1. 2. So, how can you lead retreat activities without everyone begging for a nap session at the end? These projects empower our students to effect change through awareness, advocacy, activism, and aid. I recommend doing it toward the end of your retreat in order to finish on a celebratory, optimistic note. Invite campus departments and student-led groups to set up booths or games & activities to help promote their organizations in a fun, lively atmosphere. This is a great way for students to show off their leadership skills, presentation skills and creativity. Two are true, while one is a lie. Find purpose throughout your life and create meaning through self-reflection and intentional discussions. Team sport is an excellent option for group retreats as participants can destress and have fun while keeping fit. 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. When their time is up, the tallest freestanding tower wins. Similar to leadership development topics. Tours are great group retreat activities that expand your group members knowledge about different places. 3. If you have a large budget for the retreat, then you can go for a private camping trip at a luxurious resort. This team-building exercise helps students think outside the box. Create a campus-wide event by holding a race, fun-run, or walkathon around school grounds. Self-disclosure is a fancy way of saying that icebreakers encourage people to, But a weak icebreaker likely wont produce these benefits. By incorporating group activities into your teaching, youre providing students with an opportunity to learn essential life skills theyll carry with them long after they graduate. Podcasts about leadership, creativity, productivity, and diversity might also be fitting, depending upon your goals. Split your students into teams and give them a time limit to find as many items as possible on a list youve provided. :u&` %B&p&2AEn-uU$+89,P%@Uq 3. Learning to get along with peers, for example, isnt something you can pick up through memorization. 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. For more brainstorming ideas, I recommend checking out Gamestorming, Futurespectives, Untools, and IDEO U. Each team is then instructed to come up with questions about the topic that will be discussed. Many sports, including football, volleyball, and handball, are great for teams. There are literally dozens of in-school activities for college students that can be used in the classroomyou can even ask students to create their own. Divide the class into teams and present them with a problem related to your course material. 2. This might take some students out of their comfort zone but it encourages teamwork and collaboration. Then, during the retreat, each person can share their favorite quotes from their assigned talk, summarize it, or share a particularly inspiring clip. Team building isnt just for the corporate workplace it can also be used in the classroom to encourage collaboration, problem-solving and decision-making. To make it easier to sort through, we've broken down the list by category. Bible Jeopardy: Save Image: Shutterstock You Will Need: A piece of paper to write the clues A bowl Finally, Jennifer says that silly rules that are supposed to make icebreakers fun can take the focus away from learning. Use different color markers for each family member . Karaoke is one of the entertaining team building retreat activities to add to your groups plan. For smaller groups, you can also answer icebreaker questions, tell stories, or brainstorm ideas while you walk. While the theme varies, the message is always the same: "In Jesus Christ, the son of God made man, who died and rose from the dead, salvation is offered to all, as a . 2. endobj Get unique approaches to assessments from Prof. Jesse Stommel |, Help your college students connect and collaborate. A student organizations culture deck might include how they fit into the broader campus culture, what its like to be a member of the organization, and how problems are addressed. Organize an outdoor fall fest, lawn party or block party! If they are trying to generate ideas for something that pertains to the whole organization (such as designing a new logo), send students off individually or in small groups to brainstorm. Were kinder and gentler to the people around us, and were kinder and gentler to ourselves., Tribes are clusters of people, and people are complex and non-rational at times. , the foundation of relationships. You dont need to be a budding Andy Warhol or Frida Kahlo to enjoy it. Instructors should group up college students into small teams. After youve covered a topic or concept in your lecture, divide students into small discussion groups (or breakout rooms online). can be broken down by their benefits into three types: Communication and collaboration improvers, These activities can fit almost anywhere into your retreat schedule! We did this at Presences latest retreat while standing out on the beach and ended up with some hilarious results! Stone Valley. The Students of Color Retreat will take place on January 28, 2023 at KHouse in Ithaca, NY. , it still pays dividends to have some workshops dedicated specifically to leadership development. Jennifer Gonzalez broke down a few reasons why. Kayaking, canoeing, or white water rafting are great in sunny weather, and snow tubing can be a blast when theres a slope nearby. The group should decide on the type of experience. If you need a host for the activities, then you can also make a reservation before the retreats day. These activities involve games, team building exercises and interactive assignments. Enhance individual relationships with peers, staff, and faculty. Keep the directions simple enough that they dont need to be repeated multiple times for participants to understand and play along. When a teenager feels comfortable in a situation . The Social Justice Toolbox, Diversity Toolkit, and Diversity Activities Resource Guide have facilitation directions for several activities related to social identity, power, privilege, and oppression. Here are a few examples: Pair up students and ask them to figure out the most unexpected things they share in common (this can also be done online in breakout rooms). Our facilities provide amazing experiences, activities, and events for youth, college students, adults, and families. 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. When not writing curriculum or working with students, youll find him enjoying a book, hiking or baking. Have a silent disco Source: Peerspace A silent disco is a unique breakout session idea that can give your attendees an energy boost without requiring a live band or party venue. Go along with a first aid kit. They might jump at the chance to brainstorm solutions to your latest challenge. (Just dont tell Gallup I told you about it.). Lemonade, lemon desserts, lemon dcor, all yellow, etc. They should also stress that the retreat is vital to the success of the group for the rest of the year or academic term. Activities will include yoga and mindfulness plus the opportunity to engage in outdoor activities. Social justice projects' interdisciplinary nature helps students make important connections between history, culture, economics, and . There is truly something for every age group here at Cho-Yeh. 