TEAM-BUILDING RESOURCES

Team-building, it seems to me, is te t!ue ea!t o" te #LL $allenge% &en I began $oa$ing #LL
teams in '((), I tougt te te$ni$al as*e$ts +e!e going to be a!dest "o! te ,ids% I +as
&RONG-
Getting ten .o! in ou! $ase //0 1 to 2) 3ea! olds to $ollabo!ate on a $om*le4, une4*lained and
small !obot *!o5ed to be te g!eate! $allenge% So, ou! teams +o!, on team-building e5e!3
single meeting% &e *la3 games% &e a5e s$eduled sa!ing times% &e *a!t3 and a5e !egula!
*la3 dates% I suggest in$o!*o!ating team-building a$ti5ities into e5e!3 gate!ing%
APPROACHES
6a5e membe!s sign a Code o" Condu$t ag!eement at 7!st session and old tem to it
Build time into ea$ meeting to sa!e8
o &at ea$ *e!son lea!ned
o 9!oblems:issues tat a!ose and *ossible solutions
o Cong!atulations and !e$ognition "o! +at ea$ *e!son:te team as a$$om*lised
o Goals "o! ne4t +ee,
Regula!l3 $allenge te ,ids to sto*, tin,, $ommuni$ate and T6EN a$t
En$ou!age and !e+a!d "ailed e4*e!iments
9la3 togete! ; in $lass and out
INTERNET RESOURCES
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tt*8::+++%"!ee$ild%o!g:#i!esta!te!:"a$ilitating%tm=#SA$ti5ities
tt*8::!e5ie+ing%$o%u,:"eedba$,%tm
tt*8::+++%uni%edu:$oe:!+$t:te4t:>ou!nals:issue':getting<sta!ted%tml
tt*8::+++%uni%edu:$oe:!+$t:te4t:>ou!nals:issue':getting<sta!ted%tml
tt*8::+++%sonoma%edu:,inesiolog3:**e*:e4*e!ts:team%tm
tt*8::+++%sonoma%edu:,inesiolog3:**e*:e4*e!ts:team%tm
tt*8::+++%+o!,?22%$om:$gi-bin:lin,s:>um*%$gi@IDA'B?)
tt*8::+++%3out+o!,%$om:a$ti5itiesinit%tml
BOOKS
Team-Building Activities fo Eve! "ou#, Alanna Cones
Team C$allenges% &'() "ou# Activities to Build Coo#eation* Communication* and
Ceativit!, D!is Bo!dessa
"eat "ou# "ames% &'+ Boedom-Busting* ,eo-Pe# Team Buildes fo All Ages, Susan
Ragsdale
&(- Activities t$at Build Self-Esteem* Team.o/* Communication* Ange 0anagement*
Self-1iscove! and Co#ing S/ills, Alanna Cones
2212( E% BE Te!!a$e, Dansas Cit3, MO B)2EE +++%lea!ns$ien$eandmat$lub%$om
ACTI2ITIES
Te "ollo+ing a!e some o" te games ou! Club as *la3ed o5e! te 3ea!s% All $allenge te ,ids to tin,,
+o!, and *la3 as a team%
TEAM-BUILDING GAMES
3a# S#eed - 6a5e ,ids toss a ball to ea$ membe! o" g!ou* "aste! and "aste!%
Human Knot ; 6a5e ,ids stand in a $i!$le, !ea$ tei! ands out to tose a$!oss "!om tem and lo$,
ands% Te3 must old t+o *eo*leFs ands% 6a5e tem untangle temsel5es &IT6OUT letting go o"
ands%
Balloon Races ; G!ou* te ,ids into teams and a5e teams stand in !o+s ne4t to ea$ ote!% Send al" o"
ea$ !o+ to o**osite side o" !oom and a5e tem "a$e tei! teammates% Gi5e ea$ team a la!ge s*oon
and a balloon% Te3 must !ela3 te balloon ba$, and "o!t bet+een te t+o al5es o" tei! team &IT6OUT
tou$ing te balloon o! letting te balloon tou$ te Goo!% I" te3 tou$ te balloon o! allo+ it to tou$ te
Goo!, tat membe! o" tei! team must !etu!n to is:e! sta!ting *oint and t!3 again% Te team tat as
ad all o" its team membe!s $a!!3 te balloon ba$, and "o!t su$$ess"ull3 7!st +ins%
