It’s important that kids learn to work together. Working together helps kids develop and improve important skills such cooperation, communication and teamwork. Try some of these team builder games below.
Partner Sit and Stand
Materials: None optional blind folds, scarfs
Put all the players in groups of two.
Have each pair stand back to back and lock arms.
Each pair must sit down then stand up again without unlocking their arms.
To make it harder and funnier add props to the game. Blindfold the pairs or using scarfs to tie their legs together on one side.
One Handed Shoe Tie
Materials: Shoes with laces
Put players in groups of two.
Have the players untie their shoe laces.
Working together have player re-tie their shoe laces only using 1 hand. She what kind of creative ideas they can come up with to tie their shoes!
Put the players into groups of 2-3 depending on amount of kids.
Explain to the group that they are going to work together to create a new dance step. Give them a time period in which they must complete this task.
Once time is up have the kids teach their dance step to the kids in the other groups.
Optional: Take it up a notch
Once all the groups had a chance to teach their dance step put all the steps together to create one dance. Put some music on and have a dance party!
Pass the Can
Materials: empty coffee can
Ask all the players to sit in a circle with their legs straight out.
Put the coffee can on one of the children’s foot.
Tell the kids that they must pass the coffee can around the circle only using their feet. If the can falls, they have to start from the beginning.
Air Guitar Competition
Materials: None, optional music
Put the players in groups on 2-3 depending on how many kids.
Explain that they have just entered an air guitar competition and need to create an air guitar routine. Tell them that their routine must be original, fun, and energizing. Each group member must have an active role in the performance.
Give the kids around 5-10 minutes to come up with and practice a routine.
Have the kids perform their routine to the rest of the groups. They can perform with music or without.
Optional: Recruit some volunteers to be judges.
Put all the players in groups of two.
Ask each player in the group to choose a number 1-9.
Ask the pairs to put the number together. If one picked 3 and the other picked 5 their number could be 35 or 53.
Once they decided on the final number have the partners stand back to back with their arms locked and jump up and down the number of times they picked.
Create a Fairy Tale
Materials: paper, pencils, crayons or markers
Put the players in groups of 2-3 depending on the amount of children.
Tell the children that they must create a fairy tale. All members of the group must be a character in the story.
There are two variations of this activity. The children can either write their story together and draw a picture or they can act out their story.
If Writing: Have the children work together to create a fairy tale. All members must write a portion of the story. When they are done writing have the children draw a picture to go with their story.
When the groups of children are finished writing and drawing have them share their story with the other groups.
If Acting: Have children create their story together when it’s their turn to share have them act out their fairy tale.
Materials: open play area
Break the group up into pairs.
The pairs must lock elbows.
Choose one pair to be” it”.
The “it” pair runs around and tries to catch another pair. It a pair is caught they must remain frozen until another pair tags them. Once they are tagged they must lock elbows with a player from that pair to become a four person chain.
The game continues until all the children (except the “it” team)are connected in one long chain.
Popular Self-Esteem Books for Kids on Amazon: