Student Leadership Team Building Activities

Put the group in a circle and one person in the middle. Middle person points to anyone, who must "make" an animal with people on both sides (total of 3 people). If the middle person counts to five before the animal is "made", then the center person of the animal comes into the middle of the circle to replace the middle person. Animal example: alligator, with the middle person making jaws of two arms, and 2 side people making tails by holding the hips of the middle person.

Group in circle. First person starts by miming action (ex: brushing teeth). Person to the left asks, "What are you doing?" and the first person answers with another action/activity (ex: climbing a ladder). Person to the left must then act out climbing the ladder, while the person to their left asks, "What are you doing?". No one stops miming activity until everyone in the circle is doing some activity/action.

Human twister, with a group in a circle (paired up) and one person in the middle. Middle person calls commands, such as "hand to hand" or "elbow to shoulder" to twist up pairs. After 2-3 twists, the middle person calls "people to people", everyone raises arms and yells, running across a circle. All must find a new partner, including the sole middle person, so one person will be left over and be the new middle person. Repeat.

Group in a circle, one person middle with blindfold and "sword" (inflatable or foam). Middle person has several clothespins attached to clothing (back, arms, legs, shoes, etc.). Group members must remove pins without getting whacked by sword. If whacked three times, you're out.

Group in a circle, one person in the middle who calls "heads down". Everyone bows heads. When the middle person says, "heads up", everyone looks up and at anyone else in the circle. If any pair makes direct eye contact, they must swap places, with the middle person trying to get into one of the places. Leftover person becomes the new middle person.

One person alone to start, the rest of the group in threesomes, with two people making house of hands and one person standing underneath. Lone person calls either "eviction", in which everyone in a house must leave and find a new one, or "earthquake", in which all houses collapse and everyone must form new threesomes of house and residence. Either way, a lone person tries to get into one of the threesomes, so the person left over becomes a new "caller".

Group in circle. Rules: choose someone in a circle to be your assassin without informing them. Also choose a bodyguard without informing. To stay alive, you must keep a bodyguard between you and your assassin. When the leader yells "freeze", check if alive or dead.

Divide participants up into even teams. Give each team as many balloons of all the same color as there are members, and some string. Make sure you give each team a different color of balloons. Have each team tie the string to their balloon and then to their ankle. Explain that when you give the "go" signal each team must attempt to pop all of the balloons that are a different color than their own. Participants must work in a team to pop the other team's balloons without getting their own popped. Once your balloon is popped you must step outside of the playing area. Once only one color of balloon is still in the game, that team wins.

Make sure all participants are comfortable with either running or fast walking. Set the parameters for the playing field. Have all of the participants’ pair off and link arms at the elbow with their partner. Have one of the pairs volunteer to begin the game as the chaser and the runner. (One person being the chaser and the other person being the runner). Explain that as long as you are linked arms in a group of 2 with another person you are safe from the chaser and cannot be tagged. The game begins with the chaser trying to tag the runner. In order to avoid being tagged and become safe the runner must link arms with one of the pairs forming a group of three. After they link arms, the third person at the end of the link must break off and become the runner. If someone is tagged before they can successfully link arms with a group of two they then become the chaser, and must try to tag the person who just tagged them before they link arms with someone.

Arrange participants into groups of 12-20 members. Have participants stand in a tight circle, shoulder to shoulder. Explain that when you (the facilitator) says, "look down" everyone must look at the ground. And when you say, "Look up" everyone must look up and stare directly at the face of another person. If two people look up and stare at each other, they must scream and then step out of the circle. The rest of the participants who didn't make eye contact with another person will continue staring until the facilitator says, "Look down" again. Play continues until there are only 2-3 people left in the circle.

Organize people into groups of 3-6 people. Hand out bags filled with random items. Explain that each group must come up with a skit that uses all of the items in the bag. Encourage the groups to be creative with the items in their bag. Objects can be whatever they imagine them to be (i.e. a hairbrush can be a microphone, a roller skate can be a time traveling device, etc.). As a facilitator you can create pre-made skit topics for each group, or you can give all of the groups a vague topic relating to your organization / company/ conference. Give groups 5-7 minutes to create a three minute skit. Have each group perform their skit in front of all the other groups.

Organize participants into a circle either sitting or standing. Tell participants to turn to the person on their right and give them a verb or action. Then tell participants to turn to the person on their left and give them a noun. Go around the circle and have everyone tell what they were given. For example: If I were given the words jump and toaster. I would say I was given a jumping toast

In a circle, with one person in the middle. All people in a circle have a designated spot (mark with shoe or piece of tape). Middle person asks anyone in the circle if he/she knows neighbors (persons on either side). Person in the circle introduces neighbors to middle persons and then says, "But I don't know anyone wearing blue jeans." Anyone wearing blue jeans must leave a spot in a circle and find a new spot, while the middle person tries to grab a spot for themself. One person will be left over and take over the middle spot. Can use any attributes ".I don't know anyone wearing contacts, who doesn't play tennis, from the Midwest, etc."

Participants share three facts about self with someone else, and then swap nametags. When meeting the next person, introduce yourself as a person on the nametag, sharing the three facts. Then swap again. After 3-4 swaps, everyone introduces themselves with the current name tag, with the real owner correcting any mistakes.

In a circle, everyone must introduce themselves and mime an activity that starts with their initial (ex: Pat mimes pitching a baseball). Everyone else must copy each person.

Hand out index cards and binder clips to everyone. Middle of the card has a name, four corners can have anything (adjectives to describe self, last book read, tennis playing level, hometown/state, job/role in tennis). Index card is clipped to shirt or existing nametag. Participants walk around silently reading others' name tags.

Group divides into two teams, each crouching on one side of a raised blanket (like wall between). One person from each team moves close to the blanket, and when the blanket is lowered, the first person to say the name of the person opposite "wins" that person onto the winner's team. Object is to get everyone on one side.

