No matter where games take place, team building activities for teens are a great way to develop bonding among individuals. A lot of workplaces where these activities are a great way of strengthening teamwork and enhancing the productivity at the same time. But these activities are not restricted to just one set of group or people, and it could indeed be beneficial to many others including teens. Whether you are talking about athletes or a group of students, team building activities for teens are a perfect way for them to learn the basic principles of teamwork and also acquire some of the much-needed skills in life.
Many would agree for the fact that the teenage is the period in the life of an individual where a lot of self-discovery happens, and it is normal for teens to go through the self-doubting phase. And team building activities for teens are a great way for them to build self-confidence, be better team players as well as develop bonding with others. These are some of the required skills that you could not learn in any classroom and are much needed to deal with things in life. All of this opens up a lot of avenues including the enhancements in teen creativity and also an improvement in their communication skills.
Games and activities are more of a positive experience for them regarding shaping up their self-esteem where they will learn the aspects of success as well as failures, both of which are necessary for life. Many teenagers do not have an active social life, and the team building activities for teens could be a great way to socialize with other people, develop strong connections as well as friendships. Individuals who do not develop these skills would face a lot of difficulties while dealing with ebbs and tides in practical life and being out there with full force to perform would only take you up the ladder in both your personal and professional endeavors.
Reasons to Choose Team Building Activities for Teens
In case of adults, the team building activities for teens are more inclined towards achieving a particular result; however, when it comes to teens, it is all about shaping their minds in a very casual way. It is more inclined towards fun and entertainment so that it creates interest in the teenage group to participate. Many studies support the fact that team activities which facilitate fun ways to attract a larger crowd and also leads to higher amounts of learning. With this approach, there is a long-lasting impact in the teenage fraternity. No matter the group you are looking into, any of the team building activities for teens shall facilitate the following:
• The primary focus of these activities shall be to make sure that an individual comes out of his or her comfort zone and get more comfortable in a social circle. They shall learn how to effectively communicate their ideas while also being patient to listen to other people’s opinions within the team. The activities shall help them learn how to perform in a group to effectively reach a common goal.
• Another critical aspect of these team building activities for teens shall be to hone the leadership skills in an individual. While this unique skill comes naturally to few, it can undoubtedly teach youth to take proper ownership while working in a team. Looking through the overall activity from inception to finish while managing other resources could be a great start towards effective leadership. Some of the other things like listening to other team members while being articulate about your point of view could go a long way in shaping up the leader of the next generation.
• Building trust is another critical area that these team building activities for teens shall promote. It shall get the teenagers closer as individuals and also help them in developing their communication as well as interpersonal skills.
• Last but not the least, team building activities for teens are not productive if it does not enhance the creativity among the teens. The activities shall focus on improving the imaginations among them and also give them the opportunity to correct them if things do not go as per plan.
And when you are in the process of delivering the tasks in any team building activity, it would not be surprising if you do not encounter some level of rebellion and reluctance in completing a particular work. Your focus shall be to ignite the competitive spirit among the individuals by promoting the activity as a challenge with some small reward that comes along with it. Make the team realize that the action could undoubtedly be achievable, but not entirely comfortable and that they need to open up their imaginative capabilities to end up as a winner. It is essential as tasks which are realistically unachievable are not a very popular option to draw more participation.
While these activities occur, the role of the facilitator is essential as it helps to create a fun, safe and conducive environment where the teenage group could deliver to the best of their potential and where there is entirely no fear to fail. If you are the facilitator, try to give as much of encouragement as possible, especially for the underperforming of quiet individuals as some of them need that extra boost to go out there and be a winner. Also, guide them whenever necessary if they are making any mistake. Also, if the group is large, make sure there are enough facilitators so that the activity becomes fun and easy to manage.
Another thing to keep in mind is to communicate the rules clearly and make sure that the group understands them clearly. Ask them repeatedly if they have any questions before the activity starts. Try to be as vigilant as possible to make sure that the entire group is safe while performing the operation. It is common for some individuals to cheat on reporting winning, try to stress the importance of ethics.
Team Building Activities for Teens
Let us now look into some of the top team building activities for teens:
• Minefield: To play this fantastic game, you are looking for a group of somewhere between 2 to 30 individuals, and if you are looking to have a blast out of it, larger groups are preferable. It takes about an hour to engage in this fantastic team building activity. It is quite simple to play where the individuals would navigate through a minefield without stepping on any of the mines. And for any reason, if they do, the game requires them to start again from the beginning point. It is a significant activity where individuals and teams learn the importance of being focused to achieve a particular goal. Also, it would help them to enhance their memories and groups which are focused and effectively contribute among themselves end up on the winning side.
