Exciting Team Building Games for Kids.
“Let Their Friendship Grow Stronger!”

Yes! Yahoo! Bingo!... these are the sounds of Triumph, Win & Accomplishment. Team building games provides the kids a wonderful platform to experience this awesome human expression.

Group games play a vital role in our kids overall social, intellectual and physical development. We won’t even realize when our kids have grown up playing these team building games and in the process have learned so many crucial skills that will help them in the longer run.

We always discuss among ourselves how we, when kids, used to do this and do that without fuss. How active and agile we were as kids, never wanting to sit indoors. And now, we understand how those daily fun games that we had played with our childhood buddies, have taught us numerous small lessons and have made us a good being today.

Don’t we want our kids to learn all those lessons today that will leave them better prepared for the tough life tomorrow? I bet, you will agree.

So, don’t hold them back, just let them get started and allow them the freedom they need to carry on. The team building games for kids not only emphasizes on physical agility but also, more importantly, impart social skill like:

• Dispute resolution
• Negotiation
• Leadership qualities
• Initiative
• Planning
• Strategizing
• Execution
• Team work
• Coordination

Since, in kid’s team building games or group games there is no referee to decide who is out and who is not, who has won and who has lost, software program to fix the boundaries and rules. Kids have to take all these calls on their own, and which teaches them a very critical aspect of life i.e. Decision making.

“Set the Ball Rolling & Jack up for Skids…Make the Streets Buzzing with Team Building Games for Kids!”

Pithu

Age Group: 8-12 years

Game Objective: This is a fantastic team building game for kids that has its roots in India. A team has to complete a task before the opposing team tags them.

Game Learning: Team-work & Coordination.

No. of Players: 10

Materials Required:

• 7 flat blocks (wooden or plastic or stone chips)
• A soft rubber ball.

How to Play:

• Make 2 teams of 5 kids each.
• Mark a start line.
• Draw a small circle (roughly 1 feet diameter) about 7 steps away from the start line.
• Mark a rough outer boundary, of any shape, for the game either by a marker tape or by flagging the area.
• The boundary should be large enough keeping in mind that players have to run strictly within it during the entire course of the game.
• In the small circle place all the 7 blocks one over the other vertically to form a small tower (called “Pithu”).
• One team will be “Striking” team and other will be “Fielding” team.
• A striker from the striking team will stand at the start line while his team mates will scatter themselves around the play area but within the outer boundary.
• The fielding team will assign a “Catcher” who will position himself just behind the blocks tower (Pithu).
• Remaining fielders will also scatter themselves around the play area.
• A Striker will get 3 chances to strike the Pithu with a soft rubber ball.
• He will be “Out” in two scenarios. First, if he is unable to strike in all 3 allotted chances. Second, the Catcher, who is standing behind the Pithu, catches the ball thrown by him at “One” bounce.(not two bounces)
• If a player is “Out” he is suspended from the game and has to wait outside the boundary.
• If the Striker strikes the Pithu then he and his team mates have to gather all the 7 scattered blocks and rearrange them quickly to form the Pithu.
• The fielding team in the meantime, have to collect the ball quickly and “Tag” any of the Striking team player by hitting him/ her with the ball before they reassemble the Pithu.
• The fielding team player, holding the ball, cannot run around to tag the Striking team player. Instead, he has to remain at his place and figure out to whom he should pass the ball among his team mates who is in the best position to tag the Striking team player.
• The Striking team players, in the other hand, are free to run around the play area in order to save themselves from being tagged as well as look for the opportunity to rebuild the Pithu.
• If a Striking team player is tagged by the Fielding team then, he/ she is “Out” and has to sit out.
• The game will continue till the Striking team reassemble the blocks and shout “Pithu!”
• Now, the Striking team will take the fresh strike with a new Striker and remaining players.(who are not Tagged Out in the last round)
• This cycle will continue till the last player of the Striking team is tagged out.
• Now the teams will swap roles and the game will continue. At the end of play the team who has made more Pithu WINS this group game for kids.

Game Variations: The Striking team can buy their “Out” team mate, to be back “In” the game, by spending the point they have earned by rebuilding the Pithu! Keep track of the points earned and spent by each team while tallying the scores at the end.

My Tip :

• Advice the kids to play this energizing team building game in an open area clear of windows, cars and other obstacles.

Kho-Kho

Age Group: 9-12 years

Game Objective: Another blockbuster team building game for kids that has its origin in India. This is a tag game in with teams have to follow a fixed set up and certain rules.

Game Learning: Physical agility.

No. of Players: At least 14.

Materials Required:

• Absolutely nothing!