Participants will start in a circle. A ball will be tossed around the circle with the thrower calling the name of the person they are tossing to. Once an order is established the group will attempt to complete the circle in as quick a time as possible.

Make up a bingo sheet of 25 boxes. You can only get someone to sign in one box. Boxes say things like "find someone who played professional tennis", "locate someone who has three or more siblings", "find someone who has started a CTA", etc. Bingo can be five boxes across or a whole sheet.

Group must line up in order by how far each person traveled to come to the workshop, then go around and introduce names and where from.

In groups of four, make a flipchart with a rectangle in the middle and four spaces around (one per person). In the middle, the group must list 10-20 things all four have in common (all human, all USTA staff, etc.). In outer spaces, each individual puts names and three things unique to them in foursome (only one who is a lefty, only one who knows how to play guitar, etc.). Share and compare all foursomes.

In groups of 3-5 participants give each group an envelope that contains a comic strip cut into pieces. Have each member take a piece w/o showing their teammates. The group must put the strip into sequence by describing their piece. Once the group feels as though they have it right, instruct them to put their pieces down in order.

Have participants find two people who are wearing the same color as them. Have them find a spot where they can talk together. Instruct them that they will be talking about some issues and you will give them new topics every few minutes. Here are some samples: Talk about the most important thing you learned this year. What are the easiest and hardest emotions for you to express and why? What is something that few people know about you? What do you value in a friend? What do you want to be doing in five years? What is one goal you have for next year? What is a motto you try to live by? What is the greatest challenge you are facing? What do you like most about yourself? What do you value in a loving relationship? What do you value most in life?

Without talking, the entire group must get in order by month and day. You can also have them line up by height, class year, etc…

The question ball is pre-divided into questions. Group tosses around the circle, introducing names and answering questions where pinky hits on the circle (can choose which one to answer).

Divide into teams of 4 or 5. Everyone on the team searches through their own pockets, wallets, pocketbooks, book bags etc. The group tries to come up with one possession which begins with each letter of the alphabet. The winning team is the one to have objects representing the most letters.

Every person in the group will share three ‘facts’ about themselves. Throughout the day participants will try to find out each person’s lie. At the end of the time given everyone in the group will attempt to discover the two truths and a lie of each person. After one guess the participant will disclose their two truths and a lie.

Participants will get in a circle with one participant standing in the middle. The participant in the center will say, “Have you ever….” The statement must be true of them; if someone else in the circle has done what they have said that person must find a new spot in the circle. Participants may not move to the direct neighbor spot, they must move more than two spaces. There will always be one person left in the center and the game repeats.

Participants will get with a partner and have two minutes to interview their partner. The facilitator can have pre planned questions or leave the questions up to the participants. After four minutes each participant will have been interviewed by their partner and everyone will come back to a large group. Participants will then introduce their partner to the group and what they have learned.

Put the name of group members on the backs of other group members. Then the group members walk around and ask yes or no questions, such as ‘Do I have blue eyes?” to try to figure out who they are. Once you guess whose name is on your back, they latch onto your back until a complete circle is formed.

All players take off their shoes and put them in a pile in the middle of the circle. Each person then takes two different shoes that do not belong to them. They then have to find their own shoes. Once they find the person who has their shoe, they have to learn 3 things about the person who has their shoes, and link arms with them they then continue to find their other shoe.

One person starts out with a nerf ball (nerf ball can be wet or dry.) The person throws the ball up in the air, and while throwing it they yell out a name. Meanwhile, everyone else is running away from the person whose name was called while they pick up the ball. Once the person picks up the ball, they yell “Spud!” and everyone stops running. The person with the ball takes 2 steps towards a person and throws the ball at them trying to hit them. If they miss, they throw the ball up in the air and call out someone else’s name. If they hit the person, the person they hit throws the ball and calls out a name.

One person leaves the circle while the group decides who should leave. The person who left comes back, and has to try and figure out who is missing.

Each person picks a cartoon that they think they are most like and then tells everyone why.

Split the group up into pairs. Each person is given a name that is one half of a famous duo (i.e. Batman and Robin) everyone closes their eyes and mixes themselves up. Each person must then try to find their partner by saying the name of their half of the duo and listening for their partners.

From pairs. Have someone call out two body parts (ex. Hand to foot). Each pair must connect the two body parts called out.

Participants are all in a circle, seated or standing. Explain that one person needs to volunteer to be the psychiatrist and leave the room. While they are gone the rest of the group will create a pattern of how they will be answering the questions the psychiatrist will ask when they come back into the room. For example: Everyone will answer the questions as if they were the person on their left. Once the group members have created a pattern they bring the psychiatrist back into the room and the psychiatrist must begin asking people questions in order to figure out the pattern. If the psychiatrist asks a question to someone and the person answers correctly nothing happens and the psychiatrist moves on to ask someone else a question. If the person answers incorrectly, someone in the circle must say "psychiatrist" and everyone gets up and switches places. For example: If the psychiatrist asks Sam, "What color eyes do you have?" and Sam says, "Blue" and then Katie, on Sam's left really has green eyes, Katie would say, "psychiatrist" and everyone would get up and switch places. It is important to keep with the pattern once places are switched. Meaning that if you are answering as the person to your left, you will have a different person on your left when you switch places. The game ends once the psychiatrist figures out the pattern. If the game goes on for a long time and the psychiatrist can't figure out the pattern, give them hints or eventually just tell them the pattern.

Every group member must find a partner of approximately equal height and weight, if possible. The partners will lock arms with their backs to one another. With arms remaining locked at all times, the partners will sit down on the ground, kick their legs out straight, and try to stand back up. Then groups of four will try the same thing. Then groups of eight, sixteen, and eventually, the entire group together. This is the perfect activity to begin a trust sequence.