Hula-Hoo# Pass ; 6a5e te ,ids stand in a $i!$le, >oin ands H *ass a oola-oo* all te +a3 a!ound
&IT6OUT letting go o" ea$ ote!%
Islands45oot Bidge ; Di5ide te ,ids into g!ou*s o" "ou! o! 75e% 6a5e al" te g!ou*s stand in !o+s on
one side o" a long !oom% 6a5e te ote! al" o" te g!ou*s stand o**osite tem in !o+s% Gi5e ea$ g!ou*
t+o o! t!ee la!ge *ie$es o" $a!dboa!d o! $a!*et% Tell tem tese se!5e as Goating !a"ts to el* tem $!oss
sa!,-in"ested +ate!s .te Goo!0% Te3 ma3 onl3 $!oss b3 ste**ing on te $a!dboa!d% E5e!3one must $!oss
te !oom% I" an3one ste*s:"alls on a team into te +ate!, tat team loses% INOTE8 Te !eal ob>e$ti5e o"
tis game is to get te ,ids to $ollabo!ate +it te "ol,s at te ote! end o" te !oom, sa!ing tei!
Jste**ing stones%K 6o+e5e!, te3 o"ten donFt 7gu!e tis out% Remind tem tat te ONLL !ules a!e tat
e5e!3one must $!oss and no one ma3 ste*:"all into te +ate!%M
C$ai Sit ; 6a5e te g!ou* stand "!ont-to-ba$, in a $i!$le and t!3 to sit on ea$ ote!Fs la*s% .Tis is a
Nui$, and ila!ious game% It ta,es a lot o" $ollabo!ation "o! la!ge g!ou*s to 7gu!e out o+ to balan$e, et$%O
S$in/ing Platfom ; 6a5e all te ,ids gate! in a de7ned s*a$e% .Lou $ould ma!, $on$ent!i$
$i!$les:sNua!es on te Goo!, la3 do+n a $e!tain numbe! o" tiles, et$%0 Ten, sta!t !edu$ing te s*a$e and
a5e te ,ids 7gu!e out o+ te3 $an still 7t in tat s*a$e%
Pogam 6ou Ro7ot ; Set-u* an obsta$le $ou!se "o! e5e!3 ten o! so ,ids% Te $ou!se sould be a mi4 o"
ba!!ie!s te ,ids must na5igate and tas,s te3 must do .li,e *ut a ball into a $u*, ste* o5e! a st!ing, et$%
Assign one $ild to a$t as J!obot,K and blind"old im:e!% INOTE8 It ma3 el* to a5e an adult a$t as te
7!st !obot%M 9osition "ou! o! 75e J*!og!amme!sK along te $ou!se to di!e$t te J!obot%K A!m te !obot +it
t!eats, su$ as $and3, to gi5e te *!og!amme!s +o do a good >ob% Tell te !obot to do EPACTLL as te
*!og!amme! tells im:e!% Te ob>e$ti5e o" tis game is to tea$ te ,ids te im*o!tan$e o" $lea!l3,
e4a$tl3 $ommuni$ating +at te !obot must do%
8ail7ea/ ; Set-u* an obsta$le $ou!se% Te $ou!se sould be a mi4 o" ba!!ie!s te ,ids must na5igate and
tas,s te3 must do Di5ide te g!ou* into *ai!s% Bind ea$ *ai! at te an,le and blind"old one *e!son in
ea$ set% Te3 must t!a5el t!oug an obsta$le $ou!se togete!%
2212( E% BE Te!!a$e, Dansas Cit3, MO B)2EE +++%lea!ns$ien$eandmat$lub%$om
Helium Stic/ ; Using a long, ligt !od, *a!ti$i*ants !est te !od on tei! inde4 7nge!s onl3 and attem*t to
lo+e! it to te g!ound togete! +itout d!o**ing it%
Human 0ac$ine ; Di5ide te ,ids into g!ou*s o" "ou! o! 75e% 6a5e tem b!ainsto!m about a mo5ing
ma$ine te3 $ould "o!m +it tei! bodies% 6a5e tem *e!"o!m "o! te g!ou* and let te ote!s guess
+at te3 a!e:a!e doing%
Team 0usical C$ais ; 6a5e te ,ids set-u* as i" te3 +e!e going to *la3 musi$al $ai!s% Tell tem te
ob>e$ti5e o" tis game is to get e5e!3one on te $ai!s as soon as te musi$ sto*s% 6a5e enoug $ai!s "o!