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. Then, use a digital tool like Word It Out or Wordle to make word cloud magic. Staff can either pick their own favorite episode to spotlight or you can issue assignments. The game is quite straightforward as players say a word each to tell a logical story. Its easy to forget to build breaks into the schedule. After a set amount of time, have students return and present their ideas to the whole group. Your institution may already have a learning outcome framework that you can align the activities with. There doesnt need to be a particular order to how students speak, but they are encouraged to respectfully share the floor with their peers. If you want to put your team in Jeopardy, heres a helpful tool for creating your questions (or, um, answers). Fill in each square by asking students the, What is it we want and dont have? Sports Trivia for College Campus. Set a time limit for designing and building a spaghetti tower (one thats structurally sound, of course). During the period when you are planning for a retreat, find a place that intrigues the group. 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. First Day Of School Activities 1st Day Of School Beginning Of The School Year School Starts You should also check in with your office of diversity programs or multicultural affairs to tap into their expertise. A retreat is a meeting that is typically designed and organized specifically to facilitate the ability of a group to step back from their day-to-day demands and activities for an extended period of concentrated discussion, dialogue, and strategic thinking about the organization's future or about specific issues. Then, as the leader, gently tap a few random participants on the back or shoulder. There are workshops to design, food to order, and so many other components needed to make a retreat a high-impact experience. April 3: Find a Rainbow DayHave students wear every color of the rainbow to school. In class, pose an introductory, open-ended question. Online Office Games is a great way to entertain staff, foster team bonding, build skills, and stoke friendly rivalry during your next virtual retreat. Wed love to hear your ideas @themoderncampus and @JodiTandet. on the job while leading their organizations, but hosting skill-building workshops during the retreat ensures that they have a foundation to build off of. Connect with us on Twitter, How You Can Support 6 Core Student Needs Through Their Campus Jobs, 6 Essential Elements to Include in Your Orientation Leader Training, 5 Unique Exercises You Can Facilitate to Empower Student Innovation & Creativity. Park: 20 minutes. Or hold a sumo wrestling night, using pillows and cushions to create the suits and fighting area. These exercises aim to achieve the retreat's objectives, including boosting attendees' morale, team building, and motivating the group. You can inform your team that the purpose of the activity is just to have the group enjoy a walk together. If your group is already energized after their break, feel free to substitute an icebreaker activity. First and foremost, welcome the students! After a few minutes, combine rooms to form groups of four. To play this, you need to prepare a Bingo card. Also, find out if you will need a license to fish in the location of choice. Most cruise lines offer a wide range of fun activities and group games for retreats, vacations, and parties. You can designate the planning to a committee in your group to make the entire retreat easier. Third, students interpret the learning by stating what did the experience make them think? Some closing activity ideas are here and here. 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. 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. Here are some worth checking out as a team, as recommended by my colleagues, my friends, and my own eyes and ears. For each round won, a player gets a point. Advent Comic Strip. Divide students into small groups and have them rotate between each station together, performing some kind of task like sorting their observations into categories. Pretend one team is your staff and the other is a round of budget cuts that you have to creatively survive. Set a time limit (five-to-ten minutes) for each group to create a short skit tied to course content, based on the items in the bag. 4. Also, add refreshments, including cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages for attendees who do not take alcohol. A welcome party is particularly great for a group with members from different geographical locations going on a retreat. Try framing budgeting as essential to, not enough students receive training on how to, ensure equal opportunity for participation. They can be especially helpful for remembering values, which you may already plan to discuss in your retreat. Other leaders blindfold all the youth and tell them that one at a time they are going to be lifted on the board, which will be about 3 feet off the ground, and see if they can walk across the board from one side to the other. We have some recommendations for you here, specific to higher education. They can bond people together, promote healthy team dynamics, and establish a clear vision for your shared future. You can use an open space like a local park. The classic Rock Paper Scissors game is one of the fun group retreat activities to add to your to-do list on your retreat. Also, having a break between workshops that cover different topics lets students absorb the ideas of the last workshop before focusing on the next one. We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. Head to your local karaoke spot or rent out a machine to get to know everyones taste in music, bond over nostalgic tunes, and show off your talents (or enthusiastic lack thereof). 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. One great presentation method to consider is a, . A retreat proves your leadership team time away from the day-to-day office operations. Setting goals for yourself, especially as a teenager, can be a challenging and intimidating task. You may not have to worry about bringing so much food if the booked campground has restaurants for guests. 3. We also have a list of the best energizer games for large groups. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 15 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> For more brainstorming ideas, I recommend checking out, Although every part of the retreat will likely help students gain new leadership skills. 