The Team Building Directory

Advice and information about all things team buiding

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Bonding Belt

Type of activity:

Energiser Exercise Icebreaker

Participants:

6 - 60

Timing:

15 - 30 Minutes

Key Themes:

Teamwork, Change, Communication, Leadership

Overview

A hilarious illustration of team bonding in which teams of six are literally bonded together by a cling film waistband. They then have to race against the clock across the room with the intention of improving their time with each attempt

Pre-Work

Assess the participants’ receptivity to fun, this exercise requires an open mind and a good sense of humour

Equipment and Layout

A large space, with a sufficiently clear area to allow the team/s to move between two distinct points. A roll of cling film per team and a timer

Running The Activity

  1. Introduce this as a very light hearted activity in which the team/s will have an opportunity to assess and improve upon their performance
  2. Tell the teams that they will have to move as one unit between point A and point B in as short a time as possible
  3. Tell them that to ensure they stay ‘bonded’ as one unit they will be held together by a cling film belt, tightly wrapped around their waists
  4. Give the teams 5 minutes to discuss their strategy, advising them that at the end of this time they should be in position ready to be ‘bonded’
  5. When applying the cling film do so at waist height of the mid-sized participant, make the belt sufficiently tight so that it will not fall when the team starts to move. Make the belt several layers thick
  6. Reiterate the position of the start and finish lines and set the teams off against the clock
  7. Advise the teams of their times giving them a minute to catch their breath and agree their strategy for the next attempt.
  8. Repeat several times until the teams achieve their best time

Additional Notes

None

Reviews and Conclusions

Ask each group to share the strategy they adopted for the exercise Ask what was missing from their strategies Ask the team to assess the effectiveness of their communication Identify times when similar communication occurs in the workplace

Follow-up

Frostbite is another blindfolded challenge with an emphasis on the leader’s ability to communicate effectively
Download the Bonding Belt Teambuilding PDF here.