So how do you teach kids the importance of teamwork early? Working with a team can make just about everything easier. This lesson is something that many people have to learn as adults, and sometimes those lessons just do not stick with some. Teaching the concepts and the importance of teamwork to children is often a better idea. They are more open to the idea of working with others, and they do not have the same egos that many adults bring to the table. Teaching children about teamwork that they can use later in their business life should be fun. The following are some fun activities that can help the kids start working together toward a common goal.
You Have to Make It Fun
Kids, especially the younger kids, have shorter attention spans than adults do, so you have to make sure that the activities and games that you use are actually fun and engaging. Having a reward system in place so the kids know what it is that they are working toward is important. When they are working toward something that they want, they are going to be more willing to cooperate and work with the other members of their team.
A scavenger hunt can be a great idea. You can create a scavenger hunt by creating a list of items that the kids have to locate. You will then separate the kids into different teams. They will have to work together to find as many of these items as possible. Make sure that you impose a time limit as well. In the case of younger children, you will want to have a shorter time limit because they may not want to play the game as long – remember the shorter attention span on the little ones! Have a prize for each of the participating teams, but the team that finds the most items on the list should receive the larger prize.
Problem solving is another activity that you will want to add to your list of activities. You can separate the kids into teams again and have them work on a variety of problems. This can be great for older kids who are developing critical thinking skills. An egg drop activity can be fun. The teams can each design a device to hold an egg that, when dropped, keeps the egg from breaking.
Encourage the kids to work together in any activity that you decide to do, even if it is just playing sports. Team building in sports is just as important. Do you have any of your own fun ideas that can help teach youngsters the value of team building? Let us know!
