Teamwork Works!

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." - Henry Ford

Andrew Cherry [email protected] (785) 806-2263

Ice Breakers

Make a Connection

Equipment: A Large Open Space Description: Each member of the large group selects 2 other people in the room without telling them. They have to keep themselves between the two people they chose by moving within the boundaries. Let the game go for a while then stop all the movement. Move 2-4 people in the group and then ask everyone else to move to make sure that they are still in between the two people they chose. Repeat the game as desired.

Team Juggle

Equipment: Tennis Balls Description: Have your class get into a circle. Hand one tennis ball to one person in the group. Have them call out a person’s name and toss them the ball. That person will do the same. Keep this up until everyone in the group has had a chance to toss and catch the tennis ball. Then toss it back to the person who started the game. They may not pass the ball to the person right next to them and they may not pass the ball to the same person twice. After they have all tossed the ball have them do it again so they know their pattern. Then add a second ball, then a third, then a forth. Keep adding tennis balls until they can’t control any more. The object is to see how many balls your team can keep going and not drop any.

Peek a Who?

Equipment: Tarp or blanket Description: Divide the group into two teams. Have two people hold up the blanket or tarp in the middle of the two groups so they cannot see each other. Each team should choose a person to stand in front of the blanket or tarp facing the other team. On the count of three the blanket or tarp is dropped to show the two people facing each other. The first person to say the correct name of the person standing in front of them is the winner of that round. Each member goes back to their team and the blanket and tarp is raised and a new member from each team goes to the middle to try and win that round. The first team to get to a set number of wins is the winning team.

GO

Equipment: None Description: Have the group get into a circle and stand about 2 feet away from each other. Have one person volunteer to be the starting player. The team is not allowed to say anything except the word “GO.” When the game gets started the starting player will make eye contact with someone in the circle with the intent of getting that person to say “GO.” Once they receive the command they will walk slowly toward the person who said go and take their place in the circle. As soon as the starting player moves toward the person who said go, then that player (player 2) will look at another person in the circle and try and get them to say “Go.” As soon as they receive the command they will walk over that the person who said it and take their place in the circle. Each person who gives a command should receive a command and quickly leave their spot before that person gets to them to take the spot.

Circle Delight

Equipment: 2 different colored gator balls Description: Divide the group into 2 equal teams. Everyone gets into 1 large circle with the 2 teams alternating position in the circle. Each team has a ball. Use 2 different colored balls for easy identification. Decide which team is the chasing team and which team is the escaping team. On the word go the teams pass the ball to the next person in the circle that is a member of their team. The balls can only move in one direction. The teams also may not interfere with the other team’s attempts to pass the ball to the next person on their team. One team tries to chase the other team’s ball, the other team tries to escape the chase. When the chaser catches the escaping team’s ball the game is over and the game can start again.

Balloon Frantic

Equipment: Enough balloons for each person to have about 4 balloons Description: Divide the group into two equal teams. Give each member of the each team 1 balloon. Have the team members try and keep the balloons in the air without touching the ground. Every time a balloon touches the ground the team gets a penalty. Every few seconds add a balloon to each group. They still need to keep all the balloons above the ground. Keep adding balloons to each group until 1 team reaches a 5-10 penalties. The team must work together to keep all the balloons in the air as long as they can. The team that is still under the penalty cap when the other teams reach the penalty limit wins.

Skin the Snake

Equipment: hula-hoops (one for each team) Description: Split the group into 2 teams. Have the teams get into a circle and hold hands to connect the circle. Put a hula-hoop in the middle of the circle between two people’s locked hands. On the word “GO” the team has to work the hula-hoop around the circle without letting go of each other’s hands. The team that gets the hula-hoop around the circle and back to the beginning first wins. Move the hula-hoop around to a different spot in the circle and start the game again.

