TEAM BULDING + ICE BREAKERS

COMMUNICATION CORRIDOR: Have two areas where groups can not see each other.  Work in teams of three.  One person is in each area and the remaining group member is the runner.  The runner must go between the areas and relay the instructions from one area to the other to do something (e.g. Building a wall out of legos).  Winning team is the first one done with their task.

HIDDEN AGENDA CARDS: The group task is to build a wall of certain dimensions out of Lego blocks.  Issue each group member their own hidden agenda which they must keep secret and try to achieve within the confines of the group.  Hidden agendas can be some of the following:  ensure there are three red bricks in each row, ensure no red brick touches a yellow one, ensure a red brick touches a yellow one in each row, etc.

SUPERFLY: Played with teams of 12 people, 4 people at a time.  Two people form a bridge and one team member lies on top of it with the third grabbing and supporting the feet.  This makes the team member look like superman flying.  This is the starting position.  They then race through an obstacle course and at the end the hero must pick up an item from a bowl with their mouth (gummy bear, etc.) and return through the obstacle course to the beginning and place it in another bowl.  The next group of 4 will then go and this continues until all are done.  Quickest team wins.  Be aware of groups rushing and hitting the persons head so warn them to go slow when dipping the person to get the item out of the bowl.SUPERMAN BALLOON 

SHIRT: Get as many xxxl shirts as needed (1 for each group).  You will also need a bunch of regular balloons (average of 50 per group).  Each group can have 6 members.  One person puts on the shirt in a normal fashion and the rest of the group must blow up balloons and stuff the shirt with as many balloons as they can within one minute so that the person in the shirt looks like they have huge superman muscles.  Winner is the one with the most balloons.  The balloons must be at least the size of a small dodge ball.  Blow one up for the measuring stick.

TUNNEL VISION RELAY: In groups of 4, using 4 inner tubes, 3 people must put the 4th inside all 4 tubes and roll them the length of the course.  If one of the tubes falls out then the group must stop and put it back on the end.  Once at the end the next group goes back.  Quickest team wins.

ENVELOPE PASS: Have empty envelopes with everyone’s name in the group already on them.  Give out small slips of paper to everyone.  Pass the envelopes around and everyone has to put a piece of paper with something nice about that person in every envelope.

TEAM LIFT CHALLENGE: In groups of 5 to 6 have them try to raise a pop can and a quarter from the ground to above their heads by using only one finger from each person.  With a hula hoop do the same thing but use only the fingernails.

LOG SWITCH: Using rescue tubes or tape to represent logs, all members of the team must switch to the opposite position on the logs without stepping off.  If one does step off the whole team must start over.

BUDDY WALKER: Take two 2”x4”x8’ boards.  Drill holes into them and put ropes on them so up to 5 people can be on one set.  Then they have to communicate with each other without talking while going around an obstacle course.  Boards should already be prepared for ease of use.

MANAGER GAME: Everybody finds something in the room that could be used as an example of what a good manager is. Make one person in the group dress up with all the stuff, i.e. wearing a watch because a good manager is always on time.   Also can be used for team members such as guards, i.e. wearing a rescue tube because a good lifeguard is always protected and rescue ready.

BLINDFOLDED DODGE BALL: Have people pair up, one person must be blindfolded, and put some small dodge balls in a central area.  When you say go have the unblindfolded person tell the blindfolded one where to go to get a dodge ball and then how to throw it at another blindfolded person.  Last team to be eliminated wins.

TALLEST TOWER BUILD CHALLENGE: Give the teams 10 minutes to build the tallest freestanding structure they can using only gumdrops/marshmallows and spaghetti.

GOOSE FOLLOW THE LEADER:Have the group get into a V formation and everyone on the side must be waving their arms to simulate flying.  The person in front then does a motion that they all must do to fly in the V.  This person will drop back into the pack and then the next person must do something else when they are in front to lead the group.

Have an activity to submit?  Email natalie@alive-solutions.com

KABOOM: Pair everyone up and have them sit facing each other with feet touching.  Then they hold hands and have to see how  Get everyone in a circle and they must say a number while touching their shoulder, which shoulder tells who will go next.  The numbers for the shoulders are 1-6, 8-13, 15-19.  on #’s 7 and #’s 14 instead of touching the shoulder, they must hold their arms perpendicular in front of them with the elbow of the top arm pointing to who goes next after 7 and the elbow of the bottom pointing for 14.  On 20 they must point to who goes next and that person is 21 and goes Kaboom with their right or left arm.  Which arm they use decides who loses and who starts the next round.

