than one person says a number, the group must start over.

5. If a number is said out of order, the group must start over.

6. It is very important that you make sure they realize that they can‟t talk or look around in
between rounds. If at anytime, anyone says anything other than a number, looks around or
makes any gestures, the group as a whole needs to be warned that any continuation of that
will result in them not being successful at the challenge.

7. The instant someone makes a mistake, you say “Start Over”.

8. This activity only works once with any given group.

9. Make sure they are not sitting in a pattern that would make this easy, like a circle.
 This activity is a one-time deal with any group for obvious reasons. It is very important that
you set it up right and have the entire group bought into the idea that they cannot look around
or speak at all otherwise it will not work.

 You also need to make sure that you have lots of time so that the group can attempt this task
again and again without having a chance to talk before they are successful.

Cyclops
Very active activity that should be done in a large room or outside.

Works on strategy and problem solving.

Any group size.
Blindfolds
For the Argonauts to escape with as many of them alive as possible.
1. Divide the group into half.

2. One half of the group is the Argonauts and the other half of the group are the Cyclops.
 24
3. All of the Cyclops must wear blindfolds at all times.

4. All of the Argonauts will start at one end of the gym.

5. The Argonauts goal is to make it safely out through the exit of the cave without being
touched by a blinded Cyclops.

6. The exit to the cave should be marked using pylons or chairs and the total width of the exit
should be a wider than all of the blinded Cyclops standing side by side with arms
outstretched.

7. All of the Cyclops will start by the exit of the cave.

8. The Cyclops will go around touching anyone that they can and if they make contact with
each other, they should inform each other that they are fellow Cyclops.

9. If a Cyclops touches an Argonaut with his/her hands, the Argonaut is dead and will let out a
blood curdling scream.

10. Once all of the Argonauts have made it through the exit or have died, switch roles and try it
again.

11. Team members on both sides may communicate with each other at any time and in any
fashion.
1. Make the exit way even smaller and only have one Cyclops….YOU.
 If you or your group members are not familiar with the story of Jason, the Argonauts and the
Cyclops, you might want to read them the story first from Greek mythology to give a little
background information to this task.

Reach for the Sky

Active activity that can be done outside or inside (large room with high ceiling).

Works on working together and physical support.

Any number of people although if you have more than 15 or 20 you might want to break them up
into two groups.
Piece of paper with tape.
They are lost in the woods and need to set up an antenna or signal flag as high as possible.
To place a piece of paper as high as possible.
1. The group must try and place a piece of paper with tape on the wall as high as possible
without climbing the wall or using a ladder, etc.
 25
2. They may only use themselves to get the paper up.

3. It is okay to make contact with the wall for support but not okay to use any holes in the wall in
order to climb it.
s  USE EXTREME CAUTION.

 This is a very dangerous activity if not done properly. It needs major spotting all
around the participants along with thick high jump mats placed all around them.

 When I first did this activity, I underestimated the ability and ingenuity of my group of
students and before I realize what was happening, they had created a standing human
pyramid that was three students high and three students wide with a smaller student
supported above this with the paper.

 That piece of paper remained stuck to the wall just below the gym ceiling for a couple of
years before the tape finally dried up and it fell down. I now make sure that I am right in
there ready to support where necessary.
 26

Helium Stick
 Deceptively simple
but powerful
exercise for
learning how to
work together and
communicate in
small to medium
sized groups.

 Line up in two rows

which face each other.

 Introduce the Helium Stick - a long, thin,

light rod.

 Ask participants to point their index fingers and hold their arms out.

 Lay the Helium Stick down on their fingers. Get the group to adjust
their finger heights until the Helium Stick is horizontal and everyone's
index fingers are touching the stick.

 Explain that the challenge is to lower the Helium Stick to the ground.

 The catch: Each person's fingers must be in contact with the Helium
Stick at all times. Pinching or grabbing the pole in not allowed - it
must rest on top of fingers.

