"This project has been funded with support from the

European Commission. It was created during the EVS

Program "Be ready - Come as you" in Hodina H

(www.hodinah.cz) designed by Max Zaloudek.

This publication reflects the views only of the author,

and the Commission cannot be held responsible for

any use which may be made of the information

contained therein."

Why teambuilding?

One of the most essential ingredients for a successful

international meeting of young people is the team

spirit. Communication, Cooperation and commitment

depend on how save the participants feel in the group,

how they perceive their environment, whether they

feel accepted and included. Usually trust is built over

long time but short and active team building activities

can support the creation of a trustworthy and

comfortable “learning atmosphere”. Teambuilding

activities do not necessarily serve a pedagogical

purpose on first sight but they seem to be fun and

active. Nevertheless they have influence on …

morale and leadership skills

boost on creativity

processes and procedures

productivity

motivation

group dynamics

problem solving

…

Glossar

1) Get it down

2) Living pictures

3) Sences / Picasso

4) Numbers

5) Trust Run

6) Spider’s Web

7) Blind

8) Flying egg

9) Mission Impossible

10) Pen in the bottle

1) Get it down

Material:

wooden stick about 1 – 1,5 m

(e.g. stick from a broom)

Timing: 10 - 30 min

Flow:

1. Group division into groups of 4 – 6 participatns according to

the length of the stick

2. In case of more stick is possible to do the activity with more

groups at the same time

3. Every person keep straight only “UKAZOVÁČEK” on the right

hand and the sticks is put on the fingers

4. Tasks is to put the stick on the floor, “POLOŽIT”

5. Debriefing (feelings, what is shows, what can be improved,

etc.)

Adaptation:

time limit, more rounds of the trial, second trial in the silent way,

combination of the conditions which will be necessary include in the

debriefing

2) Living pictures

Material: nothing

Timing: 10 to 15 min

Flow:

1) The participants stand in a circle

2) One goes to the middle portraying a statue

3) Anyone who has an idea complete the stature

(e.g. the first one goes down to their knees and the second one

puts their right foot on the knee)

4) The first one “leaves” the picture going back to the circle and

a third one is now completing the new picture

5) Goes on like this, stop at any point

6) The group needs to recall now all the pictures and play the

game backwards portraying all statues from the last to the

first in the exactly same order

3) Senses

Material:

Objects to hide (like a ball

or some figures, marbles,…)

Cloth to cover the eyes

Maybe some obstacles

Time: 20mins

Preparation

1) Define a field of playing (square 5x5m) and declare a line of

start

2) Divide the participants in groups of three

a. One covers the eyes

b. One stands a step behind the start line facing the start

line (he is not allowed to speak)

c. One stands on the line facing Person B (so he cannot see

the field but speak)

3) The game master is hiding now some objects in the field (you

can add some obstacles if you want)

4) Every group needs to find an obstacle (tell them which)

Flow

1) The blind ones need to find their objects by …

2) The one who can see the field needs to pantomime where the

object is, but is not allowed to speak

3) The third interprets the gestures and tells the blind one

where to go and what to do

4) Numbers

Material:

Pens, printed handout with the number

(4 per group)

Time: 40-60 mins

1. Divide participants into groups of 4 – 5

2. Introduction of the rules (simple and clear rules, necessary to

follow, in case of questions hand up, silence and only when is

allowed, no pens in the hand only when the round starts)

3. Explanation of the tasks – 4 rounds, trying to reach the higher

number in the sequence, emphasize from number 1 to 2, 3 and so

on in the way “number in the circle – line to following number –

circle – line – circle – line – etc., line can go straight crossing

numbers and lines, every round has 1 min, pen in hand when the

round start, when the round finish “empty hand and no talking”,

result will be written down, in case of cheating and not following

the rules there will be minus points

4. Rounds – providing to the group the handouts, 4 per group with

number facing down

a. 1st round - one person turn the paper, start - 1 min – stop,

checking and notes of reached number,

b. checking the possibility of improvement and what is needed

c. one person turn the paper (without pens), 40 s for

preparation

d. 2nd round – start – 1 min – stop, checking and notes of

reached number,

e. checking the possibility of improvement,

f. 3rd round – one person turn the paper and make a line in the

middle top – down, 30 s for preparation, start – 1 min – stop,

checking and notes of reached number,

g. 4th round - one person turn the paper and make a line in the

middle top – down and left – right, 45 s preparation, start –

1 min –stop, writing down the result of the last round,

h. result – each group has 2 min for sharing in the group,

checking the result “who did win?”, writing down the

difference between 1st and 4th round,

5. debriefing - who is the winner and why? (winner is each group,

which made progress), what helped you in the progress?, what

could you still improve? what does this exercise might

represent?, link to different issues (e.g. project management

representing preparation – implementation – evaluation and

improvement, work within the framework, following the rules and

finding the own strategy, etc.)

