Free team building lesson plans will center around one specific team building activity, and allow time for an introduction and post activity discussion. Your team building lesson plan should have a title that accurately describes the exercise, and should directly address the needs of your group. An introduction, materials list, objective and conclusion should be clearly defined.
An example of a good lesson plan follows, using a team building activity which is appropriate for nearly any age level and group size. It can be a lot of fun for all involved if done correctly, so be aware of how each individual reacts and do your best to set them at ease. Begin by planning the lesson for a time period that is convenient, top as many members of the team as possible so they can focus on the exercise.
Mine Field
Introduction: This is a popular game that gets everyone involved and promotes communication and trust. It will work for groups of various types and sizes, and can be adapted as needed for the space available. Outdoors is often best, although an indoor space may be used with furniture acting as obstacles.
Materials: Bowling pins, cones, or other objects to serve as ‘mines’, prizes, and a blindfold.
Match participants up in pairs (you can take this opportunity to strengthen bonds between weaker partners.) Blindfold one partner, and explain to them that they may not talk.
The partner of the blindfolded individual is responsible for navigating them safely through the minefield to retrieve the prize and return. The prizes could be components of a larger prize, meaning all pairs need to complete their journey successfully before the team gets rewarded.
Establish an atmosphere of caring – everyone on the team should be rooting for each pair to achieve the goal. Allow ten minutes for strategizing, then place prizes at strategic points, create a maze of obstacles, and begin.
Outdoors, you may be able to let all pairs operate at once; indoors, only a few may have room to navigate to avoid collisions.
The penalty for hitting a “mine” can be a strike – three strikes and the pair has to switch places (causing a restart for that pair). The exercise is not over until each individual has both acted as a navigator and actually traversed the minefield. (Change up the obstacles and prize locations regularly during the exercise.)
At the end of the exercise, prizes can be opened, a large prize assembled, or awards given to the pairs who most accurately navigated with the least hits. A great idea is to have each team retrieve a letter, and when done the letters unscramble to reveal a prize – pizza ordered in for all, or a half hour break – paid, on the clock! These kinds of perks make team members more eager to participate and work together to achieve a common goal.
Free team building lesson plans
Make sure to allow discussion on what tactics worked best, and ask each pair to point out what was hardest for them, and how watching other team members helped them with their own strategies.
Enjoy and have fun with free team building lesson plans.