 Reiterate to the group that if anyone's finger is caught not touching

the Helium Stick, the task will be restarted. Let the task begin....

 Warning: Particularly in the early stages, the Helium Stick has a habit
of mysteriously 'floating' up rather than coming down, causing much
laughter. A bit of clever humoring can help - e.g., act surprised and
ask what are they doing raising the Helium Stick instead of lowering
it! For added drama, jump up and pull it down!

 Participants may be confused initially about the paradoxical behavior

of the Helium Stick.

 Some groups or individuals (most often larger size groups) after 5 to

10 minutes of trying may be inclined to give up, believing it not to be
possible or that it is too hard.

 The facilitator can offer direct suggestions or suggest the group stops
the task, discusses their strategy, and then has another go.

 Less often, a group may appear to be succeeding too fast. In

response, be particularly vigilant about fingers not touching the pole.
Also make sure participants lower the pole all the way onto the
ground. You can add further difficulty by adding a large washer to
each end of the stick and explain that the washers should not fall off
during the exercise, otherwise it's a restart.

 Eventually the group needs to calm down, concentrate, and very

 27
slowly, patiently lower the Helium Stick - easier said than done.

How Does it Work?

 The stick does not contain helium. The secret (keep it to yourself) is
that the collective upwards pressure created by everyone's fingers
tends to be greater than the weight of the stick. As a result, the
more a group tries, the more the stick tends to 'float' upwards.

Processing Ideas
 What was the initial reaction of the group?
 How well did the group cope with this challenge?
 What skills did it take to be successful as a group?
 What creative solutions were suggested and how were they received?
 What would an outside observer have seen as the strengths and
weaknesses of the group?
 What did each group member learn about him/her self as an
individual?
 What other situations (e.g., at school, home or work) are like the
Helium Stick?
 28

Toxic Waste
 This is a popular, engaging
small group initiative
activity which always
"works", providing a rich
teamwork challenge for
about 30-45 minutes.
Involves thinking, imagination, action, fantasy, risk
and an attractive solution.
 Can be done with adolescents or adults.
 The challenge is to move the toxic waste contents to the
neutralization container using minimal equipment and maintaining a
safe distance within a time limit.
 Moderately difficult - avoid using with groups who are still in the
early stages of group development. Works best towards the end of a
program and/or after the group has come together and dealt with
basic teamwork issues.
 Can be done indoors or outdoors; outdoors is more dramatic because
water can be used as the "toxic waste" instead of balls.

Set-Up
 Use the rope to create a circle at least 8 ft in diameter on the ground
to represent the toxic waste radiation zone. The larger the radiation
zone, the more difficult the activity.
 Place the small bucket in the center of the radiation zone and fill it
with water or balls to represent the toxic waste.
 Place the neutralization bucket approximately 30 to 50 feet away.
The greater the distance, the more difficult the activity.
 Put all other equipment (i.e., bungee, cords, and red herring objects
(optional)) in a pile near the rope circle.

Directions
 The challenge is for the group to work out how to transfer the toxic
waste from the small bucket into the large bucket where it will be
"neutralized", using only the equipment provided and within a time
frame. The waste will blow up and destroy the world after 20
minutes if it is not neutralized.
 Anyone who ventures into the radiation zone will suffer injury and
possibly even death, and spillage will create partial death and
destruction. Therefore, the group should aim to save the world and
do so without injury to any group members.
 The rope circle represents the radiation zone emanating from the
toxic waste in the bucket. Emphasize that everyone must maintain a
distance (circle radius) from the toxic waste wherever it goes,
otherwise they will suffer severe injury, such as loss of a limb or even
death.
 Give the group some planning time with no action e.g. 5 mins, then
start the clock and indicate its time for action, e.g., 15 or 20 mins.

