As many of you know I am a STEM Lab teacher and I will have to tell you that the number one thing I hear from other teachers is this: I could never get my kids to work in groups to design and build something! Never!
I will let you in on a little secret. We complete STEM events every single day. The teamwork and talk between students and how they help each other is just amazing. But, this didn’t happen accidentally! I set them up to be successful with team-building events at the beginning of the school year.
We spend the first class sessions with team challenges and this sets the tone for the rest of the year. I asked some students recently which team challenge was their favorite and the answer was, “The Winnie the Pooh one!”
So, that’s the one I am sharing with you today! It’s a great team challenge for August, but it is also one I will repeat in January when the students come back from Christmas break.
It’s a binder ring with about 18 strings attached. Each length of the string is doubled and tied to the middle ring so it makes 36 strings dangling. (The directions to make one are included at the end of this post!))
Next, you have students form a circle around the strings that are laying on the floor. Each student picks up one or two of the strings and holds them without lifting. (Some students will hold two strings and some might only hold one. Just be sure all of the strings are being held!) Place an object on the ring and the students must keep the object in place! In the photos, it’s a tennis ball! This is what I usually begin with.
On your signal, the entire group begins to lift the strings so that the center ring remains stable. They will slowly rise from the floor trying to get in a standing position and then slowly lower back down to lay the strings gently back on the floor.
Well, honestly, the tennis ball (in the photo) is pretty easy! It sits on the center ring and rarely falls off.
So, of course, I make the task harder after the students can lift the tennis ball and set it back down.
I add something that is a little more precarious.
Can you see what is sitting on the ring in the picture above? It’s a cup turned upside down with a plastic ball sitting on top of it! Believe it or not, groups will work together to get this up and back down.
Here’s the part I cannot show you in the photos. The intense concentration and expressions on their faces is priceless. My favorite part, however, is the talk. The students encourage one another so much. There is a constant stream of voices telling teammates to lift or stay steady or increase the tension. They will cheer when they finally set that object back on the floor!
And, of course, you know what happens next….
I add something wonky to the center and make it even harder. And that is where the team challenge got the nickname of Winnie the Pooh! The last object placed in the center is a Winnie the Pooh stuffed toy. He wobbles more than all the other items because his little bottom is round and soft.
Guess what? The students still get him lifted off the ground. The cheers when Pooh is finally set gently down on the floor are the loudest of all!
Teamwork at its finest!
This is just one of the team challenges we complete every year (and in January). Try this one! I promise you will love it. After your students do it, try it with your faculty!
If you are looking for more about team building try these:
And, because I get so many questions about exactly how to make the string device here are some close-ups for you and more details. The string is a nylon string purchased at Home Depot. After looping these on the center ring, I also tie a double knot at the end of each string. This helps with the string unraveling and provides something the students can hold onto as they complete the task.
The binder ring has a diameter of 1.75 inches. The strings are nine feet long, but that length is doubled.
That’s your string device!
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What kinds of objects have people added? I'd love some ideas! Thanks!
Hi Jill, Thanks for visiting! The objects I have tried on the team building string activity are mostly cups. We try one cup and then two stacked on top of one another. I have even added a small plastic ball to the top of a cup sitting on a second cup. We have tried various sizes of balls or stuffed toys. Just anything precarious that requires balancing will work great- just nothing too heavy! Thanks again for your interest!
How big is the binder ring? I'm having trouble finding anything bigger than 2 inches...
Hi Catherine! Thanks for visiting! The binder ring I used was at least a three inch diameter and maybe a four inch. If you can't find one that large, try an empty masking tape roller, shower curtain ring, an old bangle bracelet, or anything you can find that is round. Just make sure it's large enough that the items you are placing on it can't fall through! have fun!
Hello what was the length did you use for the 18 strings in order to make 36 strings?
Hi Tyler! I think the strings were about 12 feet long so when that is attached to the center ring each student would be holding a string that is six feet from the center. It needs to be at least that length so all the kids will fit around the circle! Thanks for visiting!
Could this be done with a group of 7 children? I am looking for activities to do with my scout troop but we are small.
I think it could! Just make enough string sets so that every child has two strings to hold onto and try it! Thanks for stopping by!
Great idea for team building, especially for first classes. Thank you so much for sharing along with the variations. All my fifth grade STEM classes have enjoyed it. Some classes were up to 28 students. I used 14 holes drilled in to a mason jar lid (measured equally apart) with two string lengths coming out of each hole. Some students ended up holding two strings but most had one - point being no strings were left without being held. It's a little bit of work up front for the teacher to prepare but well worth it. I went with seven feet lengths with a knot on the end to keep it from fraying (this could also be a suggestion for where to hold if some classes are really struggling). Some classes used this as a strategy. I look forward to revisiting this in future classes along with harder tasks and more team discussion. Thank you again Carol!
I am so glad this worked well for you! Fantastic ideas for using the activity! I store my string set every year by winding it around a paper towel tube. That might work for you, too! Thanks for sharing this!
Would you be willing to send a link or make a post with some other team building STEM challenges? I have lots of ideas but want to do something meaningful and not just fun.
Hi Crystal! To be honest I would have to say that STEM challenges are team builders! You can find lots of ideas right here on this blog or try any of the blogs of the collaborators of this one!
I can't wait to try this! Thank you very much for sharing. When you say the string is doubled, do you tie both ends to ring so that it's looped where they hold it? Or tie the string in the middle around the ring?
Hi Tina! This is going to be hard to explain! I take one long length of string, probably 12 feet and fold it in the middle. That folded loop part is threaded through the center circle and then the ends go back through the loop to secure it. You could just tie each individual string, but the looping method means no tying. I hope this makes sense!
What type of string did you use? Do you think yarn would work?
Hi Amanda! Thanks for visiting and for the question! The string I have is a heavy weight cotton string. I would hesitate to use yarn because it is stretchy and can break when the kids pull on it. Try a heavy string and tie knots at the ends of each piece so they won't unravel. I store my contraptions by holding the circle in the middle and then just wrapping the whole set of strings around a rolled up file folder. I tape the ends in place and then just unroll it the next time I want to try the activity.
What kind of follow up questions or activities did you used after this activity?
Great question! Generally, I use activities like this one in the first week of class to encourage teamwork and get kids started thinking about what it means to work as a team. During the team activity we stop whenever I see the kids are frustrated or struggling and I ask if anyone has an idea of what we can try. This brings out what kids are seeing that might not be working and what we can try next. We start again and try something new and then celebrate if it works or stop and talk again. After the task is completed I will ask what kids saw as being a successful strategy. This almost always leads us to conclude that encouraging words work best and working completely together works best. With those conclusions in mind, we move on to the next team building activity. Hopefully, kids have learned from the first one and can build on that for the next one. All of this eventually leads into our STEM challenges where the kids will work in smaller teams. Thanks for visiting our blog!
Thanks for sharing this. I will definitely use this with my new classes, will help to break the ice between students. A good introduction to setting class up for group work, problem solving for the rest of the year as you say. use this with new classes
Rose B
Thanks so much for visiting Rose! This little activity works with all ages! I have used it at the beginning of the year and then right after Christmas break! Even first graders can do this- with some help!