Activity: Cross the river game
Knowing ourselves: Participants work in teams to cross an imaginary river using pieces of paper as stepping stones
Activity overview
Energy level: 4/5
Literacy level: 3/5
Complexity level: 3/5
Time: 30 to 45 minutes
Purpose: Adolescents play a teambuilding game to build trust with others in the circle and practice teambuilding skills.
Objectives
Adolescents will be able to:
- Build trust with other adolescents.
- Practice good communication skills with others.
Competency domains
- Cooperation and teamwork
- Communication and expression
Works well for
Groups who are getting to know each other.
Phase
Knowing ourselves
Before
No activities required before this one.
After
Practice more team building activities.
Preparation
- Clear the space so the ground is open and free of obstacles.
- Choose and mark a start point and end point on different sides of the space.
Activity steps
Step 1
Explanation and Discussion: Divide the group into two teams. Give each adolescent one sheet of paper.
Step 2
Explain:
- The two groups will work as teams. Each team’s task is to get to the other side of the river. They will start and end at the same point.
- The ground or floor between the start and end point is a river – they cannot touch it.
- The piece of paper each person holds is a stepping stone. The stone can touch the water but a foot or hand must be on it AT ALL TIMES. If a foot or hand is not touching a stone it will be washed away (and the facilitator will pick it up).
- Everyone on a team must cross the river and get to the end point.
- The first team to get all teammates across wins!
Step 3
Once teams are ready, give them the signal to begin. End the game when the first team gets all teammates across, or after 30 minutes.
Step 4
Share and Take away
Discussion:
Facilitator asks the following questions:
- ”How did you figure out a good way to get across?”
- Did one person take the lead or did everyone work together?”
- How did you communicate your ideas?”
- What techniques could we try again if we are working on other activities or projects together?”
Do and don't
Do
- Allow enough time for at least one team to get across the river.
- Encourage participants as they play the game.
- Let adolescents stop if the activity has gone on too long without success (and/or if they are frustrated) - although if they’re still having fun then let them continue.
- Repeat the activity in future sessions, especially for those that did not succeed the first time, so they experience success.
Don't
- Tell participants the best way to cross the river - let them come up with ideas.
Adaptation
Small group: If your circle is small, then play the game as one group instead of in two teams.
Environment
Indoor or outdoor space
Supplies
1 piece of paper for each participant – use discarded sheets of paper (such as newspaper or old magazines) and save new paper for future use.
Improvise
Adolescents can make the imaginary river come to life by drawing a river on flipchart paper and laying it down on the floor while playing the game.
Continue
Encourage participants to continue to work in teams.
Highlights
Adolescents play a teambuilding game to build trust with others in the circle and practice teambuilding skills. Works well for groups who are getting to know each other.
