10 Team-Building Activities for Kids

Team-building activities are an excellent way for school groups to strengthen relationships, boost communication, and develop teamwork skills. Whether you're planning on-site at Keswick, or venturing to nearby outdoor spots like the Redwoods, these activities offer fun, hands-on challenges that encourage problem-solving, creativity, and cooperation. From building shelters in the forest to navigating blindfolded obstacle courses, each game is designed to strengthen trust, leadership, and collaboration in an engaging and supportive setting. Ready to inspire teamwork and create lasting memories? Here are 10 team-building activities perfect for school groups!

1. The Great Shelter Challenge

• Educational Focus: Problem-solving, resource management, teamwork, and creativity.
• Activity: Divide participants into teams and give them natural materials (branches, leaves, rocks, etc.). Teams compete to build the most functional or creative shelter in a set time.
• Off-Site Idea: This activity could work well in the Redwoods, where teams can use materials found on the forest floor. Please encourage the children away from using live plants, bark, or trees. Additionally, ensure huts are built away from footpaths to avoid disrupting visitors.

2. Nature Scavenger Hunt

• Educational Focus: Observation, collaboration, and knowledge of nature.
• Activity: Prepare a list of items commonly found in a forest or natural environment (e.g. specific leaves, rocks, animal tracks, etc.). Teams race to find as many items on the list as possible.
• Off-Site Idea: In the Redwoods, you could include challenges like identifying different tree species or finding a specific type of moss, mushroom, or insect.

3. Blindfolded Obstacle Course
• Educational Focus: Communication, trust, and leadership.
• Activity: Set up an obstacle course using natural terrain or on-site equipment. One team member is blindfolded, and the rest of the team must guide the blindfolded student through the course using only verbal instructions.
• On-Site/Off-Site: This works both on-site and in natural outdoor settings like the Redwoods.

4. Tug-of-War with a Twist

• Educational Focus: Team coordination, strategy, and strength.
• Activity: Traditional tug-of-war with a twist. Teams can "tag out" members or use special "power-ups" like swapping positions or adding extra "weight" (e.g. a heavy rock).
• On-Site: You can easily set this up on-site or outdoors.

5. The Trust Walk

• Educational Focus: Trust, communication, and teamwork.
• Activity: One team member is blindfolded and led through a course by the rest of the students. The course can be set up with obstacles or hazards, and the team must help the blindfolded person navigate.
• On-Site/Off-Site: This works well in both environments, especially in a nature setting where you can use rocks, logs, and trees for obstacles.

6. Group Storytelling Challenge

• Educational Focus: Creativity, communication and collaboration.
• Activity: Teams are given a random set of objects (e.g. a stick, a leaf, a rock). They must create and present a short story or skit involving all of the objects.
• On-Site/Off-Site: This can be done anywhere, but outdoor settings can inspire more creative ideas.

7. Nature Art Contest

• Educational Focus: Creativity, resourcefulness and teamwork.
• Activity: Teams are tasked with creating the most impressive piece of art using only natural materials they find around them (e.g. leaves, rocks, twigs).
• On-Site/Off-Site Idea: This is perfect for a visit to the Redwoods or any forested area, where materials are abundant. Here, materials can be gathered from the forest and brought back to camp to create the artwork.

8. Human Knot

• Educational Focus: Communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.
• Activity: Teams form a circle and each member grabs hold of two other people's hands (not the ones next to them). Without letting go, the group is to untangle itself.
• On-Site: This game can be done indoors or outdoors in any space.

9. The Team Relay Challenge

• Educational Focus: Teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and coordination.
• Activity: Teams race to complete a series of challenges in a relay format. Challenges could include running, building something from natural materials, solving puzzles, or answering trivia questions related to teamwork and leadership.
• On-Site/Off-Site: Perfect for an outdoor area like the Redwoods, where different terrains can be used for different relay sections.

10. Forest Maze

• Educational Focus: Navigation, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
• Activity: Create a "maze" using natural features of the land. Teams must work together to navigate from one point to another, solving puzzles or performing tasks along the way.
• Off-Site Idea: Ideal for the Redwoods or any forested area, where paths can be creatively altered with ropes, trees, or natural markers. Do keep in mind that the Redwoods can get busy, therefore altering the path may not be possible in some areas.

Team-building activities are a fantastic way for school groups to improve communication, develop leadership skills, and strengthen relationships. Whether building shelters in the forest or navigating a scavenger hunt in the Redwoods, these challenges promote collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. They encourage students to work together, respect the environment, and get out of their comfort zones.

These activities can be tailored to any group size or setting, making them adaptable for different ages and skill levels. More than just fun, they create lasting memories and help students form deeper connections with each other. Through trust, coordination, and creative thinking, team-building exercises set the foundation for positive teamwork that students can carry with them beyond school. Ready to inspire your students? Team-building games are the perfect way to bring everyone together and watch them thrive.