The Communication Puzzle

Communication is a challenge for most organisations. This activity explores the nuances of how we communicate, with memorable experiences to improve interaction going forward.

Activities

Phase 1 – The Search
In twos with one partner blindfolded, pairs must search for and recover two sealed envelopes, ideally hidden outside the meeting room. This highlights the impact of tone and clarity in one to one verbal communication.

Phase 2 – Blind Discussion
Having found their envelopes, pairs return to the main room and sit in groups. Before opening their envelopes all except one ‘seer’ put on blindfolds. Envelopes are then opened revealing jigsaw pieces of different sizes and colours. A 15 minute countdown begins, during which time the puzzle pieces must be accurately sorted into sizes and colour. The seer may only answer questions by saying yes or no, blindfolds can’t be removed without the seer’s agreement. This session mimics a typical meeting in which information is distributed amongst those present. Only when this information is effectively shared can the group reach a shared solution.

Phase 3 – Puzzle Assembly
The puzzle pieces are once again shared evenly amongst the team, this time with one colour per person. New, larger groups then form based on the colour of their puzzle pieces. Around tables these groups assemble their puzzle in the shape of a ring. Taking care to establish the correct sequence to spell out communication related words and phrases written across their puzzle pieces. For example: “Listen to understand, not to reply” “Good words are worth much and cost little” “Beware of assumption, clarify”

Phase 4 – Final Assembly
Once each coloured ring is complete, the final task is to find a way to assemble the rings together to make the large target.

Key Points

• Suits groups from 20 to 100 +
• Indoor or outdoor options
• We can source suitable venues on your behalf
• Teams work together to attain success
• Overcomes office hierarchies as natural skills come to the fore

Olympic Challenge

With the 2016 Olympics in mind, we’ve created a programme of Olympic inspired team games. The games are varied allowing all participants to engage, drawing on strengths and abilities they might not have previously bought to the group.

Whether you’re looking for a team ‘away day’ or conference ‘break out’ sessions we can modify the format to suit you.

Key Points

• Suits groups from 20 to 100 +
• Indoor or outdoor options
• We can source suitable venues on your behalf, including the London Olympic Park
• Teams work together to attain success
• Overcomes office hierarchies as natural skills come to the fore

Activities:

Depending on the amount of time you have available, we can build the event to include some or all of the activities below:

• Olympic Team Tasks
• Pentathlon Play
• Daring Decathlon
• Archery
• Giant Volley Ball
• Fencing
• Dodgeball
• Sumo Wrestling
• Putting simulation
• Laser Clay Shooting
• Cycling
• Climbing

We can adapt the level of ‘sportiness’ depending on the ages and abilities of your team. The themed team tasks enable us to provide mental as well as physical challenges.
The event concludes with an awards ceremony – this can be fun and light hearted, but equally can be used as a platform to encourage deeper discussion.

Treasure Hunts – Countrywide Locations

We’ve written and run Treasure Hunts in Portugal on Segways, Somerset in Helicopters, and York on foot. There’s more to this than solving clues and finding treasure.

Our challenges are designed to allow team members to play to their strengths, solving challenges, gathering information, capturing photographs, acquiring souvenirs and working together to win the most points. Challenges can be themed to suit the location or the audience, we even have an extreme version for more daring teams.

Key Points

• Designed to suit analytical, creative and extrovert characters alike
• Bonds people from across the organisation
• Tailored to suit the participant group, highbrow or high energy
• Highly competitive
• A great way to explore a new location
• Suits all budgets with on foot routes from £35 per person*

*Min 50 participants

Activities

Our Treasure Hunts vary depending on the group size and if there is any theming but to give an idea of what is included please see the list below:

• Find and solve clues
• Photographic challenges including the whole team in defined poses and locations
• Match pictures to places
• Hunt for and collect specific souvenirs
• Solve bonus puzzles and conundrums

Adrenaline Activities

Our Adrenaline Activities are adaptable to your group, timescale and location. We will create a programme to fit your needs for half, full-day or more.

All of our kit is mobile and most of the activities can be run at outdoor venues all over the country. The day offers the chance to try new things, get to know each other, discover hidden talents and have fun together. See the list below, or call us to find out how we can help you put on a great day.

The activities can be competitive or informal – as part of a celebration with a picnic or barbecue – or run as a series of team challenges with a winning team (and prizes for outstanding contributions!) at the end of the day.

Key Points

• Powerful reward.
• Appeals to all ages and fitness levels.
• Suits groups from 20 to 200.
• Can be sited in hotel grounds, farms or parks.
• Guaranteed to unlock laughter and make memories.

Activities

• Human table football
• Radio-controlled drones
• Quad bikes
• Off-road driving
• Blindfolded driving
• Segway riding
• Finesse driving
• Archery & crossbow target shooting
• Clay pigeon shooting
• Rock climbing and abseiling
• Falconry
• Assault course
• It’s a Knockout Challenges
• Giant Scalextric

Body Percussion / Beats Working

Get out of the office and into the groove with a high-energy drum or music workshop.

