Free Team Building Game

INDOOR or OUTDOOR

"Frenzy" Objective: 

A relatively fast session  that highlights the value of cooperation rather than competition.

Development Areas:

• Organizational Skills

• Cooperation

• Problem Solving

• Leadership

Time & Space:            

• You will need a flat open space of at least 30 feet square.

• Time - 20 minutes for the game; 5-10 minute debrief (more, based on number of participants and length of debrief desired)

Participants:

• Groups of 8-20 or more

Materials: 

• 5 Hula Hoops and 60-70 tennis balls.

Preparation and Notes for Facilitator:

• Arrange 4 hula hoops on the ground spread out from each other at the four corners of an imaginary 25 foot square; place with the one in the middle (imagine the dots on the five side of a dice). Divide the group into teams of equal numbers

•  Place all tennis balls  in the middle (neutral) hoop.

• Divide into four even random teams.  Have each team pick a hula-hoop and stand by it.

• Explain the object of the game: each team is trying to place all of the tennis balls in its hoop; once you have all the balls, you win.

Rules:

• No throwing or tossing of the balls.

• All the balls must be out of the middle before you can take them from others' hoops.

• No defending the hoops.

Facilitation Notes:

• Let the game play for 3-5 minutes, at which point the participants will be out of breath and no nearer to winning.  Signal a time-out and ask them to regroup with their teams and strategize for two minutes.  One group or another may come up with the creative solution (see step 3 below); most groups, however, will try to position the people "strategically," plan for faster ball transfers, etc.  After two minutes, signal time, have them return to their starting positions.

• After another fruitless 3-5 minutes, participants will still be no nearer winning and starting to become a little frustrated.  Signal another time-out, and ask them to circle up as a group and perhaps "learn from each other."  This will usually produce better results; if they need prodding, restate the object of the game and the rules.  Some person will think to suggest that the groups work together; another might ask if the hoops can be moved (YES).  In either event, you know that the group is on the right track.

• With some planning and thinking about what you've told them, they should realize that the only way to win (other than all of the other groups agreeing to lose) is for them all to win, i.e., place all of the balls in the middle hoop, then place their hoops around the balls.

Debrief questions:

1. What was the initial reaction of your team after the first time-out in the game?  After the second time-out?

2. How well did the team cope with this challenge?

3. What skills did it take to be successful in figuring out the solution?

4. What creative solutions were suggested and how were they received?

5. What would an outside observer have seen as the strengths and weaknesses of the team?

6. What did each team member learn about him/her self as an individual?

7. What other situations in life or at work are like Frenzy?

to more team building programs for change management:

The Amazing Race

The Apprentice

Survivor

Millionaire

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Deal or No Deal

The Idol

Pyramid

Jeopardy