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The best parts of creating engaging collaborative games is that is engages students with the material in a way that in motivating and fun. In previous readings we discussed Vygotsky and other collaborative constructivist writers and scholars who identified the many ways that project based and student centered learning environments are much more adaptable and agreeable for students and teachers. The games below are great examples of activities that can be done to help excite and engage students.

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEAM)

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEAM)

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Young students continuously ask how and why things work. This natural curiosity is where STEAM (science, technology, engineering, and math) come in. These fun, team building activities allow students to move beyond simple experiment demonstrations to hands-on activities that provide them exciting ways to work together, problem solve and develop a deeper understanding of science, technology, engineering, and math activities.

Pressure Cooker

Energetic initiative to challenge critical-thinking skills

Benefits: Challenging, Highly interactive & energetic Promotes collaboration Fosters critical-thinking, Ideal for small spaces

Time 15 - 20 min

Props

Long length of rope (7 metres) Numbered spot markers, one per person Stop-watch

People Mini 1 – 7

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In advance, lay a long rope on the floor/ground to form a large circle.
2. Collect and number as many spot markers as you have people in your group. 3. 3. Randomly distribute the numbered spot markers inside the circle.
4. Ask each person to stand on top of one of the spot markers.
5. When ready, instruct each individual to move to and touch every other spot in the ascending order of the numbers.
6. For example, the person standing on spot #8 will move to 9, 10, 11 and 12 (presuming there are 12 people in the group,) before moving to 1, 2, 3 through to  7. As soon as an individual has touched all of the spot-markers and returns to their own, they will exit the circle.
8. Challenge your group to perform this task as accurately and as fast as possible.
8. Furthermore, challenge your group to solve this problem without stepping outside of the (roped)
9. circle or touching any other person in the process (touching elsewhere within the circle is permitted.)
10. Encourage your group to make as many attempts as possible within a specified time period,  aiming to improve their performance with each attempt.
12. Allow ample time for planning and problem-solving.

Popular Variations

Target Practice: Ask your group to set a target time at the beginning of each attempt. The implication here is that you want your group to do more than continuously improve, but aspire to higher ambitions.

All Together: Everyone jumps or steps onto their next spot at the same time. To help your group manage this extremely difficult task, permit them to jump/step anywhere inside the (roped) circle that is not a spot directly before they jump onto their next spot. In effect, each person lands on a spot with every second jump. Challenge your group to complete this task with every member of the group landing on their spot at the same time.

Metronome: As for above option, but every move, jump or step is timed to match a beat, ie every member of the group lands on their spot (or elsewhere within the circle) at exactly the same time. Introduce an actual metronome to keep the beat, or simply clap your hands, roughly every 2 seconds.

Take a look at Key Punch to explore the classic group initiative on which this exercise was based.

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Group games are ideal for developing critical-thinking skills

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The link between critical thinking and one's education is obvious - you can't learn well unless you think well.

Critical thinking is the ability to look at problems in new ways, to analyse how parts of a whole interact with one another and to interpret information and draw conclusions.

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills were once thought to be the domain of gifted people. Today, they are necessary for every individual and group who seeks to make sensible decisions about financial, health, civic, workplace and leisure activities.

The solutions to international concerns such as climate change and global warming require highly developed critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. These skills include the ability to effectively analyse and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs.

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Benefits of Developing Critical-Thinking Abilities

The ability to solve interesting and unfamiliar problems often leads to the development of other skills such as increased engagement, higher concentration levels and improved thought processing.

Here are a few examples of experiences that occur in many programs which may provide you with an opportunity to focus on problem-solving skills:

Forming a project team to solve an existing, yet complex problem.

Thinking of a new campaign slogan to broadcast a difficult, yet important message.

Adopting a rational, analytical and evidence-based approach to investigate a conflict.

Challenging one of your group's long-held beliefs or practices.

Naturally, one of the most powerful (not to mention, enjoyable) ways to develop and strengthen your group's problem-solving skills is to employ the use of fun group games.

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Group Activities Which Develop Critical-Thinking Skills

The images below provide links to a sample of simple group activities which may help you develop the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities of your group, drawn from playmeo's ever-expanding activity database.

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Explore Critical-Thinking Skills with Our Fun Problem-Solving Exercises

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The link between critical thinking and one's education is obvious - you can't learn well unless you think well. Critical thinking is the ability to look at problems in new ways, to analyse how parts of a whole interact with one another and to interpret information and draw conclusions.

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These games are stimulating ways to get students to build trust and to adapt new strategies to solve problems. The process of doing the projects promotes trust and communication. It is good to do these type of games, especially at the beginning of the school year to allow people a chance to build positive relationships.

1. If You Build it…

This team-building game is flexible. Simply divide students into teams and give them equal amounts of a certain material, like pipe cleaners, blocks, or even dried spaghetti and marshmallows.

Then, give them something to construct. The challenge can be variable (think: Which team can build the tallest, structurally-sound castle? Which team can build a castle the fastest?).

You can recycle this activity throughout the year by adapting the challenge or materials to specific content areas.

Skills: Communication; problem-solving

2. Save the Egg

This activity can get messy and may be suitable for older children who can follow safety guidelines when working with raw eggs. Teams must work together to find a way to “save” the egg (Humpty Dumpty for elementary school students?) — in this case an egg dropped from a specific height. That could involve finding the perfect soft landing, or creating a device that guides the egg safely to the ground. Let their creativity work here.

