Art team projects allow children to express creativity within a group while working for the common good. Give a theme, which can include environmental issues, team spirit or holidays, and hand out materials. Ask the children to make a collage from recycled newspapers and magazines, or create mosaics from torn construction paper. Other art projects can include making an art installation from discarded tins, milk bottles and soda cans, or creating beautiful quilts and wall hangings from old fabrics and textiles. Apart from discussion about the execution of the project, the work will also leave plenty of opportunities for children to get to know each other through conversations.
Consider team projects involving science in class and after-school clubs. Children learn abstract concepts used in science better by using hands-on activities and developing team projects will not only be fun, but also educational. Ask the group to design and build a Rube Goldberg machine with various elements that contribute to perform a simple task. Elements can include popping balloons, rolling marbles and falling domino pieces. Other science projects can include building accurate molecular or solar system models from Styrofoam balls and wire, or developing solar cell powered vehicles together. In a project about nature or biology, give teams the responsibility to maintain a flower or vegetable patch. In addition to having lots of fun, students also might benefit from learning from their peers during the team project work.
Serving a community and supporting charities are abilities that should be fostered in children and team projects can get them into the spirit. Charge the teams with cleaning up a park or district from rubbish, or help out in a local animal shelter. To collect money for charity, ask the teams to collect materials for a yard sale tables or perform car wash duties together at local gas stations. Other team projects can include giving a concert or dramatic performance in a home for the elderly, or painting walls in a charity building. The possibilities of serving the community are endless and the team members might even come up with their own projects to participate in together with their mates.
Games traditionally are most fun when played with others and you can ask the children to develop their own through a variety of resources. Game developing websites offer free software to build computer and web games that are suitable for children. Ask the children to design their own computer games, alternatively they can build a website with a given theme as a project. Educational Online resources offer templates for board game design that allow for developing new concepts and themes to play with. If you are more inclined towards traditional play, give out playground equipment, including balls, jumping ropes or chalk, and ask the children to make up completely new games within their teams. The new games then have to be presented and tested with other groups.