Team building activities are a great way to improve communication, problem-solving, and trust among team members.
“Blindfold” games are a unique team-building activity that involves limiting one’s senses and communication to increase focus and teamwork.
Blindfold can be a great team-building game when used with the following instantly available training course material.
This guide will provide an overview of “blindfold” games and instructions for 7 different blindfold activities for your team to try.
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Background on Training Games for Teams
Training games and blindfold activities for team workshops aim to improve teamwork, communication, strategic thinking, and other interpersonal skills in a fun, engaging way. They often involve simulations, role-playing, or problem-solving challenges.
Training games and blindfold walk activities help team members:
- Get to know each other better
- Learn how to collaborate more effectively
- Improve listening and communication skills
- Think creatively and “outside the box.”
- Practice resolving conflicts
- Understand teammates’ strengths and weaknesses
Rationale for “Blindfold” Training Games
A blindfold rope square activity and training games block one or more senses, usually sight, hearing, or speech. This forces team members to rely on their non-dominant senses and find new ways to communicate and work together.
Benefits of blindfold games include:
- Improved nonverbal communication: Teams must use touch, verbal cues, and gestures to collaborate. This builds trust.
- Thinking creatively: With limited senses, teams need creative solutions to complete tasks.
- Patience and listening: Members must listen and be patient without talking over each other.
- Adaptability: Blindfolds push teams out of their comfort zone to practice adapting.
- Leadership opportunities: Without visual cues, new leaders can emerge through verbal direction and guidance.
In summary, blindfold games present unique challenges that require teamwork, communication, and thinking outside the box. This is mainly within training settings for channel partners. The constraints force teams to improve their skills in new ways.
7 Blindfold Training Games for Teams
Here are seven fun and enlightening blindfold team-building activities:
1. Blindfold Minefield
Summary: Guide blindfolded teammates through an “obstacle course” of objects.
Materials Needed: Blindfolds, various safe objects (cones, balls, boxes, etc.)
Instructions:
- Scatter objects randomly to create a “minefield” in an open area.
- Divide into pairs, with one blindfolded and one sighted.
- Sighted partners verbally guide blindfolded partners through the minefield without touching objects.
- Partners switch roles and repeat.
Benefits: Communication, trust, and giving clear directions.
2. Blindfold Shape Creation
Summary: Teams create shapes from blindfolded pieces.
Materials Needed: Blindfolds, rope/string, tape, and paper shapes.
Instructions:
- Divide into teams with blindfolds.
- Give each team rope, tape, and paper shapes.
- Call out a shape; teams work together blindfolded to build it.
- Teams remove blindfolds and compare shapes.
- Repeat with different shapes.
Benefits: Communication, problem-solving, creativity.
3. Blindfolded Line-Up
Summary: Teams line up based on criteria blindfolded.
Materials Needed: Blindfolds.
Instructions:
- Blindfold the team and give a category like birthday, height, and years at the company.
- Team members talk to line themselves up based on criteria.
- Remove blindfolds and see if they are correct.
- Repeat with different categories.
Benefits: Communication, strategy, leadership.
4. Blindfolded Scavenger Hunt
Summary: Blindfolded partners search for hidden items.
Materials Needed: Blindfolds and various hidden items.
Instructions:
- One partner is blindfolded, other can see. Hide items around the room.
- The blindfolded partner must find items based on verbal cues.
- Partners switch roles.
- The team with the most found items wins.
Benefits: Communication, trust, descriptive cues.
5. Blindfolded Drawing
Summary: Partners draw images based on verbal description.
Materials Needed: Blindfolds, paper, marker/pencil.
Instructions:
- Partners sit back to back. One blindfolded with drawing materials.
- A non-blindfolded partner describes a simple image to draw.
- Blindfolded partner draws based on the description.
- Reverse roles and repeat. Compare drawings.
Benefits: Listening skills, verbal communication, creativity.
6. Blindfolded Puzzle
Summary: Teams complete the puzzle blindfolded.
Materials Needed: Blindfolds, puzzles.
Instructions:
- Give each team member a puzzle piece blindfolded.
- Members describe shapes and patterns to assemble the full puzzle.
- Remove blindfolds to check the completed puzzle.
Benefits: Communication, strategy, problem-solving.
7. Blindfolded Tag
Summary: Play tag blindfolded and in silence.
Materials Needed: Blindfolds, soft boundary markers.
Instructions:
- Mark a safe area for the game. Blindfold all players.
- Players wander the area and silently tag others. If tagged, they sit down.
- The last wandering player wins.
Benefits: Spatial awareness, reflexes, caution.
Conclusion
Blindfold games provide a unique way to build communication, trust, creativity, and problem-solving skills in teams.
By blocking senses, teams learn to collaborate in new ways. We hear this from customers that regularly use our training courses.
Include a few of these seven blindfold activities in your next team-building session to spur fresh perspectives and bring your team closer together.
With 30+ years of training experience, I founded Oak Innovation (oakinnovation.com) in 1995. I help busy training professionals and business managers deliver better training courses in less time by giving them instant access to editable training course material. I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from University College Cork. I hold qualifications in Professional Development And Training from University College Galway. Clients include Apple, Time Warner, and Harvard University.
