We all know how difficult it is to get to know people at work or school, don’t shoot at getting a soothing familiarity. One way to improve cohesiveness and trust in classrooms is via team-building games. These games are exciting and one of the simple ways to help your students bond.

Games for the beginning of school:

Blindfolded Animals: List the names of a series of animals on a piece of paper and give them to the students randomly, animals such as cows, dogs, chickens, pigs, etc. On saying “Go!” students close their eyes and can only identify other animal group members by the sounds. 

Hospital Tag:  Every learner is “it” and possesses three lives. On saying “Go!” students find others to tag. Immediately after someone is tagged, they have to place a hand where the tag was and hold it still for the next game. 

However, the next game begins the same way, with two hands on the tagged spots. When students are tagged three times, they are out of the game. A kick-out is initiated when they discover their classmate trying to touch multiple areas of the body. 

Games for the middle school: 

Blindfolded Birthday: The whole class assumes the game as being blindfolded, and the class is given the task of lining up in the order of their birthdays. 

Two Truths and a Lie: In this game, a student tells two truths and a lie about themselves, and other students have to guess the lie, which can lead to fascinating information about their classmates.

Games for the end of school:

Essence Circle: The students sit in a circle, and a slip of paper with their names is placed in a hat in the middle of the circle. One person starts drawing a name and then must describe the person without their names or physical attributes, rather must describe the person’s essence, which is one’s characteristics, for instance, “smiles often.” Once the name is rightly guessed, the next name is drawn. 

60 Second Speech: Put different topics on slips of paper, and each person selects a slip. Then must give a 60-second speech on what they want in the given topic. 

Games to encourage critical thinking:

 Zoom: Arrange students into a circle and give each of them a picture of a certain thing. One person commences the story and must attach what is in the picture as part of the story. The next person’s task is to pick up the story from where the former left off but must include their picture as part of the story. 

If You Build It: Each team can choose from a collection of items, for instance, marshmallows, spaghetti, pipe cleaners, etc., to build the highest tower. 

Adopting active listening, questioning, giving clear instructions, and problem-solving must work as a team to achieve their assigned tasks. These games help us get to know each other and learn to collaborate and effectively communicate well.