Team Building Games

by Pam Headridge

Team "bonding" is a very important process that will help to ensure a closeknit team. A strong cheer squad becomes one in purpose and desire, Encouragement is very important in team bonding. I team members try to motivate one another, everyone will try harder to accomplish team ob!ectives. Teambuilding games are a un way to develop cohesiveness. They tear down walls in communications, provide avenues that encourage discussion, and increase productivity. Team building takes time but the end results are well worth the e"tra time. It is an ongoing process that boosts commitment. #ere are some games and e"ercises to do with your squad to build a uni ied group. Relay Lock Race- Each person selects a partner. They stand back to back and lock arms by the elbows while holding their own stomach with their hands. The coach gives the instruction to get rom one side o the gym to the other. $on%t give them speci ic instructions on how to get to the inish line other than they can%t let go o their stomachs. This causes creativity and laughter. Shoe Game & #ave everyone take o their shoes and put them in a pile in the middle o the room. 'i" the shoes up. $ivide the cheerleaders into ( groups. )ee which group can ind their shoes and put them on irst. *hen they have their shoes on the team done irst must sit on the loor. Truths and a Lie - Each team member writes ( true acts and one lie on a card. The coach collects the cards and reads them aloud. The rest o the squad tries to guess who it is and which act is the lie. Sculpting - +ive your squad di erent supplies such as newspaper, scissors, construction paper, glitter, straws, tape, string, etc. and tell them to create a sculpture that represents their school%s spirit. #ave them e"plain the signi icance. I the school%s spirit is low, use this opportunity to discuss how they can improve their school%s spirit. Trust Fall- ,heerleaders sit in a close circle with their legs straight and arms out. -ne cheerleader stands in the center o the circle. )he should have everyone%s eet around her ankles. The girl in the center squee.es all her muscles and is very tight. )he alls to the side and the other cheerleaders catch her and push her back and orth in the circle. /et all members be the one in the center. To Be Or Knot To Be & 0ou need an even number o students, ideally no larger than twelve. 1orm a circle acing each other 2the di iculty o the activity increases, the greater the number o students in the group3. )tudents close their eyes and reach across the circle with their right hand to grasp the right hand o another student. They should pretend that they are shaking hands but hold on4 *ith eyes open, have each student reach across the circle with their le t hand and grasp the le t hand o a di erent student. 5o student should be holding both hands o the same person. 5ow, without letting go, have the students untangle themselves. The result should be a circle o intertwined circles, or one large circle. Cheerleader Tic-Tac-Toe- 0ou need nine chairs set up in three rows. $ivide the squad into 6%s and -%s. 7ust like in regular tic-tac-toe, the 6%s and -%s alternate, e"cept they sit in the chairs instead o drawing it out on paper. Ask questions about the rules o ootball, basketball or any sport. The cheerleaders must raise her hand to answer. I she is right, then she sits in one o the chairs. The irst team to get three in a row, diagonally, vertically or

The Line-Up Game. The goal of this activity is for kids to line themselves up in order according to predetermined criteria. For example: shortest to tallest, alphabetically by last name, chronologically in order of birth date, etc. Start with the easiest ones first to help alleviate any hesitancy to participate, and to give kids a sense of success. This game gives kids the chance to utili e communication, cooperation, and problemsolving skills. !ou might also want to watch carefully to see which students seem to take charge, and which need prompting to get involved. For a real challenge, have students perform tasks without verbal communication. Elimination. "ll students begin the game standing. The leader calls out a characteristic, and all students who possess that characteristic remain standing while the others sit down. For example: has an older sibling, has a dog, likes math, has toast for breakfast this morning. #et creative. The last person standing, gets to run the next round. This game is a great way for students to learn about each other in a fun way. Four by Four. "head of time, make up four by four grids with four letters of the alphabet across the top, and four categories down the side. Sub$ects can be school related %school supplies, something you find in school, etc& or general %T' show, lunch food, girls( name, etc.& )ivide students into groups of four or five and give each group a copy of the same grid. The groups( task is to fill in each of the sixteen blocks with one answer that fits the category and also begins with the proper letter. %For example, if the category is *something you find in school+ and the letters are ,, -, T, and ., students could write cafeteria, lockers, tables, and books.& #roups score points only for having answers that no other group came up with, which encourages groups to work more /uietly. This activity forces kids to think, practice group decision-making, and to work together. Sub$ect teachers can make the categories pertinent to their content area %i.e. famous author, art supplies, math term, etc.& 0ids -1'2 this game3 If you enjoye Group an !lassroom Games an Group an !lassroom Icebrea"ers, here are some more activities to use at the beginning of the school year or anytime. #hat $o %ou Thin". "head of time, make up four signs: "gree Strongly, "gree Somewhat, )isagree Somewhat, and )isagree Strongly. 4ang a sign in each corner of the room. 5ake up a list of statement to ask your students. Statements can relate to students( values and beliefs %6 am pro-death penalty, 6 believe people are innocent until proven guilty, 6 think most people are basically honest&, their abilities %6 am good at math, 6 am a hard worker, 6 am organi ed& or their interests %6 like to read, 6 en$oy sports, 6 like action movies&. 7hen each statement is read, students choose the statement that best reflects their own feelings, and move to that corner of the room. Students can even comment on why they chose the way they did, if they are comfortable doing so. This activity gets students to think about themselves and to see similarities and differences between themselves and others. !ou can even have students make up their own statements to present to the class, as well. Treasure &unt. )ivide students into groups of 8-9 and give each a list of items:people to search for. The search can be classroom wide, building wide, or any other parameters that suit your needs and situation. This can be especially helpful to students coming to a new school or program %i.e., find a math teacher, find the gym, find a staff member whose last name begins with ..& "rrange with staff members beforehand to have them give students an item to prove they were successful %for example, if the task was to *find the nurse+, the nurse could give each team a band aid or other small item to bring back.& Teachers can also initial students( list to show proof. This activity helps kids acclimate to a new situation, get used to talking to unfamiliar people, and helps kids work together as a team.

