How to Play Human Checkers as a Team Building Event

Sometimes the best team building activities are the simplest. Get your employees moving and thinking with a spirited game of human checkers for your next team building event.

Things You'll Need

• Human checkers (at least 24 people)
• Players (at least 2 people)
• Tarp
• Red and black t-shirts
• Two chairs or ladders
• Red and black paint

Instructions

Plan a Fun Game of Human Checkers

1. Create your checkerboard by painting a large tarp with alternating black and red squares. Each of the squares should be big enough for a person to sit or stand comfortably.

2. Paint your checkerboard so that it is 8 squares wide by 8 squares long, creating 64 blocks to play on.

3. Purchase red and black t-shirts for the human checkers on either side of the checkerboard. You will need 12 of each color.

Check on Your Employees' Team Spirit

1. Select two checker players to call the shots as you set up your human checkerboard. Depending on the amount of time you have, you could create a tournament setting where players and "checkers" rotate through the game.

2. Allow each player to select their "checkers" or fellow employees to wear their color-coordinated black or red t-shirts.

3. Have each set of human checkers assemble on the board to begin play. The setup should resemble that of a traditional game of checkers with black on one side and red on the other.

4. Begin play and continue until the board is empty of all but one player's "checkers." If you are playing tournament style, this player would then be matched with the next player on the roster and the loser would become one of the checkers.

5. Imitate the traditional checkers method of "crowning" checkers that reach the opponent's side by having one of the eliminated checkers stand up and follow the crowned checker around the board as play continues.

6. Use this game as an invigorating team building event by inviting those playing as checkers to offer their advice on the next move the player should make.

Tips & Warnings

• Human checkers also makes a great company picnic event. You can mark out the checkerboard on a basketball court using temporary paint made from a mixture of tempera powder and dish soap.

• A less expensive alternative to a painted tarp and colored t-shirts is to create your board and checkers with colored paper. Tape colored paper blocks to the floor to create the board and have each checker tape a piece of paper in his team's color to his back.