Last Updated on February 12, 2025 by Catherine Fitzgerald B.A. M.A.
Hey there! Ever feel like your team is lost at sea? Well, I’ve got just the thing: the desert island activity! It might sound a bit challenging, but trust me, it’s both fun and practical. It’s a popular team-building exercise perfect for workshops, and can even be used with readily available training course material.
We all use free training icebreakers for online teaching, but what do you actually do? This activity isn’t just a bit of fun; it’s designed to boost teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills. The idea is simple: imagine you’re stranded on a desert island and need to choose the items most crucial for survival. Ready to dive in?
The desert island activity is a popular team-building exercise used in workshops.
This can also be a great team-building activity used within editable training courses.
Although we may think that it’s just a bit of fun, this activity aims to improve teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills.
It requires participants to imagine they are stranded on a desert island and must choose items that are most crucial for survival.
Where to begin: desert island choices and ice-cream islands.
How to Play: Your Desert Island Adventure
So, how do you actually run this activity? Here’s the breakdown:
- Divide and Conquer: As the facilitator, I’ll split you into small groups of 4-6 people.
- The Item List: Each group gets a list of 10-15 items – think food, water, tools, and other survival essentials.
- Debate and Decide: This is where the fun begins! Your group needs to discuss and agree on the 5-7 most essential items for survival.
- Share Your Choices: Each group presents their selected items and explains why they chose them. This is key to understanding each other’s reasoning and priorities.
What You Need & What it Costs
The best part? This activity requires minimal resources. I, as the facilitator, just need to prepare the item lists for each group. That means it’s essentially free!
Time Required: Plan for about 30-45 minutes, including discussion, selection, and a debrief.
Number of Participants: It works best with groups of 4-6 people, and you can have a total of 12-30 participants.
Best Suited For: This activity is great for any team, whether you’re using it as a quick icebreaker or a more in-depth team-building exercise. It’s especially effective for colleagues who work together regularly.
Your Roles: Facilitator & Participant
My Role (The Facilitator): I’ll divide you into groups, hand out the item lists, keep track of time, and lead the debrief discussion afterward.
Your Role (The Participants): You’ll discuss which items are most crucial for survival and work together to select the agreed-upon items for your list. Teamwork makes the dream work!
Debrief & Discover
Don’t skip the debrief! It’s where the real learning happens. I’ll ask questions like:
- What was challenging or accessible about choosing the items?
- How did your group approach decision-making?
- What strategies helped your teamwork? What could you improve?
- How does this relate to collaboration at work?
Why This Matters
Icebreakers are popular, but it’s important to focus on the prize. This desert island activity teaches essential skills like critical thinking, teamwork, and communication. It provides a fun and engaging way to improve collaboration that can be applied to real work situations. With a thoughtful debrief, it can be an impactful team-building experience.
So, are you ready to set sail on this team-building adventure?
The desert island activity provides a fun and engaging way to improve collaboration that can be applied to real work situations. We hear this from customers who have ordered our full set of editable courses.
Learn more about how to use training games.
In 1995, I started an online training business from nothing. I had zero experience. No audience. And back then, premium done-for-you training material wasn’t even a thing. So I had to find out what training material worked well and what didn’t. Studying the marketplace taught me that others wanted editable material that adds significant value. So, I then set about developing and curating effective training content that could be rebranded. Jump 30 years on, and I’ve helped thousands of professionals access editable, done-for-you training material that can be rebranded and used to deliver training courses. No gimmicks. No unaffordable pricing. No hassle. I also earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from University College Cork and have furthered my expertize with Professional Development and Training qualifications from University College Galway. Leading organizations such as Apple, Time Warner, and Harvard University have trusted our training solutions, reflecting our commitment to excellence. I aim to help you become known for the courses you can deliver and be paid well for doing what you love.