Clocks

Equipment: 2 scarves or bandanas Description: Put your group into two equal circles. Give each student a number. Then have the students hold hands. The teacher stands in the middle between the two circles and holds up a scarf in each hand. Call out a number. The students will need to rotate either direction without letting go of their hands to get that number next to the teacher. When that person whose number was called is next to the teacher, they can let go of their teams hand and grab the scarf out of the teacher’s hand. Whichever team gets the scarf first gets the point. Play to as many points as you would like. The first team to reach that goal wins.

Small Group Activities

Partner Cup Stacking

Equipment: Cup Stacking Cups Description: Have the group get into partners. Have the partners stand next to each other and put their arms around each other. One partner will use their left hand one partner will use their right hand. Have the partners complete the cup stacking series (3-6-3; 6-6; 1-10-1).

Runners

Equipment: Enough sets of runners for each partner group, a big empty space Description: Have everyone in your group get into partners. Have each partner group get one runner. Have them stretch out the lines on the runner so the runner is in the center of the playing space. Have everyone hold on to the runner’s handles. On the word go, have then roll the string up on their side and try to keep the runner off the ground. The first person to the reach the runner wins. Have each person turn around and roll it backwards. After you have each group go a few times, then have them partner up and challenge another partner group.

Five Star Challenge

Equipment: String tied into a circle, enough for each team or 5 people Description: Split up your group into teams of 5. Have each team get one circle of string and spread out in a space. Each person in the group needs to hang on to the string with one hand. The team needs to make a five pointed star with their circle of string without letting go with their hand. When the team has made a star with their string they are finished and can go help another team.

Traffic Jam

Equipment: 8 polyspots or markers 4 of 2 different colors, 1 polyspot of a third color Description: Have your group split up into teams of eight. Each team splits in half. Have the students then stand on a spot. There will be an extra spot in the middle of each half of the team (ex: OOOOXOOOO). The two sides of people need to be facing each other. The goal is to have the two teams switch places. Legal Moves: One person moves at a time You can only move forward You can only move one spot Illegal moves: You cannot move backward You cannot pass a person that is facing the same direction as you

French Fry Tower

Equipment: 1 hula hoop for each team, enough French fries (base 10 math blocks) to give a team to build a tall tower, stickers and a blindfold to “handicap” players Description: Split the group into small groups of 3 or 4. Give each team a hula-hoop and a bunch of French fries. On the word go the teams start to build the tallest tower they can with their French fries. If the tower falls over the team has to start again. After a few minutes of building go around to each group and “handicap” them by limiting their personal abilities ex: put a sticker on a person’s hand and they no longer can use that hand, put a blindfold on a person’s eyes they can no longer see, put a sticker on a person’s lips they can no longer talk. Every team member has to help build the tower. After the allotted time, the team with the tallest tower wins.

Team All-Aboard

Equipment: 1 beach towel or mat for each team of 6-8 people Description: Divide the group into teams of 6-8. Make sure that each group has plenty of space to move. Give each team a beach towel or a mat. Have all the students on the team stand on top of towel or mat. Then have the students get off of the towel or mat and fold it in half, then stand on it again. Then have them repeat that procedure again now standing on ¼ of the towel or mat. The whole team should try and stand on the towel or mat without touching the ground. To make the game more challenging have the students start on towel or mat and then fold it to ½ of the space and then ¼ of the space without getting off. They still cannot touch the ground. You can also have them flip the towel or mat over without touching the ground.

Big Feet

Equipment: 2 sets of big feet (1X4 pieces of wood with long stings tied to them), cones to mark first group starting line and 2nd group starting line Description: Divide the group into 2 different teams. Each team splits into 2 sides of the playing area standing across from each other. One group starts with the big feet. 4 people get onto the big feet and hold on to the strings. On the word go the teams start to walk across the playing area on the big feet. When they go to the other side, they get off of the big feet, and their other team members get onto the big feet and walk back. When they get back the next 4 people get on and walk down again. The game keeps going as many trips back and forth as desired. The team that finishes first wins.

