Ice breaking activities are ideal for the first days with a new group of children, whether it's a class, a youth group or an athletic team. These activities allow the members of the group to get to know each other while creating a stronger bond. A good ice breaker is fun and also reveals information about the children in the group. For example, a game where every member writes down two facts about themselves, then the papers are placed into a hat. One by one, children approach the hat and pull out a paper and guess which student it applies to.
Building projects involve the children being split into small groups then competing to create a structure that best accomplishes a task. Building project assignments include making an egg-catching device that allows an egg to fall the greatest height without breaking or making a card tower as high as possible. In order to create the best possible craft, the team members have to work together to decide on a design, then build it.
Physical obstacle courses are a fun way to encourage team bonding and communication among a group of children. Activities such as attempting to climb through a cargo net with irregular holes without touching the ropes, or using a set of planks to cross a great distance require communication, sound decision making and working together to maximize the use of each child's strengths.
Although collaborative crafts do not offer the chance to "win" at the activity, they are an excellent way to encourage team bonding by creating a single item through the entire group's effort. Collaborative crafts can be made with each student providing their own piece to be joined, such as a quilt with each child making one patch, or a single piece worked on as a whole, such as a group collage or mural.