So team 67 is thinking about starting meetings now, and working on team building and such, but we can’t think of any really good ideas to get the noobs and vets together and familiar in a non-awkward situation. Anybody have any ideas/games/things that have worked for your team?
Well, if you mean in general terms; we had a vollyball/pizza party thing at the beach to get the new guys familiar with the returning students and visa versa. But in terms of robots, why not organize a little VEX game and put some new guys with returning kids, so they get to know each other, and learn about the basics of robotics.
Every year on the 341st day of the year, we do a teambuilding night. Basically it has nothing directly to do with building robots. But with the help of an elementary school gym teacher in the district we all go to one school and have pizza and then do split into smaller groups and do team building games, and at the end of the night we all come together and do one big group challenge. By the end of the night we have really come together and learned to trust one another and work better as a team!
Any examples of these team building games?
yeah um we do like you have to build a tower blindfolded only with the instructions of your partner, get from one side of the gym to another with only a little scooter rope and a pool noodle. As a whole group back to back stand up at the same time. The list goes on, it is hard to remember them all and their rules. There is a multitude of activities on this site http://www.wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html . I am going to e-mail the gym teacher to maybe get some more!
I highly encourage you to do some research and create your own team building night.
I think it helps if it is a very active and fun evening. In my opinion it should have very little to do with robots.
The coaches also try very hard to break up groups that always hang out together. (no cliques) Its a night to mix things up!
Here are two picture links below from our 2004 celebration!
Having a **67th day of the year celebration ** in the middle of build season might be a great stress reliever!
Good luck and enjoy the pics!
one thing that my team has done is do a small immature little vex competition. its something within our team ran like a FIRST thing, we pick captains, our teams, our advisor designs a game, gives it to us on a set day, and gives us 3 weeks to build. its our second year doing it, but we found out that it is a great way to get team members, new and old, to bond.