Facilitator Notes
 29
 Toxic Waste is not an easy exercise and most groups will benefit from
some coaching along the way.
 The solution involves attaching the cords to the bungee loop, then
guiding the bungee with the strings to sit around and grab the toxic
waste bucket. Then with everyone pulling on their cord and with good
coordination and care, the toxic waste bucket can be lifted, moved
and tipped into the empty neutralizing bucket.
 If someone breaches the toxic waste zone, indicated by the circle,
enforce an appropriate penalty e.g., loss of limbs (hand behind back)
or function (e.g., blindfolds if a head enters the zone) that lasts for
the rest of the game. If a whole person enters the zone, they die
and must then sit out for the rest of the activity.
 If the group struggles to work out what to do, freeze the action and
help them discuss.
 If the group spills the waste entirely, make a big deal about
catastrophic failure (everyone dies), invite them to discuss what went
wrong and how they can do better, then refill the container and let
them have another go.
 Ideas for varying the level difficulty of the activity:
o Adjust timeframe
o Adjust distance between the buckets
o Include obstacles between the buckets
o Include red herring objects in available equipment

Processing Ideas
 There are invariably plenty of key communications and decisions
during the exercise that provide for fruitful debriefing.
 The exercise will tend to naturally expose processes and issues
related to many aspects of teamwork, including cooperation,
communication, trust, empowerment, risk-taking, support, problem-
solving, decision-making, and leadership.
 Can be videoed for subsequent analysis and debriefing.
 How successful was the group? e.g. consider:
o How long did it take?
o Was there any spillage?
o Were there any injuries? (Often in the euphoria of finishing
participants will overlook their errors and seem unconcerned
about injuries and deaths caused by carelessness along the
way. Make sure there is an objective evaluation of
performance - it is rarely 'perfect'.)
 How well did the group cope with this challenge? (e.g., out of 10?)
 What was the initial reaction of the group?
 What skills did it take for the group to be successful?
 What would an outside observer have seen as the strengths and
weaknesses of the group?
 How did the group come up with its best ideas?
 What did each group member learn about him/her self as a group
member?
 What lessons did the group learn from this exercise which could be
applied to future situations?

Variations
 30
 Can be used a staff selection or group assessment exercise.
 Can be used with large groups (with multiple kits and divided into
small groups).
 The toxic waste bucket can be used upside down, with a ball
balanced on top.
 The activity can be framed in many different ways, e.g., instead of
waste, it could presented as a desirable substance, such as a life
saving serum which needs be carefully transported (suggested by
Rohnke & Butler, 1995, pp.178-179).
 Divide the group into leaders and workers. Leaders can talk but not
touch equipment. Workers cannot talk but can touch equipment.
 Lends itself to being metaphorically structured and isometrically
framed to suit specific training contexts (e.g., see "Computer
Disinfectant" by Gass & Priest in Gass, 1995, pp. 151-154) and
"Disseminating Raw Materials (Toxic Waste)", activity #57 in Priest &
Rohnke 2000).
 For added drama, the toxic waste can be floated on a platform in a
swimming pool (Priest & Rohnke 2000).
 A chemical reaction can be created by putting baking soda in the
neutralization container and vinegar in the toxic waste container.
When combined, they froth.
 Object Retrieval is a variation in which a group needs to retrieve a
heavy object from the middle of a circle, without touching the ground
in the surrounding circle (Rohnke, 1994).
 31

