Hobbies And Interests
Icebreakers
Team-building exercises usually follow a sequence of activities that continually challenges a group to function at new levels. The first step of team building is icebreakers. For a group of adolescents who have just met, such as at a summer camp, there are icebreakers that help group members learn each other's names. One example is Group Juggle, in which the leader begins by naming one of the group members and tossing a ball to the person he named. The group member then thanks the leader by name, says the name of another group member, and tosses the ball to that person. The pattern continues until everyone has had the ball. The group then repeats the pattern, adding additional balls and going faster until the game dissolves into laughter. Another icebreaker is Train Wreck. For this game, the group sits in chairs in a circle, with one person in the middle. The person in the middle states her name and then states something that is true about herself. For example, she could say, "I am wearing a blue shirt," or "I have never eaten peanut butter ice cream." Everyone in the circle for whom this statement is also true must then jump up and switch to a different seat, while the person in the middle tries to grab one of the empty seats. The person who is left in the middle must then make a new statement. If the person in the middle doesn't want to make a statement, he can say, "Train Wreck," and everyone must find a new seat.
Problem-solving Initiatives
Once group members are starting to feel comfortable, the team-building sequence moves on to problem-solving initiatives. These are imaginary problems set by the leader which the group must work together to solve. One simple example is "All Aboard," in which the entire group must fit into a designated small space. You can set up several square boards of diminishing sizes, or you can create a space on the ground with a rope. Another problem-solving initiative is "Helium Hoop." For this game, everyone in the group must stand in a circle and support a hula hoop on their index fingers. The group must then lower the hula hoop to the ground while keeping all their fingers in contact with the hoop at all times. A third example is "Airplane Crash," in which the leader creates two boundaries, a start line and a finish line. The group's airplane has crashed at the start line, and they must get all their teammates to the finish line--but some of the teammates have injuries. The leader chooses the injuries before the game begins, which may include one player being blind (and blindfolded), another being deaf (and not allowed to talk), and a third having two broken legs (and needing to be carried).
Trust Activities
Trust activities are team-building games that require participants to trust each other. One example is "Trust Walk," in which players are blindfolded and must trust team members to lead them through an obstacle course. This can be done in partners or with the group as a whole, with one person being able to see and having to lead the rest of the group in a line. Another trust activity is the "Trust Lean," in which partners take turns falling as their partner catches them. This can also be done with the entire group, with the group standing in a tight circle with one person in the middle. The person in the middle then leans back and lets the group catch her and pass her around the circle. A third example of a trust activity is "Trust Fall," in which one person stands on a low platform and the group stands in a line behind them with their hands outstretched. The person then falls and allows the team to catch her.