The group starts out in one or two tight circles. Everyone in the group reaches across the circle with their right hand to grab another group member’s right hand. The group then reaches in with their left hand to grab a different group member’s left hand. The object is to untangle the group without letting go of hands until a circle is formed. If the group is having extreme difficulty, you can administer knot first-aid and break one set of tangled hands (with group consensus), otherwise group members may not let go at any time. You may have to decide as a group that they know is not solvable, after prolonged attempt. NOTE: Can have groups do without talking if they are advanced enough.

The object of this game is to create a machine out of a group of people (i.e. ceiling fan, hot air balloon, watch, etc.). You might want to split your group into two or three smaller groups. Each person is required to be accountable for one noise and one motion of the machine. The group members should then put their motions and sounds together to create the machine. Give each group about 5 minutes to work together and prepare, and then have the groups present to everyone. Ask the other groups to guess what machine the group is.

Begin by asking group members to remove any sharp jewelry or belt buckles. Then, divide the group into two teams - the Taffy Team and the Taffy-Pulling Machine Team. Have all of the members of the Taffy Team sit down and link arms, legs, and hands in one huge, tangled, mass. The job of the Taffy-Pulling Machine is to pull the taffy mass apart into human-size bits. Ask the team members to firmly, but GENTLY, tug at a piece that seems the most stretchable, until it comes loose. Each piece of taffy gets to decide how much he/she wants to stay a part of the taffy mass. These two rules help ensure no one gets hurt. Each piece of taffy that gets separated from the mass joins the machine, until the last two pieces are pulled apart. Then, if time permits, the two teams can switch roles.

Divide the group into two teams. Two members of the team hold the rope at about four to five feet above the ground. The object of the game is to get everyone over the rope. No one can go under the rope. Before you start transferring people over the wall, you meet as a team and decide how to get everyone over. HINT: If the group is small, just have them attempt as one big group.

Works best with a group no larger than twelve, in three lines of four people. Two lines face each other and can't move from spot; the third line is blindfolded and can move around and talk. One of the two lines can't speak but can use gestures and sign language to communicate with another immobile line, which has its back to the task area. Facilitator tells the goal only to the silent group, who then must signal to another immobile line, who can then relay instructions to the third line (mobile, blind line). Set up is a hula hoop or rope circle arranged with 3-4 items outside it. The Objective is to place the 3-4 items inside the circle.

Whole group must get from one end of the "river" to the other (mark off with cones, tape, or rope). Group gets half+1 as many "islands" (stepping stones) as people in the group (i.e., a group of 12 or 13 gets 7 stones, 14 gets 8, etc.). Whole group must be off one shore and on to stones before anyone moves on to the other shore. Facilitator can make penalties for anyone who dips in the river (go back to beginning, whole group starts over, person is muted, etc.).

Supplies: LOTS of newspaper and LOTS of tape. Want to see how well your group does building something together? Try this fun exercise. Divide students into teams of 4-6. Give each team enough newspaper and tape to build a newspaper shelter of some kind. It must be big enough to get three team members inside. Set a time limit on how long you want to give teams to work on the project. The Big Bad Wolf (youth leader) then attempts to blow the shelter down. Award prize to the best construction job. Afterward, have a giant paper fight

The group will start by standing on a tarp. Without stepping off the tarp they will attempt to turn the tarp over.

Ask questions about how the session is going and how people feel about themselves and others in the group. This a new list revised to be a bit friendlier for the kids. One method is that one person starts by directing a question towards one other person; this person answers and then asks another question of someone else.

Participants will split themselves into two equal groups. Half the group will be blind folded and can touch the large puzzle pieces. The other half may see and speak, but cannot make contact with the puzzle pieces or the blind participant. The group will attempt to assemble the puzzle by using only verbal communication.

This activity is a discussion activity that allows the group to come to a decision on what materials are the most important to survival. Have the group split up individually first, then if desired you could do small groups then large group discussions.

THE SITUATION:

Your quest has been caught by a sudden blizzard while trekking in a remote region of the Appalachians. A mad dash back to your BCC bus resulted in a few scratches from slipping in the snow, but none of your party sustained any major injuries. Your attempt to drive out has failed. Veering slightly off the road to avoid a fallen tree the bus smashed into a shallow ravine. In the wreck, your headlights were smashed and the oil pan was torn out. Getting the bus back in the working order is impossible. On the radio, which is still working, you hear that the blizzard is a major one and is not expected to end until tomorrow night. Immediate clearing is expected then. Temperatures tonight are expected to plummet below zero with winds in excess of 40 miles per hour. The high temperature tomorrow is forecast at 10 degrees with winds unchanged. You are unsure of your exact position. Your best estimate is that you are 35 miles from the nearest paved secondary road. Your bus is equipped with 6 seats on each side (a total of 12 seats) and storage area under 6 seats. All of the windows are glass. In the storage area, you have the following items: several magazines, a magnetic compass, a map of the immediate area, one point of fruit roll ups, a first aid kit, a pocket knife, a fishing pole, a shovel, several old pairs of blue jeans, two old blankets, and some hubcaps. Each of your party is wearing hiking boots and a wool jacket. In your pockets you have some cash and assorted change. In the glove compartment are sunglasses (one pair per member) and assorted maps. In discussing your survival possibilities, your group has compiled a list of 15 items. Your task is to rank these items from most important to least important for your survival. You are to assume that: -All members of the party have agreed to stay together. -The number of your party is the same number as the number in your group. -The time is 3 PM. Your group is expected back to camp by 6PM. The Task Your task is to rank the 15 items; Fruit Roll-Ups, Blankets, Lighter, First Aid Kit, gasoline, hoses, hubcaps, pocket knife, compass, map, fishing pole, spare tire, shovel, sunglasses, and mirror according to their importance for your survival.

