Lakeside YMCA - Team Building

About

Team Building Activities

Blue Tubes

What does the activity involve?
The group spends the session crawling through tubes, over and under ground. Throughout the activity participants will help each other through various obstacles including a seesaw and slide.

What are the aims of this activity?
To encourage individual challenge, group co-operation, peer support and communication. A great, fun activity for younger groups.


Campfire – Instructor Led

What does the activity involve?
Groups are tasked at the start of the week with inventing a sketch, song, or play to perform at the campfire for the rest of their group.

What are the aims of this activity?
Group experience, reviewing, bonding, confidence building, and public speaking.


Barbecue – Instructor Led

This can be chosen in conjunction with the campfire a relaxed group experience in the open air. This activity is not recommended as a substitute for the evening meal but as an addition.


Challenge Course

What does the activity involve?
The team must traverse a series of low level challenges across wires and onto platforms without touching the ground. The course can only be completed with the help of your team mates. Problems involve real and imaginary ground-based obstacles (either natural or constructed) that challenge a group to pool their resources and work together to find solutions. Success is achieved only when all members have contributed to the outcome.

What are the aims of this activity?
The Challenge Course is designed to explore group interaction, problem-solving, and leadership and to develop trust, communication, co-operation, and planning skills. An excellent activity for slightly older groups.


Crate Stack

What does this activity involve?
Involves building a tower of crates whilst standing on top of it in small teams of two or three people. They are belayed from the ground (under supervision) by the other members of the team. This is a challenging activity where balance, skill and confidence are required.

What are the aims of this activity?
Crate Stack is a high impact activity that offers a high level of team challenge. It gives a great opportunity to develop communication and teamwork.


Field Games

What does the activity involve?
Have fun playing various games in our open field areas, usually involving getting from base to base, either collecting things and/or people. This can be run as an own programme activity.

What are the aims of this activity?
To encourage teamwork and fun while being outdoors.


Homing: Land or Water

What does this activity involve?
This activity is a full day expedition where the group is responsible for all aspects of the day from journey planning, navigation and decision making. The homing day can be completed by land (walking), water (group canoe/canoes) or both (canoe one way and walk the other). As the aim of the homing day is to promote independence and self-reliance safety by instructional staff can be provided at two levels, either by direct supervision or shadowing.

What are the aims of this activity?
A Homing is a challenging activity promoting independence, empowerment, personal and team achievement and development of journey skills. Team interaction is a key component which is integral to a successful outcome.

Homing on water is the same as above however the journey is carried out in a group canoe or rafted canoe.

You could also have a combination of Land and Water, where half the journey is completed in a group canoe and the other half walking.


Initiatives

What does the activity involve?
A variety of physical and mental activities that get the group bonding together and getting to know one another and their instructor. The initiatives can be tailored to meet specific learning objectives and outcomes to suit the individual needs of the group.

What are the aims of this activity?
These exercises focus primarily on teamwork skills such as communication, problem solving, team roles, leadership styles, etc. They can be used to break down barriers, build trust and understanding and mould the group into a team.


Night Line

What does the activity involve?
Nightline is a high involvement activity requiring the team to negotiate a set course whilst wearing blindfolds. It is an enjoyable activity which appeals to a full range of age and ability levels. The session is about communication and teamwork along with the experience of being deprived of sight.

What are the aims of this activity?
Working as a team to develop skills such as trust and responsibility.


Obstacle Course

What does the activity involve?
Use teamwork skills to negotiate the obstacles completing tasks and challenges along the way. At the end there is the option to have a go at the swamp traverse – balance along the beams but if you fall you end up in the mud!

What are the aims of this activity?
Personal and group challenge, promotes planning, teamwork and communication.


Pond Dip

What does the activity involve?
This activity is an introduction to using the buckets and nets provided to dip the pond and collect specimens using teaching material and charts to name what has been found and the relationship between animals. This activity is best suited to spring and summer when there is more life in the pond.

What are the aims of this activity?
An introduction to the diversity of aquatic life found at Lakeside including the links between them and a basic understanding of food webs and chains. This can be used to fulfil some elements of the National Curriculum.


Search & Rescue

What does the activity involve?
The activity involves setting a scenario for the group to solve - this could be recovering missing objects or a missing person. The group needs to learn about search patterns then plan and conduct a search. If a casualty is involved then the group can incorporate first aid skills and help to stretcher them to safety. Overall it’s a dynamic and adventurous activity in the great outdoors with plenty of learning through experience.

What are the aims of this activity?
To encourage clear communication and teamwork and to develop map reading skills. To learn about rescue organisation and basic first aid techniques.