How to Play:

• Divide 2 teams of at least 7 players each.
• One team is “Dodgers” & other is “Chasers”.
• 6 Chasers sits or kneels in the middle of the court, in a row, with alternate members in the row facing opposite directions.
• Mark a rectangular outer boundary for the game either by a marker tape or by flagging the area.
• The boundary should be large enough keeping in mind that players have to run strictly within it during the entire course of the game.
• Click here to see the game set up for a better understanding.
• The motive for the Chasers is to try and "tag" Dodgers.
• The Dodgers can run randomly and across the sitting Chasers.
• When the game starts, a Chaser (the 7th one) will take position at one end of the row (of kneeling chasers) while Dodgers, in the first batch of 3, will take position at the other end of the row.
• The Chaser will start the chase from either side of the row by running along the row.
• Unlike Dodgers, Chasers have to have to run around the entire row to reach the other side of the row.
• In order to tag the Dodgers on the other side of the row, the Chaser instead can “Pat” his sitting team mate whose back is towards him (face is towards the Dodger) by shouting KHO!
• Now, that sitting Chaser will get up and chase the Dodgers on his side. As soon as he gets up, the first Chaser (Who KHO! him) will take his place.
• The new Chaser, after getting up has to decide which Dodger he wants to chase and tag i.e. one his left or the one on his right.
• Whichever direction he opts for he then cannot change his chase direction, even if the Dodger he is chasing changes his own direction.
• Once a Dodger has been tagged by the Chasers he is “Out” and is replaced by a waiting Dodger team mate.
• When all the Dodgers have been tagged the teams will swap the roles and continue the game.

My Tip :

• This team building game is a very fast paced when all the rules are understood clearly. Since the Chasers & the Dodgers might want to slide, skid, jump & dive in order to outclass each other, hence it is advised to play this game on grass or soft muddy surface to avoid any bruises.

Behind Enemy Lines

Age Group: 8-12 years

Game Objective: In this team building game kids have to rescue the prisoner team mate in the enemy territory.

Game Learning: Physical agility.

No. of Players: 8-10 kids

Materials Required:

• Absolutely nothing!

How to Play:

• Make 2 teams.
• Mark a big square or rectangle and divide it in half.
• Designate one half as “Daredevils” territory & other half as “Knight-Riders” territory.
• Make a small square at the rear-middle end of each territory and name it as “The Rock” (the famous jail at San Francisco Bay, California).
• Have one player from each team locked up in opposing team’s “The Rock” jail as “Prisoner”.
• Remaining players will take positions in their respective halves.
• Both the teams will, simultaneously, send one player or 2 players (depending on their strategy) into the enemy’s territory to rescue the prisoner team mate.
• The rescue players have to dodge the opposing players to avoid getting tagged.
• If they get tagged then they will have to join their prisoner team mate in “The Rock”.
• If the rescue player reaches the jail without getting tagged then he is safe and can wait for the right time when he can escape to his home territory along with the Prisoner.
• Both the teams have to, simultaneously, rescue their prisoner team mate from enemy territory and keep guard of their own jail in order to devoid the enemy players to rescue their prisoner team mate.
• This calls for strategizing and execution.
• The team who tags & sends all the enemy players to “The Rock” WINS theis team building game for kids.

My Tip :

• This team building game is a very fast paced & the players might want to slide, skid, jump & dive in order to dodge each other, hence it is advised to play this game on grass or soft muddy surface to avoid any bruises.

Squeeze Relay

Age Group: 3 to 8 years

Game Objective: In this team building game for small kids the teams have to fill the bucket with water.

Game Learning: Motor Skills.

No. of Players: 12-15 kids

Materials Required:

• Some buckets.
• Some car wash sponges.

How to Play:

• Divide kids into teams of 4 players each.
• Line up the teams in separate rows and make them sit down.
• Place an half filled bucket and an empty bucket at the front and the end of every row respectively.
• Fix game time, say 5 minutes!
• The teams have to transfer the water from the front bucket into the empty bucket at the end of the row using the Sponge.
• The kid sitting at the front has to dip the sponge into the front bucket and soak it with water.
• He has to pass on the sponge over his head to the team mate sitting behind him.
• The passing of the sponge will continue till it reaches the kid sitting at the last of the row.
• He then has to get up, squeeze the sponge into the empty bucket and run to the front of the row to continue the relay again
• After the time is up. Check the amount of water filled by the teams and declare the Winner!

My Tip :

• This is a fantastic team building game for kids of smaller age group who are not smart enough at this stage to plan, strategize and toil for those bigger team building games. This game is best played in summers as it also helps the kid to beat the heat and regroup in the shady backyards of their homes.

Clip The Clothes

Age Group: 5 to 8 years

Game Objective: In this team building game for small kids the teams have to do some laundry job! (What the moms have been doing for them every day)

Game Learning: Coordination

No. of Players: At least 9 kids

Materials Required:

• Laundry bag full of clean clothes of different sizes.
• Bucket of water.
• Clothesline.
• Some clothes clips or clothespins.

