Team Building games
Camp only lasts a week, so it requires students getting to know each other and work with each other very quickly. One of the best way to do this is through Team Building initiatives. These activities are designed to build team togetherness, develop leadership, and challenge critical thinking. When done right, they’ll grow your group together and get them talking, moving, and working.
TBI’s are essentially group games that require people to work together to accomplish the feat. There are probably hundreds of different team building games out there, and each one challenges your group in different ways. The one thing that all of these games have in common (besides the obvious building the team idea) is that each one has a “facilitator” that runs the game and makes sure it goes in the right direction. The facilitator will present the “story” and the challenge, and then make sure that the team follows the rules. You can play each of these games as just a simple challenge, but its more enjoyable when you tell the story and get the team in character. It gives the game some depth. These games generally require a bit of setup with some materials, so be sure to have everything you need. Also, have the story and the rules memorized – its a lot less effective if you’re reading from a sheet of paper.
I’ve done many of these games numerous times, and have always been on the lookout for great games. Here are 10 of the best ones I’ve found (I’ve linked to the websites instead of writing out their whole descriptions…if you want my perspective, feel free to ask).
These are just 10 that I’ve used and seen work effectively. You can find more all across the web, but a couple great lists are at here , here , and here. If you have any other places with great resources, let me know in the comments!
The TBI does not end with the successful conclusion of the activity. As the facilitator, once the activity is done you have to talk with the team and get them to start talking about the activity. Ask them why they did the things they did, or what they thought, or if someone had a different idea and why or why they didn’t talk about that. Be prepared with a list of questions that are appropriate to the game, but pay attention along the way and come up wit the additional questions. The goal here is to get the students to reflect on the activity and get them talking.
If you have done Team Building initiatives before with your group, I’d love to hear in the comments your favorites. If you’ve never done them before, I encourage you to try one or two and get your group working together!
