In the world of sports, business, education,
and the military, teamwork has long been recognized
as a cornerstone of success. Many of the lessons
learned in these environments can be used
to strengthen families as well.
At their core families
have the same needs as these other types
of organizations,
- Leadership,
- Communication,
- Common Vision,
- Sense of Belonging,
- Contribution to the group
to name a few.
In this section you will
find activities that you can do with your
family that are not only fun but will help
you reinforce these characteristics in your
family team.
Most of these activities can be done with
little or no preparation time and with readily
available items in your home. I also want
to admit up front most of these activities
have been adapted from the work of other
corporate trainers, educators, coaches and
the occasional tavern owner. Where ever
I can I will identify the original source.
So
lets get started building your team and
have some fun along the way.
Following
the Rules?
Like many challenges enjoyed throughout
the world this one started out in a local
pub but don’t let that stop you. Some
of life’s best lessons have been learned
in those establishments. This particular
one challenges the family to solve a problem
by thinking about the solution differently.
It is also a great activity to use to kick
off a discussion of what it means to “follow
the rules”. Is there a difference
between being creative and cheating?
What you need to play
Six clear glasses three of them filled
with some colorful liquid (I believe the
brighter the color the more fun but even
clear water will work).
How to play
Start out with the glasses lined up on
a table. Pour the colored liquid into the
2nd, 4th, and 6th glass leaving the others
empty. Invite the family to rearrange the
glasses so that the first three glasses
in the row are empty and the next three
are filled. You may only move one glass
at a time. The challenge is to get to the
new arrangement in as few moves as possible.
After a few attempts challenge the family
to create the new arrangement by moving
only one glass. This is when the creativity
starts. The only possible answer to this
challenge is to pick up the second glass
and pour its contents into the 5th and then
return the empty glass to its original position.
At this point the discussions about cheating
v. creativity begin.
This is a fun and fast activity and of
course the key for the family is the two
fold. The discussion around solving the
problem and the more important final discussion
around creative problem solving.
Don’t forget the point is to have
fun while you share points of view among
the family and develop common codes of conduct.
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