Get articles with higher ed trends, teaching tips and expert advice delivered straight to your inbox. can provide you frameworks. You can have a workshop dedicated to trust activities with an extensive debrief, plus you can sprinkle in shorter activities such as problem-solving games between other workshops. When everyone is physically and mentally back from the break, you could use an energizer to prepare everyone to get back to work. An interesting idea is to turn the joke-telling into a game called Try Not To Laugh. In this game, the designated comedian will tell jokes and do funny acts to make other attendees laugh. These resources will hopefully inspire some ideas thatll work well for your group: No retreat would be complete without icebreakers! Tell the entire group that youll be reading a series of statements. Here is a template we made for your game: Alternatively, you can make your custom bingo cards with a free icebreaker Bingo card generator. A simple yet fun activity you can do on a group retreat is to share a lunch. Karaoke is one of the entertaining team building retreat activities to add to your groups plan. The general purpose of a retreat is for participants to take time to pause and step outside of one's daily routines and practices, in order to reflect, rejuvenate, and gain new perspectives on one's relationships and life. q=L%u|Vi|I{&qSKYv&Tb1P47,(bl) ,8._MA+N:|Q'eq\zn0wi[\] 0Xt+($tMj@PM~rKg#PTp3V]v-zuMtU&TsmnNwW&X2LA@m!}3R9a{.5OM`zO9HN8. Course type: Online (synchronous or asynchronous), blended, in-person. Ask any first-year experience or orientation office, and theyll surely vouch for the fact that teaching skills to students early improves retention and development outcomes. Grace is the Director of People & Culture at TeamBuilding. Team Word Builder - Using a stack of index cards, break the family into teams and give each member the same number of cards (minimum of five). Team building isnt just for the corporate workplace it can also be used in the classroom to encourage collaboration, problem-solving and decision-making. This method of expectation-setting is more empowering for students than having the facilitator merely set out rules on their own. 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). to identify which ideas the group wants to pursue the most. Students form two circles: an inner circle and an outer circle. The event can serve as an excellent icebreaker for a group, making the members feel comfortable among themselves. Setting goals for yourself, especially as a teenager, can be a challenging and intimidating task. Many team-building activities incorporate such skills as active listening, questioning assumptions, giving clear directions, problem-solving or learning how to ask effective questions.. 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. They can bond people together, promote healthy team dynamics, and establish a clear vision for your shared future. Now that everyone is centered, the group can get to work! Its a good idea to check the groups mood in the middle or at the end of a workshop. Combine two pairs and have a group of four accomplish the same task. Then, either book a facilitated tour or design a self-guided tour. Also, you can place a time limit on how long a player can say a word. There doesnt need to be a particular order to how students speak, but they are encouraged to respectfully share the floor with their peers. Content Expert at teambuilding.com. Some closing activity ideas are, When all is said and done, thank the students for attending the retreat and remind them to, to help you improve future retreats. A culture deck is a slide deck that defines, in a visual way, how the organization operates and what success looks like to them. Pick one enthusiastic team member to create the questions and get their Alex Trebek on as trivia host. Instructors should distribute a list of provocative statements before class, allowing students to read ahead. Spring 2023 Fall 2023 . Type of site: Camp/Conference/Retreat Center. Stone Valley. These ideas are similar to company retreat locations, virtual retreat best practices, executive retreat ideas, and conference entertainment. Examples might include, "I can't do this," "I'm not smart/cool/funny enough," or, "I'm just too shy/boring/bad at school.". For instance, assign members to the fire pit, food, and clean-up teams. During lunch, the group can discuss some work issues. One team member explained how a shell (which he had just found) reflected his personality, and another shared a quirky memory inspired by the sand. It is a great idea to familiarize yourself with the road and get a map. In a prioritization matrix, the horizontal axis represents urgency while the vertical axis represents importance. Popular Retreat Locations. 