Team building games and activities are great ways to help groups develop cooperation, decision making and

communication skills.

Caterpillar Walk
Time: Recommended age: Size of group: Time for preparation: Material: approx. 5 min. from 10 the more the merrier none nothing

Game description
The players form a line like a long snake. Everyone takes a leg of the player in front of him and holds it in his hand. Then everyone hops at the same time after the first player (who is a leader) hops. Purpose: Group feeling, coordination and group decided movements lead to the goal.

Judging
No scoring is planned. It is more of a reflection of how co-ordination and different movements lead to the goal.

RIVER CROSSING Create an imaginary river by marking two river banks with rope or masking tape. Make it wide enough (20-25) to be a challenge for your group to get from one side to the other. Distribute squares of cardboard (1x1 squares) to half of the group. Alternatively, you can use sheets of standard letter sized paper. The aim is to get all of the group (or team) safely across the river. However, they cannot touch the water and must use the rafts (cardboard squares) to cross. Rafts must be in contact with a human at all times or they will be swept away with the current.

Once the crossing has begun, the leader must remove any cardboard squares that are swept away by the current. Unfortunately the river is also filled with crocodiles and if any team member touches the water they incur a crocodile penalty i.e. lose a leg and they must complete the river crossing hopping on one foot. The first attempt at crossing is usually hilarious to watch. Let the teams go a second time to build on lessons learned from the first crossing. Here are a few variations to try as well, Cardboard squares can only go forward. They cannot move backwards. No one can finish the crossing until everyone has left the starting bank of the river. Remember to discuss, What worked? What didnt work? Who provided leadership? How did you work together as a team? Was communication good or not? Did the group support one another? Did you learn anything from this activity?

Spider's Web

Participants are trapped by a huge spider's web! They must work together to find, and then utilise, the safe passage-way through the obstacles that stand before them! This physical task will require the team members to work closely and safely with one another, as they battle to complete this tricky challenge.

Objective
All team members and the provided equipment must pass through the obstacle safely within limited time period

The Challenges
The team will be confronted with many challenges throughout this task, both physical and mental. Here are a few we have included: Finidng the safest route Strict time constraints Physical task Safety high priority No one may touch the web

Skills Required
This is a physical challenge that requires a sound planning process, extensive communication skills and a strong sense of time management. Some of the key skills are highlighted below:

Planning Time management Co-ordination Balance Communication Space awareness

This high energy fast paced team Simulation tests the teams rigour for Planning, Quality of communication, motivation for results and ability to create a win-win culture. SCENARIO There has been a plane crash and the rescue team (your team!) has been called upon on a Search & Rescue mission. Each of the teams of will each be given the task of rescuing as many injured and locating as many dead bodies as possible. There is also the task of finding the Black Box which will reveal vital information about the reasons for the crash. This will ensure that in the future such situations do not occur.

Mission Rescure Formats:

3) The entire team will be divided into 2 independent rescue teams that will work on the same site. 4) Each of the groups will have a Command team and a Field team. 5) The Command team will be stationed at the start point and direct the Field team to where the bodies might be. 6) The equipment that each team will have is a pair of walkie-talkies a map. 7) The Command team will have the Map with the bodies marked on them and a walkie-talkie while the field team will have a walkie-talkie. 8) The Command team has to communicate the clues to the field team for them to reach their objective. They will not be in visual contact with each other. 9) There will also be a black box that the team has to locate as another critical part of the Objective. LOCATION Resorts Campsites Wooded Area Snow fields Hilly Terrain 2 Hours

TEAM BUILDING GAMES : All the games are conducted at resorts and nearby sites. WORM : People have to move with each of their legs tied to those of an adjacent member of their team. " Co-ordination btw the team members. Motivation. MAGIC CARPET : The team has to reverse a small piece of carpet, while on it. " Co-ordination between the team members. Following an idea through.

LINE IT UP :The team has to use objects they have on themselves to make the longest line. CATEPILLAR :The team has to move, sitting on the ground, with their legs on the person in fronts shoulders " Co-ordination between the team members. Motivation, Need For Innovation To Improve Performance. AUSTRALIAN WALK : The entire team moves together on two planks of wood, which they would be lifting themselves. All left feet on one plank. " Co-ordination between team members-Distributive leadership. A-FRAME :A team game involving a bamboo frame which has one person on it being moved by the rest of the team, within certain parameters. " Overcoming initial hurdles quickly and effectively. " Co-ordination between team members - Confidence in the strategy. QUICKSAND: Team game involving planning, and using tyres / drums, planks of wood, and nets." Overcoming initial hurdles quickly and effectively. Trusting others abilities, confidence in the strategy. " Co-ordination between team members -Empathy towards the entire team.Building a consensus on strategy. RAFT BUILDING : Build a raft with the given material and use it . " Working as a team in an actual, totally new scenario, making decisions under time and material constraints, and actually seeing those decisions work or fail instantaneously. " Co-ordination between team members -Teamwork, leadership and Innovativeness oriented. WOT-A-TRANSFER : " Here the team has to relay water in glasses held in their mouths from one bucket to another, without touching anything with their hands. TEAM HANDBALL : " Here the team has to pass the ball to their own goalkeeper, who is in a tyre tube - unable to move, to score, avoiding the opposing team

