Teamwork activities that can help teens succeed in school

You know I love guest posts and I think they contribute greatly to the blog. This is a guest article by Alicia Honeycutt, a professional motivational writer. I hope you will enjoy it as I did.

Success in school is comprised of a lot more than academic excellence. Teaching teens to be team players will benefit them later on in life – both during their college years and once professional development becomes a primary focus.

Teamwork activities for teenagers need to be engaging, fun and education at the same time. Through teamwork, you can encourage better learning, enhanced communication with others and task delegation.

Choosing the right teamwork activities for teens isn’t always an easy task. Here are a few suggestions that young people may potentially enjoy a lot.

Spot the 10 Differences

This activity sharpens the attention of teens and it’s also great for encouraging communication within the group.

Divide the participating teens into two groups. Let them face each other. Members of the first group should focus on memorizing the appearance of members of the second group. Give the team 10 minutes to observe.

Once the observation period is over, members of the second group should leave the room and change 10 things about their appearance. The first group will be responsible for identifying all 10 of the differences.

It’s easy to see how such activities can be highly beneficial in school. Enhanced observation skills and attention to detail can make all of the difference in the world when it comes to academic excellence.

Orienteering

A little bit of preparation will be required to make the activity work. Create a route and set markers along the way. Next, you’ll have to create maps for the two teams to use.

Divide the teens into two teams and give them both identical maps. These could feature pointers or riddles that the teams will have to solve in order to reach the first pointer along the route.

Orienteering encourages teamwork and it also involves critical thinking. The game will teach teenagers to be more observant and to work together for a common goal. In addition, teams will need to work fast in order to reach the finish line before their competitors.

Blind Obstacle Course

Once again, create two teams. A member of each team should be blindfolded and asked to complete an obstacle course. The goal of the other team members is to guide this one person through the hindrances.

A blind obstacle course is an excellent teamwork activity because it focuses both on communication and on problem-solving. Very often, one leader will emerge in the group that will assign tasks to team members and helps guide the blindfolded person through the obstacle course.

Shipwrecked

Create three, four or more teams depending on the number of participants. Each team should be stranded on an island (create a designated area with a marker or chalk).

The shipwrecked teens on each island will have to get food, water, and basic tools in order to survive. Scatter these supplies in the “ocean” surrounding the islands. Provide teams with basic tools they can use to retrieve the needed supplies. These tools could include a rope, scissors, glue, a bucket, etc.

The team to get all supplies to the island first is the winner. If anyone falls off the island in the process of retrieving the life essentials, the team will have to start from the beginning.

This game is once again a powerful tool for encouraging creative problem-solving. Teens will have to delegate tasks and work together in order to obtain the best possible results within the shortest period of time.