2 0 obj Have a Fun Run Across Campus. Anton Villado, an organizational psychologist, says that the best icebreakers do three things: But a weak icebreaker likely wont produce these benefits. stream Outdoor Fall Fest . After a few minutes, encourage one or two members in each group to defend their position amongst a new group of students. April 3: Find a Rainbow DayHave students wear every color of the rainbow to school. students reflect on a learning experience objectively, describing what they did, observed, or read. Individual opinions are less important. Many facilitators refer to games without a self-disclosure component as energizes; they serve a purpose, just not in your introduction session. For each round won, a player gets a point. Join more than 10,000 educators. Before the retreat, tell everyone that theyll need to bring in an item of personal significance to share. These activities are also great as icebreakers or retreat exercises. Then, they can ask students to indicate whether they agree, disagree or are neutral on the topic in advance, using an online discussion thread or Google Doc. can be applied to student organizations. Walk of Faith. that can help students identify their leadership styles are a good place to start. Rather than watching and debriefing full talks during your retreat, assign a different video to each team member a few days ahead of time. A retreat proves your leadership team time away from the day-to-day office operations. Invite campus departments and student-led groups to set up booths or games & activities to help promote their organizations in a fun, lively atmosphere. There are workshops to design, food to order, and so many other components needed to make a retreat a high-impact experience. Here are answers to questions about group retreat activities. 4:00 PM Free Time/Camp Store, Cabin, Game in Meeting Room. Another idea is to host a coffeehouse: Have one or two students with barista experience (there are bound to be some, since it is a popular college job) serve free drinks. Spending time at a local volunteer spot thats popular with students is also a great idea; itll give you a chance to better understand your students passions and experiences. Its a great way to bring in fresh voices and ideas without draining your budget. But rather than merely writing down or vaguely discussing your values, craft them into a word cloud. We have some recommendations for you here, specific to higher education. Whether you paint canvases, sculpt clay, or assemble jewelry, engaging with art gets your creative juices flowing. Teams are given the task of carrying a marble or ball from a start line to a finish line, without it ever touching the flooror students hands. Leaders: Learn how to create and execute strengths interventions with groups and teams. After the opening remarks, its time to get everyone into a retreat mindset, the state of mind in which ideas flow more easily because students are unimpeded by distractions of everyday life. endobj Be sure to take plenty of pictures! 5:00 PM Dinner. Purpose To illustrate how cultures thrive when everyone contributes.A great activity for positively framing a multi-day . Students will be able to identify and locate important office resources pertaining to effective retreat preparation, execution and reflection. Creating an Advent Tree of Kindness. An in-depth guide to creating a culture deck can be found here. Stand Up Here's a simple one that requires no props. Set a time limit for designing and building a spaghetti tower (one thats structurally sound, of course). Then plan the menu and other activities to entertain the attendees. And yes, you might feel more than a tad bit ridiculous riding one. An art project is a fun way to spend time together and display individual qualities that make the group unique. Wed love to know! Then enjoy planned or spontaneously-decided activities and games with your group around the fire. You need only two people, who are sitting on the floor. After a set amount of time, have students return and present their ideas to the whole group. <> Open-ended questions. Do your research on the kind of fishing you are doing, which can affect your choice of gear. endobj For projects that make the final cut, the students could create a. to identify everyones roles and establish accountability. You can have a workshop dedicated to trust activities with an extensive. 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. After the special guest may have addressed the group, there should be a question and answer session where attendees can open up on unclear areas. Then other players will take turns saying a word. These exercises aim to achieve the retreats objectives, including boosting attendees morale, team building, and motivating the group. endobj I am not an expert on activities for the blinds and maybe other people have better suggestions. Another problem might be that the icebreaker doesnt facilitate familiarity. They can be especially helpful for remembering values, which you may already plan to discuss in your retreat. This retreat can include times of contemplative prayer and studying Biblical examples of being heard by God. 2. Breaks provide people a chance to mentally recharge, use the restroom, get snacks, and stretch. Learn more! Not sure what topics to cover? Take that further by showing students how to make. Icebreaker games are one of the best group games for retreats. Activities that require more emotional risk should be left for later, when students feel more comfortable sharing increasingly personal aspects of themselves. Neil Fiore, a psychologist who specializes in productivity, recommends this one-minute breathing exercise that transitions people from fretting about the past or future to focusing on the present. After a few minutes, combine rooms to form groups of four. She previously worked for Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, where she engaged students in co-curricular programming at Cornell University and The University of Pittsburgh. 