We have all heard the saying, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” As we all continue to come back together as a community, teaching our kids teamwork is vital to their success. Thankfully, there are plenty of amazing outdoor activities to keep your children engaged and entertained. Your kiddos won’t even realize they are learning valuable skills while having fun with family and friends.
Below is a list of seven outdoor activities to teach your kids the value of teamwork:
Plant a Vegetable Garden
Planting a garden either at home or in the community is the perfect family activity. It is a fantastic moderately physical activity that gets everyone working together to create something new. You can help your kids pick out the vegetables they want to plant and help them figure out what roles they want to take to help complete the garden.
It is also a fantastic educational tool. You can take time to do some research together about how to take care of the vegetables. You can even introduce the process of photosynthesis if your children are old enough. It is also a good opportunity to learn about patience as the plants grow as well as how hard work pays off when the vegetables are ripe!
Blindfolded Obstacle Course
This is a prime activity for a large or small group of kids. Each group must work together to guide one of their blindfolded teammates through an obstacle course using verbal communication. Once one teammate finishes, another member of the group can give it a try.
If you do this activity with a large class, you can split the children into several teams and have them race or compete in a time trial. In a small group, you can have each child take a turn being directed by their peers.
Of course, you will need to make sure that the obstacle course is made with soft items like play mats or foam blocks to ensure that the kids are safe if (and when) they stumble or fall.
Jump Rope
One of the simplest activities on this list is jumping rope. However, just because it is simple doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! Ideally, this activity is best enjoyed with at least three kids: two to spin the rope and one to jump.
If there are more, multiple kids can jump at once in a coordinated effort to see how long they can keep going before messing up. Then, they can switch positions so that everyone has a chance to jump. Of course, this can also be a competitive activity to see who can jump for the longest time or make the most jumps.
Three-Legged Race
Three-legged races are easy to put together for even a small group of four kids. It is great practice for improving teamwork and coordination between partners. It is a lot of fun for everyone involved while keeping a small competitive spirit.
You can even mix it up and keep the activity interesting by switching partners and seeing which pairing can run the race the fastest. The best part is that the only material required is either duct tape or a small rope to tie two legs together gently.
Team Skis
This has been a popular team-building activity for field day in several schools across the country. It requires a few more materials than other activities on this list, but it is still a lot of fun for groups of four kids or more.
The activity uses two wooden boards with long pieces of rope tied at equal distances. The length of the boards can vary depending on how many people you want on each team, as the children will use them to stand on skis. Instead of attaching their feet to the boards, the kids will pull on the pieces of rope tied to each board. Then, they hold the boards against their feet.
Ultimately, the goal is to have at least two kids standing on the two boards like skis, and they will have to work together to walk the boards from point A to point B. If you have multiple sets of skis, you can split the children into multiple groups and have them race each other. Or, you can use one set of skis and see which group can make it to the finish line the fastest.
Color Stickers
This is a more challenging activity, but it is fun all the same. This game works well for larger groups of kids, but the larger the groups, the harder it becomes.
Each kid gets a colored sticker lightly taped to their forehead. The contestants are not to see what color sticker they received. Once each kid has a sticker, they all must work together to figure out what color each of them has using nonverbal communication and form groups of like colors. The first team to gather all of their like-color teammates wins.
Scavenger Hunt
This is a perfect activity for friends, classmates, or siblings. Scavenger hunts are an awesome, cooperative activity to get teams of kids working together to solve clues and find hidden treasures.
Using the outdoors is a wonderful way to get the kids to explore the world around them while being in a safe and pre-planned environment since an adult had to hide the treasures beforehand.
Memories To Build On
Outdoor teamwork activities are great for building relationships and trust between children. They help them to explore the world in a whole new way and inspire new ideas. They are imperative to a child’s mental and physical well-being while having fun outside and with friends.
By allowing them to play and learn through activities like races, scavenger hunts, and even gardening, your children will gain valuable life skills that were severely affected by the recent pandemic. These activities can help your children thrive! If you’re looking for a playset to get your kids moving and help their imaginations soar, check out Blue Squirrel!
Sources:
Clues for an Indoor Treasure Hunt for Children | The Spruce
22 Fun Team Building Games & Activities for Kids | UNICEF Kid Power
Gardening With Young Children Helps Their Development | MSU Extension