Mine Field
 A popular and engaging game involving communication and trust.
The task is very flexible, works for groups of various types and sizes,
and can be adapted to youth, adults, corporate, etc.
 Select an appropriate area. Go outside, if possible. Can be done
inside, even in rooms with fixed furniture (which can become objects
to be avoided).
 Distribute "mines" e.g., balls or other
objects such as bowling pins, cones,
foam noodles, etc.
 Establish a concentrating and caring
tone for this activity. Trust exercises
require a serious atmosphere to help
develop a genuine sense of trust and
safety.
 Participants operate in pairs. Consider
how the pairs are formed - it's a chance
to work on relationships. One person is
blind-folded (or keeps eyes closed) and
cannot talk (optional). The other person
can see and talk, but cannot enter the field or touch the person.
 The challenge is for each blind-folded person to walk from one side of
the field to the other, avoiding the "mines", by listening to the verbal
instructions of their partners.
 Allow participants a short period (e.g., 3 minutes) of planning time to
decide on their communication commands, then begin the activity.
 Be wary of blindfolded people bumping into each other. The
instructor(s) can float around the playing area to help prevent
collisions.
 Decide on the penalty for hitting a "mine". It could be a restart
(serious consequence) or time penalty or simply a count of hits, but
without penalty.
 It can help participants if you suggest that they each develop a
unique communication system. When participants swap roles, give
participants some review and planning time to refine their
communication method.
 Allow participants to swap over and even have several attempts, until
a real, satisfied sense of skill and competence in being able to guide
a partner through the "minefield" develops.
 The activity can be conducted one pair at a time (e.g., in a
therapeutic situation), or with all pairs at once (creates a more
demanding exercise due to the extra noise/confusion).
 Can be conducted as a competitive task - e.g., which pair is the
quickest or has the fewest hits?
 The facilitator plays an important role in creating an optimal level of
challenge, e.g., consider introducing more items or removing items if
it seems too easy or too hard. Also consider coaching participants
with communication methods (e.g., for younger students, hint that
they could benefit from coming up with clear commands for stop,
forward, left, right, etc.).
 Be cautious about blind-folding people - it can provoke trust and care
 32
issues and trigger post-traumatic reactions. Minimize this risk by
sequencing Mine Field within a longer program involving other get-to-
know-you and trust building activities before Mine Field.

Variations
 Minefield in a Circle: Blindfolded people start on the outside of a large
rope circle, go into middle, get an item ("treasure", e.g., a small ball
or bean bag), then return to the outside; continue to see who can get
the most objects within a time period.
 Metaphorical Framing: Some set ups for minefield get very elaborate
and metaphor-rich, e.g., hanging objects which metaphorically reflect
the participants' background and/or issues. For example, items
which represent drugs, peer pressure, talking with parents about the
problem, etc. have been used in a family adventure therapy program
(Gillis & Simpson, 1994).
 Participants can begin by trying to cross the field by themselves. In
a second round, participants can then ask someone else to help them
traverse the field by "talking" them through the field.
 To increase the difficulty, you can have other people calling out. The
blindfolded person must concentrate on their partner's voice amidst
all the other voices that could distract them from the task.
 Be aware that some participants may object to, or have previous
traumatic experience around the metaphor of explosive mines which
have caused and continue to cause much harm and suffering. It may
be preferable to rename the activity, for example, as an "obstacle
course" or "navigation course". Alternatively, the activity could be
used to heighten awareness about the effect of land mines on the
lives of people in countries such as Afghanistan and Nicaragua (see
UNICEF information on land mines).
 33

All Aboard!
 This activity requires working together in
close physical proximity in order to solve a
practical, physical problem. It tends to
emphasize group communication,
cooperation, patience and problem solving
strategy, as well as issues related to
physical self and physical proximity.
 The activity can be run in many different
ways.
 Basic method: Ask the whole group to try to
fit inside a small area which can be marked
by:
o small platforms, or
o circle of rope, or
o tarpaulin or blanket
 When the group succeeds, decrease the area (e.g., changing
platforms, shrinking the circle, or folding the tarp) and challenge the
group again. How far can the group go?
 Cautions: Obviously people are going to need to feel physically
comfortable in order to get physically close and be supportive of one
another. So make sure people are warmed up and preferably have
removed excessive jewelry, watches, etc.

Variations
 Tarp Flip Over: With a group standing on a tarp, challenge them to
turn the tarp over without anyone touching the ground in the
process. Can add a time limit e.g., 15 mins for this
activity.
 Framing, e.g.,"The group must work together to
ensure everyone manages to get aboard the new
management structure. As time goes by, the team
must become closer to deal with shrinking margins
and increased competition."
[www.bushsports.com.au]
 Name game: The activity can be used as a name
game by setting the rule that every communication to another person
must include that person's name.
 34

Overview - Group Survival Scenario Exercise

A classic group communication and decision making exercise, with many variatio

Works for a wide variety of ages and purposes, indoors or outdoors.