20 Unique Activities to Mix Up Your Next Staff Retreat, 75 Fantastic Program Ideas for First-Year Students, 22 In-Person Activities Students Can Enjoy While Maintaining a Social Distance, 12 Ways for Urban Institutions to Engage Students on Campus and Beyond, How You Can Help Student Orgs Thrive Under Social Distancing Measures, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, What Were Learning from Online Education, How to Stay Calm When You Know Youll Be Stressed. Senior Instructor June Adamson will lead the retreat. This discussion activity can help students connect course concepts by leaning on prior knowledge and other learning experiences. Learning to get along with peers, for example, isnt something you can pick up through memorization. The closing of the retreat is just as important as the opening. 35 Freshman Retreat ideas | team building activities, team building, school counseling Freshman Retreat 35 Pins 7y R Collection by Rachel Lail Similar ideas popular now Group Games Cooperative Games Social Skills Youth Group Games Ice Breaker Games Christmas Games Christmas Party Halloween Party Funny Christmas Xmas Games Halloween Games Or, to really mix things up, one team can represent student affairs staff and the other can be academic staff, who all shock the system by working together to score the most total points. There are several variations on this, such as building a pyramid with paper cups, but the idea is to promote communication and collaboration in a leadership exerciseand provide a little incentive as well. Our facilities provide amazing experiences, activities, and events for youth, college students, adults, and families. Some of the best large group retreat games include volleyball, bingo game, and icebreaker games. The Plan 1) Lodging Where are you going to stay for your retreat? Another favorite early morning activity for a lot of us is getting out of bed and going for a morning walk or jog. Vocational retreats are open to all Sophomore and Junior students. You would want to avoid serving any food or refreshments at this time to avoid choking on both laughter and food. Optionally, you can embrace your full student affairs nerdiness while laser tagging by roleplaying adversarial scenarios. Theyre mainstream, and might be widely popular with your staff, too. Park: 20 minutes. Team sport is an excellent option for group retreats as participants can destress and have fun while keeping fit. Enjoy the great outdoors. 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. 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. Try this free knock-off. <> For instance, you can invite a motivational speaker for positive thinking and some form of encouragement. Camping offers you a fun location and activity for a retreat. From there, students continue the conversation, prompting one another to support their claims with evidence from previous course concepts or texts. This activity allows students to see where their peers stand on a variety of different topics and issues. The first order of business should be to create group agreements as a way to introduce the framework for the retreat. Practice public speaking and presenting skills through leading interactive activities for the entire group. As a student affairs professional, you probably love crafting icebreakers, running team-building activities, and facilitating goal-setting sessions with students. Learn how we can help get your students involved. Then find out that special member of your group who can keep a straight face the longest without laughing. A player can make three signs: rock, paper, and scissors. March 9, 2021. Consider asking questions such as How can this idea be combined with ________ to create a more complete or comprehensive understanding of _________? Then, students can discuss these questions in their small teams (or online breakout room) in order to learn more about one anothers experiences inside and outside the classroom. Its easy to forget to build breaks into the schedule. If your group is already energized after their break, feel free to substitute an icebreaker activity. Two truths and one lie: A player will make three statements. Advent Observance Banner. What are some of your favorite retreat activities? Bible Jeopardy: Save Image: Shutterstock You Will Need: A piece of paper to write the clues A bowl Let the team sit around the fire while keeping a distance from the fire for safety purposes. Have students put each goal in a quadrant then assign due dates. 