The team must move itself, one person at a time, between island mats using hula hoops, wheeled-scooters and plastic planks without touching the ground. The students can use the materials however they want, but the entire team must be standing on the island mat before beginning the next crossing. If one team member touches the ground, then the entire team must return to the first mat. Ship Wreck encourages collaboration and communication as the kids decide the most effective way to move between islands. Additionally, this activity requires leadership and patience with teammates who struggle or are slower at crossing.
The children stand in a tight circle, extend their hands to the center and close their eyes. With their eyes shut, the kids grab the first two hands they touch. Students open their eyes only after everyone is holding tightly onto two hands across the circle. The goal of Human Knot is untangling the team without letting go from the original hands they grabbed. Students must actively listen to learn who's hands are connected and decide which team members must step over, loop under or turn around to untangle the knot. The untangled knot is a circle of students holding hands, the same hands they first grabbed when their eyes were closed.
In Birthday Order, students must arrange themselves in line by earliest to latest birth date, month and year using a single writing tablet and without speaking. Students can achieve this goal several ways, but all require patience with teammates and clear, creative forms of communication. Typically, one or two students will assume leadership and ask their teammates' birthday before directing them to a spot in line. Check at the end if the formation is correct by having each student state his birthday out loud.
This is an effective ice breaker and builds teamwork by requiring students to learn and remember information about their teammates. Students stand in a circle and the student holding the ball states her name and another factoid, such as her favorite animal or favorite color. After stating this information she passes the ball to another teammate who must repeat the information she just said, before adding her own information and passing the ball. If the receiver already stated her information in a previous turn then she does not repeat the information again before passing. Continue playing until each person can repeat the name and factoid of every other individual.