There are two classic types of "paper & pencil" group survival scenarios (selecting

and selecting people). In each case:
o Provide instructions & hand out materials
Set a time limit (~15-30 minutes)
et the group go - answer questions, watch, & observe!
Debrief

pe 1: Choose Survival Equipment

hed...your group needs to choose the 12 most useful items to survive...

quipment items in terms of their relative survival value:

pants choose/rank the items individually

s choices/rankings in small group and come to a group consensus
answers against "expert" opinion
e scenarios:
ost at sea or island survival (shipwreck)
Desert (plane crash)
Space or Moon

pe 2: People Survival Scenario (Who will be saved?)

has been dropped...a radiation-free shelter is available, but can only take 6 people; choose who will survive...

eople in terms of who will get to live or die in situations with limited survival resources:

pants role play characters (a bit like a Murder Mystery)

ad to high emotions; people get intensely engaged, particularly when choosing who will survive, an
ns are easy.
ht answers - any so-called "correct" answers are based on debatable values (e.g., ageism, sexism,
hts individual's dispositions, group processes and decision making
e scenarios:
Nuclear war shelter
Oxygen dwindling (space, moon, mars)
ifeboat / Sinking ship (sea)

t a time keeper in each group and encourage them to be the person who monitors the progress of
s achieving consensus within the time frame.
phasise individual versus group decision making, split the session into three parts:
ndividuals make their own selections first, on paper (5-10 minutes)
Groups (or sub-groups) then discuss and create a group decision
Compare individual and group performances, e.g.,:
 For equipment scenarios, group decisions are usually more accurate than individual answers,
illustrate the importance of collaborative group decision-making.
 For people scenarios, score individuals according to how close the group's decision was to thei
selections of who is to live and die (an indicator of each person's influence over the group).
 35

brief Questions
ere decisions made?
fluenced the decisions and how?
ould better decisions have been made?
as conflict managed?
d people feel about the decisions?
atisfied was each person with the decision (ask each participant to rate his / her satisfaction out of 1
a group average and compare / discuss with other groups' satisfaction levels)
ave you learnt about the functioning of this group?
ould you do the activity differently if you were asked to do it again?
ituations at work/home/school do you think are like this exercise?

Each person blows up a balloon. Balloons work best for games at

about 85% of inflation capacity. Keen participants often over-inflate
which leads to higher burstage. Less confident participants may
under-inflate. You can turn the ideal inflation into a game and
Balloon
demonstration. Show the ideal inflation and walk around coaching
Inflation
people. 85% inflation also allows a handy distance for tying a
thumb-knot in the neck of the balloon. Some participants may need
a hand to tie the balloon off - encourage cooperation amongst
participants rather than doing it yourself.

Challenge participants to keep all balloons (1+ per person) in the

air. This gets the group moving and cooperating. Once they've got
Balloon
the hang of it, make it harder by adding in more balloons or placing
Juggle &
restrictions e.g., no hands to keep balloons up. Ask participants to
Sort
keep juggling the balloons, but to sort them into colors (works best
with large groups).

Two to three inflated balloons per person are needed and a

stopwatch. Each person has a balloon, with the rest in a nearby
pile. Everyone begins bouncing their balloons in the air. Every five
seconds, another balloon is added. See how long the group can
keep the balloons bouncing before receiving six penalties. A penalty
Balloon
is announced loudly (to create stress!) by the leader when a balloon
Frantic
hits the floor, or once on the floor, if is not got back into play within
five seconds. The leader keeps a cumulative score by shouting out
"one", "two", etc. When the leader gets to "six", time is stopped.
After some discussion, the group tries to better its record with
another attempt.

