Team-Building Exercises for a Group of Six

Team-building exercises are designed to help group members develop the skills necessary to work together effectively and efficiently. These exercises are appropriate for a range of groups, including students, campers and employees. There are several team-building exercises suitable for groups of six.

The object of this exercise is to build communication skills. Divide the group of six into three pairs and have them sit back-to-back. Give one in each pair a clipboard and a pencil. Give the other members a template of a shape to be drawn. The complexity of the shape should depend on the experience level of the group. Have the members with the templates give verbal directions to their partners on how to draw a duplicate of the shape. After the exercise, have the groups share their results and discuss their thoughts on the process.

The object of this exercise is communication and team strategy. The task is building a structure capable of supporting a falling egg dropped from a certain height, anywhere from 5 to 10 feet, depending on the ability level of the group. The materials are one egg, straws, masking tape and other building materials, such as cotton balls, newspaper or popsicle sticks. The amount of each material given should depend on the group's skill level. Split the group into two teams of three. Distribute the materials and mark the height from which the egg will be dropped on a wall or chalkboard. Once the structures are built, drop the eggs. Discuss the building process and what the teams could have done differently to be more successful.

The object is to build communication and strategy skills. The task is moving “toxic waste,” as represented by a tennis ball, from Point A to point B without touching the ball. The materials are 18 feet of string, a ring between 1 and 2 inches in diameter, a tennis ball and two cones. Cut the string into three, 6-foot-long sections and fold each section in half. Tie the strings to the ring with girth hitches. A girth hitch is a knot formed when you loop the string over the ring, over itself, back under the ring and through the loop formed from looping the string over itself. Have each team member hold the end of a string. Place the cones 20 feet apart and place the ball in the ring. Instruct the team to get from Point A to Point B without dropping the ball or holding the string past 6 inches from the ends. After the exercise, discuss their strategy and how well they communicated.