Off the Grid

This Friday my family and I are going "off the grid" and heading to Costa Rica.  We'll have one whole day in San Jose, and five complete days in Manzanillo.  If you have ever been to Costa Rica and have advice, please share!  (If you want to see our open-air bungalow, click the link below).  I hope you enjoy trying the team building activity with your students, and that you will leave a comment or share one of your own team building activities as well.
Lisa
Our Manzanillo Bungalow

Team Building Activities

What is one activity you do to build a sense of team in your classroom?  Do you have a favorite ice breaker or hands-on activity?

Here is a fun activity that gives kids a chance to work together and practice listening.  I purchased plastic baby spoons online in bulk to have on hand for this activity, and so that the students could play the card game "Spoons" during indoor recesses.

Read this story, or a similar one, to the students.  Have the class sit in a circle and give each student a spoon.  Each time they hear the word "left" in the story, they pass the spoon to the left.  Each time they hear the word "right" in the story, they pass a spoon to the right.

Left and Right Pencil Pass Story Game

I LEFT home this morning thinking I would go RIGHT to school.  Then I realized I LEFT my lunch on the kitchen table.  I turned RIGHT around and went back home.  My daughter had LEFT her rollerblades RIGHT by the back door.  I tried to step around them, but I stepped RIGHT on them.  I fell RIGHT onto a potted plant by the door.  By now I was wishing I had just LEFT my lunch at home instead of coming back for it.  All RIGHT, all RIGHT, I said to myself, just make the best of what is LEFT of your day.  I looked at the kitchen table.  Sure enough, my lunch bag was RIGHT where I had LEFT it.  As soon as I had my lunch, I LEFT my house and headed RIGHT back to school.  I pulled RIGHT into the parking lot at school and LEFT my car in a parking space.  RIGHT when I entered the building, my principal said, “Looks like you are organized today.”  Yeah, RIGHT I thought to myself.  But as soon as I entered my classroom, I LEFT my crazy morning behind me.  I knew my students would help to make my day RIGHT.