Team-building can happen in any situation where kids, or kids and grown-ups, are gathered together for a common purpose. Teaching kids how to work together and be valuable members of a group will help them develop skills they’ll use throughout their lives.
In this article, we’ve compiled several fun and easy team-building activities you can do with your child!
Why Is Team Building Important?
Team-building activities help your child develop the social skills they’ll use in every aspect of their life.
Skills like communication, problem-solving, and patience grow as your child works with others toward a common goal, and their relationships grow stronger through trust and collaboration.
Team-Building Activities for Kids
1) Group Jump Rope
What You’ll Need
- One long jump rope
What to Do
- Determine how many kids will be jumping the rope at the same time.
- Two kids turn a jump rope, while the other kids run in, jump, and then run out.
- See how many times the kids can jump without missing or getting in each other’s way.
2) Hula Hoop® Challenge
What You’ll Need
- A Hula Hoop
What to Do
- Everyone stands in a circle.
- One child places the Hula Hoop on their shoulder, and everyone joins hands.
- Without letting go of anyone’s hand, the kid with the Hula Hoop has to get it off of their shoulder and pass it to the next child.
- Each subsequent kid does the same until the Hula Hoop has made it all the way around the circle.
3) Over-Under Relay
What You’ll Need
- A ball
What to Do
- Everyone forms a line.
- The first kid passes a ball over their head to the child behind them.
- That kid passes it under their legs to the next kid.
- The ball gets passed down the line, over and under, until it reaches the last child.
4) The Circle Grows
What You’ll Need
- A ball
What to Do
- Everyone stands in a circle close together.
- The first kid throws the ball to someone else.
- If they catch it, everyone takes a step back and the circle widens.
5) Scavenger Hunt
What You’ll Need
- Paper
- Pens
What to Do
- Give kids a list of items you’ve hidden plus clues as to where they can be found.
- Have them work as a team to find all the items on the list.
6) Moon Ball
What You’ll Need
- Beach ball
What to Do
- Everyone works together to keep the ball up in the air without it touching the ground.
7) Seeing Spots
What You’ll Need
- Small round stickers in a variety of colors
- Enough kids so that at least two of them can have the same color sticker
What to Do
- Place one sticker on each child’s forehead without them seeing it.
- They need to find other kids with the same color stickers as theirs without verbal communication.
8) Cup Stacking
What You’ll Need
- Paper cups (15 per group)
- String
- Rubber bands
What to Do
- Divide the kids into groups (any number of kids per group works)
- Give each group 15 paper cups.
- Tie 1-2 foot-long strings around the rubberband—one string per kid.
- Each child holds onto a piece of string and pulls it to stretch the rubber band so it will fit around a cup.
- The kids use the rubber band to pick up paper cups and stack them into a pyramid shape.
9) We’re Going On a Picnic
What You’ll Need
- A space to sit comfortably
What to Do
- Ask the kids to sit in a circle.
- You begin by saying, “We’re going on a picnic, and I’m bringing—” and name something that starts with “a,” like “apple.”
- The kid next to you repeats, “We’re going on a picnic, and I’m bringing—” and they need to say “apple” and then something that starts with “b,” like “banana.”
- Go around the circle until you get to the end of the alphabet.
10) Animal Charades
What You’ll Need
- Paper
- Pencil
- Basket
What to Do
- Write down a different kind of animal on each piece of paper and put all the papers in the basket.
- One kid picks a piece of paper and acts out the animal’s behavior without speaking and the others guess the animal.
11) The Great Egg Drop
What You’ll Need
- Various materials you have around your house such as:
- Fabric
- Newspaper
- Cardboard
- Bubble cushion material
- Cotton balls
- Tape
- An egg
What to Do
- Give the kids an egg.
- Ask them to work together to design a package, using the materials, that will keep the egg from breaking when it’s dropped.
- Test the design by dropping the egg.
- Discuss outcomes: What worked? What didn’t? How could they improve their design?
12) The Big Picture
What You’ll Need
- A simple picture on a piece of paper
- Pencils
- Markers
- Paper
What to Do
- Cut the picture into enough squares so each child gets one.
