Some Youth Group Team-Building Activities

Foster a supportive atmosphere by conducting team-building activities in your youth group.

If you have tried leading a group of youths as a camp counselor, church group leader or community center coordinator, you know that creating a positive atmosphere is essential. To help the youths build a sense of togetherness and become comfortable with one another, conduct some activities that encourage cooperation and communication. Employ a variety of activities and games during your meetings, some with a scholarly focus, such as word games, and some with an athletic slant, such as relays, so that each participant has a chance to shine.

Marble Movement

Acquire two coffee cans or similar containers and place several marbles in one of them. Move the empty container across the room. Give each participant a length of PVC pipe about 1 foot long and have them attempt to move the marbles from one container to the other without touching the marbles. This can be done as a whole group or as a race in teams. If you do not have PVC pipes, any sort of tube will work, but short tubes, such as toilet paper tubes, will increase the difficulty of the activity.

Adjective Acting

Make a list of adjectives or states of being, such as embarrassed, exuberant, sorrowful or hyper, and put each term on an index card. Call two volunteers at a time to choose a card each. The two will then act out a scene of two friends meeting for lunch, with each actor portraying the characteristic on the card he or she chose. After the scene, the actors and audience try to guess which adjectives the actors were portraying.

Pass Around

There are many types of team-building games that involve passing an item around a circle. Use a lump of clay and call out an item to be fashioned. After a few seconds, call "pass." The player must pass the lump to the next person, who continues trying to mold the clay. This continues all the way around the circle or until the item is complete. This can also be done with a pad of paper and a pencil. Similarly, you can pass a story around a circle, giving each player a chance to add one new sentence.

Magic Carpets

Have all participants stand on one tarp, which will be their magic carpet. Explain that they are to take a magic carpet ride from one end of the room, gymnasium or playground to the other by moving the tarp. However, all of the players' feet must be on the tarp at all times. This can also be a competitive activity in which teams race to get their carpet to the opposite side faster.

References

• Wilderdom: Pipeline
• Teampedia: Whose Adjective is it Anyway?
• Team Building Portal: Pass the Clay
• Ultimate Camp Resource: Magic Carpet