The “tied up” game is a fun and engaging free team building rope activity that requires participants to work together towards a common goal.
This guide will provide instructions and tips for facilitating this activity with your team.
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Why Use the “Tied Up” Game for Team Building?
There are several benefits to using the “tied up” game as a team building exercise:
- Promotes communication: Team members must communicate clearly and listen to each other to succeed.
- Builds trust: Participants have to trust their teammates during the activity.
- Encourages collaboration: The team can only accomplish the task by working together.
- Teaches problem-solving: Groups must think creatively to untie themselves as efficiently as possible.
- Establishes common goals: All participants share the common objective of untying themselves.
- Fun and engaging: The activity is lighthearted and energizing for teams.
How to Play the “Tied Up” Game
Overview
The goal of the all tied up activity team for team workshops is for participants to untie themselves as quickly as possible once their hands are tied together.
Resources Needed
- Length of rope, yarn, or string (enough for each participant to have 12-18 inches)
- Timer
Instructions
- Have the team stand in a circle facing inward.
- Tie one end of a rope to a participant’s left wrist. Tie the other end to the right wrist of the person standing next to them.
- Continue tying everyone’s hands together until the entire team is “tied up” in a circle.
- Explain that the goal is for the team to untie themselves as fast as they can.
- Let the team strategize for a few minutes before starting the timer.
- When ready, start the timer and let the team work together to untie the rope and free their hands.
- Once everyone’s hands are free, stop the timer and celebrate how quickly the team untied themselves! Discuss what strategies worked well.
Variations
There are many ways to modify the activity:
- Use different materials like yarn, scarves, rubber bands, etc.
- Time teams competing against each other.
- Blindfold participants.
- Require participants to untie knots of rope instead.
- Have people untie themselves while standing in a line instead of a circle.
- Limit participants to only using one hand.
- Have the team untie knots while navigating an obstacle course.
- For larger groups, have people tie their ankles instead of wrists.
- Make a giant human knot with multiple ropes and larger teams.
- Have teams race to untangle a tangled ball of rope.
- Give different restrictions like no talking, no fingers, eyes closed, etc.
Here are some suggested questions that can be asked during the “Tied Up” game:
- What strategies are you using to untie yourselves faster?
- What could you do differently to improve your time?
- How are you communicating with your team?
- What’s working well so far? What’s challenging?
- How can you support your teammates better?
- What lessons can we take from this activity back to our daily work?
Disclaimer
While perfect square activities for team building workshops can be a fun team building activity, it’s important to get full consent from all participants beforehand.
Before beginning, explain that the exercise involves gently tying wrists together with rope or string.
Make sure everyone is comfortable with this level of safe, physical contact. Allow anyone to opt out if they wish.
Remind participants to communicate if they feel uncomfortable at any point so adjustments can be made. We hear this from customers that have ordered our full set of courses.
Ensure the rope is not tied too tight, but is secure enough for the activity. Check in frequently and stop immediately if anyone expresses concern.
Make the experience safe and enjoyable for all!
Conclusion
The “tied up” activity is a simple but powerful team building exercise that fosters collaboration, communication, strategic thinking and problem solving.
With some creativity, it can be adapted for groups of all sizes and ages.
Consider adding this energetic game to your next team workshop or retreat!
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.