e5e!3one at te beginning% Remo5e a $ai! ea$ !ound% I" someone is NOT on a $ai! at te end o" a
!ound, e5e!3one loses% INOTE8 Tis is meant to be a $ollabo!ati5e game, but te ,ids o"ten >um* to te
$on$lusion tat te3 al!ead3 ,no+ o+ to *la3 te game% Te3 must listen to te e4a$t inst!u$tions and
get e5e!3one on te $ai!s%M
ENGINEERING GAMES #OR TEAMS
NOTE8 Set time !est!i$tions "o! ea$ o" tese *!o>e$ts to en$ou!age teams to $ommuni$ate and +o!,
togete! unde! *!essu!e%
Egg 1o# ; C!eate a *!ote$ti5e J*a$,ageK using st!a+s, toot*i$,s, ta*e, et$% tat +ill enable a !a+ egg
to su!5i5e a 2( to 2(( "t d!o*% INOTE8 To a5oid a mess, *ut te eggs in Qi*lo$ bags%M
Egg Bungee 8um# ; Gi5e te ,ids elasti$ $o!d, !ubbe! bands, 3a!d sti$,s and ta*e% 6a5e tem design a
bungee >um* so te egg sto*s +itin ' in$es o" te Goo!% INOTE8 To a5oid a mess, *ut te eggs in Qi*lo$
bags%M
Sta. Bidge ; Gi5e te ,ids ne+s*a*e! and st!a+s% Callenge tem to build a b!idge tat s*ans a ' "oot
ga*% Tei! b!idge must be stu!d3 enoug to su**o!t e5e! in$!easing +eigt .su$ as sta$,s o" *ennies0%
Pu9 0o7ile ; Gi5e te ,ids st!a+, *a*e!, $otton balls, et$% Callenge tem to ma,e a 5ei$le tat +ill !oll
+en blo+n%
Cu# Stac/ ; Gi5e te ,ids *a*e! $u*s, st!ing and !ubbe! bands% As, tem to build te tallest *ossible
to+e! +itout using tei! ands%
Build a Tee#ee ; Gi5e te ,ids ne+s*a*e!, *a*e! *lates, sta*les and ta*e to build a tee*ee big enoug to
7t at least one *e!son and to stand +itout su**o!t%
Build a Cata#ult ; Gi5e te ,ids Legos% Callenge tem to $onst!u$t a $ata*ult tat $an t!o+ a
ma!smallo+ te "a!test%
0ove 0a7les ; Gi5e te ,ids ne+s*a*e!, ta*e, *a*e! $li*s, ma!bles and a bu$,et% Callenge tem to
$!eate a maRe to $a!!3 ma!bles E o! mo!e "!om table to bu$,et%
2212( E% BE Te!!a$e, Dansas Cit3, MO B)2EE +++%lea!ns$ien$eandmat$lub%$om