Water adds an element of fun to team building activities.
Water adds an extra element of fun to team building activities. Taking people out of their everyday environment and putting them into a new setting can help them loosen up and have fun together. Water also can be used to simulate dangerous situations in which people must rely on teamwork for help.
Lifeguard Roleplay
For this activity, have a qualified lifeguard instructor give team members a lesson in saving someone from drowning. After the lesson, have the group pair up into twos. One of each pair will then proceed to the middle of the pool or lake and pretend to drown. The other partner is tasked with saving him. The pair then switches roles. Afterward, sit in a circle and discuss the activity. Ask whether saving a drowning swimmer is more or less challenging than expected and what team members could have done differently to save their partners.
Water Relay
Break the group into separate teams and race across the pool and back to collect objects such as sponges or pool toys that wait on the other side. Each player can bring back one object, and each player can take one turn. Whichever team sends each player out successfully first wins the game.
Water Volleyball
Set up a net in the middle of the pool and use a lightweight, water-proof ball to play this game. Water basketball is another option, if you have access to a pool equipped with basketball hoops. Volleyball is generally better for people of differing athletic abilities, though.
Swamp Crossing
Find a swampy area and have each team work together to find a way to cross it without getting wet. Make sure plenty of supplies, such as bricks and logs, are on hand for people to use to bridge the watery course. If a team member falls in the swamp, the team must start again from the beginning. The team that negotiates the course first is named the winner.
Canoe Race
Have people race down a river or across a lake in canoes. Pair them up and give each person a set of paddles so they can work together. Be sure to mark the finish line clearly, tying brightly colored ribbons on trees and posting someone there to watch.
Tug-of-War
Water makes tug-of-war extra difficult, and more fun. Group everyone into two teams, or more, if you knot two big ropes together. Encourage friendly competition, but emphasize that having fun and bonding as a team are more important than winning.
Bucket Balance
Group people into teams of four and have them lie in a circle on their backs. Have them put their legs in the air and balance a bucket of water between them, using only their feet. All team members must then take their shoes off, again using only their feet. The first team to remove all shoes without spilling the bucket of water is named the winner.
Tags: team members, bucket water, building activities, each player, element team, element team building, game Water