activities get your singers moving around and interacting with each other. Please join in the fun or if you decide only to observe, make sure you are on camera duty. (Posting pictures from the retreat in your rehearsal room and on your web site/social media page will delight the singers.) I am happy to share team building activities I’ve picked up while attending workshops or from the team builders that were on my retreats.
TAG! Make sure you have lots of room inside or out. There are two variations that will keep singers upbeat and interested. This activity can be used at a beginning of the year retreat and even after the singers have been with you for a few months.
HOSPITAL TAG Every singer is “it” and every singer has 3 lives. When a singer is tagged for the first time, he/she must put his/her hand on the part of their body when they were tagged. With the second tag, the other hand goes on that spot. The third time the singer is tagged, he/she is out. The singers will get a kick out of watching people running around with their hands on their knee, ankle, head, etc. while trying to tag others. CLOTHES PIN TAG Bring enough clothespins for every player to have at least three. Again, every singer is “it”. Give the group a certain amount of time, 2 to 3 minutes works well, to tag as many people with the clothespins as they can. When time is called, singers with one or no clothespins on them are still in the game and can play for one more round. Remind singers that the clothespins must go on clothing only and that they are not allowed to take the clothespins off once they have been tagged. You are encouraged to be creative and mix this game up a bit.
SHAKE IT UP!: This is fun for memorizing names.
Stand in a circle, with one singer in the middle. When the singer in the middle says so, the rest of the choir has 30 seconds to a minute to memorize the first, middle, and last name of the person to their left and right. After time is called, the singer in the middle chooses someone in the circle and says “left” or “right”. If the singer pauses or stumbles saying the full name, he/she is then in the middle. The singer in the middle now points to someone else in the circle and says “left” or “right”. If that singer gets the name correctly, then the singer in the middle can either choose another person or call out “Shake It Up!” and everyone must run to a new place in the circle (at least 5 spots from where they started) and begin memorizing names again. This activity can be modified after the students have been together for a month or two and you need a 10 minutes end of rehearsal fun closer. Instead of learning the names of the people on either side, have the singers memorize three questions of your choosing such as: “Where were you born?”, “What brand of toothpaste do you use?” and “How many siblings do you have?” One-word answers work best in this situation. Be creative and have fun!
“SCC Teambuilding Games and Activities” by Joe Wittneben; modified by Cathy Britton
