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.
The
Wright Solution
Late in the year 1903 two brothers, Orville
and Wilbur Wright demonstrated to the world
that heavier than air flight was possible.
This activity asks your family to perform
a similar task. This activity will foster
communication, problem solving and most
of all teamwork to succeed.
What you need to play
You need a single sheet of paper and an
egg timer. Try experimenting with different
kinds of paper. What are the advantages
of using tissue paper rather than an index
card, is notebook paper with holes better
or worse than typing paper? You get the
idea.
How to play
The Wright brothers flew their first airplane
for 12 second and traveled 120 feet. Your
task is to keep a single piece of paper
from touching the floor for 12 seconds.
That cannot be so hard right? Well there
are a few rules you have to follow:
- Every member of the family must have
a part in keeping the paper from touching
the floor.
- You can use your collective brainpower,
but none of you can physically touch the
paper once the clock starts.
- If you wish you can fold it, bend it,
shape it crumple it… but you can
not add anything to it like weights, glue
hairspray etc.
- You can not use anything under the
paper other than yourselves to keep it
off the ground (no fair putting it on
a table and declaring victory)
- You can collectively blow on the paper
to keep it in the air like keeping a feather
afloat.
What you will learn is that it takes a
lot of air to keep a piece of paper in
the air and 12 seconds is a long time
if you don’t work as a team. How
does teamwork affect your ability to succeed?
How did you make sure everyone knew their
job and contributed to the success? What
other areas of your life might this apply
to?
For more fun why not try to add variations
like, how long can you keep it in the air?
How accurate can you make it land in a target
area? Why not go for distance, speed or
height records?
Don’t forget to have fun
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