You can also check out other fun icebreaker games for large groups. If you want to put your team in Jeopardy, heres a helpful tool for creating your questions (or, um, answers). Then connect with an expert host or a coach who will guide the lesson. 2.3 Sentence Completion 3 College Icebreaker Games with a Purpose 4 Getting Comfortable in a New Group 4.1 My Most Embarrassing Moment 4.2 Back to Back 5 Team Formation 5.1 Comic Chaos 5.2 Paper Bag Skits 5.3 Know Your Roommate This retreat gives participants an opportunity to enjoy the results of news and developments in every academic department, as well as a sense of the state of sabbaticals, and a view of the college future as presented by the faculty and the dean. Our facilities provide amazing experiences, activities, and events for youth, college students, adults, and families. As a student affairs professional, you probably love crafting icebreakers, running team-building activities, and facilitating goal-setting sessions with students. A retreat held right before a new quarter or semester will especially be perfect timing for OKR-ing. So, rather than the same ole uninspiring goal-setting exercise, why not mix it up? After a few minutes, combine rooms to form groups of four. Then the players with the first two numbers will start the game. The first person to laugh leaves the game. 5 Interesting Bible Activities For Teens Infographic: Exciting Bible Games For Teenagers 15 Best Bible Games For Teens These activities can be incorporated during Bible class, Sunday class, Bible book club meeting, or even family Bible fun time. When their time is up, a spokesperson can present their ultimate solution to the rest of the group or to the class. Personality assessments such as the MBTI, the High 5 Test, DISC, and Enneagram that can help students identify their leadership styles are a good place to start. Clue, Pictionary, Yahtzee These are all teambuilders waiting to be unboxed. Group agreements are a set of behavioral expectations that are co-created between the facilitator and the participants. One team member writes down a solution and passes the sheets of paper along to the next team member, who builds upon that idea and then passes it along to the rest of the team. 3. These exercises aim to achieve the retreat's objectives, including boosting attendees' morale, team building, and motivating the group. Its easy to forget to build breaks into the schedule. Scavenger hunts arent just for kids. Another theme was "When Life gives you Lemons, make lemonade". Split your students into teams and give them a time limit to find as many items as possible on a list youve provided. is one great starting point. 3. If you need a host for the activities, then you can also make a reservation before the retreats day. Use different color markers for each family member . After a set amount of time, have students return and present their ideas to the whole group. Give each woman a journal to record prayers and write down how God heard them and answered. Building Card Towers. Winners can get bonus points for their grade on this activity or their in-class participation grade at the end of the school year. Start by setting up stations or posters in a few locations around the classroom (like on the walls or on tables). 3 0 obj Retreats give individuals an opportunity to take a step back to assess the organization and make plans to guide the organization through the upcoming months. , then the following ideas can help you with the nuts and bolts activity-wise. Know the length of the route before you start hiking. Have students put each goal in a quadrant then assign due dates. And post-retreat, you can frame the complete puzzles as artwork in your office. Simply spring it on them, just before presentation time, so that theyre challenged to get creative in utilizing whats around them. It probably wont boost your institutions retention rate nor emphasize deep-seated values, but having fun can be noble goal in and of itself. You could even exchange the final products as gifts at the end of the retreat, display them in your office, or use them to tell the story of your retreat to other departments. to identify which ideas the group wants to pursue the most. Retreat participants are equipped to apply for university leadership positions, including peer mentors and consultants, RSO executive positions, NSE orientation leaders, resident assistants, and college and research ambassadors. Connect with us on Twitter, How You Can Support 6 Core Student Needs Through Their Campus Jobs, 6 Essential Elements to Include in Your Orientation Leader Training, 5 Unique Exercises You Can Facilitate to Empower Student Innovation & Creativity. We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. Online Office Games is a great way to entertain staff, foster team bonding, build skills, and stoke friendly rivalry during your next virtual retreat. In this method, each group receives its own piece of easel paper to write their ideas on, then everyone hangs their paper up in the same room. Karaoke is one of the entertaining team building retreat activities to add to your groups plan. EFFECTS OF A WELL-BEING RETREAT ON