Discussion activity where the group members rank the characters of the story in the order that they liked them/who was more morally correct. The entire group must decide unanimously on an order, and the reasons for that order.

The Dilemma:

A ship sank in a storm. Five survivors scrambled aboard two lifeboats: a sailor, a girl, and an old man in one boat; the girl’s fiancé and his best friends in the second boat. That evening, the storm continued, and the two boats separated. The one with the sailor, the girl, and the old man washed ashore on an island and was wrecked. The girl searched all night in vain for the other boat or any sign of her fiancé. The next day the weather cleared, and still the girl could not locate her fiancé. In the distance she saw another island. Hoping to find her fiancé, she begged the sailor to repair the boat and row her to the other island. The sailor agreed, on the condition that she sleeps with him that night. Distraught, she went to the old man for advice. “I can’t tell you what’s right or wrong for you,” he said. “Look into your heart and follow it.” Confused but desperate, she agreed to the sailor’s condition. The next morning the sailor fixed the boat and rowed her to the other island. Jumping out of the boat she ran up the beach into the arms of her fiancé. Then she decided to tell him about the previous night. In a rage he pushed her aside and said, “Get away from me! I don’t want to ever see you again!” Weeping, she started to walk slowly down the beach. Her fiancé’s best friend saw her and went to her, put his arm around her, and said, “I can tell you two have had a fight. I’ll try to patch it up, but in the meantime, I’ll take care of you.”

Discussion activity that is similar to The Girl and the Sailor, except a somewhat different scenario.

A man named Matthew and a woman named Linda are very much in love and devoted to one another. However, they are separated by a river with no bridge to get across to the other side. There is a storm brewing and as the river rises, it is possible that Matthew’s town will be swept out. On Linda’s side of the river, there is a Boatman who can take her over to the other side of the river, but he refuses to do so unless she pays him a price of $20, twice his normal fare. Linda has no money. Another man named Steve then told Linda that he will give her the $20 if she sleeps with him. Linda agrees to do so, having no other way to make money in time, and pays the Boatman, who takes her over to the other side of the river. She is reunited with Matthew and they are very happy together. The storm subsides and Matthew’s town is safe. However a friend of Matthew named Frank finds out what Linda did with Steve across the river and immediately tells Matthew. On learning the news, Matthew finds Linda and ends things with her, shouting that he wants nothing more to do with her. He demands that she leave and never see him again. Your task is to rank these five people, (M)atthew, (L)inda, (B)oatman, (S)teve, and (F)rank, from best to worst. All group members must agree.

The group is given a problem, such as agreeing up the ten most important things to take on a trip to the moon. Each member is given a role, which dictates how the other group members interact with them. The role is written on masking tape on the person’s forehead so that they don’t know what role they have (i.e. insult me, ignore me, encourage me, respect me, fear me, etc.). Role assignments may be given that relate to the person’s behavior traits. Discussion may focus on how it feels to be treated in certain ways.

The group needs to use the letters D, E, J, N, O, O, R, S, T, U, and W to spell “Just one word.”

The entire group has to agree on which four people should live and the reasons behind it.

It is 2090, and a nuclear war has just taken place. There are ten people left to carry on the human race. There is a fallout shelter available to save them; however, there is food, supplies, and space for only four people. Your task is to decide, as a group, which four of the ten people will survive, and go into the nuclear bomb shelter. The entire group must agree on your decisions and on the reasons behind them. People left on the planet choose from: A 16 yr. old high school dropout. A 17 yr. old pregnant girl. A 50 yr. old handyman who just got out of jail, he was a drug dealer. A brilliant graduate student who is confined to a wheelchair. A 65 yr. old priest who has a history of child abuse. A female bus driver. An alcoholic doctor. A 25 yr. old manic depressive artist. A sterile 45 yr. old plumber.

Have students make their own house and then explain to the group. Encourage them to be creative, they can use words, shapes, and pictures ECT. This can be done in smaller groups or larger groups.

THE HOUSE ACTIVITY 

FOUNDATION- concept on which you base your life 

WALLS- how you go about supporting that concept 

WINDOW- aspects of you that you are proud and want others to see 

ATTIC- aspects of you that you don’t let others see 

DOOR- something that you’ve gotten from someone else 

CHIMNEY- your release 

WALKWAY- what things have led you to where you are now 

BACK DOOR- where you are headed 

KEY- what others need to do to be let in

Have the group all try to get under a parachute or blanket without using their hands.

Tie two pieces of rope at different heights between the same two trees. The entire group has to get to the opposite side of the ropes by going between the ropes and not touching them or the trees. Be careful to use spotters. Weight sensitivity may be an issue-make sure the ropes are low enough so that people don’t really need to be lifted up but more of guided through the narrow opening so as not to touch.

2 group members are foxes, 2 group members are chickens, and 2 group members are bags of grain. The rest of the group is all farmers. The farmers must cross the river (designated void) and get to the other side. They have to take the foxes, chickens, and grain with them, but they can’t leave any of them alone because the foxes will eat the chickens, the chickens will eat the grain and both can run away.

