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Teamwork Activities With a Rope

Ropes are naturally conducive for group team building because they can be held by multiple people and arranged so that trust is a key part to using them. Cooperative activities with ropes require participants to expose themselves to heights, rely on the strength of others or verbal encouragement of team members.

Rope Shaping
- In this team-building exercise, create small groups of four or six people. Half of each team is blindfolded and given a length of rope. The remaining team members must direct the blindfolded members to create a specific shape. The team that creates the rope shape first wins.
Obstacle Course
- A rope obstacle course can challenge team members and promote trust, particularly because everyone may have different fears when using the ropes. Encouragement from team members to complete the course will help team members push themselves. Activities can include trying to walk across two ropes that are taut, passing items to team members as they stand on rungs of a rope ladder or performing relay races that require walking over and under ropes.
Untangled Rope
- Teams are given a large tangled rope. Everyone touches the rope. The team must work together to untangle the wrap without anyone letting go of the rope. Team members have to accept directions from each other and move around to untangle the rope.
Group Leaders
- Rope activities can help build trust. All but two team members are blindfolded and hold a rope at spaced intervals. The remaining members, who are not blindfolded, must direct blindfolded teammates through a maze. Directing team mates can tug on the rope to help guide team members in a particular direction or direct teammates through spoken directions.
Survival
- Each group is told it is stranded on an island rich in vegetation and water, but only half the group has access to the food and vegetation. Fruit is on one side of a paper pond dividing the group. A group gets a bucket, rope, a can and a hanger. Using the items, group members must figure out a way to survive and make sure everyone gets food without crossing the river.
Odd Rope Out
- Teams compete against each other to separate a particular rope that is tangled. Each team is given a pile of tangled ropes. One rope is a different color. The first team to successfully untangle the odd-colored rope wins the game. Teams should be small groups of two or three. All team members must be touching a rope while trying to separate the odd-colored rope.

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