Overview: This heart-felt activity will leave your team with all the warm and fuzzy feelings! Assemble your team into a large circle. Hold onto one end of a ball of yarn and toss the ball to one of your team members. Tell that team member why you are thankful for them. It could be a specific project they helped with or the sense of humor they bring to the office. Just be sure to stick to something specific about that person. Once you are finished, that team member will hold onto a piece of string and toss the ball to someone else. Repeat this process until everyone has been mentioned. At the end, everyone will be connected…literally with their string and figuratively through their kind words! Looking for a new piece of office artwork? We have seen teams keep their web intact and hang it in a common area for the team to see on a daily-basis!
Equipment Required: Ball of yarn or string. If working with a large group, have multiple balls of yarn.
Space Required: Small to Medium. Indoor or Outdoor.
Group Size: 10 to 50 people.
Total Time: 20-40 Minutes
- 5 minutes to brief the activity.
- 10-30 minutes to complete the activity.
- 5 minutes to debrief the activity.
Instructions:
- Assemble your team into a large circle.
- Brief the team on the activity. Let them know that you will be taking the next few minutes to acknowledge one another and give thanks for everyone’s contributions.
- Stand in the middle of the circle holding your ball of yarn. Hold onto the very end of one string and toss the rest of the ball to another team member. Once that person has the ball, tell him/her and the rest of the group something that you appreciate about that individual. You can thank them for a specific role they had in a project or tell them how much you appreciate the sense of humor they bring to the team. Whatever you say, be sure to keep it specific to that team member.
- That individual will then hold onto the string and pass the rest of the ball to someone else and repeat the process. Do this until everyone in the circle is holding a piece of yarn and has been mentioned by a team member.
- Once finished, you can debrief the activity. You can even cut off the end of the string and save the entire web that you have created. Frame it or hang it in a common area so your team can be reminded that they are appreciated on a daily-basis!
Learning Outcomes
- Team Cohesion
- Communication
- Team Moral
Suggested Review Questions
- How did this activity make you feel?
- What did you enjoy most about this activity?
- What surprised you about this activity?
- What is one thing that you can take away from this activity?
- Do you feel appreciated on a regular basis? If not, what can we do to improve that?
- Why is it important to take the time to thank your team?
