My Favorite Team Building Activity: On Asking for Help
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One of my favorite things about leading UniCamp retreats was the opportunity to execute team-building activities that would spark a meaningful discussion and debrief afterward.
It was all about the debrief. The learning outcome. The hands-on experience that translated to a lesson.
I loved facilitating the debrief while the participants took control of the discussion. I was just there to help poke and prod and prompt and re-direct if we got off track.
Maybe that’s why I became a teacher. I liked the idea of being a facilitator, allowing people to come to their own a-ha! moments.
I had a favorite team-building activity during camp. One that I used every single year that I led a retreat. And one that I continue to use with my students during the first two weeks of school.
My Favorite Team Building Activity
This activity is most successful when it’s done with a larger group of people. Anywhere between 15-30 folks.
We would blindfold each participant and carefully lead them out into the woods to a “rope maze.”
The “rope maze” was set up prior to the beginning of the activity and was out of sight so the participants did not know what to expect. In reality, the “maze” was just an enclosed circle created by a rope – tied around several trees.
But, again, the participants did not know that. They were informed that it was a maze and that they had to find their way out.
Once their hands were on the rope, they were given instructions.
You are in an enclosed circle and the objective of this activity is to find your way out. There are a few rules so please listen carefully.
1. You must keep one hand on the rope at all times.
2. You may not go over the rope or under the rope.
3. You must remain completely silent.
4. If you come across a knot in the rope, please do not untie it.
Remember, there is a way out. Please remain absolutely quiet, and raise your hand if you need help.
Participants would slowly start searching for their way out. Following the person in front of them. Going in circles. Again. And again. And again. Some people would think they found their way out only to realize they were hugging a tree and, still, enclosed in the circle.
After about five minutes, I’d repeat the instructions from above.
Scroll back up.
Re-read the instructions.
Have you figured it out? Do you know the way out?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
By raising your hand.
Yes. That’s all you have to do.
Raise.
Your.
Hand.
Participants are so focused on the four rules that they completely disregard the final bit where I say, “Raise your hand if you need help.” Depending on how much time you have, you can have your participants struggling for hours. (The longest I’ve had this activity run for is about 2.5 hours).
I will typically repeat the instructions multiple times but, if we’re trying to wrap up the activity, I will over-emphasize the, “…AND RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU NEED HELP” part. (Still, don’t be surprised if some people don’t pick up on it. So many people disregard the offer of help).
The Debrief
This is one powerful debrief. Whether it’s in a camp setting or a workplace or in the classroom, it’s something that everyone can relate to. We think asking for help is a sign of weakness. We think that being self-reliant is what makes us successful. But it’s not true.
When you acknowledge that you can’t do something alone, it shows both humility and strength. You are strong enough to admit you don’t have all the answers. And that doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.
[bctt tweet=””We’re all imperfect and we all have needs. The weak usually do not ask for help, so they stay weak. If we recognize that we are imperfect, we will ask for help and we will pray for the guidance necessary to bring positive results to whatever we are doing.” — John Wooden”” username=”eatteachblog”]
Questions of the Day:
- Is it easy for you to ask for help?
- What is one of your favorite team building activities?
This sounds like an amazing team building activity. I can imagine it going on for hours because many of us want to figure things out and get to the answer ourselves.
Asking for help is sometimes difficult but I realised that I’d rather ask than assume in my job. So I’ve gotten better at asking over time.
We did a teambuilding exercise a while ago called Hint Hunt. We had to find clues in 2 rooms so that we could get out in under an hour – lots of fun 🙂
I’ve done a number of team building exercises but not this one and it sounds so powerful! I know I’d be more focused on the directions than realizing you could stop and ask for help. It is SO hard to ask for help, you are right that it can be viewed as a sign of weakness. I’d love to be in the debrief after this activity, I can only imagine the conversations had!
This is a great activity, and is so very true. We cannot do anything without help. Once we realize that our success level increases substantially!
What a powerful activity to help learn the importance of asking for help. I love how you described it in enough detail that we can set up a similar team building activity for groups of our own. Thank you!
This sounds like an awesome team builder! I love it!
What a fascinating exercise!
Oh interesting. I think I’d just assume that the “raise your hand if you need help” didn’t apply to actually being led out. LOL But I like the idea behind this; we all need help sometimes.
-Lauren
That is a great teambuilding activity! I can see how that would spark some excellent debrief conversations.
What an interesting activity…though I have to admit, I was never a huge fan of some of those team building activities but I guess they’re not as bad as ice breakers.
This would be a great idea to use at work too! Love it! THanks for sharing!
Cool activity! We sometimes forget to ask for help and reap the benefits…
We recently organized a team building activity and it was awesome. Especially paintball which was way to much fun.
Love this team-builder! What happens when they raise their hand since you’ve told them NOT to go under, over or untie a knot?
How are you supposed to respond when someone does ask for help?
Building connections through team-building isn’t just fun—it’s transformative! From trust-jumping challenges to creative problem-solving and shared meals, these activities help us bond on a deeper level. Your suggestions remind us that when teams invest in genuine interaction and shared experiences, collaboration naturally flourishes. Thank you for highlighting simple, powerful ways to strengthen unity, trust, and workplace joy!