4) Numbers

5) Trust run

Material:

big empty space outdoor or

indoor about 5 m x 2 m

Timing:

according to the number of the

participants

Flow:

1) Group stands in 2 lines facing each other

2) Important is to rise attention to pay “attention to the person

running”, concentration and support, listening even in the case

of a long line!,

3) Each person put the hand straight ahead, “PĚST”, touching by

“pěst” the person facing to,

4) Every person runs through the corridor of the people as fast

as possible while each couple “opens” the way for the run,

pushing hands towards him/herself very fast back,

5) When one person ran, they join one side in the end, everyone

prepares the hands again and another person from the side of

the beginning gets ready for running

6) Possible debriefing or summing up and concluding the activity

mentioning the importance of the individuality in the group,

different needs and different perspectives of trust (run fast

with full trust or just risk, fear due to the process of building

trust, etc.)

7) Spider’s Web

Material:

Rope, scissors

Timing: 30 – 60 min

Flow:

1. Create from the rope between two trees or pillars a spider

web with the same amount of wholes as participants

2. Groups stay on one side of the web

3. Explain the rules (time for preparation without trying to pass,

every person needs to pass through by using a different whole,

one whole cannot be used twice, nobody can touch the rope, in

case of breaking the rules time limit is getting shorter)

4. 2 – 5 min for preparation depending on the size of the group

5. Debriefing (feeling, process, roles in the group, learning

outcomes)

Adaptation:

using just a rope in the high of 1 – 1,2 m, group need to pass in the time limit, groups need

to pass holding the hand in the line

Group division into groups of 4 – 5 participants, the groups stay in line one by

one holding the shoulders, only last person can see, each group needs to agree

on silent signals for communication to fulfill the task (e.g. move something,

reach some particular place), other outdoor option while is hot weather – the

groups are standing in the corners of a bigger space, the first person in the

line has a bucket with water, the task of each group it to “refresh the other

group/-s/through the water with keeping the rules in the flow above

8) Blind

Material:

Blind folds

Timing: 15 min

Flow:

1. The group stays in a circle, everyone turns to the right side

2. Talking is forbidden

3. everyone put the blind fold and gently touches from the head

to the shoulder of the person in front of them to remember

the person

4. facilitator mixes them and turns them around each other

5. the task is to create the same circle

6. creating the circle or not/in case of not providing support (e.g.

talking)

7. short debriefing

9. Flying egg

Material:

eggs + ballon (1 per group + 3

reserve)

rope, tape, paper, post-its,

wooden sticks/”špejle”

Timing: 45 – 90 min

Flow:

1. Divide the participants into groups (same in size): the groups

can give themselves names related to the word egg

2. Distribute the material. (they can give a name to their eggs

and draw faces to make it more personal)

3. Every group gets 5 mins to DISCUSS how to build a machine

that saves the egg from breaking when thrown from a window

5 meters high.

4. Presentation and discussion of the drafts

5. Now they are given 5 min to build the machine (but they

shouldn’t steal from the other ideas)

6. Collect the machines a volunteer from each group needs to

throw out the machine with the flying egg out of the window

7. The rest gathers outside to watch the test

8. Debriefing: which machine was best, why? What could be

improved

advanced level:

Distribute the material in

the area of your venue. The

participants need to collect

them from outside but

always one/two partner

need(s) to stay inside. They

can only carry one thing

10. Pen in the bottle

Material:

glass bottle (shape of wine

bottle), pen, rope

Timing: flexible

(open, limited, max about 15 min)

Preparation:

tie pens to the ropes, number of the rope’s ends must be equal to

the amount of participants,

The distance between the bottle and the end of the rope should

be 3 – 5 m,

The ropes should be straighten that the endings create a circle

Flow:

1. the participants stand in a circle

2. each person hold one end of the rope and try to put the pen

in the bottle

3. Possible more trials

4. Its open whether the participants can speak or not