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10 Team-Building Games That Promote Collaborative Critical Thinking

This document discusses 10 team-building games that promote critical thinking skills. It begins by stating that education aims to prepare students for the real world, and that developing interpersonal skills through teamwork is important for success. The 10 games described include activities like building structures out of materials, navigating obstacle courses while blindfolded with verbal guidance, solving mysteries by piecing together clues, and identifying and solving real-world problems. The document concludes that team-building exercises are crucial for ensuring students meaningfully engage with each other, and will remain relevant in classrooms.

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Jaydeep Jodhpura
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446 views4 pages

10 Team-Building Games That Promote Collaborative Critical Thinking

This document discusses 10 team-building games that promote critical thinking skills. It begins by stating that education aims to prepare students for the real world, and that developing interpersonal skills through teamwork is important for success. The 10 games described include activities like building structures out of materials, navigating obstacle courses while blindfolded with verbal guidance, solving mysteries by piecing together clues, and identifying and solving real-world problems. The document concludes that team-building exercises are crucial for ensuring students meaningfully engage with each other, and will remain relevant in classrooms.

Uploaded by

Jaydeep Jodhpura
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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10TeamBuildingGamesThatPromote

CriticalThinking
09/26/2013,TeachThoughtStaff,15Comments
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Oneofeducationsprimarygoalsistogroomthenextgenerationoflittlehumanstosucceedintherealworld.
Yes,therearemoundsofcurriculatheymustmasterinawidebreadthofsubjects,buteducationdoesnotbegin
andendwithatextbookortest.Otherskillsmustbehoned,too,nottheleastofwhichishowtogetalongwith
theirpeersandworkwellwithothers.Thisisnotsomethingthatcanbecultivatedthroughrotememorizationor
withstrategicallyplacedposters.
Studentsmustbeengagedandcooperationmustbepracticed,andoften.Thefollowingteambuildinggames

importantlyprovideafun,muchneededreprievefromroutine.
10TeamBuildingGamesThatPromoteCollaborativeCriticalThinking
1.IfYouBuildit
Thisteambuildinggameisflexible.Simplydividestudentsintoteamsandgivethemequalamountsofacertain
material,likepipecleaners,blocks,orevendriedspaghettiandmarshmallows.Then,givethemsomethingto
construct.Thechallengecanbevariable(think:Whichteamcanbuildthetallest,structurallysoundcastle?
Whichteamcanbuildacastlethefastest?).
Youcanrecyclethisactivitythroughouttheyearbyadaptingthechallengeormaterialstospecificcontentareas.
Skills:Communicationproblemsolving
2.SavetheEgg
Thisactivitycangetmessyandmaybesuitableforolderchildrenwhocanfollowsafetyguidelineswhenworking
withraweggs.Teamsmustworktogethertofindawaytosavetheegg(HumptyDumptyforelementaryschool
students?)inthiscaseaneggdroppedfromaspecificheight.Thatcouldinvolvefindingtheperfectsoft
landing,orcreatingadevicethatguidestheeggsafelytotheground.Lettheircreativityworkhere.
Skills:Problemsolving,creativecollaboration
3.Zoom
Zoomisaclassicclassroomcooperativegamethatneverseemstogooutofstyle.Simplyformstudentsintoa
circleandgiveeachauniquepictureofanobject,animalorwhateverelsesuitsyourfancy.Youbeginastory
thatincorporateswhateverhappenstobeonyourassignedphoto.Thenextstudentcontinuesthestory,
incorporatingtheirphoto,andsoon.
Skills:Communicationcreativecollaboration
4.Minefield
Anotherclassicteambuildinggame.Arrangesomesortofobstaclecourseanddividestudentsintoteams.
Studentstaketurnsnavigatingtheminefieldwhileblindfolded,withonlytheirteammatestoguidethem.You
canalsorequirestudentstoonlyusecertainwordsorcluestomakeitchallengingorcontentareaspecific.
Skills:Communicationtrust
5.TheWorstCaseScenario
Fabricateascenarioinwhichstudentswouldneedtoworktogetherandsolveproblemstosucceed,likebeing
strandedonadesertedislandorgettinglostatsea.Askthemtoworktogethertoconcoctasolutionthatensures
everyonearrivessafely.Youmightaskthemtocomeupwithalistof10musthaveitemsthatwouldhelpthem
most,oracreativepassagetosafety.Encouragethemtovoteeveryonemustagreetothefinalsolution.

Skills:Communication,problemsolving
6.AShrinkingVessel
Thisgamerequiresagooddealofstrategyinadditiontoteamwork.Itsrulesaredeceptivelysimple:Theentire
groupmustfindawaytooccupyaspacethatshrinksovertime,untiltheyarepackedcreativelylikesardines.
Youcanformtheboundarywitharope,atarporblanketbeingfoldedoverorsmalltrafficcones.(Skills:
Problemsolvingteamwork)
7.GoforGold
ThisgameissimilartotheIfyoubuilditgame:Teamshaveacommonobjective,butinsteadofeachone
havingthesamematerials,theyhaveaccesstoawholecacheofmaterials.Forinstance,thegoalmightbeto
createacontraptionwithpipes,rubbertubingandpiecesofcardboardthatcancarryamarblefrompointAto
pointBinacertainnumberofsteps,usingonlygravity.
Creativecollaborationcommunicationproblemsolving
8.ItsaMystery
Manychildren(andgrownups)enjoyagoodmystery,sowhynotdesignonethatmustbesolvedcooperatively?
Giveeachstudentanumberedclue.Inordertosolvethemysterysay,thecaseofthemissingmascot
childrenmustworktogethertosolvethecluesinorder.Thecasemightrequirethemtomovefromoneareaof
theroomtothenext,uncoveringmoreclues.
Skills:Problemsolving,communication
9.4WayTugofWar
Thatplaygroundclassicisstillahitnottomentioninexpensiveandsimpletoexecute.Forauniquevariation,
setupamultidirectionalgamebytyingropesinsuchawaythatthreeorfourteamstugatonce.Someteams
mightchoosetoworktogethertoeliminatetheothergroupsbeforegoingheadtohead.
Skills:Teamworksportsmanship
10.KeepitReal
Thisopenendedconceptissimpleandservesasanexcellentsegueintoproblembasedlearning.Challenge
studentstoidentifyandcooperativelysolvearealproblemintheirschoolsorcommunities.Youmaysetthe
parameters,includingatimelimit,materialsandphysicalboundaries.
Skills:Problemsolvingcommunication
Whileeducationtechnologyisabasicandcrucialcomponentofthe21stcenturyclassroom,educatorsmuststill
ensurethatstudentsareengagingwitheachotherinmeaningfulways.Teambuildingexercisesareagreatway
todothis,andbecauseofthis,theywillnevergooutofstyle.

particularlypassionateabouteducationandworkplacenewsandtrends.SheholdaB.S.inJournalismfrom
CaliforniaPolytechnicStateUniversityinSanLuisObispoandisacontributortoseveralwebsitesincluding
OnlineSchools.com10TeamBuildingGamesForKids,Teenagers,orAdults

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