3. Go for Gold

This game is similar to the “If you build it” game: Teams have a common objective, but instead of each one having the same materials, they have access to a whole cache of materials. For instance, the goal might be to create a contraption with pipes, rubber tubing and pieces of cardboard that can carry a marble from point A to point B in a certain number of steps, using only gravity.

Creative collaboration; communication; problem-solving

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by TeachThought Staff

One of education's primary goals is to groom the next generation of little humans to succeed in the 'real world.'

Yes, there are mounds of curricula they must master in a wide breadth of subjects, but education does not begin and end with a textbook or test.

Other skills must be honed, too, not the least of which is how to get along with their peers and work well with others. This is not something that can be cultivated through rote memorization or with strategically placed posters.

Students must be engaged and cooperation must be practiced, and often. The following team-building games can promote cooperation and communication, help establish a positive classroom environment and - most importantly - provide a fun, much-needed reprieve from routine.

See also Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School
10 Team-Building Games That Promote Collaborative Critical Thinking
You can purchase a classroom-ready version of team-building games that promote critical thinking here.
1. If You Build it...
This team-building game is flexible. First, divide students into teams and give them equal amounts of a certain material, like pipe cleaners, blocks, or even dried spaghetti and marshmallows.

Then, give them something to construct. The challenge can be variable (think: Which team can build the tallest, structurally-sound castle? Which team can build a castle the fastest?). You can recycle this activity throughout the year by adapting the challenge or materials to specific content areas.
Skills: Communication; problem-solving
This activity can get messy and may be suitable for older children who can follow safety guidelines when working with raw eggs. Teams must work together to find a way to 'save' the egg (Humpty Dumpty for elementary school students?) - in this case, an egg dropped from a specific height. That could involve finding the perfect soft landing, or creating a device that guides the egg safely to the ground.

Let their creativity work here.
Skills: Problem-solving, creative collaboration 3. Zoom
Zoom is a classic classroom cooperative game that never seems to go out of style. Simply form students into a circle and give each a unique picture of an object, animal, or whatever else suits your fancy. You begin a story that incorporates whatever happens to be on your assigned photo. The next student continues the story, incorporating their photo, and so on.
Skills: Communication; creative collaboration 4. Minefield
Another classic team-building game. Arrange some sort of obstacle course and divide students into teams. Students take turns navigating the 'minefield' while blindfolded, with only their teammates to guide them. You can also require students to only use certain words or clues to make it challenging or content-area specific.
Skills: Communication; trust
See also 10 Team-Building Games For A Friendlier Classroom
5. The Worst-Case Scenario
Fabricate a scenario in which students would need to work together and solve problems to succeed, like being stranded on a deserted island or getting lost at sea. Ask them to work together to concoct a solution that ensures everyone arrives safely. You might ask them to come up with a list of 10 must-have items that would help them most, or a creative passage to safety. Encourage them to vote - everyone must agree to the final solution.
Skills: Communication, problem-solving 6. A Shrinking Vessel
This game requires a good deal of strategy in addition to teamwork. Its rules are deceptively simple: The entire group must find a way to occupy a space that shrinks over time until they are packed creatively like sardines. You can form the boundary with a rope, a tarp or blanket being folded over, or small traffic cones. (Skills: Problem-solving; teamwork)
7. Go for Gold
This game is similar to the 'If you build it' game: Teams have a common objective but instead of each one having the same materials, they have access to a whole cache of materials. For instance, the goal might be to create a contraption with pipes, rubber tubing, and pieces of cardboard that can carry a marble from point A to point B in a certain number of steps, using only gravity.
Creative collaboration; communication; problem-solving 8. It's a Mystery
Many children (and grown-ups) enjoy a good mystery, so why not design one that must be solved cooperatively? Give each student a numbered clue. In order to solve the mystery - say, the case of the missing mascot - children must work together to solve the clues in order. The 'case' might require them to move from one area of the room to the next, uncovering more clues.
Skills: Problem-solving, communication
That playground classic is still a hit - not to mention inexpensive and simple to execute. For a unique variation, set up a multi-directional game by tying ropes in such a way that three or four teams tug at once. Some teams might choose to work together to eliminate the other groups before going head-to-head.
Skills: Teamwork; sportsmanship 10. Keep it Real
This open-ended concept is simple and serves as an excellent segue into problem-based learning. Challenge students to identify and cooperatively solve a real problem in their schools or communities. You may set the parameters, including a time limit, materials, and physical boundaries.
Skills: Problem-solving; communication
While education technology is a basic and crucial component of the 21st-century classroom, educators must still ensure that students are engaging with each other in meaningful ways. Team-building exercises are a great way to do this, and because of this, they will never go out of style.
Aimee Hosler is a writer and mother of two living in Virginia. She specializes in a number of topics, but is particularly passionate about education and workplace news and trends. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and is a contributor to several websites including OnlineSchools.com; 10 Team-Building Games For Kids, Teenagers, or Adults

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10 Team-Building Games That Promote Critical Thinking

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These team-building games can promote cooperation, help establish a positive classroom environment, and provide a fun reprieve from routine.

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After game play discuss with the whole class:
-Possible strategies before playing the game and after each round
-Discuss what kind of number sense this game promotes.