Teamwork
for Homeschool Support Groups
Dateline: 12/29/05
By Kris Bordessa,
author of Team Challenges: Group Activities to Build Cooperation,
Communication and Creativity
 Forming
a homeschool support group can be an onerous task, as organizers
try to accommodate the needs and desires of many different families.
Gather a roomful of home educators, each with a different reason
for homeschooling, kids of different temperaments and ages, a
variety of homeschooling methods and the desire to create a homeschooling
network, and you may have a recipe for success. Unfortunately,
egos and personal agendas can sometimes get in the way.
Before this diverse group of people can be considered a support
system, they really must learn to work together toward a common
goal. Instilling a sense of cooperation between the organizers,
as well as the families participating can create a feeling of
belonging and trust, and an understanding that no single person
has all of the right answers.
Whether yours is a new group just starting out or one that has
been together longer, consider adding some fun team building
activities to your next meeting. Remind participants that the
group counts on help from everyone, and with full participation
the group will thrive. Without cooperation, the group will struggle
to meet the needs of the participants.
The activities you'll find below give groups the opportunity
to see first hand how every person is crucial to successful teamwork
(you'll need a timer or stopwatch for both of these activities).
These activities are best done in groups of 5-8, so divide into
teams and see how successful you can be!
Balloon Walk
This task simply cannot be completed without the participation
of every person on the team.
Set Up:
Mark a finish line on the floor using tape. Line up the team
parallel to the finish line and about twenty feet away. Place
a blown up balloon or beach ball between each player's hips and
instruct them not to drop the balloons or balls. Read the team
instructions out loud to the team.
Team Instructions:
Have you ever heard the term 'joined at the hips'? In this
task, you have the opportunity to see exactly what that means.
Without dropping any of the balloons or beach balls, you have
three minutes to work your way to the finish line. If you drop
a balloon or beach ball, you must begin again at the start line.
You will be notified when you have one minute remaining.
Assemble A Paperclip Chain
This is a fun challenge that tests the team's ability to work
together within certain limitations.
Set Up:
Provide ample space in which team can work. Give the team
a box of paper clips and read the team instructions out loud
to the group.
Team Instructions:
You have five minutes to make a chain of paperclips as long
as possible. But there's a catch! This is a one-handed task;
all team members place one hand behind their backs. No talking
is allowed during this task. You will be notified when there
is one minute remaining. Your team will receive twenty bonus
points if your chain measures at least twelve inches long.
Suspend As Many Marshmallows In The
Air As Possible
Suspend As Many Marshmallows In The Air As Possible
This challenge requires not only teamwork, but communication
between team members as well. How will the group decide upon
the best tactic? The imposed time limit means that a decision
must be reached quickly and without disagreement. Think creatively!
Set Up:
Gather the materials listed below and place them in a box.
Provide an area in which team can work. Read the list of construction
materials and the team instructions out loud to the team.
Construction Materials:
5' length of string
1 bag of large marshmallows
10 rubber bands
5 straws
10 toothpicks
Team Instructions:
You have three minutes to devise a method to hold as many
marshmallows as possible above ground level. No team member is
to be in direct contact with any of the marshmallows during the
scoring process. Scoring begins at the end of the three minute
building time. You will receive up to ten points each for creativity,
cooperation and communication. You will also earn one bonus point
for each successfully suspended marshmallow.
The activities in the article are excerpted
from Team Challenges: Group Activities to Build Cooperation,
Communication and Creativity (Zephyr Press). Visit the
author online at www.KrisBordessa.com
or get more team building ideas at http://greatsolutions.blogspot.com.
Copyright 2006, Kris Bordessa.
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