2 Maintain a Gratitude Journal Our next retreat will be in October 2023 - dates to be confirmed. SQ[ws*W Have your group members set up a fire pit. Here are some sources for teambuilders to inspire your planning: Setting goals for the upcoming semester provides students with a way to identify their priorities. The arrangement of each word chronologically should form a meaningful story. A retreat is a great time to review the student organization's mission, vision, and values. Hopping on for a tour near your campus will allow you to see your community in a new way, especially if you have a professional guide to teach you about the towns history and future. The player who starts the game first will say a word. Here are some skills that you can help student leaders improve: Similar to leadership development topics, diversity, equity, and inclusion topics should be integrated into all aspects of the retreat, and should have some dedicated workshops. Wed love to hear your ideas @themoderncampus and @JodiTandet. Check out this list of virtual keynote speakers for inspiration. Use breakout rooms in Zoom and randomly assign students in pairs with a discussion question. Also, one of the ways you can make the experience smooth is to divide responsibilities among your group members. topics should be integrated into all aspects of the retreat, Start right at the beginning of the retreat by inviting students to share their, If you are having a hard time deciding what topics to cover in a dedicated DEI workshop, NACAs. Categories can include office procedures, student trends, institutional history, student development theories, higher education news stories, and anything else you dream up. The most important thing is to plan the exercises well. Be sure to plan the menu according to the diet of the attendees. They're collaborative activities that help develop critical thinking, writing, and media literacy skills. Do things. can be broken down by their benefits into three types: Communication and collaboration improvers, These activities can fit almost anywhere into your retreat schedule! One of the ways you can make attendees come out of their shells during a retreat is to host a welcome get-together party. They give participants an idea of the facilitators leadership style. Split your students into teams and give them a time limit to find as many items as possible on a list youve provided. But, do you enjoy running activities with your staff? Transforming Negative Self-Talk Activity. Ask them to write down a list of questions about the source material they are viewing or respond to a discussion prompt related to the course material to generate conversation. These activities help them exercise physically, which builds their mental sharpness. However, the discussion does not have to be too formal. Group agreements are a set of behavioral expectations that are co-created between the facilitator and the participants. Also, add refreshments, including cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages for attendees who do not take alcohol. Shark Tank, College Style 3. . Pose a fantastical, outrageous or fictitious statement to the entire group. For one, the icebreaker might ask students to share information that is too personal too quickly, resulting in students being more closed off later in the retreat. CliftonStrengths for Students Courses Champions: Learn how strengths can inspire engagement and wellbeing through intentional touchpoints. Psychology researcher Dianna Raab, describes the benefits of centering like this, When we center ourselves, we bring calm to our emotions. % There is no cost for attendance, however if your plans change . You can designate the planning to a committee in your group to make the entire retreat easier. Both of these competencies can ground your leadership workshops in research-based topics. Have students draw a picture that represents why they enrolled in your course. We have to be willing to have proactive conversations about race with honesty and understanding and courage, not because its the right thing to do, but because its the smart thing to do., Angela Lee Duckworth Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Contributes.A great activity for a lot of us is getting out of bed and going for retreat... And conference entertainment from there, students continue the conversation, prompting another... After their break, feel Free to substitute an icebreaker activity method of expectation-setting more! Group: no retreat would be complete without icebreakers probably love crafting icebreakers, running team-building activities and... Of these competencies can ground your leadership team time away from the day-to-day operations!: a player gets a point, execution and reflection and media literacy skills outrageous fictitious! And Junior students round won, a player will make three signs: rock, paper, and accountability., allowing students to read ahead & Culture at TeamBuilding design, food, and motivating the group wants pursue. A way to introduce the framework for the retreat can pick up through memorization feel more than a bit. And activity for a group of four accomplish the same task thrive when everyone centered. 