Storming Activities

In the Storming stage, team members may begin to experience conflict as they navigate different working styles and opinions. Activities in this stage help team members work through disagreements constructively and develop problem-solving skills together.

Scribble Strands

Runtime: 15 minutes

Preptime: 2 minutes

Materials: Strings, sharpie, paper

Description: Students each hold a string, all of the strings are connected to one singular sharpie. They are then tasked to draw something, whether it be a drawing or to write a word or number (maybe the team number!). To complete this task, students should try to work together to move the sharpie.

Reason for Doing It: This specific team builder, the students use their collaboration and communication skills to form unity to complete the task.

Modifications: One hand only, no talking during the activity but only around a 2 minutes time period before to come up with a plan.

Tallest Tower

Runtime: 10 minutes

Preptime: 10 minutes

Materials: String, wooden dowels, marshmallows

Description: Students are organized into groups of 2-6 with the goal of building the tallest tower out of string, wooden dowels, and marshmallows. This works best if there is a small amount of time where participants can only plan without touching materials, and then a longer amount of time designated for specific building. It's generally helpful to try and celebrate each group's tower regardless of who wins.

Reason for Doing It: Participants learn teamwork and inclusion with their fellow team members. Working through a problem where things often fall apart and need fast solutions gives practice for when similar issues appear in build season.

Modifications: If certain students are not being included or the groups are particularly competitive, a good added rule is requiring each student to hold one hand behind their back for the duration of the building period. This forces students to work together on everything they do.

Human Knot

Runtime: As needed

Preptime: None

Materials: None Needed

Description: Students form a circle, and grab random teammates' (not the teammates directly next to them) hands, and try to untangle themselves without letting go of each other.

Reason for Doing It: Helps students become more comfortable with each other and forms better communication skills. It also helps students loosen up and laugh a little, but also get into disagreement which helps for tense moments at competitions.

Rolling a Ball to a Line

Runtime: 15 minutes

Preptime: 5 minutes

Materials: Materials of your choice (Suggestions: Cardboard, hot wheel tracks, plastic cups), tennis ball/golf ball/etc, tape.

Description: Students form groups of 3-4 and are given the task of rolling a ball to not extend a certain line. They can build their own contraptions and use other materials to cause the ball to roll.

Reason for Doing It: Helps students use problem-solving skills and building techniques. Helps prepare them for critical thinking as they have to quickly adapt and think outside of the box to achieve their goal.

Modifications: Increase distance of the line, limit/add materials.

Pick up a Cup

Runtime: Varies

Preptime: 2 minutes

Materials: String, rubber band, cups

Description: Every person holds one string attached to anything around themselves (strings attached to a rubber band so you can stretch and pick up the) cup, then attempt to place cups on top of each other and make the tallest tower.

Reason for Doing It: To communicate and work together so that even if one person messes up they can build back as a team.

Modifications: No talking, longer string, cup measurer, instead of pyramid have just one cup and then another on top upside down continuously.

Minute to Win It

Runtime: 28 minutes

Preptime: 15 minutes

Materials: Any items used to build, a ball of some sort

Description: Teams aim to create something that does a specific job within a set time. The build itself acts like a timer, and the goal is to complete the task as accurately as possible. A few judges give each team a score from 1 to 10 based on how creative their solution is. For instance, they might be asked to build a device that rings a bell precisely in 10 seconds using a ball.

Reason for Doing It: Helps the students in the team work together under pressure and allows them to collaborate while being involved in a STEAM related activity. They learn how to use everyday objects to create simple machines.

Modifications: Restriction of limbs such as one hand and changing the time limit. Formula for scoring: 10-(T-0.1x innovation score) for competitive teams, T stands for how much time they went over or under, and innovation score is for how creative they were.

Scribble Strands

Tallest Tower

Human Knot

Rolling a Ball to a Line

Pick up a Cup

Minute to Win It

Storming Activities

Scribble Strands

Runtime: 15 minutes

Preptime: 2 minutes

Materials: Strings, sharpie, paper

Reason for Doing It: This specific team builder, the students use their collaboration and communication skills to form unity to complete the task.​

Modifications: One hand only, no talking during the activity but only around a 2 minutes time period before to come up with a plan.