RAISING YOUR LIMITS : " The team has to raise a metal ring, threaded onto a pole, as high as possible without touching it CROSSING OVER : " Here the team has to cross the room in a unique way, which cannot be repeated. BALLOON BURST : " Here each person has a balloon and a pin and has to protect their own while bursting all other balloons NAME'S ARE US : " Here each team has to remember the names of all its members along with an adjective before it. LEADERSHIP GAMES: TULIP CHART CUM SCAVANGER HUNT : A route has to be found using the given map and compasses " Insight into leadership and effective understanding between team members ELECTRIC WEB : Team game. An artificial cobweb which has to be crossed through, within certain parameters. " Reverse planning, need for clear communication, members who are considered liabilities can suddenly become assets ". TEAM RADAR : Individual cum team game. A team is Blindfolded and led to their destination by their chosen leader. " Understanding goals. Trust facilitates co-ordination. Co-ordination and planning ". TYRED : " Here the team, standing in a circle holding hands has a cycle tyre around a pair of hands and have to make the tyre go full circle HANDCUFFED : " Here the entire team holding hands is facing outwards and have to turn around without letting go of any hands

SELF DEVELOPMENT / OVERCOME FEAR: SURVIVAL : Out in the wilderness with only your pre-selected items " Understanding goals. Trust facilitates co-ordination. Co-ordination and planning. Reason and logic deter the ego in times of crisis RAPPELLING : Individual cum team game. Involves descending a sheer rock face on a rope " Building of confidence. Realising potential of team members. Leadership portrayal: as trying out new potentially dangerous theory first and showing the team what to do. Realising nothing is impossible if done the right way. ZIP LINE : The participant zips down a rope about 200 feet long-flying through the air suspended from their harnesses. BURMA BRIDGE : Tight rope walking with an anchor supporting you from above " Helping along, building confidence, helps get the best out of people. ROPE LADDER : Climbing a 25 foot rope ladder. " Things are not always as easy as they look. COMMUNICATION AND NEGOTIATION: MORSE CODE : Communication with pre determined rules, here using only torches, with the Morse code and any other commands they may have worked out among themselves in the planning stages. TERRITORY : Negotiating your area of a marked out territory within certain rules " Different forms of negotiating.

Few Activities in Outbound Program

ICE BREAKER Balloon Burst The Balloon Burst is a fun filled activity, which, within 15 minutes establishes the win / lose mentality practiced within an organisation, where egos and prejudices are hampering corporate harmony and growth. In the debriefing session, it is amazing to watch the participants understand this lesson through

their own participation rather than the facilitator bringing it to them. PERSONAL BREAK THROUGH The Pole Jump The pole Jump is an activity that is the Show Stopper activity of the whole camp. You have to experience it to beleive it!!! Glass Walk Impossible is Nothing!!! The participants are asked to walk bare foot on broken pieces of glass. The idea is that if the goal is big, so must be the level of belief and commitment. A vision or a goal once set, means that it has to be achieved. There is nothing that is impossible. If a person makes up his mind to achieve, then even pieces of broken glass cannot hurt him. Such is the focus of an achiever.

Rappelling: WHERE EAGLES DARE This is a sky line activity with rappelling. The only difference is that the participants are to rappel with their face down! Not only that, the rappel time is a competition between the teams. The activity challenges all fears and blocks in the face of competition. Once the bugle is blown and the competition starts there is no room for personal fears and phobias. A winner is the one who reaches where eagles dare. Debrief is done at the base camp. TEAM BUILDING The Burma Bridge

The Burma Bridge is an activity which challenges the fears of individual participants in a team. As much as team spirit is required to win a game, the responsibility to deliver excellence is also an individual endeavor. Most teams fail because individuals allow their personal issues and limitations to interfere with the professional task at hand. The competition and winning stakes allows people to move beyond their fears and inhibitions and play to win. The debrief is very powerful where the participants share of what inner strength it took for them to keep on going for the sake of the team to win. Raft Building This absolutely challenging activity is the highlight after the rappelling experience. In this activity the teams are taken by the lakeside and are given material with which they will not only build a raft but also sail in it and the team that sails to the shore first wins. LEADERSHIP The Australian Walk This fun filled activity, will reinforce the importance of strategy, team synergy and synchronization among other lessons. The competitive spirit is also highlighted, where participants learn out of their experience the importance to keep cool, during intense competition so that the final step to the destination is reached with ease instead of stress & strain. Hula Hoop This activity shows that sometimes things that looks difficult from the outside is really not so, unless I take a plunge into it. This activity requires creative thinking, and strong team co-ordination. The A-Frame The A Frame is an activity that re-in forces the lessons of team synergy and inter dependence upon team partners. The only way to win this game is when the whole team is in sync and in optimum communication.

The Electric Web This activity brings out the aggressive passion and competitiveness as the teams compete to win by hook or by crook while crossing an electric web. The Worm The Worm activity helps the participants understand that teamwork is also about Situational Leadership. Each team mate must work in the spirit of Leadership. Longest Line This is a super fun activity where the teams are to form the longest line using any and every resources that they have. This activity is purposely the last activity so that to WIN, the team members break all barriers to ensure that their team wins to an extent of using their own bodies by lying down on the ground. Bull Ring Bull Ring is a real challenge. An activity on lateral thinking and innovation, it gets ones creative juices flowing to deliver the targets and march towards achievement.