Have participants stand in a circle. Start things off by pointing at anyone across from you in the circle. Keep pointing. That person must now point to someone else across the circle, who must then point at another person and so on. Tell them no one can point at anyone already pointing at someone else. No two people can point at the same person. You may all stop pointing (and apologize to each other for having been so rude to do it at all). Now tell everyone to fix their eyes on the person they just pointed at. Tell them it is their job to keep watching that person. That person is the Role Model. Learners have one job: They are to watch their Role Models closely and copy their actions and behavior. Ask your learners to stand perfectly still. The only time they move is if their Role Models moves. In fact if the Role Model does anything- coughs, twitches a finger, anything at all- the learners must repeat the motion once, and then be still again (unless, of course the Role Model moves another time). Start the game, and let it go for about 5 minutes. What will happen is that small movements will occur here and there. Anytime one does, it will be repeated around the circle endlessly (and usually exaggerated with each repetition). In the end, everyone in the circle should be wagging their heads, moving their arms and scrunching their faces, coughing, giggling and generally acting like a bunch of nuts. Debrief/ Discussion Questions: What just happened? We were supposed to stand still. How many don't know who started some of the movements? [Let your learners argue about when this or that move originated]. In fact there should be lots of arguments about "who started what" during the debriefing. How many knew it was your Role Model who started a given movement? [Note: Sometimes a learner can state confidently, "Charlie started the nose twitch," Ask Charley: "Are you surprised to learn that you're the one who started that? Were you aware of moving?" KEY POINT: Did it matter who started anything, once everybody else adopted it? How did this game model what your group does in real life? How do you play the "who started it" game at work/ in your organization? What are the costs of playing this game? How important is it to you personally to stop participating in this negative cycle? What would you be willing to do to change this norm?

Prior to the activity, fill ten paper cups with water about 3/4 full and place five at one end of the room (or outside area) on the ground and five at the other end. The cups should be at least 20 feet apart from each other if possible. Gather the group together in the middle of the room with a cafeteria- type tray placed on the ground and give them the following challenge. You must retrieve all ten cups of water and place them on the tray without spilling any water. You may only get one cup from one end of the room at a time. Before getting a second cup from that side of the room you must travel to the other side of the room with the tray and retrieve a cup from that side. When all ten cups of water are on the tray you must place it on the floor in the center of the room. By the way, each person can only use one foot and one hand for the entire duration of this activity, and if any water spills you must start over. Most groups will try to hop with the tray at first but this spills water. The best way to accomplish the task is to pass the try down a line and for the person at the end to hop to the front of the line so that the chain can continue all the way to the end of the line. Debrief/ Discussion Questions: How did it feel to be successful/ unsuccessful in this activity? Did anyone get frustrated at any time during this activity? Did you try different things before you came up with a solution/ Are you ever a part of a team and you just want to quit? When and how? How do you feel when you are a part of a team and you work together to accomplish a difficult task?

You have been a passenger on a plane that has crashed in the desert. These are the items that you have retrieved from the plane before it burned up. The pilot and copilot have been killed and the only survivors are the people in your group. On a scale of 1-11, number these in the order of importance to survival (map of desert, salt tablets, parachute, rain coats, mirror, compass, book (edible plants of the desert), flashlight, pistol (loaded), canteen of water, hunting knife). Give the following instructions to each group: Work individually for a few minutes, appoint a chairperson to facilitate the process, and decide as a group on the correct survival order. As your group starts to discuss, they'll find out that the priorities vary depending on the GOAL, or PURPOSE they come up with. For example, the biggest issue is, are they going to stay by the plane (air force pilots, unless in enemy territory and in danger are told to stay with the plane) or leave. If they are going to stay, then the compass and map aren't much of a priority. YOU NEED TO ESTABLISH THE FRAME in which every other decision is made or discussion is useless.

Organize participants into small groups. Provide a definition of qualities. (An inherent or distinguishing characteristic; a property, a personal trait).Give small groups five minutes to brainstorm the qualities needed for achieving team goals. After two minutes, instruct small groups to choose their top five qualities and write them inside the five points to their star. When points are filled in, instruct groups to agree on other star qualities and list them in the center of the star. Ask each group to share their qualities with the rest of the group. Variations: Instead of brainstorming qualities for achieving team goals, brainstorm qualities needed in an ideal leader. If the group has fewer than twelve participants, do the activity together in one group. Ask the group to prioritize the star qualities they decided upon (picking a top 3 or top 5).Use this as a goal setting activity.

Divide the participants up into 3-4 groups depending on the number of people. Ask each group to huddle together and create a noise and action to perform for other groups. After each has demonstrated noise and action twice for other groups, the facilitator gives 10 seconds time for each group to huddle. The goal is for all of the groups to be doing the same noise and action together, without consulting one another. After the huddle, the facilitator counts to three and all of the groups at the same time must perform one of the action/noise combinations. (It doesn't have to be their original one). Keep re-huddling until all three groups are doing the same noise/action. Debrief/ Discussion Questions: How did it feel to be successful (unsuccessful) with this activity? What made it so hard to reach consensus? What was most frustrating about this activity? How did it feel to have your noise/ action not be chosen by the group? Did any of you make any compromises during this activity, how did that feel? How did it feel to not be able to communicate with the other groups?

Teams are created of anywhere from three to ten in a group. The leader will give the groups a word (i.e. love, boy, dance, etc.), and give the teams one minute to think of as many songs as they can with that word in it. Once the minute has passed, one team begins by singing a part of a song with that word in it. All team members must sing it. The other team then responds. NO SONGS MAY BE REPEATED. The group who has the most songs wins. The process then can be repeated with another word.

The group leader should bring a bag of building blocks and divide the pieces in two (or however many groups there are). Each group of people is given the building blocks and the following instructions: 1. You have five minutes to create the tallest structure you can with the pieces you have been given. 2. You then have an additional five minutes to build the longest structure. 3. The winners get a prize.

Two lines of 10 people facing each other. First group gets 30 seconds to study the opposite line and then turns around. Second group then changes 10 things about them (switch jewelry, untie shoelaces, switch watch to other arm, etc.) as long as all are things in sight. First group turns back around and must identify the 10 changes. Then swap.