• Robots: It is another great team building activity which helps the teens to develop their verbal as well as non-verbal skills. It requires a team member to get blindfolded and try to retrieve a bomb. The first one to accomplish the task ends up as the winner. While it might sound simple, it is an excellent game where teens could be taught the importance of active cooperation to achieve a common goal. And teams who do not communicate well find it a lot difficult in accomplishing the tasks at hand. It takes about half an hour to complete the game, and groups ranging from anywhere between 6 to 12 individuals are ideal.
• Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces: you are looking at around 30-45 minutes to play this game, and ideal group sizes are between 8 to 16 individuals. It’s a simple activity where teams receive puzzle pieces, and all they need to do is to piece the puzzle together as quickly as possible. The game is one of those activities that test the power of communication and cooperation to achieve the target. It is also a great way to enhance your leadership skills by taking the lead and do the planning and coordination to complete the task in the shortest possible time. It is a great way to learn that much value comes from working with teams rather than at an individual level.
• Electric Fence: As simple as it sounds, all you need to do is to cross the electric fence without touching any part of the fence line. It is an ideal opportunity for teams ranging from 5 to 15 individuals, and it could take up to half an hour to complete it. The activity is a sign for developing the aspects of trust and teamwork as it requires all the members of the team to be dependent on each other so that all of them could pass through the fence without any hassle. Also, it helps in improving the communication standards.
• Incoming Tide Survival: It takes about 45 minutes and is a perfect choice for team sizes of about 8 to 16. This activity requires creativity where the teens pretend to be on a beach, and they need to get off the ground by building a structure with the materials provided to them. It is an excellent way to enhance your creative thinking and problem-solving ability. It is also a great way to improve the team bonding and volunteer yourself to be a top contributor.
• Missile Launch: It takes about 70 minutes to complete this game. And if you are creative, you would dedicate about 10 minutes to brief and set up the agenda, next 10 minutes to come up with an innovative plan, about 40 minutes to construct the missile launchers. The following 5 minutes could be to test and the last 5 minutes could be effectively utilized to review. Goal setting is one of the critical takeaways that teens could learn from this activity besides learning how to manage time and be more analytical.
• Towers of Hanoi: This is a quick game, and it takes about 20 minutes to complete. Ideal team size is between 80 to 12 even though up to 20 participants could be allowed. All you need to do is to arrange a stack of tires in a particular order and transfer them from one post to another. One trick to remember is to avoid putting a larger tire on a smaller one. A good strategy would be to use the first 5 minutes to set up and concentrate on the next 10 minutes in accomplishing the task. This game requires a high level of planning, and problem-solving ability along with discussing in groups are some of the traits you could learn as a part of this activity.
• Rope Handcuffs: This is an exciting game where you are required to try and get disconnected from your partner who is tied to you using infinite loops. You also need to make sure that you are not untying the knots. The game focuses on not only learning the basics of being persistent but also would create a lot of laughter where you could enjoy to the fullest while being a part of the game. You do not need a lot of time to review, and if you are analytical regarding your problem-solving abilities, you shall have no difficulty in finding your way out.
Two Bonus Team Building Activities for Teens
• Video Scavenger Hunt: This is a perfect activity for teens who are shy as it requires you to complete the set of tasks by video-recording while you perform the function. Whichever team ends up scoring the maximum points is declared as the winner. It is a more extended game, and you shall dedicate about 2 to 3 hours to finish it, and you could expect around 4-8 members per team. In the present generation where teens are so much in the world of smartphones, this activity provides them with a perfect opportunity to manage the available resources in the allotted time. It also enhances leadership skills in individuals who are ready to take the lead.
• Triangle of Life: it is a 40-minute game, and you would need somewhere between 8 to about 18 individuals per team to do the activity. The fun part is where the teams are required to survive while being stranded on three different islands. They are needed to figure out a way to get the necessary items while there is a supply of only limited equipment. If you are a teen who is quite experimental, this is an excellent activity for you. It could also give you the opportunity to unleash your creativity to the fullest potential and help you realize the importance of being able to survive in any setting or environment. If your team can better communicate and plan, there is no reason why your group would not become the winner.
Team Building Activities for Teens: Summary
While the ones mentioned above are some of the many teen building activities, the primary goal is to make sure that the teens are more engaged and learn the required skills while being able to enjoy these activities in a fun-filled and safe environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to unleash their potential to the fullest. These team building activities for teens are a perfect way for teens to come together as teams and work towards achieving a common goal. These are some of the traits that are essential for them while dealing with complicated situations in life and if they can get through it in a fun way, success would only be a matter of time. It is also a great way to create some fantastic memories with other individuals who could end up being friends for the rest of your life.
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