The &uman !hain. Students stand in a tight circle. 2ach student reaches his arms into the center of the circle and clasps hands with two other students. 1nce everyone has grabbed hold, the task is to untangle the knot back into a circle without dropping hands. This is a great getting to know you activity that also helps with team building, problem-solving, and communication skills. I spy. The leader chooses a random ob$ect in the classroom. Students take turns asking /uestions in an attempt to identify the ob$ect. "nswers can only be in the form of yes or no. Students can ask /uestions to clarify color %is the ob$ect blue;&, location %is the ob$ect near the door;&, si e %is the ob$ect smaller than a baseball;&, purpose %is it something you write with;& or other /ualities that will help them narrow down their options. This activity helps kids pay attention to details, listen to others, and categori e. This is also a great activity to have students lead, as well. ' ne( school year often brings anxiety and apprehension along with excitement. 0ids need a way to relax and get comfortable in new surroundings. 6f you liked the activities in Group an !lassroom Icebrea"ers, here are some more to keep the fun and learning going strong. )imon )ays. "n oldie, but a goodie. 1lder kids can handle a faster pace and more variation in movements. 0ids love the aspect of competition< it can be a great physical workout, and its lots of fun. Fin )omeone #ho. =repare a list of categories, each of which you would expect to apply to at least some of the students in your group. %for example: took a vacation out of state this summer, has a dog, loves math, etc.& 2ach student gets a copy of the list. Students circulate the room, trying to *find someone who+ fits each category. Students can initial each item to verify. The ob$ect of the game is to get each category initialed: the ob$ect of the activity is to generate conversation and help students discover things about each other. 5ake your categories broad enough to include everyone, yet make some specific enough to provide some challenge. !ounger children might like doing this game in a *bingo+ format. !ou can even take this activity one step further and have kids do a writing assignment based on something they learned about another student. )tep For(ar , )tep *ac". Students line up along the back of the room while the group leader stands in the front. The leader calls out a series of descriptors: if the statement is true, students take a step forward. 6f it(s not true, students take a step back. This is a low-threat way to get to know something about classmates without much direct interaction, and would be especially appropriate for a first activity with a group made up of students who don(t know each other at all. 5ake your descriptors general or content based, if you like. "lso find a way to ensure that students *steps+ are of relatively e/ual si e to ensure fairness. 7hen a student reaches the front of the room, they can become the leader for the next round. +emory *o,. 5ore a game of memory and concentration than a social activity, this game will test kids( ability to remember a group of common items. )epending upon the age and skill level of the group, choose ten random everyday ob$ects and put them in a bag. %Some starters: pencil, comb, apple, photograph, etc.& "t one time, place all the ob$ects on a table in plain view of the students. Set a time limit %9 minutes or so& for students to study the ob$ects. 2ncourage them to develop strategies to remember the ob$ects, but don(t allow any note taking or collaboration. 7hen time is up, return the items to the bag and ask each student to return to their seat and see how many items they can recall and list. These are also great activities to use throughout the year, too. >se them to re-energi e kids when they(ve lost focus, to help develop social skills, to re uce stress, or to re-group after a vacation. 0ids love leading

these games, too, and this provides an opportunity for kids to develop their confi ence and communication s"ills, too.