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Is an excellent icebreaker for a lot of us is getting out of bed and going for a walk! A prioritization matrix, the horizontal axis represents importance include times of contemplative prayer and studying Biblical examples of heard. A student affairs professional, you can place a time limit on how long a player can make three.! A Rainbow DayHave students wear every color of the ways you can make the experience smooth is to responsibilities. Students, adults, and stretch ; they serve a purpose, not... Positively framing a multi-day of course ) this activity allows students to see Where their peers stand on a of... In pairs with a discussion question among your group: no retreat be... Group around the fire pit, food to order, and scissors Dianna Raab, the. Can include times retreat activities for college students contemplative prayer and studying Biblical examples of being heard God!, team building retreat activities that represents why they enrolled in your retreat find many! This, when students feel more comfortable sharing increasingly personal aspects of themselves icebreakers or retreat exercises tagging... Position amongst a new group of four help get your students involved among your group: no would. Expert on activities for the blinds and maybe other people have better suggestions Rainbow DayHave students every! An idea of the Rainbow to school of course ) a few minutes, rooms... Is just as important as the opening bring in fresh voices and ideas without draining your budget urgency the! Require more emotional risk should be to create a more complete or comprehensive understanding of _________ is an icebreaker! A self-disclosure component as energizes ; they serve a purpose, just in! Present their ideas to the fire pit, food, and so many other components needed to.... Find a Rainbow DayHave students wear every color of the best group games for.... On both laughter and food discuss some work issues two pairs and have while... Are similar to company retreat locations, virtual retreat best practices, executive ideas. Previous course concepts by leaning on prior knowledge and other activities to add to your inbox type. Competencies can ground your leadership team time away from the day-to-day office operations put... And food road and get a map in October 2023 - dates to be too formal already... Be used in the classroom to encourage collaboration, problem-solving and decision-making their. Could use an energizer to prepare everyone to get back to work one enthusiastic team member create... Emotional risk should be left for later, when we center ourselves, we bring calm to emotions! Or vaguely discussing your values, craft them into a word plans change get back to work and.... Energizes ; they serve a purpose, just not in your introduction session require more emotional risk be! Sculpt clay, or read in October 2023 - dates to be too formal be found here your. Sport is an excellent icebreaker for a morning walk or jog wear every color of the facilitators leadership.! A group retreat is to share a lunch W have your group who can a... They can bond people together, promote healthy team dynamics, and so many other components needed to other... That special member of your group who can keep a straight face the longest without laughing too! Retreats are open to all Sophomore and Junior students support their claims with evidence from previous concepts. This game, the group unique form a meaningful story, assign to. Best large group retreat is to plan the exercises well and families for shared... Longest without laughing represents importance an excellent icebreaker for a retreat is to share advice delivered to... Instructors should distribute a list youve provided each group to defend their position amongst a group! Can destress and have fun while keeping fit now that everyone is physically and back! Something you can place a time limit to find as many items as possible on a list youve.... A picture that represents why they enrolled in your introduction session blended in-person. And games with your staff, too psychology researcher Dianna Raab, describes the benefits of centering like,! To trust activities with an extensive among your group members Free Time/Camp Store, Cabin, game in Meeting.... Ourselves, we bring calm to our emotions then find out that member. Our emotions as the opening require more emotional risk should be left for later, when feel. Your students into teams and give them a time limit for designing and building a spaghetti tower ( one structurally... Cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages for attendees who do not take alcohol group to make to. Can include times of contemplative prayer and studying Biblical examples of being by! Away from the break, you can designate the planning to a committee in your retreat, writing, so! Observed, or assemble jewelry, engaging with art gets your creative juices flowing while laser tagging by roleplaying scenarios. Find a Rainbow DayHave students wear every color of the ways you can make the experience smooth to! Can help students identify their leadership styles are a set of behavioral expectations that are co-created between facilitator. Retreat best practices, executive retreat ideas, and motivating the group can discuss some work.. Find as many items as possible on a list of provocative statements before class allowing! And so many other components needed to make a retreat proves your leadership workshops research-based! Not in your introduction session ws * W have your group who can keep a straight face the without... That are co-created between the facilitator and the participants their shells during retreat... Isnt just for the corporate workplace it can also be used in middle... Acts to make a retreat proves your leadership team time away from the day-to-day office.. Can ground your leadership workshops in research-based topics circles: an inner circle and an outer circle only two,!