canvascreekteams.com info@canvascreekteams.com (885) 832-6278 Five Ideas for Family-Team Building! Karen Grosz 406-690-5999
1) When you need a laugh 2) When you need to shout 3) When you have all afternoon 4) When you have a large group 5) When you just need to get along Canvas Creek Offers Family Team Building Fun Your most important team is your family! Life is better when your family is working as a team, driving towards your values, your long-term goals, and creating a story as unique as you are. Canvas Creek helps you to capture your story by creating art side by side. Art that captures both your skill (or lack thereof) and the things that are on your mind now. At the end of the process your family will de-brief about what they put in the art, and why, what they think the art means, and how the process touched them. Your 24 x 48 canvas will hang in your home as a memory and conversation starter. Perhaps it represents healing, starting over, laughter and good times, or saying goodbye, but it is your art, and it is a beautiful representation of you. When creating art is not on the agenda, but team building should be, we offer you these suggestions. Use them with an open heart, embracing joy, not rules, for the best results. If your family team is needs coaching, perhaps a mentor to get you from today to tomorrow, feel free to contact us. While most of our coaches aren t therapists, many are family coaches and will be happy to work with your team.
1) WHEN YOU NEED A LAUGH Draw Me a Sentence This is a guaranteed laugh maker! One paper per person (colored construction paper makes this even more fun) Pencil Table or writing surface Each person writes a descriptive sentence on the top of their paper. The paper is then passed two people to the right. That person draws the sentence. This drawing should take about 2 of the paper. When the drawing is done, the sentence is folded back so only the drawing shows. The paper is then passed one person to the right. Now participants write a sentence to describe the picture. The picture is folded back so only the sentence shows, the paper is passed to the right and a new drawing is made. Continue in this manner until the paper makes it back to the original writer. Papers are then opened and read. 2) WHEN YOU NEED TO SHOUT Loud Hide and Seek People Playing area How to Play Choose who is It Everyone else hides in safe places in the playing area It counts to 30 before seeking players As each player is found they yell, scream, argue, fuss, throw a fit, sing or in some way make as much noise as they possibly can until all the players are found. Successful sentences have included: The dog sat on a beach. The man and a cat went for a drive. The band had three drummers. Grandma knit a hat for a horse. The house had three trees and two kids in the front yard.
3)WHEN YOU HAVE SEVERAL HOURS Scavenger Hunt of the Photo Journalists (Bloggers optional) Camera (on phone is best) Maps (Optional) Pencil for notes Paper or device for writing a story Wander your neighborhood, downtown area, park, school, or hotel to find 12 items on the list below. If you are splitting into groups set boundary areas and rendezvous location. (Be safe!) Each list item should be photographed in the most entertaining way possible. Upon return to your rendezvous location enjoying looking at, and sharing, the photos and stories that came from your adventure. For added impact print and frame the photos for display in your home, or create a photo book of the event. Items like this increase the long- term value of Family Team Building Events. 1. Tourists in action. 2. I didn t think we d see this here! 3. Get an autograph from someone who is not famous. 4. Wait for me. 5. Photograph someone eating. 6. If you were a band, this would be your album cover. 7. Sidewalk tragedy. 8. Photo bomb. 9. An iconic piece of your location. 10. Family feud! 11. Now that s funny! 12. Is it real or is it a filter? 13. The coolest thing ever! 14. An act of kindness. 15. I could eat that! 16. Just did it! 17. An amazing piece of history. 18. Something that makes adults nervous. 19. It s a new kind of dance. (extra points if you re bare footed.) 20. Something only old folks enjoy. 21. What is this and why is it here? 22. Supporting each other. 23. I double dog dare you! 24. This describes our family better than anything else we found today! Upon return to home base the bloggers take over and use a set amount of time (10-40 minutes) to write a blog about a picture or group of pictures. This blog is then read to the group by another team member.
4) WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGE GROUP What Did You Do? Gather items from around the house that are interesting. Be sure items are not fragile. You should have more items than players. Items are spread on the table and each person chooses one item without knowing the story they will tell. Break into smaller groups (5-10 people) Give each group a story idea from the list below. Each person will tell their story passing it off to the next person by saying What did you do? Story ideas: I found this in my back pack and then I invented a new way to use this When I was just a kid When mom asked me about this I I invented this because I used to play with this I was all alone, and all I had was this I was on a mission to retrieve this Did you know that (famous person) gave this to me because In the old days we used this for Because Don t tell anyone, but I once used this to At the end of each round have the group choose their favorite story to share with everyone. At the end of the round the group will guess which stories were true and which were false. 6) WHEN YOU JUST NEED TO GET ALONG Jenga Strength Jenga game Sharpies How to Play Everyone takes 3-5 Jenga pieces and a sharpie marker Players write a family value, or family strength on the side of a Jenga Piece. Values or strengths can also be drawn on the item After everyone has at least one value written on their pieces tower building begins The person with the next birthday puts their first block on the table, with the word on the outside of the tower. Play continues with the person with the next birthday placing their item on the tower until the tower in complete. As play continues family members may add words to blank pieces or put additional words on their tower. If a word is used by more than one person see if you can get all of those words on the same side of the tower. Talking about each word is not necessary. Debriefing at the end can add impact to the tower. Debriefing might cover ideas like what would happen if we took all of the blocks out that said honesty? Which strength do you think is the most important? Use the game as a regular Jenga game for future game nights as a reminder of the strengths and values that makes your family so solid. MORE INFOContact Us If this article spoke to you, your family or your organization, and you d like more one-on-one support, please contact Karen Grosz at 406-690-5999 or email Karen@canvascreekteams.com.