A handy name game. Stand in a circle. Toss a balloon in the air and
Catch
call someone's name. That person must catch the balloon before it
the
touches the ground. If the person succeeds he/she then tosses the
Balloon
balloon up and calls the next name. A variation of Group Juggle.

An extension of Catch the Balloon. Now the balloon is not caught,

Balloon but kept in the air. As well as calling out someone's name, also call
Bop out a body part which that person has to use to keep the balloon in
the air until he/she calls another person's name and body part.
 36
Divide into teams. Each team stands in a small circle. See which
Balloon
team can keep a balloon aloft the longest using only breath. Watch
Blow
out for hyperventilation!

Start off with everyone in a circle, facing inwards, hands behind

back. The objective is for everyone to be in the center keeping all
balloons afloat. Put between zero and three balloons in people's
hands behind their backs. Participants should not let on to others
how many they have. The leader starts by trying to keep three
Balloon
balloons afloat in the center. When it becomes difficult, the leader
Help
calls somebody's name and says "X, I need your help!". That person
comes in with all their balloons and helps until it becomes difficult
and then they call "Y, I need your help!". If a balloon falls on the
ground, it must be picked up by someone in the center and kept
afloat.

Try balancing a balloon on the end of your finger. Have a

Balloon competition to see who can do it for the longest. The balloon must
Finger not be held, only balanced, and it must not be tapped. The finger
Balance must be in direct contact with the balloon at all times. Good for
focus, concentration and physical movement.

Ball sports take on a new dimension when a balloon is used instead,

e.g., get people into pairs, 1 balloon between them. Get them to
Balloon play a series of 1 on 1 sports e.g., soccer, volleyball, table tennis,
Ball etc. - add equipment if you want, but without equipment people will
Games improvise wonderfully. On a soft surface there can be dramatic
diving. Variation: Ask participants to play some points in slow-
motion.

Great Egg Drop

 Engaging small group activity (4 or 5) as part of larger group
(e.g., 20 up to 100)
 Can be run as a competition between teams
 Task is to build a single egg package that can sustain a fall of
8ft (top of a supermarket shelf)
 Can be used to highlight any almost aspect of teamwork or
leadership
 Lends itself to building a dramatic large group scenario/finale for the Egg Drop
Off
 Can include the task of presenting a 30-second advert for the egg package.
This increases the complexity of the activity.
 Lends itself to production line or project management metaphors

Variation
 Give no equipment - participants are to find natural materials from the local
environment.

Warp Speed
 Warp Speed is a Group Juggle spin-off activity to focus on problem-solving and
teamwork.
 37
 Extends the common Group Juggle icebreaker/name game to a team building exercise by asking
participants how fast they can pass the ball to everyone (including saying names). Groups can
tender a time and then try to deliver. Push them to go even faster.
 Use the set up & instructions as for Group Juggle, but probably not emphasizing names.
 Challenge the group to see how fast it can juggle one ball around the whole group. Time the
group, and ask them to "tender" for how fast they think they can really do it.
 Explain that the tender is like a business tender - they must put in a really good bid, but they must
be able to deliver.
 Allow time for discussion and planning. Then ask them what their tender is & then ask them to
deliver it.
 If they make it, then ask them to think again, because they undersold themselves. Ask them to
come up with a new tender which better reflects their capabilities as a group.
 If they don't make it, then ask them to discuss what went wrong, and say you'll give them a
second chance to make their tender.
 Generally requires debriefing.