How to Play:

• Make teams comprising of 3 kids per team.
• Allocate equal numbers of clothespins, a laundry bag full of clothes and a bucket of water to each team.
• Objective is to sort, soak & dry/ spread the clothes on the clothesline in an ascending order of size.
• Lets the kids in each team decide their individual roles i.e. “Sorter” the one who sorts out the clothes in ascending order, “Washer” the one who dips the clothes in the water & “Dryer” the one who hangs/ spreads & clips the clothes on the clothesline.
• Fix a time frame, say 5 minutes.
• Let the relay race start and after the time ends, judge the Winner on the basis of number of clothes dried/ spread and proper order (ascending)followed.

My Tip :

• A very good team building game for growing kids that teaches them optimum distribution of task and team play besides beating the heat, off course!

Chamber of Secrets

Age Group: 8 to 12 years

Game Objective: Another fantastic team building game for kids where teams have to cross the border to hunt the hidden chamber of secrets.

Game Learning: Physical agility, planning and coordination

No. of Players: At least 8

Materials Required:

• 2 markers.
• 2 construction papers.
• 2 rubber bands.

How to Play:

• Make 2 teams.
• provide one construction paper to both the teams.
• Each player of both the teams will write one of his secret on the construction paper allotted to the team. (“I wake up at 9 a.m. on Sunday” or “I can’t tie my shoe laces”)
• The sheet containing the secrets will be called as “Chamber of Secrets”!
• Both the team will mark out a mutually agreeable play area or outer boundary.
• The play area can be anything like – some blocks of houses or a ground with lots of trees & bushes.
• Decide upon the main border line that divides the play area into two halves.
• The border line can be a street passing through the blocks or a row of parked cars etc.
• Earmark a “Jail” and a “Safe Zone” in both the halves and let each other be clear about it. Again, it can be anything like – a backyard, a front lawn or a staircase etc.
• Both the teams will hide their “Chamber of Secrets” anywhere in their half which they feel is a safe and secure place.
• The the game starts, players from both the teams have to cross the border to enter the enemy zone in order to find their hidden “Chamber of Secrets”.
• If the “Spy” is tagged by the “Guard” he will be sent to Jail.
• If the Spy is in the Safe Zone then he cannot be tagged by the Guard.
• A jailed Spy can only be freed when another of his Spy team mate tags him in the jail.
• The team who finds the enemy’s “Chamber of Secret” and returns to their home territory without getting tagged in between… WINS this group game for kids.

My Tip :

• This amazing team building game for kids inculcates the planning and execution skills in children. Since the kids have to find the opponent’s secret as well as guard their own at the same time, this calls for a meticulous team work!

Gallery

Age Group: 8-12 years

Game Objective: A street smart team building game for kids in which a team has to cross from one side of the Gallery to the other side without getting tagged.

Game Learning: Team work, coordination, timing and physical agility.

No. of Players: At least 10 kids.

Materials Required:

• A piece of chalk.

How to Play:

• Divide kids into 2 teams.
• Click here to see the game layout for better understanding.
• Draw the game layout on the ground so that it is distinctly visible. If playing on the streets use a white chalk.
• From “Side A” team “Red” has to cross the Gallery to reach “Side B” by dodging the “Team Blue” guards.
• The game starts with the players of both the teams taking positions as shown.
• The “Captains” of both teams stand at the center. Since a Captain is the key player, so teams have to choose the best one as the Captain.
• As soon as the Captains give a quick High Five or a clap to each other and the tussle begins!
• As shown, the front or first Team Blue player is the Captain and he is free to move along the Gallery i.e left, right, forward and backwards.(shown in Yellow)
• While other Blue players behind him can move only in 3 direction from their respective positions i.e. left, right & backwards, as shown.
• If a team Red player is tagged by any of the team Blue player while crossing the gallery his will be “Out” and has to sit out of the game till second round. The game will continue with the remaining players.
• At the end, count the number of team Red players who have successfully crossed the Gallery to reach Side B.
• Now, the teams will swap positions and this time team Blue has to cross the Gallery.
• At the end, count the number of team Blue players who have successfully crossed the Gallery to reach Side B.
• The team with more players having crossed the Gallery successfully WINS this team building game for kids.
• If the Captain of the team is tagged while crossing the Gallery, at any stage, then whole of the team will be “Out” and the teams will swap positions.

My Tip :

• This team building game is very exciting and fun to play. Be prepared listen to the squeals of excitement of your kids in the neighborhood.

Explore a lot more exciting outdoor games for kids such as Camp Games , Water Games & Basketball Games . Just keep the adrenaline pumping and don’t let the enthusiasm seize!

Here is a website that offers great information and baseball drills for little league coaches, and a special section for those coaching tee ball. If you are just starting out coaching a team, or looking for some new and helpful baseball drills, this is the website to visit.

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