Our coaches will boost the confidence and creativity of your team and get everyone working together to produce an original piece of music within a tight timeframe. Sessions can be themed using African drums, rainbow boomwhackers or a samba fiesta. A great buzz is created from the final performance which demonstrates the power of the large group working together.

This event can literally be run anywhere, indoors or outdoors, and is a great and subtle way of getting large teams to work together and achieve a shared sense of success. It can also be tailored to your theme or outcomes.

Key Points

• Injects energy into a meeting or conference
• Encourages movement, thereby circulating blood to the brain to aid concentration
• Demonstrates the power of people working together
• Instils a sense of excitement
• Boosts confidence
• Led by former performers from ‘Stomp’ the musical

Activities

• Demonstration and tuition
• Scavenging for items which can become instruments
• Composition and performance

The Catapult Conundrum

Teamwork is the name of the game in this collaborative construction task.

A combination of brainpower, budgeting and negotiation skills will be needed to acquire the pieces to build a catapult, which has both firepower and accuracy. The task requires planning, clear communication, and leadership. Finally, collaboration determines success.

Key Points

• Combines construction with mental agility
• Powerfully illustrates that even in competition we should be willing to collaborate
• A metaphor for selecting the right targets
• Can be run indoors or outside
• Highlights the importance of shared goal

Activities

Catapult Conundrum is so much more than a team construction exercise, it can illustrate complex concepts such as Game Theory.

• Problem solving both mental and practical
• Resourceful use of talents and budget
• Hands on construction of a real catapult
• Testing and refining
• Balancing risk and reward
• Group discussion and agreement to establish the team’s firing strategy

Team Tasks

A highly flexible event which will test and improve your team’s logical, creative, physical and artistic abilities using these fun and diverse tasks.

Planning and communication will be key to success, drawing out team strengths with plenty of laughter.

Time is optimised with teams rotating between activities to complete selected challenges against the clock. Between each task teams can be shuffled so that during the course of the programme each participant works with every other participant.

Key Points

• High energy
• Focused on specific team skills such as trust, communication, planning and goal setting
• Suits groups from 6 to 600
• Instant set-up and pack down
• Requires a conventional meeting room or outdoor space
• Highlights individuals’ strengths
• Reinforces the value of team working
• Highly adaptable, can fill 15 minutes through to a whole day

Activities

We have several hundred team tasks available, each designed to demonstrate a different aspect of team work. Some exercises will generate robust discussion while others are very light-hearted.

• Problem solving
• Forecasting
• Creative thinking
• Communication
• Building trust
• Leading and following
• Handling risk
• Reviewing performance

The Toy Factory

Play is at the heart of our business and for the young it’s a gateway to learning.

Children learn as they play.
Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.
O. Fred Donaldson

We developed the Toy Factory to build teams and give something back in the process. Teams are tasked with creating a handmade wooden toy. Which, if finished to a high standard can be donated to a needy child through one of our partner charities.

Key Points

• Encourages small teams to produce something exceptional
• Is a practical way to demonstrate corporate social responsibility
• Suits groups from 6 to 600
• No specialist woodworking skills required
• Less than an hour required to set up in a conventional meeting room
• Creates a climate for significant conversations amongst participants

Activities

The Toy Factory allows participants to select a role that appeals to their natural talents, whether that be practical, artistic or creative.

• Cutting out and sanding components
• Gluing and painting components
• Final assembly
• Organising resources to meet production needs
• Team decision making
• Design and painting the finished toy

Partner Charities

Shelter, Rainbow Trust, SOS Childrens’ Homes

Lights, Camera, Action!

A lively challenge that requires the team to think and work creatively within a short period of time, before presenting their results for all to see.

Teams can produce a short film either about their organisation or as an advert for a new product or for an entirely fictional device or brand.

Key Points

• Demonstrates the creative power of teams
• A highly effective way to help teams embrace change
• The finished films can be used after the event
• Suits groups from 6 to 600
• Can work in any location, worldwide
• Highlights individuals’ talents

Light, Camera, Action! Team Building Activities

This film-making team building activity enables participants to play to their strengths; in front of or behind the camera, editing or script writing.

• Creative thinking
• Considering how to convey a message
• Sourcing locations and props
• Script writing
• Planning the shoot using storyboards
• Filming and editing
• Acting and performing
• Managing, time, talent and resources

The Domino Effect

As organisations grow larger and more complex, it’s important to remember that everyone’s contribution matters, and that sometimes one bad move can cause the whole to fail.

In as little as an hour a team can build a huge colourful display of dominoes. The sense of achievement as each person’s contribution triggers the next is phenomenal.

Key points

• Powerfully illustrates the power of everyone working to a shared objective
• Requires respect, consideration and patience within the team
• A great energiser or finale to a conference
• Appeals to all ages and fitness levels
• Suits groups from 6 to 160

The Domino Effect Team Building Activities

The Domino Effect starts with participants working alone, then in small teams before finally coming together to create a giant (possibly record breaking) display.

• Designing intricate domino stunts
• Seamlessly connecting with others
• Focus on the individuals work whilst maintaining perspective on the whole
• Working with precision and excellence