E P A T CT DU Team-B uilding A ctivities with duct tape Camp Thurman Challenge Adventure Program
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ***** IN THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE WE THANK THE FOLLOWING TALENTED AND GENEROUS INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTINUE TO ENHANCE OUR TEAMBUILDING EXPERIENCES: TOM HECK/ Teach Me Teamwork MICHELLE CUMMINGS CHRIS CAVERT/ LEAP Training BETSY HIPPIE KARL ROHNKE/ Silver Bullets JIM CAIN/ Teamwork and Teamplay SAM SIKES JEFF LONG
ALL ABOARD Duct Tape 10-15 feet To get the entire team to fit into the square Exploring the impossible Create a 2ft. x 2 ft. square using duct tape taped to the ground. o Everyone must be touching the ground inside the square with at least one foot or a part of your foot. o You may not touch the ground located outside of the square; however, you may touch the duct tape itself. o The square may not be moved or rearranged. o The group must stay on/in the square for one round of a song like of your choice. o During the song, no one can touch the ground outside of the square. If this boundary is broken, the entire group must retry the attempt. o Safety is no locking of elbows, no standing on other people s feet and no bare feet Your team is on a sinking ship. Good news is that a rescue ship is coming. Your team will be saved if you can just hang on for a bit longer and stand on the bit of the ship that is still sticking out of the water. Once this size of square is achieved, explore smaller and smaller squares. A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape right away. Mark Twain References: Chris Cavert / LEAP Training; Tom Heck / Teach Me Teamwork; Karl Rohnke / Silver Bullets
AMOEBA ELECTRIC FENCE Duct Tape 10-15 feet To get the entire team over the top of the electric fence. Develop trust within a team and use effective problem solving skills Create the electric fence by using a long section (10-15ft) of duct tape to create a line parallel to the ground.the higher the duct tape is off the ground the more challenging the game. o The electric fence may not be altered/moved once the activity begins. o The electric fence may not be touched by anything (skin, hair,clothing) o The group may not use the space directly under the electric fence. o The group must remain in contact with each other at all times. The group acts as one amoeba o The group may reposition themselves as long as they remain in physical contact with each other. o No launching or throwing team members over the fence. o Any violation of a boundary results in a penalty, such as starting over. Traveling through the land of Goop, your team has mysteriously been turned into an amoeba. It will be impossible to return home and live a normal life unless your team can cross over a magical barrier (duct tape) to change back to your normal selves. Don t touch the magic barrier! Divide the group in half. Have the groups start on opposite sides and have to switch sides without touching the electric fence or their opposing team. Fences are made for those who cannot fly Elbert Hubbard
BUS STOP Duct Tape 20 feet To learn more about team members by expressing opinions in front of a group. Learning more about each other, have fun Create 2 parallel lines on the ground with the Duct Tape approx. 15-20 feet apart. These will be the sides of the imaginary bus. o The facilitator stands at one end of the bus and the group stands between the parallel lines and faces the facilitator. o The facilitator reads word pairs to the group. The facilitator reads the first word and points to the right, then the second word and points to the left. The participants must decide and walk across the line on the ground to the word/side they most relate to in this moment. o The group looks to see how the group divided. Facilitator says Everyone back in the bus. Everyone moves back to center and waits for next word pair. o The next word pair is given and the participants make their selections. This process is repeated several times. o Passengers must get off the bus (make a choice) after the bus driver (facilitator) announces a word pair. They must make a choice. You are now on an imaginary bus and I m your bus driver. During the journey we will make multiple stops and I ll ask you to make a decision as to which side of the bus you ll exit. The side you exit will help the team learn more about you. Have participants think of word pairs that would challenge the group and then take over as the bus driver. There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself. Henry David Thoreau
BALANCE TUG Create a 15 ft. piece of rope (it can be used for multiple activities.) With 3 people (2 people to hold and 1 person to dispense.) To write a word on the paper using the robot writer. Practice in communication, leadership, problem-solving. Attach the paper to the surface of the floor or a table. Ask each person to hold on to the end of his/her duct tape band. Give the team a word to write and challenge them to write it using the Robot Writer. o Participants may only hold the band of tape at the end. o The marker may only be held and guided by the attached bands of tape. You are a team aliens wanting to send a message to earth. It is obvious that the earthlings really need TEAMWORK, so this is the message you are sending. You must use your remote writing tool to send the message clearly. Good Luck! Create two teams and have them compete to write the message. Create several teams and have each work on a part of the message. Watch for collaboration and / or competition. Create a large maze on the floor using butcher paper and have them use the Robot Writer to find move their way through the maze (like a people s menu at a restaurant) The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots. Erich Fromm