- Give each kid a piece of paper and ask them to reproduce their section of the picture, filling the whole piece of paper.
- The kids put their drawings together to create a new (bigger) replica of the original picture.
13) Service Project
What You’ll Need
- Materials for a service project (i.e. food for a bake sale or bags for a clothing drive)
What to Do
- Organize a group of kids to do a service project.
- Some ideas include:
- Making cards for people living in a senior center
- Gathering clothes or canned goods for a clothing or food drive
- Holding a bake sale to raise money for an animal shelter
14) Community Garden
What You’ll Need
- Rakes
- Shovels
- Dirt
- Seeds or plants
What to Do
- Do a long-term project by planting a garden in a communal space in your neighborhood.
- Make a plan with your child and the neighbors who want to participate. What will the garden look like? What will you plant? Who will do each job, like planting, watering, and harvesting?
- Work with your child and your neighbors to implement the plan.
15) Sidewalk Art Gallery
What You’ll Need
- Chalk
- Sidewalk or concrete patio
What to Do
- Choose a theme (like favorite animal or activity).
- Ask each child to draw a picture that fits the theme.
- When everyone is finished, the kids walk through the art gallery together discussing why they chose their ideas and what details they love in other people’s art.
16) Spider Web
What You’ll Need
- Ball of yarn
- Space to sit
What to Do
- Everyone sits in a circle.
- One kid begins by holding the end of the yarn and tossing the ball to another kid.
- The catcher becomes the thrower. Holding onto their part of the yarn, the new thrower tosses the ball to someone else.
- Continue until everyone in the circle is connected by the yarn spider web.
17) Collaborative Storytelling
What You’ll Need
- Your imagination
What to Do
- One kid provides the first sentence to a story.
- Then, one by one, each kid adds another sentence to it until everyone has had a turn.
- You can continue around the group as many times as you like. The length of the story is up to you!
18) Did You Hear That?
What You’ll Need
- Blindfold
- A small toy with wheels in a jar
What to Do
- Have the kids form a circle.
- Choose one kid to wear a blindfold and stand in the middle.
- The kids pass the jar without making noise.
- If the kid in the middle hears something, they point to where they think the noise is coming from. If they’re right, another kid goes into the middle and dons the blindfold.
- The group succeeds when they can pass the jar around the entire circle silently.
19) Applause Hide and Seek
What You’ll Need
- A large group of people (perfect for groups with varying levels of mobility)
What to Do
- Divide the group into hiders, seekers, and helpers (the folks who can’t or don’t want to move around).
- Once the hiders are hidden, the seekers work together to find them.
- The helpers applaud the finders when they get close to a hider.
20) Secret Handshake
What You’ll Need
- 6 kids or more
What to Do
- The kids form a circle.
- Together, they make up an elaborate handshake and practice it.
- A child starts the game by shaking the hand of the kid to their right, who shakes the hand of the kid to their right and so on.
- If someone messes up the handshake, the game starts from the beginning again.
- Once everyone gets the handshake right, the game starts again, this time with everyone going faster. Challenge the kids to see how fast they can “pass” the handshake around the circle.
Common Household Activities That Encourage Team-Building
Many family activities can strengthen team-building skills—you just need to be intentional about the way you approach them. Be clear about the goal and emphasize how your child’s role, and everyone’s role, is important to a successful outcome.
Some family activities that work well for this are:
- Planting a vegetable garden
- Cooking a special family meal
- Painting a mural on a fence or garage wall
- Building something together
Go,Team!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four main types of team-building activities?
While there are different ways to categorize team-building activities, a common method is dividing them into those that focus on:
- Communication
- Trust-building
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making
Of course, most team-building activities incorporate more than one.
How do sports teach team-building skills?
When your child is a member of a sports team, they’re collaborating with others to achieve a common goal. They must use team-building skills such as communication, cooperation, and problem-solving, which fosters a sense of trust and camaraderie.
How does leadership grow out of team-building?
A good leader needs the same set of skills as a good team player: communication and problem-solving skills, patience, and the ability to collaborate creatively. Developing team-building skills lays the groundwork for becoming a confident and empathetic leader.
