11 Quick and Easy Team Building Activities for Students

Create fun and memorable moments with the help of these 11 quick and easy team building activities for students. Team building activities are a great way to remove tension and awkwardness from any classroom and student situation. It helps create a bridge of connection between young people and help get the wheels started for any potential friendships. Team building activities are promoted in a lot of different environments be it at work, meetings, or even among kids. There are a lot of ideas out there to help one get started. The great thing about them is that you won’t need much time to do one but the impacts are greater than the time spent.

There are many variables to consider when planning or choosing the right team building activity for your group. Sometimes you have to look at a certain demographic like age or maybe you have to consider size or the materials you have. If you’re ever looking for some ideas for smaller groups then be sure to check out our list of 11 Quick and Easy Team Building Activities for Small Groups. Whatever the case, you can always try to put in a few rules or quirks of your own to make these activities even better.

Insider Monkey has compiled a list of great team building activities from different resources and has ranked them all based on how much time you need to complete each one. Let’s find out more as we explore these 11 quick and easy team building activities for students:

11. Tent Building

Time Required: 30 minutes

This may or may not be a challenge depending on whether or not the participants have experience in tent building. Even if they did, the time limit could become a challenge. Teams need to work together in order to build the best tent possible. One may even opt to use makeshift materials to add a bit more challenge.

10. Photo Scavenger Hunt

Time Required: 30 minutes

Photo scavenger hunt acts like a regular scavenger hunt. The only difference is that students will have to use cameras or their mobile phones to take pictures of what’s required on the list. The first one to be able to take pictures of all the items in the list wins.

9. Lights, Camera, Action

Time Required: 25 minutes

Groups will be formed and all the groups will be given a similar scenario to re-enact. This can be anything from random scenarios to actual news, movie or TV shows. The group with the best scene wins. Multiple scenarios encompassing several rounds can be used as well.

8. Paint Me a Picture

Time Required: 25 minutes

Paint me a picture acts in a similar fashion to lights, camera, action. The difference is that instead of making a short play and presenting them one by one, all groups will have to make a scene and then freeze once preparation time is up. The group that can make the best picture gets the point.

7. Blind Retriever

Time Required: 20 minutes

For each group there will be one representative that will be blindfolded and put into an open area with different objects. The other team members’ role is to guide the blindfolded person verbally. One chooses an object and teams must race to see who gets to hold the object first.

6. Toxic Waste

Time Required: 15 minutes

For this challenge you need to have a bucket filled with water and potentially extra water if a lot of spills happen. Attached to the bucket will be two ropes at opposite ends that each have to be held by half the members of the group. The goal is to reach the finish line first without having to spill the water. If they do spill, they have to start again from the beginning.

There are more activities to consider as we go through the rest of these 11 quick and easy team building activities for students.

5. Rope Knots

Time Required: 15 minutes

Each group will be given a tight rope knot and the groups must figure out how to untie it. The first group to be able to untie the knot wins. This activity requires cooperation and teamwork from each group.

4. Hula Hoop Pass

Time Required: 10 minutes

Ask all of the members to form a circle and then put a hula hoop through one arm before connecting everyone by holding hands. The goal is to make the hula hoop go around the circle once. This requires everyone to be ready to help when someone is struggling to move the hula hoop.

3. Shoe Tower

Time Required: 10 minutes

By using their shoes (or other shoes that they may happen to find) each group must create the tallest shoe tower at the given time limit. The group that is able to make the tallest tower without falling wins.

2. Human Knot

Time Required: 10 minutes

Have one group form a circle while another group looks away or is at another room. The group forming a circle will then have to create a knot while still holding to each other. After they made the knot the other group will then have to untie them and make them a full circle again.

1. Electric Fence

Time Required: 5 minutes

You can create a fence by just using a rope and tying it to two objects. Each group while holding hands must be able to cross the fence while not separating and not touching the fence either. This quick activity teaches everyone on how to move as a team and help one another.

This has been the list of 11 quick and easy team building activities for students. If you’re ever out of ideas, use any of the activities listed here.