CIRCLE PASS 1 duct tape circle fashioned like a hula hoop using about 8 feet of duct tape. Fold to the middle and use one smaller piece to tape two ends together. To move the duct tape circle around the entire circle as fast as the team can. Practice in goal-setting, process improvement, creativity, fun. Have the group stand in a circle and join hands. Ask one pair of people to disconnect and reach through the center of the duct tape circle. This will now be the start and finish line. o The duct tape circle must travel in a clockwise direction. o Hands must be joined at all times. o Team members must remain in their respective locations. Your team is traveling in space and must go through a black hole which is a time loop. To continue your time space travels all members of the team must pass through the loop. Remember to stay connected or someone could float off into the eternity of space. Try two loops of duct tape and have each travel in different directions with a different stop and start place. It s the circle of life, and it moves us all, through despair, hope, through faith and love, till we find our place, on the path unwinding. Elton John
ELECTRIC HANDS 1 roll of duct tape and a coin. To be the first team to grab the roll of duct tape after sending an electric pulse through the team line. Fun competition with team focus and non-verbal communication. Divide group into Team A and Team B. Have the teams sit down, legs crossed, Indian style face each other in a line and hold hands. Place duct tape at one end between the teams facing one another. The participant at the duct tape end of the line will be a grabber and must keep grabber hand behind one s back. Facilitator stands at the other end with coin. When facilitator flips coin and it lands on heads, the instigator begins the electric pulse down the line. Once the pulse reaches the grabber, they try and grab the duct tape roll first. The first team to grab the roll wins that round. o The grabbers must keep their grabbing hand behind their backs until it is time to grab. o After each round, the instigator moves to the end of the line and becomes the new grabber. The next person in line is the new instigator. This is an electrical show down to see who will control the tape in the next activity. If you have an odd number people, consider using the odd numbered person to be the coin flipper. One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. Helen Keller
GROUP STRIDE Duct Tape 10-20 feet To advance (move) your strip of duct tape as far as you can from your start line Goal setting, Process improvement, leadership Each small group will need a strip of duct tape. To make the strips, pull approximately 12 of duct tape from the roll and then fold it over lengthwise (sticky sides together). You will end up with a 6 strip with no sticky side showing. Create a 12 inch long start line for each group. Create teams of 4-5 people. o Each team must create a batting order so that all team members take a turn in order. o Each team member gets one chance to advance the strip of duct tape. The fist person starts behind the start line. To advance the strip of duct tape take one giant step and then reposition the duct tape at the tip of your foot furthest from the start line. The next person stars where the first person left off standing behind the strip of duct tape and then taking one giant step to once again advance the strip of duct tape. o Once all team members have had one turn to advance the duct tape. They must stop and mark the spot where they finished. While in space, your team s space ship breaks down. To complete the repair your team must move a special piece of repair tape to the back of the ship. Each team member has just enough time to travel outside the space ship and move the repair tape one giant step towards the needed repair spot before needing to return to the ship. You have enough oxygen for all team members to have one attempt each. Good Luck. Pair up teams at the beginning of the game. Team A starts on one side of the room and Team B starts on the other side of the room. The goal is for the two teams to meet in the middle of the room. The debrief can center around the effort and skills required to reach out to another team (or person). When you engage in systematic, purposeful action, using and stretching your abilities to the maximum, you cannot help but feel positive and confident about yourself. Brian Tracy
HELIUM ROLL One Roll of Duct Tape Lower the roll of duct tape to the ground. Develop Problem Solving skills, Setting goals Circle the team up in a close proximity. Everyone extends their arm and holds out their index finger as if pointing as someone across the circle. Arms at chest level. Facilitator announces that they will place a roll of duct tape on top of their index fingers. WHEN YOU PLACE THE ROLL OF DUCT TAPE ON THEIR FINGERS, THE FACILITATOR MUST KEEP THEIR HAND ON TOP OF THE ROLL OF DUCT TAPE to prevent the group form raising it in the air. Your directions are as follows: As a group, you must lower this roll of duct tape to the ground without even a single person on the team losing contact with the roll. Should someone lose contact with the roll you must start again. o No one may lose contact with the roll of duct tape. If anyone losses contact with the roll the entire group must start again. The starting position is the same as described above. o Only the index finger on the right hand can be used. The index finger must be placed below the roll of duct tape. Nothing else is allowed to touch the roll. The roll may not be altered from the way it was originally presented. o Fingers and hands may not make contact with anyone. o Index fingers much remain rigid and straight. You are a team of scientists and you ve recently discovered a new energy source ( a machine) that uses a roll of duct tape as a crucial component. The problem is the roll of duct tape must be lowered into the machine by all team members in a very specific way, otherwise the machine won t work. Good Luck? I know your team can do it. Require the group to complete this challenge with no verbal communication. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee Muhammad Ali