Ships and Sharks

Equipment: Hula Hoops (enough for each team), starting line, finish line Description: Get the group into teams of three or four. Each team should have 1 hula hoop. Have the teams stand inside their hula hoop at the starting line. When they hear the word “Ships” they jump out of their hula hoop, hold on to it, and run across the space to the finish line as a team. When they hear the word “Sharks” they need to stop running and jump into their hula hoop before you count to 3-5. Each team tries to get to the finish line and back to the starting line. If the teams are working well together yell out “switch.” When they hear “switch” every team needs to change hoops. When they change hoops they will stand in their hoops until you say “ships” again. The group that makes it to both lines first wins.

Shish-Ka-Bob

Equipment: Tetherball poles/volleyball standards (8 feet), 6 inflated big pool rings Description: Have the group get into a team and then get their team into two lines. Have the first pair put the inflated inner tube around their legs. 1 on each partners outside foot and 1 shared with the partners inside foot. Have the group run down like a three legged race to the pole then get out of the tires. Then they will put the tires around the pole. Then they will run back to their line and give a high five to the next two people in line. That pair runs down to the pole and gets the inflated tires off the pole. Then they need to put their feet in them and run back to their team. They then give a high five to the next pair and they will start over from the top. You can go through the team or for a set time.

Dog Sled Race

Equipment: Dog sled leash for each team (2 straps for the rider, and 1 strap for each dog), carpet squares for each team, and a coned course for each team with the same number of cones. Terminology: “Mush” command to start the team, “Whoa” command to halt the team. Description: Split the group into teams of 7. Each team has one dog sled and is set up on a course made of cones. The team chooses the person that they want to be the rider first. The other members of the team are the “dogs.” The rider sits on the large carpet square and the “dogs” grab on to the straps. On the word “Mush” the “dogs” work together to pull the rider through the course and back to the starting line. When the rider safely makes it back to the start the team shifts and a new rider rotates into position. The previous rider takes their place as a “dog.” The team repeats this until every member of the team has been a rider. Set up the course with targets to go through rather than around for safety reasons. The team that makes it through with every member being a rider first, wins the game.

Mouse Trap

Equipment: Enough balloons of the same color for every member of the group, 3 balloons of a different color for each team (mice), 1 trash can for every team (mouse trap). Description: If you want a little competition with this game divide the group into two teams. Every member of the group needs to have 1 balloon that is the same color. Each team will also need 3 balloons of a different color (mice). Each team needs to keep all of the balloons in the air the whole time. During this time the team must take the mice and take them to the mouse trap (trash can) 1 at a time. They have to keep all the balloons bouncing in the air. Teams work to be the first team to get the three different color balloons into the mouse trap.

The Monster

Equipment: None Description: Divide the group into two teams. Each team needs to try to get from one side of the playing space to the other. If there were 7 people on your team they are only allowed to have 5 feet touch the ground. This can change depending on the size of the group (ex. 5 people 3 feet, 10 people 8 feet.) The whole group must be connected while moving across the playing space. No props may be used. If more than 5 feet touch the ground or the group doesn’t stay connected the group should start over.

Team Cup Stacking

Equipment: Cup Stacking Cups, Rubber bands, shoe laces tied to the rubber bands Description: Have the students get into a group of 6 (or however many strings you have). Have a cup stacking set up on a table or mat. Each group will need to hang onto the end of the strings and transfer the cups from the table/mat they are on to the table/mat across from them without touching the cup with their body. They may only use the rubber band and strings. If someone uses their hand (other than on end of string) they must start over. (6 stack)

Team Writing

Equipment: Dry-Erase boards, Dry-Erase markers (dry erase markers, washers, electrical tape, and string) Description: Have the students in groups of 6 (or however many strings you have). Have them write on their dry-erase board any words that you choose. The team has to hang on the very end of the string. All team members have to help with the writing and they can only hang on to one string.

