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Team Building Cooperative Games

One of the best ways to foster team building between teammates, coworkers or schoolmates is to play cooperative games. Cooperative games don't pit players against each other, but force them to work together toward a common goal. In the process, players can laugh and socialize. You can make your workplace, classroom or social gathering a cooperative and relaxed one with a variety of team building games.

Oral Team Games
- Some team building games involve a group of people using words to try to reach a common goal. By doing so, teammates get to know and learn to trust each other. Have a group of people try to count to 20 together. The catch is that anyone can say the next number in sequence, and if two people say the number together, the team must start over. Watch them develop strategies to work together to accomplish the task. Alternatively, try to build a story together. Sit in a circle and have each player say one sentence at a time in sequence.
Physical Team Games
- Team building games can also involve a group of people trying to work toward some sort of physical goal together. You can play "Caterpillar" by having everyone lie side-by-side on the floor. The person on the end rolls across the entire line to the other side. The next player in line does the same. The team wins when everyone has rolled. There are no points in this game, but everyone has a good laugh. Another good game is to have everyone stand in a small circle, put both their hands forward and randomly grab two other hands. The result is a giant human knot. Have the team try to untangle itself without letting go. The task may be impossible, but working together builds better group dynamics.
Word Games
- While team word games have no winners or losers, they require people to use their skills to bond, rather than reach a common goal. Sit everyone in a circle and have one player say a word. The next player must say a word that has nothing to do with the previous one. There are no rules in this game, but everyone will be laughing by the end. You can aso play "20 Questions" to bring your group together.
Silly Games
- The sillier the game, the more chance players will laugh and come away feeling closer. Have players lie staggered on the floor so that each player has his head on another player's stomach. The formation should resemble a staircase pattern. Have the first player say "Ha." Have the second player say "Ha, ha." Add one "ha" each time down the line. As players' heads bounce with each guttural laugh, see if you can get all the way through the group before everyone is cracking up uncontrollably.

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