HIDDEN NUMBERS 8 Feet of Duct Tape To solve the puzzle discovering the hidden numbers. Creative problem solving The game requires 4 strips of duct tape. To make one strip pull approx. 24 of duct tape and fold over lengthwise (sticky sides together). Arrange 4 strips of duct tape in columns on the floor. Gather the group in front of you so that everyone can view the 4 strips of duct tape. Facilitators says I m going to show you a number between zero and ten. Your challenge is to correctly determine which number I m showing you. Reposition one strip of duct tape in some fashion. Pretend to be making some specific shape or design. After arranging the duct tape strips on the ground, slyly place your hands on your thighs and ask What number do you see? The group will look at the shape you ve created and make several guesses. Here s the trick: You must show the number with your fingers on your thighs. If the number is 10, lay out 10 fingers on your thighs, if the number is 2, show 2 fingers on your thigh. It has nothing to do with the strips of tape. If the team is struggling, you may give hints like tapping your fingers on your leg. o There are no real rules. It s in the presentation Your team is traveling through a mystical land in search of answers to life s greatest questions. Your team comes to a bridge you must cross and to gain access to the key locking the bridge s gate, you must solve the puzzle of the Hidden Numbers. You may play this on a table top or while kneeling on the floor. Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity. Kahill Gibran
HOLE IN SPACE 20-30 Feet of Duct Tape Each participant must pass through the hole in space. Develop a plan, creative problem solving and resource management Create the Hole in Space by first running a long piece of duct tape from one wall to another ( approx. 5-6 feet off the ground). Next create the Hole out of a strip of duct tape measuring 5-6 feet long. This short strip of duct tape should be attached to the long piece in two places so it creates a big hole or opening as it hangs. Teach the group how to safely lift and spot team members. Divide the group in half, sending one half to one side of the Hole in Space and the other half to the other side of the Hole in Space. Your challenge is to get your entire small team through the Hole in Space to the other side. o No one may touch the duct tape. If someone touches the duct tape you must start over, or other penalty ( no voices, double talk) o The teams must alternate sending someone through the Hole in Space. o No other equipment, resources may be used ( chairs, tables..) Your team has arrived at the International Space Station and must enter through a small porthole. Due to an unstable situation caused by docking the Space Shuttle with the Space Station, your team must enter the Space Station one at a time and for each person that enters, one person on the Space Station must exit. Experiment with the size of the Hole. Smaller= Harder Follow the rule of the Holes, if you are in one, stop digging Dennis Healy
INTERFERENCE 40-60 Feet of Duct Tape The group is divided into 3 teams. Team A must communicate a message to Team C, who must repeat the message, Team B must stop the message from being communicated. Develop strategies for successful communication, Problem solving and creative planning techniques. Prepare 3 messages in advance. Do not allow participants to see messages. Each message will appear on a separate sheet of paper. (i.e. A friend is a present you give yourself. You don t have to try, you just have to be. The quieter you become the more you can hear) Create the playing area by taping two 20-30 feet long sections of duct tape on the ground parallel to each other. The duct tape should be at least 30 feet apart. If the group is large ( 100+) you will need longer sections of duct tape and the duct tape will need to be farther apart to accommodate the size of the group. Divide the large group into 3 smaller equal groups. Group A will be the Message Senders, Group B will be the Message Interferers, and Group C will be the Message Receivers. Assign the small groups (A,B,C) to their playing areas: Group B can stand anywhere between the parallel lines of duct tape. Group A stands on one side of the duct tape line (not between the lines) and Group C stands on the other side of the duct tape lines. Script: To Group A: Your challenge is to successfully communicate a message I m about to provide you to Group C. You ll have only 60 seconds to communicate the message. To Group C: Your challenge is to successfully receive the message Group A is going to communicate to you. At the end of 60 seconds you must be able to repeat the exact message I originally gave to Group A. To Group B: Your challenge is to prevent Group C from receiving the message. If at the end of the 60 seconds Group C is unable to repeat the original message exactly then you will have succeeded. o At the end of 60 seconds, everyone must be silent and Group C will share the message they received. Groups A and C win if it is the exact message sent by Group A. If Group C has only part or none of the message, Group B wins. o Only verbal communication may be used to send the message. Communicating the message via written word is not permitted. o Each group must stay in their designated playing area behind their lines. No one may travel beyond the ends of the lines. o Everyone must keep their feet on the ground.