Toxic Waste

Equipment: 2 hula-hoops for each team (1 starting and 1 ending), toxic waste transporter (Styrofoam circle with 6-8 strings attached), toxic waste (ex: different athletic balls, rubber chickens, bean bags, stuffed animals) Description: Divide the group into different teams with the same number of people on the team as the strings on the transporter. Each team starts with their transporter on the ground inside the starting circle, and each person holds on to the very end of their string. They load a piece of toxic waste (equipment) with their hand and then with only hanging on to the rope the team works together to pick up the transporter and carry the piece of toxic waste across the area and set down the transporter into the ending area on the other side of the space. When the team successfully carries a piece of toxic waste across the space they go back to the starting circle to pick up another piece of toxic waste. The toxic waste cannot touch the ground and cannot be held onto the transporter with the strings. The players also may not touch the toxic waste or move their hand away from the end of the string. If the toxic waste touches the ground or any of the other rules are broken, that piece of equipment has to be brought back to the starting circle and the team has to start over. The team that moves all the toxic waste first wins.

Tracks

Equipment: 3 Tracks (cut PVC pipe) for each team, different size balls (tennis balls to soccer balls), 1 hoop to start in and one hoop or tire to end with Description: Get the council into teams. Each team should have the same number of players. The team should get in a straight line. Each team will have 3 tracks. The first person stands with the track in their hands. They will put one ball on their track. The second person and third person will add their tracks on to the first persons track. They roll the ball from one track to the other tracks. When the ball leaves your track you take your track back to your line and hand it off to the next person in line. That person will run to the front of the line and get the ball from the previous track. When the ball gets into the end of the designated zone they need to drop it into a tire or hoop. If the ball falls and touches the ground before put safely in the tire, that ball needs to go back to the beginning and start over. The team is done when all the balls are in the tire or hoop.

Build It Right

Equipment: Different colored math blocks or Legos (enough for all the teams to have the same amount), a diagram or the hidden structure Description: Divide the group into equal teams. Each team will be given the same amount and same color of blocks. Create a structure using the same amount and colors of blocks and have it hidden from the groups. One person from each group will go and look at the structure. They can look at it for as long as they want but they cannot touch it. When they are done looking they go back to their group and help their team build the structure exactly as the one that is hidden. If they cannot remember what the structure looks like they can send another person from their group to look at the structure. They can go back and look at the structure as many times as they want, but only one person from a group can go at a time and they cannot touch the structure when they are looking at it. When a team thinks that they have built the structure exactly correct they call on the teacher to come and check it out. If it is correct they are done, if it is NOT exactly like the hidden structure then they have to figure out what is wrong and how to make it right. The game is over when all the teams have done it correctly or when time is up.

Cross the Creek

Equipment: 2 lines to create boundries (lengths of rope or tape), Rugs, paper plates, poly spots (Rocks) Description: Divide the group into even teams. The teams will line up on one side of the creek. In the creek there are rocks that the players will use to get across the creek. The 1st person steps on the first rock with one foot and on the second rock with their other foot. Before they can move off the first rock the 2nd person in line must step on the first rock. The 1st person can then move to the third rock. When that happens the 2nd person must move up as well as the 3rd person must get started on the first rock. There should be two people touching each rock at the same time. Once the 1st person starts walking across the rocks the rest of the group must be prepared to follow. Once the team makes it across the creek you can have them transport some object back across the creek or you can take some of the rocks away so the remaining rocks are further apart.

Centipede

Equipment: Three-legged race bands, hula-hoops, start and finish lines Description: Divide the teams into equal groups from 6-10 people. Have each group get enough three-legged race bands for their team. They must start at the beginning at the starting line and as a team they must pass through the hula-hoops to get to the finish line. Each member of the group has their legs tied together with the three-legged race bands. The team must step into the hoops and only the hoop. If any member of the team touches the ground outside of the hoop the team has to start over. The team is finished when their whole team has crossed the finish line at the end of the course. To challenge your team further have two teams go on the same course and start on opposite sides of the course. Another challenge would be to have them stand on tires instead of inside hoops.