Supplies: Duct tape or masking tape and lots of balloons. Divide the group into 2 or more teams with 3-4 people on each team. Give each team a roll of masking tape and 30 balloons. On "Go!" have members of each team roll the masking tape (sticky side out) around one of their teammates below the neckline. Next, have kids blow up their balloons as quickly as they can and stick as many as possible to the taped-up team member. You can either end the game here by awarding the Balloon Master to the one with the most balloons attached in the time allotted, or you can set up an obstacle course and when the balloons have been attached, have the player go through and back to their team. Balloons that fall off during the race can’t be re-attached. The team whose player has the most balloons still attached is the Balloon Master.

Everyone sits around the parachute with their legs underneath. Several people are sharks and are crawling around under the parachute. These sharks must try to pull the sitting people under the parachute with them. There are also several people walking around on the outside of the circle. These are the lifeguards, and they must try to save those being accosted by the sharks. When someone is pulled under they become a shark.

Every participant in the group is a tagger, but at the same time you do not want to be tagged by someone. The safe position will be bent over with hands placed on your knees; however, you cannot tag someone while in the safe position. There will be a time limit placed on how long you can be in the safe position

Split the group into two teams. Each team forms a line and holds hands. Each group is given a hula hoop. Each group must pass the hula hoop from the beginning of the line to the end of the line as fast as they can without letting go of anybody’s hands. If you let go of the hands, you have to start over.

Each person writes a name, an action, a phrase, or a thing on a slip of paper. These are put in a bowl ("the fish bowl"). Round 1: The first person from the team then describes a slip, while the rest of the team guesses what the slip says. If the team guesses the slip correctly then the next teammates runs to the circle and grabs a slip to describe. Slips cannot get changed or skipped if you pick a slip you are stuck with it until the minute is up or your team guesses it. If the team doesn’t get it, the slip goes back in the fish bowl. The team receives a point for each slip they get correctly. A timer is set for one minute, at the end, the teams switch. This continues until all the slips have been correctly guessed. Round 2: Next, the slips are put back in, but this time people can only act it out (not speaking). Round 3: Finally, they are put back in and the individual trying to give away what they are can only say one word. If they say anything (e.g. "shoot", "hmmmph", "ahhh") this counts as their word and they can't skip the slip or say anything else.

There are five levels to this game. The lowest level is egg. If you’re an egg, you crouch down and walk around. The next level is chicken. If you’re a chicken you walk around flapping your wings and clucking. The next level is dinosaur. If you’re a dinosaur you walk around with your arms like a T- Rex and roar. The next level is ninja. If you’re a ninja, you walk around doing karate moves. The highest level is philosopher. The game starts with everyone as an egg. Find a partner and play rockpaper-scissors best of three. The winner moves on to the next level. If you win and become a chicken, you have to find another chicken to play rock-paper-scissors with. If you win, you evolve into a dinosaur, but if you lose you go back to egg. Once you reach philosopher, you’re out of the game and sit at the side and contemplate life

Participants walk around in a group, if two participants make eye contact they must pick a pose. (Elf, Giant, Wizard) Very similar to rock paper scissors; the game continues as long as needed. If a participant loses they just continue playing. Elves – small crouched down – beats giants by tying shoes together Giants – arms up high – beat wizards by squishing them Wizards – zap with wand – beats elves with magic Variations: Split the group into two teams, have each team stand on opposite sides of the room and designate a safe spot (touch the wall etc.). Each team will agree to a pose. Both teams come to a middle line when they have their pose and count to three and do it at the same time. Whatever team wins chases the losing team and tries to catch as many players before they make it back to the safe grounds. Whoever is caught is now on the other team. Repeat until everyone is on the same team or until you don’t want to play anymore.

The group will be split into two teams. The team in possession of the ball will be offensive. They will throw the ball anywhere in the playing area. Once the ball is thrown the thrower will run around the group, every lap around the group will count as a run. The defensive team will run after the ball. Making a single file line and passing the ball over the head and between the legs until the back of the line. The back of the line will yell stop and that team is now on offense. The game can go on as long as needed.

The game starts with three monarchs (taggers) everyone else are peasants. The monarch can only tag the peasants with the ball, but cannot move when they are holding the ball. If a peasant is tagged by a monarch they become a monarch.

Each participant will start with a number of clothespins on the back of their shirt. The object of the game is to grab as many clothespins as possible while keeping your clothespins on your back.

Lay in a circle with your head on someone’s stomach. Go around the circle and say “ha.” Add an extra “ha” for each person. If anyone truly laughs the group starts from the beginning and tries again.

The group sits in a circle and counts off numerically. Any time a 7 (i.e. 7,17,21 etc.) or a multiple of 7 is called the person must say, “Buzz,” instead of the number. The object is to get to a predetermined number.

Sit in a circle. One person starts by pointing over their head and say, “Ah,” to either the person on their left or the person on their right. The person they point to must then point underhand across their stomach and say, “So,” to either the person on their right, or their left. The person they point to must then point to anyone in the circle with both hands together and say, “Ko.” The person they point to starts all over again. If someone messes up, they’re out of the game.

Everybody closes his or her eyes and one person picks someone to be the vampire. Then everyone walks around shaking hands, and the vampire, when shaking hands, pokes the person in the wrist with 2 fingers to signify a vampire bite. The person who is “bitten” (poked) counts to 10 in their head, and then dramatically falls to the ground, dead. The object of the game is to try to guess who the vampire is, but if you guess wrong, you’re out, and so is the person you guessed.

Pick a person to be it. This person has to go up to people and say, “Baby do you love me?” try to make the person smile. The person who was asked must say, “Baby I love you but I just can’t smile,” without smiling. If they smile, they are it. If they don’t smile, the person must go to another person and try to get them to smile. Or you can have everyone sit in a circle and one by one each person does it to the person on their right. If they get the person to smile that person is out, if they don’t smile then that person asks the person to their right and it continues around the circle.

The group stands in a circle. Everyone takes their right hand, sticks out their thumb, and points it down into the palm of the left hand of the person to their right. The leader counts to three, and everyone tries to pull their thumb up without the person next to them catching it, and at the same time trying to catch the thumb of the person to their right.

