Fun Group Activities

Has this ever happened to you? You've been invited to a party, or an outing by a friend, and when you get there, you realize that you know very few people there. And it becomes very obvious that the others there, know very few people, as well. So, everyone prefers to 'hang out' with the cluster of people they're familiar with. As a result, many small groups are formed within the big group, and no one really meets anyone new. It can get pretty annoying, especially when you've planned some group activities for the lot. But don't worry. Here, we have some fun group activities that you can arm yourself with, for the next time there's a gathering of sorts. Some of them are group bonding activities and some are good for team building. You can decide which way you want to go.

For Adults

Somehow, adults have a habit of building this wall around themselves. They let it down only for a few people, and quickly put it back up again. I'm not saying don't be cautious about who you talk to, but if you're going on a picnic or to a party, where there are bound to be unknown people, at least make an effort to be approachable and fun. And to help this grand phenomenon take place, here are some group activities that inspire team building and some just for the fun of it!

Unicellular
This is a fun outdoor activity. It helps people work together as a group, and also helps them to get comfortable with each other rather quickly. What you have to do is replicate an amoeba. How? First select one (or two max) people who can be the nucleus. They will hold hands and face each other. Then a small group who will form the protoplasm, and surround the nucleus facing outward, standing very close together, holding hands. The third group will form the cell wall, by standing with interlinked elbows, and facing outward. Once you've formed the amoeba, you have to move, as a unicellular organism would, all together, and in sync. Then slowly, reenact a cell division, and once you have two organisms formed, have a race to see which one wins!

Dumb and Dumber
An all time favorite activity that will make some solid teams is a game of charades. But instead of words or movies, choose something else to mime. Like, for instance, names of places, or festivals, or daily chores and activities etc. Have the team in splits while you try to enact something for them that they should be able to guess.

For Kids

I find that though kids may initially take a little time to get comfortable with other kids, it definitely takes them lesser time than adults. Hence, planning activities for teenagers and kids is much easier! Some kids are shy and do not mix up easily, and some are very friendly and expect everyone to be the same. Here are some activities that both types of kids will enjoy!

Skipper Game
This game is very simple to understand, but can be quite challenging! In this game, you pick a table, say a 4 times table or 6 times table. Sit in a circle, and one person begins counting from the number 1. Let's suppose that you've chosen to take the 6 times table. After the first person says the number 1, the next says 2, next 3, and it goes on like this till it reaches the sixth person. This person will not say 6, but will say 'skip'. The next person begins with 7, next 8, and so on. Whenever a person reaches a multiple of six (or any other table you choose) he or she shouts 'skip'. It's a fun way to make the kids revise their tables too!

Turners
Not really a team bonding activity, but it will help them with their deduction skills. Write the words 'normal' and 'vampire' on chits, and ask the kids to pick up one chit each, and not tell who they are. When all chits are taken, mix up all the kids, and start the music. Play it for sometime and then stop. When the music stops, the kids have to face the person nearest to them. If a normal person meets a vampire, he turns into a vampire, if a vampire meets a vampire, they turn into normal people, and if a normal person meets another normal person, they remain normal. In this way, the game continues, until all the kids, are either normal or vampire.

So, now that you have these fun activities, you can use them for kids or adults. You can substitute them too. What matters is that, at the end of the day, you'll have a wonderful time, and you'll make many new friends!