Group Challenges

Introduction

These activities may at first just seem like games, but they have value far beyond the fact that they are fun - really fun! A well-designed group initiative task is one that can never be solved by one person, and requires people with different physical qualities and even personalities to be successfully accomplished.

These challenges can only be achieved when the group slows down, communicates well with one another, plans carefully, and then executes their plan with even greater precision. It is often the quiet voice that has the answer and the super-jock that thinks that he or she can do it all, will find themselves humbled and much more open to the ideas of others.

Very Useful Hints

• None of these activities should be presented in a way that makes them either too easy or impossible to achieve.
• It is very important that the teacher or leader running the activities adjusts them so that the groups just achieve their goal. Some challenges are far easier to modify than others but the goal should always be the same - to challenge the group’s abilities to the threshold of frustration but to have them ultimately succeed. There are recommendations within the activity outlines to allow for this adaptability.

  WARNING

• If you think that an activity may result in a student feeling like they let their group down or could be embarrassed or humiliated in any way, modify the challenge or don’t do it at all. This is essential, as the harm to the individual will far outweigh the benefit of the activity to the group.

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