Words (such as names of famous people, music, groups, trees, animals, etc.) are taped on the group member’s backs. Everyone mingles and asks yes or no questions to try to figure out what is on their back.

Your group sits in a circle and selects one person to leave (When the person leaves, they should hum so that they can’t hear what the group is saying.) While that person is gone, the group picks one person to be captain. The captain starts doing a motion and the rest of the group does the same motion. The person who left comes back to the circle and stands in the middle. The captain can change the motion at any time and it is the person in the middle’s job to figure out who the captain is.

Set up a playing area with cones in the shape of a boat. The captain calls out directions for the other players to do: 

i. Port- Players run to the left side of the boat. 

ii. Starboard-Players run to the right side of the boat. 

iii. Stern- Players run to the back of the boat. 

iv. Bow-Players run to the front of the boat. 

v. Jellyfish-Players lie on their backs and wave their arms and legs in the air. 

vi. Swab the Deck- Players pair up. One player pretends to be a bucket and the other pretends to mop the deck. 

vii. Man Overboard- Players pair up. One person does a wheel barrel type thing and the other holds their ankles. 

viii. Seasick- Players pair up. One person gets down on their hands and knees, and the other leans over and pretends to be “seasick.” 

ix. Man the Lifeboats- Players get in groups of three. They sit down and pretend to row a boat. 

x. Hoist the Sails- Players pretend they are hoisting the sails. 

Players are called out, or to have to “walk the plank,” if they don’t have a partner or have enough people to do a direction. They are also called out if they are too slow in completing a direction. Once they are called out, they become sharks and walk around the outside of the boat and try to tag the players if they get too close to the edge of the boat. Sharks can’t go inside the boat but can reach in from the outside.

Everybody does the crab walk (on their hands and feet with their belly up) and tries to kick a ball (preferably the earth ball or a slo mo ball) into a “goal.”

Divide the group in half. Have the one half sit Indian style on the group in a circle. Have the other half sit on their knees with their hands behind their backs behind somebody. Place a hat, cone or bandana or something of the sort in the middle of the circle. Have someone who is a “winker.” The winker winks at a pair (it may be better to have them point because sometimes it’s hard to see someone winking at you. . . ) If winked at, the person sitting on the ground has to try to get to the object in the middle of the circle by the count of 10. The person on their knees has to try to keep the other person from reaching the object. Whoever wins the minibattle is now the winker, and the person who didn’t win becomes a pair with the ex-winker.

One person will lie on the ground on his/her back, with eyes closed (if they feel comfortable). The rest of the group will place their hands underneath the person lying down. One person will be designated to be the captain, and therefore should place him/herself at the person’s head. Once everyone is ready, the captain will softly count to three. At this time, the group will pick the person up to their waist. The captain will again softly count to three, and the group will bring the person to shoulder height. The captain will softly count to three, and the group will bring the person overhead. Finally, the captain will count to three, and the group will gently rock the person (forward and backward) down to the ground. It is the volunteer’s responsibility to stay stiff as a board. It is the rest of the groups’ responsibility to take this activity very seriously, not to talk, and to keep the head higher than the feet at all times.

Should follow after a two or three person trust fall has been completed. This activity can be performed in one large group or in smaller groups with a minimum of seven people. Have the group stand in a circle with their shoulders touching. One person stands in the middle, with his/her eyes closed, body stiff, and feet planted. The rest of the group should be in a tight circle, in a sturdy stance. The outside circle group members have both of their hands up and ready at chest level. The commands are performed, and the faller may fall any way he/she likes. The rest of the group will gently change the faller’s direction by easing their fall and sending them in another direction. The middle person will change after a few minutes. NOTE: Address the fact that the more hands on someone, the safer they will feel. The leader also should ask group members to remain quiet during the activity - or even to make the sound of a gentle breeze.

Every group member needs to find a partner of approximately equal height and weight. One partner will designate themselves as the faller, and one will be the catcher. Both partners will get the chance to act in both roles. The faller’s responsibilities are to stay as straight as possible, not bend at the waist, keep their arms across their chest, and communicate with the catcher. The catcher’s responsibilities are to get in a sturdy stance (usually one leg in front of the other in a lunge position), be aware, keep their hands right below the faller’s shoulder blades, use the arms as shock absorbers, not underestimate the force being generated by the faller, and constantly communicate with and reassure the faller. The faller will have his/her back to the catcher. The commands are performed, and the faller falls straight back. After three tries, the partners should switch roles. NOTE: Give the group members the opportunity to say no to this exercise. This and all other trust activities are very serious activities. 

THREE PERSON TRUST FALL This trust activity should not be done without doing a two person trust fall first. The responsibilities and commands are the same as the two person trust fall. This time there will be two catchers, one in front of the faller, and one in back of the faller. Both catchers will go through the commands, and the faller may fall either way (forwards or backwards). The faller’s feet are STATIONARY, and the catchers gently push the faller back and forth like a windshield wiper.

This is an incredible trust activity! Every group member is blind-folded, not blind-folded, but promises not to peek, or wishing not to participate. The leaders of the group will organize the group in a straight line or in pairs, singles, etc. The leader will make sure the group begins by holding one another’s hands in a circle to help make them feel comfortable. The leader will lead the blinded group members around, periodically leaving them by themselves (but always holding on to something like a tree, fence, sign, etc. - and NEVER for any great length of time), or with new people to hold on to. THE KEY TO THIS ACTIVITY IS NO TALKING. If there is an object that needs to be stepped over, the leader should raise the hand of the group member, the next person will do the same to warn the next person, and so on. If there is an object that is low, the leader will lower the arm of the blinded group member, indicating they should duck down, and the chain will continue in the same manner as for a raised object. (The leader can pretend as well.) The leader can organize this activity according to their group. HINT: This activity is best down in the dark, but the leader should make sure everyone feels comfortable participating. If someone is nervous, they could become the leader’s partner or just watch. Squeezing the hand of a participant is very encouraging and helpful in making them feel safe.