Crossing The Amazon

Equipment: 2 mats for each team, 4 tires for each team Description: Split the team into two groups. Have the groups start on one mat. In front of the mat should be a stack of 4 tires. There should be another mat at some distance in front of them. The object is to get your team from one mat to the other mat without touching the ground. You may use the tires in any way that you want but you may not touch the ground with any part of your body. If any member of your team touches the ground anytime during the game the whole team has to start over. At the end of the game the whole team should be on the opposite mat with all 4 tires stacked up at the same mat.

Whole Group Activities

Gridlock

Equipment: Giant Checkerboard (tape a 8’ X 12’ grid pattern on the floor with masking tape or on a tarp, each square is a 1 foot square Description: This can be a small group or a large group activity. The group is trying to make it through the grid following a set pattern. One person will go at a time. The first person tries to go as far as they can before they make a mistake. When they make a mistake they are done and the next person tries to make it a little further. The rest of the group can help the person who is trying to get through the grid. Have the set pattern written down and say “yes” or “no” if the move is correct or incorrect. To make things more difficult use moves like jumping blocks, diagonal movements, or backward movements.

Minefield

Equipment: Blind folds for each partner group, beanbags to make up the mines in the field Description: Have the group get into partners. Have the partners decide who is going to be #1 and who is going to be #2. Have the # 1’s go to the starting line of the mine field. Have the #2’s stand behind their partner. #1’s have to put a blindfold over their eyes so they cannot see. #2’s have to physically guide their partner through the space without running their partner into the cones that make on the mine field. When the #1’s successfully make it across they switch positions and go back. When both partners make it through they are ready for the next challenge. Now instead of physically moving their partner, the #2’s now have to talk their partner through the mine field without touching them. They can stand close behind their partner. When the #1’s make it through the field they switch with the #2’s and go back. When they have completed this challenge they move to the sideline away from their partner. #2’s now have to announce their directions to their partner from the sideline. When their partner makes it across they switch and go back across one more time. Each partner should listen and give directions.

Coal Mine

Equipment: Props, Map, Paper, Marker, Walkie Talkies (cell phones) Description: Divide the group into two teams. One team is trapped in a coal mine (a maze set up in the space) the other team is outside the coal mine to try and get the trapped team out. There should be limited time for the group to complete this task. The outside group has a map that you created with the path on how to get out of the coal mine. There should be dead ends, turn arounds, obstacles for the group trapped to figure their way through. The inside group has only a piece of paper and the marker. The outside group must communicate with the inside group on how to get out of the mine correctly. The inside group should draw the map as they understand it to try and get out safely. Really press the idea of limited time. The groups should not be able to see each other but they should be able to hear each other.

Photo Finish

Equipment: Something to mark a start line (length of rope, tape) Description: Line the team up side by side behind the straight starting line. The team must cross the line at the same time. Every person’s feet must hit the ground at exactly the same time. If someone’s foot doesn’t hit the ground at exactly the same time the whole group has to start over. Make sure that you keep an eye on everyone in the group to make sure that their feet are hitting the ground at the same time. If anyone’s foot touches the ground before the rest of the group, they have to start over. After they step with one foot they have to step with the other foot over the line. For a more difficult challenge you can have them walk as a group to a finish line that is about 10 feet away. If you do this challenge they will need to stay in line as well as land their feet on the ground at the same time. If they do not they will need to start over.

Trolley

Equipment: Enough round balls for everyone in your class Description: Split your group into equal teams. Hand out a round ball to each person on the team minus one (ex: 6 team members 5 round balls). Have the students hold the ball on their chest and lean against the person in front of them. The first person in line will not have a ball. They must hold the ball with their chest and the person’s back that is in front of them. They may not touch the ball with their arms or hands. They cannot squeeze each other with their arms. As a team they must walk to the goal line and back without dropping their ball. If a ball is dropped or a team member touches a ball illegally the team must start over. Variations: Have the teams go around cones, go over something, or under something.

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." - Andrew Carnegie