Trust Building Activities |
Wilderdom Store
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Trust building activities help people to develop mutual respect, openness, understanding, and empathy, as well as helping to develop communication and teamwork skills.
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Descriptions of Trust Building Activities |
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Objects are scattered in an indoor or outdoor place. In pairs, one person verbally guides his/her partner, a blindfolded person, through the minefield. |
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In groups of ~8, a person in the middle closes his/her eyes, does a "trust lean" and is "passed around" the group. Requires good facilitation and fairly mature group. |
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In pairs of similar size, one becomes a Faller and one the Catcher. Teach methods for spotting, falling and catching. Start small and build to bigger falls, then swap. Debrief - what made you feel more or less trusting? |
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In pairs, one person is blindfolded. Holding hands, the blindfolded person is lead gradually from a slow walk up to fast running. Swap. |
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A dramatic trust activity for a large group. Group forms a gauntlet, arms out in front. As a person walks down the gauntlet, people raise their arms. Build up to people down running the gauntlet through a sea of chopping arms! |
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In a forested area, pairs take turns being blindfolded, lead to a tree (for touch and feel) and then lead away. After removing the blindfold, the tree hugger tries to locate his/her tree. |
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| Eye Contact | Illustrate the importance of eye contact by having people in pairs stand facing each other and staring into each other's eyes for ~60 secs. Remove sunglasses. |
| Eye Contact with Touch | Illustrate the importance of both eye contact and physical touch by having people in pairs stand facing each other, holding hands, and staring into each other's eyes for ~60 secs. |
| Proximity | Illustrate the importance of physical proximity by having people in pairs stand facing each a comfortable distance apart. Then ask people to move a little closer and feel what its like. Then ask people to increase the distance apart and notice how it changes one's feelings. |
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Trust Fall |
Involves a person falling backwards from table height into the arms and hands of the group. Each group member can opt to take a turn as faller. Although commonly used, some believe it should be avoided due to the risk of physical and psychological injury. See photos. |
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Rappelling / Abseiling |
Controlled vertical descent from height (~5m-100m), using ropes, harnesses and friction devices. |
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Pamper Pole / Leap of Faith |
At moderate height (~10-30m), a person is on belay, standing on a small platform. The challenge is to jump for a rope or rope swing. |
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Bungee Jumping |
From considerable height (~100m) a person leaps into space, relying on dynamic rope to lower the person to safety. |
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Parachuting / Parapunting / Basejumping |
At major height (e.g., 300m+) a person leaps into space, using specially designed equipment and skill to land safely. |
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10 ways to improve social support within groups, including group contract, supportive physical contact, group discussions, modeling and feedback, etc. |
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Expand your program's repertoire with a variety of well-known and novel trust building exercise kits, including Brickworks, Co-operband, Co-operblanket, Group, Loop, Midnight Crossing, Partner Loops, Partner Straps, Trust Fall Mat, and My Family, Your Family. |
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Descriptions of Trust Building Activities (on other websites) |
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Blindfolded people walk towards and find a seeing partner, guided by verbal directions from the seeing partner. Can progress to Blind Pinball, Mine Field & Blind Walk. [www.firststepstraining.com] |
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A group is blindfolded and linked together - holding hand of someone next to them and shoulder of person in front. The group is then lead on a walk - anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours, depending on level of challenge desired. |
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Trust Activities [more] |
Sherpa Walk, Mine Field, Trust Falls & Dives, Count Off 2, Running Free, Human Ladder, People Passing, Boundary Breaking, Height Lineup, Falling Now by Chris Clark |