NO HANDS BALLOON TRANSFER: Using only your mid chest or mid back, you must pass a balloon or ball back and forth.  Get in groups of 6-10.  First group to pass the balloon between everyone in the group wins.

NO HANDS WATER IN THE BUCKET: Players must fill a bucket up to a pre-marked line with water.  The bucket is 5 -10 feet away from the pool and can’t be moved.  No hands or mouths are allowed to be used.

HAGOO:  Separate the group into two even groups and have them stand in two separate lines facing the opposite group about 3-4 feet apart.  The players at opposite ends of the lines are opponents.  They will step out of the lines and face each other like a cowboy shoot out.  They will both say “Hagoo” and start to walk down the row toward each other.  They must not break eye contact with the other person.  The object is to get to the other end of the line without laughing or smiling.  Players must keep eye contact until they pass each other.  If one of them breaks eye contact, laughs, or smiles, they join the end of the opposing team.  The teams can do anything in line or say anything (within reason) to make the opposing player laugh.  The teams can not touch another player.

STINGER: Have the group form a circle and close their eyes.  Facilitator circles the group and selects a “stinger” by squeezing an individual’s shoulder.  The group then opens their eyes and spends time introducing themselves to others while shaking hands and trying to spot the stinger.  The stinger tries to eliminate everyone without getting caught.  The stinger strikes while injecting poison with their index finger while shaking hands.  A person stung may not die until at least five seconds after they are stung.  The more dramatic the death, the better.  When someone thinks they have discovered who the stinger is they announce that they know.  If they get a second from someone else in the group within 10 seconds the two of them make an accusation.  Both of them count to 3 and point at who they believe the stinger is.  If they don’t point to the same person or the right person they both are automatically dead.  If they choose correctly they win and the game is over.  If nobody seconds the first person when they say they know who the stinger is then they can not guess again until someone else is stung.

FINGER FENCING: Stand opposite another person and shake hands with them but leave the index finger free for your sword.  Put the same foot in front of the other person’s foot and then basically they fence to see who can touch the other person first with their sword.  Switch hands to make it fair.  Do this as a group and the last one standing wins.

PARTNER SHOE TIE: Stand and face your partner.  The team can only use each person’s non dominant hand.  Untie one of their shoes.  Now they must together retie one of their shoes as quick as they can.  Winner is the fastest.

52 CARD SIT DOWN:  4 chairs back to back like the spokes of a wheel.  Designate which chair is which suit.  One way to start is to give each participant a card and tell them not to look at it.  Then say whoever has the king in each suit is to sit in their chair.  Next the queen sits on their lap and so on and so on.  Another way is to just let everyone look at their card and line up in order by suit as fast as possible.  First team seated in order without falling over wins!

STORM CIRCLE GAME:  Make everyone get in a circle and face the back of the person in front of them with their hands on the person’s shoulders.  They all close their eyes and start thinking of a rain storm.  One person starts and does the following motions;  rubbing the upper back with two hands in a circular motion, snapping their fingers, patting the upper back with both hands, snapping their fingers, rubbing the upper back with two hands in a circular motion, and finally they stop.  The person can only change what they are doing when they feel it change on themselves.

INNERTUBE STACK:  Put into groups of seven and have them compete to see who can stack 12 inner tubes standing straight up without falling.  The stack must stand on its own for 10 seconds.  To make it harder you can place cards or tape on the tubes and make them also put the tubes in the correct order for CPR or whatever you can think of.  It is allowable to put someone in the middle of the tubes to help keep the stack straight.

BATTLESHIP:  The entire playing area is broken down into parts of a ship.  Explain each part.  Bow; the front of the ship, Stern; the back of the playing area, Port; the left side of the playing area, and Starboard; the right side of the playing area.  The leader will yell out a section or command and the players will do the appropriate actions.  Submarines; players run to the center, lie down on their back, one foot in the air.  Lifeboats Port, Starboard, etc;  players run to the correct side and form a single line sitting down and begin to row.  Each time the last person to get in position is eliminated.  Last one standing wins.

SPINNING WATER BOTTLE TOWER: Have the course set up so at one end there is a triangle on the ground, halfway to the other end there is an inner tube with 6 empty water bottles inside it, and on the other end there is a bat.  In groups of six they will compete against each other to see who can spin around the bat 7 times, run down and grab a water bottle, and then run down and stack it in a pyramid shape.  Be aware of people falling on a hard surface (best on grassy area or reduce the number of spins to make it funny but safe).