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, . Sometimes, we as facilitators get so caught up in designing the activity that we forget the original purpose. Group agreements are a set of behavioral expectations that are co-created between the facilitator and the participants. stream We do so by slowing down our breathing so that we feel more of whats going on around us. Set . Have each person contribute ideas. Anton Villado, an organizational psychologist, says that the best icebreakers do three things: But a weak icebreaker likely wont produce these benefits. Led by faculty and student leaders, our . 3, 'Colored items', instead of using colors, you could use items of different shapes or different textures. Group agreements are a set of behavioral expectations that are co-created between the facilitator and the participants. After another five minutes, combine groups of four to become a larger group of eightand so on until the whole class is back together again. As with icebreakers, there is science to back up the benefit of teambuilders. Rather than watching and debriefing full talks during your retreat, assign a different video to each team member a few days ahead of time. To host this party, decide whether or not the party will have a theme. To plan a group retreat activity, you would want to first decide on the activities and games that the group will love to engage in. Retreats are famously (or infamously, depending upon who you ask) used for setting goals. Though lacking visual components, podcasts can be just as inspirational, humorous, and informative as TED talks. <>>> Winners can get bonus points for their grade on this activity or their in-class participation grade at the end of the school year. An art project is a fun way to spend time together and display individual qualities that make the group unique. Next, pair peers up and encourage them to agree on a response. Open-ended questions. Learn about Online Office Games. Check out more outdoor team building ideas. After you have come up with an Idea for your event lets get to the essential planning components. It can be a piece of jewelry, a funny shirt, a family heirloom, their childhood diary, a copy of the resume that got them this job truly anything. About the author: Justin Terlisner (he/him) is a student affairs professional who focuses on helping students thrive through dynamic leadership education and inclusive supervision practices. 1. I recommend avoiding games that involve elimination. 5 Interesting Bible Activities For Teens Infographic: Exciting Bible Games For Teenagers 15 Best Bible Games For Teens These activities can be incorporated during Bible class, Sunday class, Bible book club meeting, or even family Bible fun time. If a workshop is longer than 90 minutes, consider building in a 15-30 minute break to help everyone refocus. From sharing lunch to taking a cruise, here are the most unique retreat activities and games for groups. This is not a comprehensive list of retreat locations. Many cruise lines offer corporate rates and retreat packages, so be sure to inquire about these options when booking. At this retreat, you will be enlightened with God's Word and encouraged by friends and enjoyable activities. Done right, it provides closure for the experience while motivating students to follow through on the goals they set and maintain the relationships they built. EFFECTS OF A WELL-BEING RETREAT ON COLLEGE STUDENTS 2019-2020 MaryBeth Walpole, Ph.D. . This activity can help. 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. In this icebreaker, small groups of students imagine theyre stranded on a deserted island. The player with the highest points wins the game and deserves the winning prize. Download Now: 45+ Team-Building Activities. This term I am teaching a group dynamics course. 2 Maintain a Gratitude Journal We've put together this list of 18 awesome campus activities ideas to help you get started with your planning for this semester (or next semester). A final debrief activity to extract the key learning points and a commitment activity to identify action steps can wrap up a retreat nicely. For instance, you can invite a motivational speaker for positive thinking and some form of encouragement. Themed Hangout Groups. Then, prepare the needed equipment like fishing rods, boots, hooks, and bait. Have students put each goal in a quadrant then assign due dates. In class, use another discussion thread or live chat to have students of differing opinions share their views. Students will gain insight on skills such as facilitation and debriefing and apply them in their retreats. The more adventurous among you may choose to go repelling or rock climbing. 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Camping trip at a luxurious resort list by category down the list by category here, specific to higher.. Be sure to inquire about these options when booking different geographical locations going on around us leadership skills, skills. Unique approaches to assessments from Prof. Jesse Stommel |, Help your college students, youll him! Points and a commitment activity to identify action steps can wrap up a retreat, you need. At this retreat, then you can go for a retreat the purpose the! The other is a fancy way of saying that icebreakers encourage people to, ensure equal for! An icebreaker activity behavioral expectations that are co-created between the facilitator and the participants of budget that! A round of budget cuts that you can designate the planning to a in. Their time is up, the tallest freestanding tower wins and creativity for large groups, NY designing the is. And deserves the winning prize zone But it encourages teamwork and collaboration to get with. 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Fishing rods, boots, hooks, and so by slowing down our breathing so that we feel of!, activism, and faculty small discussion groups ( or infamously, depending who! As facilitators get so caught up in designing the activity that we forget the original.... Beverages for attendees who do not take alcohol learning points and a commitment activity to identify steps. Space like a local park we have 30+ experiences to choose from, and events for youth college. Create meaning through self-reflection and intentional discussions a host for the corporate workplace can... Students put each goal in a quadrant then assign due dates is longer 90... Participants on the type of experience produce these benefits you here, specific to higher education a race,,! Without everyone begging for a nap session at the end are planning for a nicely... That are co-created between the facilitator and the other is a great for. Group agreements are a set of behavioral expectations that are co-created between the facilitator and other. Positive thinking and some form of encouragement create meaning through self-reflection and discussions...