This activity is simple in theory, but in practice becomes much more complex. Split your class into four groups and give each group a roll of masking tape and 200 balloons. Tell the class that each group has 30 minutes to build the tallest balloon tower possible, with the tallest tower winning the game. The trick to this activity is working to build a strong foundation; teams that skip ahead to tower height are not as successful as those that focus on building a stable base.
The Human Knot is a full contact, physical activity that demands communication and patience from its participants. Have your students form a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder. Each student should reach across the circle to grab someone else’s hand; every student ends up with the hands of two different students. The goal from here is untangling the knot to create a perfect hand-to-hand circle. This involves quite a bit of physical effort, but communication wins the day.
Build a simple obstacle course with old tires and wooden planks. Tell your class that the goal of the exercise is for each student to make it from one side of the obstacle course to the other, without anyone touching the ground. Students need to develop strategies for helping each other across large gaps or unstable terrain, in addition to communicating instructions to one another. The obstacle course can be as difficult or easy as you desire.
Split your class up into groups of two. Build a simple and safe obstacle course with cones and old tires. Blindfold one person on each team and tell your students the object of this activity is crossing the goal line before the other teams. However; the person without the blindfold is not allowed to touch the blindfolded student, and must instead give verbal instructions on how to navigate the dangers ahead. Once complete, switch blindfolds and try again.