Team Building

Recreational Team Building and Facilitated Team Development

Providing team building activities for youth and adults, either on-site or at a location near you, each team building program is designed to suit the needs of your group, and can emphasize whatever aspect of teamwork you choose.

‘The goal of every team building program is to encourage the development of the four elements of a successful adventure experience: trust, communication, cooperation and fun.’

Adventure Team Challenge

When your goal is a recreational team-building program for a large group, and your budget is relatively small, the Adventure Team Challenge is a great option.

How it Works:
Teams of 8 to 10 participants will rotate through a series of team-building exercises, comprised of problem-solving initiatives, communication enhancers, and trust-building challenges.  The Final Challenge will bring these smaller teams back together for a large-group, problem-solving activity.

The Adventure Team Challenge can be set up as a “friendly competition,” or as a themed event, at a school, conference room, or park in your area.

Who it Works For:
Due to the rotational nature of this timed event, high-functioning groups who work well together will gain the most benefit from the Adventure Team Challenge.

Portable Team Challenge

For groups whose aim is a team-building event, on-site or off-site, with specific goals and limited time, the Portable Team Challenge provides a great vehicle for enhancing communication, building trust, and increasing commitment among the members of your team.

How it Works:
Our highly skilled and experienced facilitators will divide your group into teams of up to 12 participants, and lead them through a sequence of team challenges that focus on your key goals requirements.

Your facilitator will front-load each problem-solving initiative or trust exercise with a metaphor to keep in mind while taking part in the activity.  Following the activity, the facilitator will then lead a discussion that relates the activity back to “the real world” of your school or office environment.  This “debrief” is what changes the program from recreational fun to a vehicle for creating change.

Sample Team Building Sequence – dependent on goals of the group.

• Icebreakers
• Getting to Know You Activities
• Problem-solving Initiatives
• Trust Builders
• Final Challenge
• Debrief

Who it Works For:
The Portable Team Challenge is designed for groups who require more than simply a day of fun out of the school or office.  The activities are inherently fun, but what makes them more than just games is the facilitation.  The Portable Team Challenge is designed to bring the team building benefits of a traditional Low ROPES-style of program to your facility, or another off-site location.  The program can be used as a stand-alone event, or as part of a larger team development initiative.  We can design a program that is specific to your short-term goals, budget, and overall team development strategy.

ROPES Challenge

The Challenge Course at Butler School combines low ropes team building activities with the individual challenge of the high elements.

How it Works:
Teams of 8 to 12 participants transition through a sequence of low team building activities, designed to foster teamwork, improve problem-solving skills, and deepen trust between the members of the group.  Following the low ropes activities, the team will move up to the high elements – activities that take place 20 to 40 feet off the ground.  Our challenge course is designed specifically to foster leadership skills and the development of trust between the members of your team.

Sample Low Element:
Multi-Vine – the team will work together to traverse from one side of a foot cable to the other, using each other and a series of “vines” hanging down from above.

Sample High Element:
The King’s Swing – while the rest of your team is ‘on belay’ a climber ascends 20 feet up a tree, climbs out onto a platform and then swings out through the trees.  After arcing back and forth for a few swings, your team gently lowers you back down to the ground.

Who It Works For:
Groups of 8 to 50 participants, ages 10 and above – ideally suited to groups whose goal is to emphasize leadership skills development and building a strong foundation of trust.

RACE Day Teambuilder

The RACE Day Teambuilder combines the facilitation of a traditional team building exercise with the fun and results-driven motivational benefits of a competitive soapbox derby race.

How It Works:
An exciting and competitive event for smaller groups, the Race Day enhances teamwork through the creation of a Soapbox Derby Racer.  Teams of 2 to 5 participants will compete to build, brand and race their vehicle, producing their creation on time and within budget…

Who It Works For:
The RACE Day Teambuilder is a good team building event for teams and groups looking for a highly creative, fast-paced challenge that requires a great deal of teamwork and a little bit of engineering.  Your team’s ability to innovate and create a vehicle that is unique (and drivable!) with limited resources (restricted budget, time, and materials) will make the difference between winning and losing the race!

Team Project Event

Teams perform best when they are engaged in meaningful work.  Nothing is as meaningful and memorable as completing a project that benefits the community.  The Team Project Event combines the problem-solving, communication-improving, trust-building components of a traditional team building event, with the lasting physical and emotional value of a community-based construction or maintenance project.

How It Works:
Our facilitators, in conjunction with leaders from a local not-for-profit community service organization, will design a day-long service project for your team.  Combining the goals of your team building initiative, and the needs of the community service organization, we will create a program that is mutually beneficial.

Who It Works For:
The Team Project Event is your organization’s opportunity to show its commitment to improving the community.  Participants will be doing a good thing for the people around them, and will be learning and growing as a team in the process.  Groups should be willing and able to work hard, work together, and work to completion, with little supervision.  Participants should be 12 years-old or older, and have a reasonable level of fitness.