Build the Milky Way
Get your group excited and active with this team building activity! Group members must “build the Milky Way” and transport it with a partner while trying to ensure it stays together. It’s not as easy as it looks! This activity encourages participants to think about asking for help, the importance of being flexible and trying again when you don’t succeed at first.
Time Needed: 15-20 minutes
Group Size: 2 or more (Challenge and fun increases with group size!)
Materials: Foam poster board, 10 plastic cups, roll of masking tape
Directions: Place two long pieces of masking tape on the ground, parallel to each other and about 7 feet apart. Tell the participants that one piece of tape is “tape A” and the other is “tape B.” Ask each person in your group to choose a partner, and then ask each partner pair to stand across from each other, one person on tape A and one on B.
Tell them that the participant on tape A will be given the cups and a foam poster board. Explain that the cups will represent planets, and the foam board will represent space. When you say “go,” they should “build the Milky Way” on top of the foam poster board using all of the cups. Tell them there must be at least three tiers in their structure and all cups must be used in some way. When they are finished, they will signal to their partner on tape B, who will walk over to tape A. Once they are together, they will carry their Milky Way safely to tape B. If they drop any part of their Milky Way, they can rebuild it where it fell and then continue to walk. When they reach tape B, they will experience an asteroid, which causes the planets (cups) of the Milky Way to tumble. The participant originally from tape B will rebuild it so that the pair can bring their Milky Way back to its original location on tape A.
The challenge ends when all of the teammates have built, moved and tumbled their “planets” of the Milky Way from tape A to tape B and back.
Debrief Questions:
- What happened in this activity? Did your Milky Way fall when you were walking? If so, how did it feel to be able to rebuild it where it fell?
- What way did you decide to transport your Milky Way? Did you have to change your strategy in the middle of this activity?
- Why did we do this activity?
- Why is it important to realize that when things don’t go the way you plan, you are able to pick up the pieces with help?