COLLEGE STUDENTS 2019-2020 MaryBeth Walpole, Ph.D. . This activity can help students build on their leadership skills. Here are 21 examples of fun team-building activities for students you can use in the classroom that wont make everyone cringe. Heres how it works: Each team member is given a PVC pipe (though they could also use paper and tape, or paper towel rolls). The linchpin of a successful retreat is a groups ability to practice behaviors that support productivity, and students will be more likely to abide by group agreements if theyve helped create them. The closing of the retreat is just as important as the opening. You can add to the partys fun by giving participants fun titles like the best singer, the worst singer, the seat warmer, and the best duet. Another twist is to not inform of every one of this activity beforehand. These retreats are designed for students of all faiths and spiritualities. Have students put each goal in a quadrant then assign due dates. Taking a group class can get your team to bond during a retreat. they use. Students then look at each gallery piece before reconvening for an all-group discussion. Id rarely advise rushing anything, but this is a fun exemption. Decorative Advent Cards. With temptation constantly lurking, we often need a time for recuperating. Quicker than a full-on debrief, a check-in is useful if you just want to quickly gauge how folx are feeling and dont need to deep-dive into what they learned (yet). Instructors should distribute a list of provocative statements before class, allowing students to read ahead. Energize your college classroom and get discussions flowing. The first player to complete the entire board or an entire row vertically, horizontally, and diagonally wins. Dont have the budget for StrengthsFinder? Reflect on their transformative college experiences and the people who have influenced them by role modeling Dickinson values. Then the players guess what the described action or word is. The idea is to think ahead to what those failures might be,to put systems in place that will help minimize the damageor to prevent the bad things from happening in the first place. There are workshops to design, food to order, and so many other components needed to make a retreat a, Fortunately, finding ideas for workshops to include in a retreat can be pretty easy thanks to the plethora of sample agendas available online. Next, divide the group into smaller teams and provide all the necessary gear for the sport you choose. This way, students benefit from hearing their peers perspectives, as well as getting to practice their debate skills. 3, 'Colored items', instead of using colors, you could use items of different shapes or different textures. Another favorite early morning activity for a lot of us is getting out of bed and going for a morning walk or jog. Themed Hangout Groups. Typically, I do this through experiential group activities. Find purpose throughout your life and create meaning through self-reflection and intentional discussions. After dividing students into teams, provide them with a list of items for survival. The first day of class is an ideal time to help students get to know one another and share why they are eager to take the class. Categories can include office procedures, student trends, institutional history, student development theories, higher education news stories, and anything else you dream up. Students then look at each gallery piece before reconvening for an all-group discussion. Then players compete to be the first to make a correct guess of the described country. To play this, you need to prepare a Bingo card. 1. College students look forward to the opportunity to share who they are and learn more about others. Both of these competencies can ground your leadership workshops in research-based topics. Dancing, jumping, racing, and birthday parties form a large part of every high school student'ssports and recreational activities. Every day in student affairs is an adventure. And it doesnt have to involve awkward activities such as a trust fall. Engaging, relevant team-building activities for students can energize your classroom and take learning to a new level. Team sports are great retreat games for large groups. Grace is the Director of People & Culture at TeamBuilding. Part of the joy of this activity comes from feeling an overall sense of appreciation and recognition from your teammates. Yes, Segways look silly. Rather than watching and debriefing full talks during your retreat, assign a different video to each team member a few days ahead of time. Get unique approaches to assessments from Prof. Jesse Stommel |, Help your college students connect and collaborate. You can download a card online with prompts that suit the groups choice, print out the cards and distribute them to the players. 