Planning Youth Team Building Activities
How to Conduct Fun Icebreakers and Other Group Activities With Teens
Sep 26, 2009
Youth workers are often called upon to develop and implement team building activities for their groups. For those who haven’t done this before, it can be a daunting tasks. These steps will help leaders ensure they are properly prepared.
Choosing Youth Team Building Activities
Team leaders should make sure the team building activity you select is appropriate for their age, development, comfort level, and interests. If several activities are being conducted in one day, the type of activities should be varied to keep kids’ motivation and interest high. For a group who is meeting for the first time, skip activities that involve extremely close physical contact: the kids will be focusing more on how uncomfortable they are than they will be paying attention to the activity. Those should be saved for later, when the group members know each other well.
Leaders should make sure they are familiar with the components of the team building activity and how it should play out. A “dry run” with a small group of students or family members may provide enough practice to get an idea of how the activity will work. Getting a sense of how long each activity will take will also help leaders plan accordingly. Nothing is more frustrating to a group of students than a group leader who doesn’t seem to know how to lead!
Preparing Youth Team Building Activities
Leaders should make sure they are familiar with the components of the team building activity and how it should play out. A “dry run” with a small group of students or family members may provide enough practice to get an idea of how the activity will work. Getting a sense of how long each activity will take will also help leaders plan accordingly. Nothing is more frustrating to a group of students than a group leader who doesn’t seem to know how to lead!
All of the directions, materials, space, and other necessities for the group activity should be prepared and ready before students arrive. It wouldn’t hurt to have some extras, just in case.
Implementing Youth Team Building Activities
Team leaders should learn how to read their audience, and make sure they stay flexible. They shouldn’t be afraid to jump in and switch gears if a team building activity seems to be bombing. Likewise, if the group is really into a particular activity, leaders should be flexible enough to run with it and adjust the rest of the schedule accordingly.
This is the perfect time for leaders to observe the group dynamics and note how kids are interacting with each other. Are all of the kids participating? What kinds of roles to individual students assume in different kinds of activities? Who emerges as the leader? How do the kids work together? Leaders can record their own observations and then use these impressions to guide the students in processing the activities and providing feedback after they are over.
With proper thought and planning, team building activities can be fun, stress free, and provide kids with a meaningful experience that helps them grow and develop as positive team members.
 |