JOINING GAME:  Split group into teams of equal numbers between three to ten people.  Have the teams stand and form into clusters.  The facilitator calls out an instruction by which each teams members should join with each other.  For example: 12 fingers, three thumbs, two elbows, one shoulder, and two knees.  Each team must then work out as quickly as possible how to achieve the joining instructions.  When properly joined the team can shout out “joined” for the facilitator to check who won the round.  Examples: six knees and twenty five fingers – four elbows, three ears, ten fingers and one thumb – three hands, three wrists ten fingers and two elbows – three toes, a thigh, a forehead, thirty fingers, a wall and a table.

ICE CUBE & TOES RELAY:  Team must work to fill a bucket to a certain line using only their toes.  One bucket is already full of ice and the other is 20 feet away empty.  The team must transport and fill the bucket up to a line using only their toes.

GET KNOTTY: Instruct the entire group (up to 8 per circle) to grab hold of the straight webbing/rope.  Wherever they hold with their right hand, it must stay there, however, the left hand can move, slide or let go as necessary to make movement easy.  The task is for the group to tie a single overhand knot in the circle.  A simple method is for one of the people on the end to tie a knot at the end.

KNOT BETWEEN US:  Using a section of rope/webbing between each person, tie an overhand knot loosely at the midpoint of each.  Now instruct each member of the group to pick up one end of the rope/webbing with each hand, forming a horseshoe pattern (not a complete circle) with the entire group.  The task is now for the group to untie each of the knots in the various pieces of rope/webbing without letting go of the rope/webbing in their hands.

TIE THE KNOT: This is the opposite of Knot Between Us.  The object of this activity is for a U-shaped group of participants, each holding a rope/webbing between them, to tie an overhand knot in between each person without letting go of the rope/webbing they are holding in each hand.

TEAM KNOT: Begin with the group holding the rope/webbing with both hands about a shoulder’s width apart and standing with their feet about a shoulder’s width apart.  Next have the group pull the rope/webbing gently to form a complete circle, with some tension in it.  Now, by leaning outward from the circle a small amount, the group should be able to balance the circle, and keep each other safely leaning outward.  Next ask the group to keep holding on but to bend their knees and slowly and gently sit down, and then come back to a full standing, but leaning position.  Next, the group can close their eyes and do the same thing twice.  Finally, the group can do it twice but with their eyes closed and no talking.

SCREAMING NINJAS: Get the group in a circle.  The only motions used are a chopping motion with both hands clasped together and arms outstretched.  You must chop either up, down, or sideways.  One person starts by chopping down, yelling a ninja scream, and pointing to another person.  The person pointed at must then scream and chop up while the two people to the side of them must scream and chop towards their stomach.  The person that was pointed at then must immediately scream and chop down while pointing to another person.  People that mess up or are too slow to react lose and leave the group.  The faster the better as you go.

LITTLE SALLY WALKER:  Get the group in a circle.  One person starts in the center.  While the whole group sings “Little Sally Walker walking down the street, she didn’t know what to do so she stopped in front of me, she said hey girl/boy do your thing, do your thing and switch, hey girl/boy do your thing, do your thing now switch”, the person in the center walks, skips around the circle.  When the  song gets to the “hey girl” part the person must stop and do a dance move in front of the person they stopped in front of for until the first switch is said, then they two people switch and the one in the circle now must perform the same dance move.  The new person then starts going around and must stop at the same part of the song and do a new dance move.  Continue as long as you want.

CHUCK THE CHICKEN:  Divide the class into two groups.  Decide on playing area prior to starting.  One group throws a rubber chicken as far as they can (in the pool or on land).  The second group must all swim/run to the chicken, form a straight line and pass the chicken down the line front to back by first handing it over their shoulder then between their legs.  While this is going on the first group must get into a tight ball and have one person swim/run laps around the ball.  Each lap counts as one point.  They stop when the second team gets the chicken to the end of the line.  Then the process is reversed.  First group to 21 wins.

BODYGUARD TAG:  Three people (the bodyguards) make a circle in the water or on land.  Put another person inside the circle and one outside.  The person outside tries to tag the person inside and the bodyguards try to block them.  If tagged the two switch places.  Be sure to allow the bodyguards to switch places as well.

MAN OVERBOARD: Have the guards be walking around and then you shout, “man overboard” and they have to get into lifeboats (you specify the number of people per boat e.g. “man overboard, 5 per boat”).  Whoever is left out is the loser.  Keep reducing the number of people per boat or number of available boats.  There should always been one more person than available spots.  Similar to musical chairs.

ROPE SHAPES:  Use a piece of rope and have groups of 3-4 blindfolded people make specific shapes (triangle, square) by only talking to each other.  This can also be done in the water with rescue tubes.

Have an activity to submit?  Email natalie@alive-solutions.com