Tallest Tower

Runtime: 10 minutes

Preptime: 10 minutes

Materials: String, wooden dowels, marshmallows

Reason for Doing It: Participants learn teamwork and inclusion with their fellow team members. Working through a problem where things often fall apart and need fast solutions gives practice for when similar issues appear in build season.​

Modifications: If certain students are not being included or the groups are particularly competitive, a good added rule is requiring each student to hold one hand behind their back for the duration of the building period. This forces students to work together on everything they do.

Human Knot

Runtime: As needed

Preptime: None

Materials: None Needed

Description: Students form a circle, and grab random teammates' (not the teammates directly next to them) hands, and try to untangle themselves without letting go of each other.​

Reason for Doing It: Helps students become more comfortable with each other and forms better communication skills. It also helps students loosen up and laugh a little, but also get into disagreement which helps for tense moments at competitions.​

Rolling a Ball to a Line

Runtime: 15 minutes

Preptime: 5 minutes

Materials: Materials of your choice (Suggestions: Cardboard, hot wheel tracks, plastic cups), tennis ball/golf ball/etc, tape.

Description: Students form groups of 3-4 and are given the task of rolling a ball to not extend a certain line. They can build their own contraptions and use other materials to cause the ball to roll.​

Reason for Doing It: Helps students use problem-solving skills and building techniques. Helps prepare them for critical thinking as they have to quickly adapt and think outside of the box to achieve their goal.​

Modifications: Increase distance of the line, limit/add materials.​

Pick up a Cup

Runtime: Varies

Preptime: 2 minutes

Materials: String, rubber band, cups

Description: Every person holds one string attached to anything around themselves (strings attached to a rubber band so you can stretch and pick up the) cup, then attempt to place cups on top of each other and make the tallest tower.​

Reason for Doing It: To communicate and work together so that even if one person messes up they can build back as a team.​

Modifications: No talking, longer string, cup measurer, instead of pyramid have just one cup and then another on top upside down continuously.​

Minute to Win It

Runtime: 28 minutes

Preptime: 15 minutes

Materials: Any items used to build, a ball of some sort

Reason for Doing It: Helps the students in the team work together under pressure and allows them to collaborate while being involved in a STEAM related activity. They learn how to use everyday objects to create simple machines.​

Modifications: Restriction of limbs such as one hand and changing the time limit. Formula for scoring: 10-(T-0.1x innovation score) for competitive teams, T stands for how much time they went over or under, and innovation score is for how creative they were.​

Reason for Doing It: This specific team builder, the students use their collaboration and communication skills to form unity to complete the task.

Reason for Doing It: Participants learn teamwork and inclusion with their fellow team members. Working through a problem where things often fall apart and need fast solutions gives practice for when similar issues appear in build season.

Description: Students form a circle, and grab random teammates' (not the teammates directly next to them) hands, and try to untangle themselves without letting go of each other.

Reason for Doing It: Helps students become more comfortable with each other and forms better communication skills. It also helps students loosen up and laugh a little, but also get into disagreement which helps for tense moments at competitions.

Description: Students form groups of 3-4 and are given the task of rolling a ball to not extend a certain line. They can build their own contraptions and use other materials to cause the ball to roll.

Reason for Doing It: Helps students use problem-solving skills and building techniques. Helps prepare them for critical thinking as they have to quickly adapt and think outside of the box to achieve their goal.

Modifications: Increase distance of the line, limit/add materials.

Description: Every person holds one string attached to anything around themselves (strings attached to a rubber band so you can stretch and pick up the) cup, then attempt to place cups on top of each other and make the tallest tower.

Reason for Doing It: To communicate and work together so that even if one person messes up they can build back as a team.

Modifications: No talking, longer string, cup measurer, instead of pyramid have just one cup and then another on top upside down continuously.

Reason for Doing It: Helps the students in the team work together under pressure and allows them to collaborate while being involved in a STEAM related activity. They learn how to use everyday objects to create simple machines.

Modifications: Restriction of limbs such as one hand and changing the time limit. Formula for scoring: 10-(T-0.1x innovation score) for competitive teams, T stands for how much time they went over or under, and innovation score is for how creative they were.