Fostering Collaboration and Fun with Team Building Activities for Kids
Team building activities are not just for adults, they can also be a valuable tool for children to learn important skills. Communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership are the main benefits for those taking part in a team building event. These activities also encourage creativity while fun with peers.
Let’s explore four exciting and engaging team building activities for kids that are sure to create lasting memories and valuable learning experiences.
#1 Marshmallow Tower
This classic team building activity is a unique and captivating task requiring teamwork and creativity. Divide kids into teams and provide each group with a set of marshmallows and toothpicks. Their mission is to work together to build the tallest freestanding tower using only marshmallows and toothpicks. Set a time limit to increase the challenge. The team with the tallest tower when time runs out is proclaimed the winner. Learn more about this and other games by visiting https://www.eteambuilding.org.
#2 Egg Drop Challenge
The egg drop challenge is an enthralling team building activity that requires kids to use their critical thinking skills. The primary goal is to protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a height. Divide the kids into teams and provide them with materials, including straws, tape, paper, and cotton balls. Instruct them to design a protective container for the egg using these materials, and then drop the containers from a height. The team whose egg survives the drop without any cracks or breaks wins the challenge.
#3 Human Knot
Have kids form a circle and extend both of their arms towards the center. Direct them to grab the hands of two different people on the opposite side of the circle. Both their left and right hands should not be connected to someone that is directly standing beside them. The challenge is for everyone to work together to untangle themselves without letting go of each other’s hands. This activity requires communication, cooperation, and problem solving skills to untangle the human knot. It can also be a great icebreaker activity to promote bonding among any group, as well as providing a fun alternative to classroom learning.
#4 Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are a is a popular team building activity that can be done at any location, indoors or out. Create a list of items for kids to find, either in a specific location or around the house or yard. Divide everyone into teams and provide them with the list. Instruct them to work together to find all the items within a specified time limit. The winning team is the one that finds all the items first or the most items after a specified time limit. Scavenger hunts especially promote communication as everyone is separating to find different items more quickly before other teams do.
Team Building Benefits for Life
There’s no better way to foster team building skills than organizing activities that are also a ton of fun. Kids will naturally work together, drawing from their own personal skills, and offering them in service of their team to win any game set before them. The skills developed by each child will serve them well into adulthood, whether they are playing sports or games, working to develop their career, or volunteering with others for a common goal.