We went straight to the source and asked the experts for essential suggestions.
The jack-in-the-box activity is a fun and engaging team-building exercise often used as part of business game workshops in the workplace.
The purpose of the activity is to promote communication, collaboration, office management, problem-solving, creativity and teamwork.
It requires participants to work together to build a simple “jack-in-the-box” toy using limited materials.
Instructions
- Gather materials – cardboard/poster board, markers, tape, scissors, popsicle sticks, rubber bands, string, and other craft supplies. Provide 2-3 boxes of supplies per team.
- Split participants into small teams of 4-6 people.
- Explain that each team must use the provided materials to create a jack-in-the-box that “pops” open when cranked or triggered.
- Teams have 20-30 minutes to design and build their jack-in-the-box. Encourage creativity and collaboration.
- After time is up, each team demonstrates their jack-in-the-box and explains their design process.
Cost
- Budget $5-10 per participant for supplies. Craft materials can often be sourced for free or cheaply.
Resources Needed
- Craft supplies (see above)
- Tables for teams to work at
- Timer
Time Required
- 10 minutes to explain activity and split into teams
- 20-30 minutes for construction
- 10 minutes per team for demonstrations and discussion
Ideal Participants
- 5-30 participants
- Best for established teams looking to improve collaboration
Facilitator’s Role
- Explain activity goals and rules
- Divide participants into teams
- Distribute materials to each team
- Keep time and let teams know when time is almost up
- Facilitate demonstrations, discussion and debrief
Participant’s Role
- Listen to activity instructions
- Collaborate with team members on design and construction
- Participate in demonstration and discussion
Debrief Questions
- What challenges did you face during the activity? How did you overcome them?
- What strategies did your team use to collaborate effectively?
- How did you utilize each team member’s skills and strengths?
- What could you do differently next time to improve teamwork?
Conclusion
The jack-in-the-box team activity teaches collaboration, creativity, problem-solving and communication in a hands-on engaging way and as part of managerial games at work.
With proper facilitation and debriefing, the benefits of team building activities is that they provide an impactful and fun team-building experience. We hear this from customers that regularly use of our training courses.
The simple materials required make it easy and cost-effective to run this activity with groups of various sizes.
With over 30 years of experience in training and development, I am the founder of Oak Innovation, a company dedicated to empowering training professionals with high-quality, editable course materials. I hold a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from University College Cork and have furthered my expertise with qualifications in Professional Development and Training from University College Galway. Since founding Oak Innovation in 1995, I have focused on helping busy training professionals and business managers enhance their courses efficiently by providing them with instant access to customizable training materials. Our training solutions have been trusted by leading organizations such as Apple, Time Warner, and Harvard University, reflecting our commitment to excellence.