3. This activity allows students to see where their peers stand on a variety of different topics and issues. Not only does this test their problem-solving skills, but it also helps them differentiate between the needs of the individual and the needs of the collective. Course type: Online (synchronous or asynchronous), blended, in-person. For both of these activities, write the goals on sticky notes so that they can be moved around if students change their minds about what quadrant a goal belongs in. Your student retreat can be custom tailored to meet the needs of student groups of any grade from kindergarten through college. Cooking together can help your team recognize leadership dynamics, prompt you to discuss beloved cultural traditions related to food, and challenge you to problem-solve together. A tightened fist represents a rock sign. After another five minutes, combine groups of four to become a larger group of eightand so on until the whole class is back together again. Were kinder and gentler to the people around us, and were kinder and gentler to ourselves., Tribes are clusters of people, and people are complex and non-rational at times. However, if your group is on a tight budget, then you can camp on a public or dispersed campground. This is a great way for students to show off their leadership skills, presentation skills and creativity. They might jump at the chance to brainstorm solutions to your latest challenge. This retreat can include times of contemplative prayer and studying Biblical examples of being heard by God. , the foundation of relationships. Learn how we can help get your students involved. But rather than merely writing down or vaguely discussing your values, craft them into a word cloud. Teams of students must then categorize these objects on a piece of paper or sticky note, even when no obvious connections exist. In class, pose an introductory, open-ended question. But what about word clouds? Retreats, which have been used by churches and corporations for some time, are currently being looked into by college presidents and boards of trustees as a means of training and problem solving. We also have a list of the best energizer games for large groups. Other leaders blindfold all the youth and tell them that one at a time they are going to be lifted on the board, which will be about 3 feet off the ground, and see if they can walk across the board from one side to the other. Engaging in team games and activities during a retreat can be relaxing for small and large groups alike. The group should decide on the type of experience. Then, as the leader, gently tap a few random participants on the back or shoulder. Or you can simply ask them to leave computers and devices at home. And yes, you might feel more than a tad bit ridiculous riding one. Ask what they value most in their individual work, as a team, in the campus community, or all three. This activity gives students the opportunity to exercise creative thinking and work on presentation and public speaking skills. Activities will include yoga and mindfulness plus the opportunity to engage in outdoor activities. Group retreat activities are games and events that groups can partake in during a retreat. Many cruise lines offer corporate rates and retreat packages, so be sure to inquire about these options when booking. You can use generic quiz questions (from the board game Trivial Pursuit, for example), or you could relate questions back to the course material. Telling jokes is a simple and entertaining activity you can do at a retreat. Remember. Team-building activities can be broken down by their benefits into three types: These activities can fit almost anywhere into your retreat schedule! However, I think that some of the activities can be adapted for blind people. Get articles with higher ed trends, teaching tips and expert advice delivered straight to your inbox. The player who starts the game first will say a word. You can set up a campfire to spice things up. The Wilds provides a wonderful weekend for college students and professionals to enjoy great times while being refocused spiritually. First and foremost, welcome the students! When students are feeling anxious about an upcoming paper or test, taking deep breaths will help them calm down so they can focus on the task at hand. If you conduct an especially tasty dish, you can pass on the goodness to the rest ofcampus by sharing the recipe on social media, making it again for a division-wide meeting, or hosting a cooking class with students. include having students draw an emoji or write one word to describe their current mood, or placing a sticker dot on a bullseye to represent if they think that the workshop is helping the group meet its goals. You dont need to be a budding Andy Warhol or Frida Kahlo to enjoy it. The player with the highest points wins the game and deserves the winning prize. These retreats draw on Ignatian Spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, which have been used by people of all faiths to help them examine their lives and begin to articulate a personal spirituality for themselves. But, Ive found that most people arent sure of when or how to express genuine compliments that venture beyond surface-level remarks like, nice shirt!, great hat!, or I loved your program idea!. Word clouds can help your team visualize interconnected ideas and concepts. Also, you can place a time limit on how long a player can say a word. All they take is a class with at least one student who isn't too shy. For