You re a community of people living on one side of a canyon and you must communicate an important message to the community of people living on the other side of the canyon. Every time you attempt to communicate a group of wolves begin howling which interferes with the message. Before time runs out, you must get your message sent and received despite the interference from the wolves. Facilitator Notes: When everything is set and everyone understands the objective and rules, the facilitator will secretly show Group A the message, which is A friend is a present you give yourself. Prepare this message ahead of time and write it on paper. Allow the message senders time to prepare a plan and then start the game. In each round, rotate your groups to different areas. This will allow them to experience each position. Create your own one sentence messages for the groups to use during the game. Don t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. John Wooden
ROBOT WRITER 1 long strip of duct tape folded to the center to create a long band of duct tape for each participant. (4-10 participants is best for this activity) 1 large magic marker (the bulkier, the better) 1 piece of duct tape that connects all duct tape arms to the marker. 1 large sheet of paper. To write a word on the paper using the robot writer. Practice in communication, leadership, problem-solving. Attach the paper to the surface of the floor or a table. Ask each person to hold on to the end of his/her duct tape band. Give the team a word to write and challenge them to write it using the Robot Writer. o Participants may only hold the band of tape at the end. o The marker may only be held and guided by the attached bands of tape. You are a team aliens wanting to send a message to earth. It is obvious that the earthlings really need TEAMWORK, so this is the message you are sending. You must use your remote writing tool to send the message clearly. Good Luck! Create two teams and have them compete to write the message. Create several teams and have each work on a part of the message. Watch for collaboration and / or competition. Create a large maze on the floor using butcher paper and have them use the Robot Writer to find move their way through the maze (like a people s menu at a restaurant) The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots. Erich Fromm
TRUST V 20-30 feet of Duct Tape Travel with a partner from one end of the giant V to the other. Building trust with a partner, creating a plan Create a V on the ground measuring approx. 12-15ft. The opening of the V should measure 6-8 feet. Be sure the group practices safe spotting techniques before this activity. Ask the group to partner up with someone about the same size/height. Ask for volunteers who are ready to be the first to attempt the Trust V to find 2 other people who are willing to be their spotters. Spotters will be positioned on the outside of the V, and then 2 additional spotters Turtles will move inside the V. Presentation: Your challenge is to travel as a team of 2 from one end of this Trust V to another. As you travel down the Trust V you ll need to lean on each other. Interlocking fingers is not permitted. The further you travel down the Trust V the harder the activity. o When traveling down the Trust V with your partner your feet must not cross the duct tape line. o If one or both participants steps into or falls into the Trust V the team must start over. o The roll of duct tape may not be changed from the way it is presented. You and your partner are traveling through the Amazon jungle and you ve come to a river crossing. An unusual two-line bridge has been built across the river. The only way to use the bridge is to cross with a partner. Caution: there are maneating crocodiles in the river! Have participants close their eyes while traveling down the Trust V. Let this be by last word, that I trust in your love. Rabindranath