Multi-Way Tug-of-War
Fun, finale-type activity. Physically exhausting and

emotionally climaxing!
 Works for kids through to corporate programs. Ideal for
adolescents and possibly youth at risk. Especially with older
adults, be careful with this activity, especially if they are
unfit or if overexertion is contraindicated (e.g., heart problems).
 Use for any size groups, indoor or outdoor. Ideal is large group outdoors.
Pick a soft location e.g., grass/beach.
 In traditional 1 on 1 tug-of-war it is mostly strength that wins, with a few
tactics.
 In multi-way tug-of-war it is mostly tactics that wins, with some strength.
 Lay out the ropes, etc. as shown in diagram below.
 Participants should prepare appropriately e.g., watches and hand jewellery
off.
 Divide into groups and make sure the groups appear to be of similar strength.
 Brief group on normal tug-of-war safety rules, basically:
o no wrapping or tying rope around anyone or anything - only
hold rope with hands
o watch out for rope burn on hands - let go if rope is moving
through hands
o watch out for rope burn on body - let go if you lose footing
 First command from the Tug-of-War master is "take the strain". This is only
to take up the slack, that's all. The Tug-of-War master makes sure the centre
ring is stable and centered. This needs strong leadership because teams are
always keen to add extra strain!
 Second command is "Go!!"
 Teams attempt to pull the center ring or knot over their finish line. This can
rarely be achieved by strength alone and instead will require guile. Teams
can swivel to cooperate / compete with other teams, then switch directions,
etc.
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 Conduct several rounds. Continue, say, until one team earns 3 victories and
the Tug-of-War title.
 Allow teams plenty of time to physically recover and debrief/plan after each
round.
 Team building groups may wish to discuss what the secrets to success were in
this activity - and whether these lessons apply elsewhere

Games Index
Amoeba Race
Team Building Exercises James Neill
Last updated:
Description of a Fun, Team Building
Activity

Amoeba Race
 A fun game, using a basic biology concept of a cell
 Requires cooperation, competition and close physical interaction.
Useful as a simple activity to help a group get comfortable with one
another.
 Explain how to create an amoeba. There are 3 parts:
o a lot of protoplasm
(people who don't mind being close, gather together)
o a cell wall
(people who like to contain themselves & others, surround the
protoplasm, facing outward, linking elbows)
o a nucleus
(someone with good eyesight and the ability to keep on top of
things should be the nucleus, seated on the shoulders of some
of the protoplasm)
 Once the amoeba is formed, try taking a walk through a field or
around the block. A rhythmic chant might be helpful for coordinating
movements. (What sort of sound does a one-celled creature make?)
 Finally, try a little cell division. Split into two, create a second nucleus
and have an Amoeba Race.

Group Mandala
James Neill
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Description of a Group Dynamics Exercise

Group Mandala

 Allows symbolic exploration of group structure and

dynamics, and revealing of personal feelings towards
others
 Each person is represented by an object they choose
themselves; objects are then "caste" like dice
 Each person then shares how he or she feels about the position in
which his or her object has landed (uses psychoanalytic technique of
"projection")
 Through various rounds, participants get to modify/adjust the
position of their object until each individual is satisfied with where
they sit in relation to the other objects (group members)
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 Logistically, a simple activity; facilitation-wise, a potentially difficult
and challenging activity; lots of potential for subtle and deep group
work
 Group sizes of approximately 7 to 9 are ideal, but can be done with
as few as 5 or as many as 12.

Create Your Own Team Building Activity

James Neill
Last updated:
Description of a Team Building Exercise

Create Your Own Team Building Activity

 Challenging exercise best presented late in a program

 Divide a larger group into smaller groups of 4 to 5
 Give groups ~15-20 minutes to come up with a challenging small group activity.
 The catch: The activity should be one that the group believes it can do better than any
other group!
 Then all groups come together and take turns to present their activity.
 Groups earn points if:
o No other group can beat them at their activity (+2)
o Can do another group's activity (+1)
 Be warned: This is harder than it sounds - requires all elements of team work
including creativity, communication, trust, problem-solving, time management, etc.
 To help groups succeed, the facilitator checks in with the progress during planning.
Help with ideas or problem-solving strategies if the group is struggling.
 Encourage creative out-of-the-box thinking e.g., singing, dancing, joke-telling, non-
verbal, as well as physical or mental-type challenges.
 Avoid using this activity to get out of designing an activity yourself!