menu inspiration, check out this list of conference food ideas. No-tech day Visit a remote location for a few days and ask people to turn off their phones, laptops and other technological devices. Its a lot of work to put together a transformative retreat experience, but its all worth it in the end when the student leaders achieve their organizations goals and thrive within the campus community. You can take a tour to fun places like museums, wineries, or even another city. As they engage with all their senses, the attained knowledge makes a strong imprint in their minds. Student Center and Campus Activities, the Recharge & Connect Retreat aims to connect people to each other and the world around them through the use of structured . Join more than 10,000 educators. For example, fishing, taking a tour, karaoke, and playing bingo. Here are answers to questions about group retreat activities. Ask students to repeat this process for several rounds to help familiarize themselves with a variety of standpoints. Divide the class into teams and present them with a problem related to your course material. Thanks to companies like Shutterfly, Puzzle You, and Collage, you can turn any photo into a puzzle. A few ideas for a Great College Retreat are: A Prayer Retreat, Community Development Retreat, Service Project Retreat, Book Study Retreat, Wilderness Retreat, The True Vine Retreat, etc. It is pretty common to have the critical problems in a company simply solved over lunch. Have your group members set up a fire pit. People dont buy what you do; they buy why you do it., When we work from a place that says, Im enough, then we stop screaming and start listening. In addition to the physical and emotional benefits of hiking, it can also allow your team to appreciate nature and bond over a challenge. We do so by slowing down our breathing so that we feel more of whats going on around us. To host this party, decide whether or not the party will have a theme. 60 Awesome Icebreakers For Orientation and Beyond, 100 Quick Icebreaker Questions to Keep in Your Back Pocket, 24 Virtual Icebreaker Activities Thatll Help You Build Community via Video Call, One way to immerse students in the organizations mission, vision, and values is to create a. . Of course, researchers have proven that physical exercise increases mental sharpness. Regardless of the brainstorming topic, students need some basic tools to help the session along, including: For some students, spending time alone or in small breakout groups is ideal for bringing out their creativity. A player can make three signs: rock, paper, and scissors. This is a great activity for mild or warmer fall and spring weather and is a great way to get students to exercise or to introduce new students to the entire campus. Split up into teams, plop down with puzzles, and let the race begin! Check out more outdoor team building ideas. Have a silent disco Source: Peerspace A silent disco is a unique breakout session idea that can give your attendees an energy boost without requiring a live band or party venue. Retreat Participation Nearly 750 students nearly a quarter of the student body took part in a retreat or contemplative program at the Joyce Contemplative Center or online during the 2019-20 academic year. 2 Getting-to-Know-You Icebreaker Games for College Students 2.1 Alphabet Freeze 2.2 Who Are You? While many types of retreats may not be appropriate for boards, a well-planned working retreat can be an effective way for trustees to: (1) really get to know one another and the backgrounds, skills . Although every part of the retreat will likely help students gain new leadership skills, it still pays dividends to have some workshops dedicated specifically to leadership development. 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By slowing down our breathing so that theyre challenged to get creative in whats... Energize your classroom and take learning to a new level start the game the critical problems in a minutes... The winning prize agreements are a set of behavioral expectations that are co-created between the facilitator and participants! With an expert host or a coach who will guide the lesson involve awkward activities as! Advise rushing anything, but this is a great way for students to show off their skills. Do at a retreat held right before a new level whats going on around us winning prize constantly,! Getting to practice their debate skills their ultimate solution to the class learn how we can help students build their. Adults, and thousands of five star reviews solutions to retreat activities for college students groups plan grade. Laptops and other technological devices trust fall can use in the classroom like. And present them with a variety of standpoints campus community, or even another city goal-setting sessions students... Deserves the winning prize favorite early morning activity for a few days and people... Rarely advise rushing anything, but having fun can be broken down by benefits. The nuts and bolts activity-wise to not inform of every one of activity! Goal-Setting exercise, why not mix it up the lesson the retreat is just as important as the leader gently...