Participants in pairs, with one partner of each pair blindfolded. One pair is "it", but only blind partners may tag someone (who also must be blind). Sighted partners may only guide by talking (no holding onto arm/elbow, etc.). When someone is tagged, that pair becomes a new "it". After a while, switch so everyone experiences being both blind and sighted.

Do you want to develop some trust within your group? Try this one! Create an obstacle course (a playground works GREAT) and get your students or leaders to go through it working in pairs. One person is blindfolded and the other (helper) is not. The helper can only lead their blindfolded partner through the obstacle course by using their voice. No touching is permitted! For safety sake, have several "floaters" placed along the obstacle course helping as needed.

Participants are given a piece of paper (preferably poster board). They are asked to cut out a face shape (that is fairly large - like the size of a regular face). They can cut out eyes and a mouth if they would like. Participants are then asked to decorate the face. One side represents what they feel people see/know/believe about them (on the outside). The other side represents what he/she feels about themself (things going on inside, what people do not necessarily know or see, etc.). The participants then share with the group if they feel comfortable.

For this exercise, a group of people must know one another and feel comfortable discussing personal issues. Everyone must be able to hear the other members in the group, but people do not have to see one another. The facilitator begins the story by setting the initial scene and mood. (The mood will alter as a result of the addition of more content to the story.) The story can start with the following examples (or others): “On my way to class the other day...” or “A good friend called last night and...” or “I had the most amazing weekend! I...” In no special order, members of the group then take over the story. They add another element to the plot. The main point is to make sure everyone adds something. The progression of the story indicates where the group members are emotionally and is representative of what is high on their lists of priorities, concerns, and thoughts. This exercise spurs on creativity and can reveal a lot about a staff’s collective state of mind. The facilitator plays a big role in interpreting what is said by each person.

A group will be led blind by one person who can see, but cannot speak. The group must find a way to communicate without using their voice or touch.

Partners will take turns leading each other through ‘traffic’ (the other groups). One participant will be the car. They will be blind with their ‘bumpers’ up. The driver can see, but will not be able to talk to their car. A tap on the right shoulder will turn right, tap on the left will turn left, both hands on shoulders will stop, a tug on the shirt will reverse and a tap on the head is the horn.

Partners will take turns leading each other through ‘traffic’ (the other groups). One participant will be the remote control car. They will be blind with their ‘bumpers’ up. The driver can see, but cannot touch their remote control car. They will have to use verbal direction to guide their car through the group.

In small groups participants will get in a single file line holding the person's shoulders in front of them. The person at the end of the line will be the submarine captain and will be the only one with their eyes open. By squeezing the shoulders they will steer their vessel. A squeeze on the right will turn right, squeeze left will turn left, and both shoulders stop. When your shoulder is squeezed you will pass the squeeze up to the front of the vessel.

Partners will start facing each other with their palms out to each other. Partners will fall together bracing each other’s fall before returning to the stand position. Once a level of comfort is reached the partners may take a step back until they can no longer reach or return to the standing position. It is important that fingers are not interlocked when falling together as well as picking the same direction to move heads.

Have the group comfortably sit in a circle. Give each participant a sheet of paper and ask them to write their name on the top of the paper. Have them pass their sheet to the person on their left. Starting at the bottom of the sheet, ask them to write one positive word or sentence about that person at the bottom of the sheet. Once they are finished have them fold the paper so just their word/sentence is covered. Once everyone one is done, have them again pass the paper to their left. Participants will continue to move the sheets around the circle till it reaches the owner. This is a great game to do at the end of a retreat, the end of a year for an organization, at a staff meeting, etc.

All participants are given a bag with pennies (each participant should have one penny for each member in the group - if there are 20 people, players each should have 20 pennies). Participants go around the room to each other and trade a penny for a thought. Participants trade pennies - and positive thoughts about what they think of one another. What an incredible activity and a wonderful way to end an experience! Activity continues until all participants have shared with every member of the group. Each participant will leave with a new bag of pennies for thoughts.

One member is selected to be the recipient of positive feedback from the rest of the group. Once everyone has had a chance to give that member the gift of feedback, another person is chosen and the process is repeated. This can be done in writing with members writing a positive comment to each member and putting them all in an envelope with the person’s name on it, or verbally. This also can be adapted so the members first give some constructive criticism and then some positive feedback.

Tape a blank piece of paper (poster board - kind of like a billboard over the person’s head) on everyone’s back. The members are to write a compliment or positive comment on everyone’s back. At the end of the session, explain that a lot of times we tend to give compliments behind someone’s back and it is not very often that we actually say these things to people’s faces. We sometimes take for granted the positive aspects of others. If you wish, you may also explain that criticisms often are given behind others backs as well, and that it may be more effective if they go to the person, instead of others. Have the group members pair up with someone they would like to get to know better and remove the paper from each other’s backs. They should then explain to that person why they would like to get to know him/her better.

Each group member puts their name on a paper bag. Each participant writes notes to any or all other participants expressing appreciation for something done or complimenting on something, to be placed in a bag.

Group will stand as tight as possible in a circle with their left shoulder facing in towards the center. Feet should be touching heel to toe. The leader will count from 3 to 0 after each count the group will get lower and lower until the group is sitting and supporting each other.

Get markers and paper for each group member. Have them write their name on the top of a piece of paper. Explain the paper needs to be passed around the group to each member, and that each person has to write another name they would use to describe the original person (Zeus, Mickey Mouse, Superman, etc.). Once the original person gets their paperback, have them read the names out loud. Do this activity again on the last day, and see how the names have changed.