Leadership

8 Activities to Inspire Teamwork in Your Nursery Setting

The one that really counts.
Adult and a child holding puzzle's pieces
May 31, 2017
Reading time:
4
min.
a light bulb with the letter p inside it

a black and white image of two hearts

famly icon - piggy bank

a black and white image of two houses

setting

s

a black and white image of a bunny and a bottle

children

a black and white heart icon

With Famly since

Teamwork is one of the core skills you need to succeed in all sorts of environments. These activities are a great base for introducing teamwork to kids and showing them that great things happen when they work together.

A group of kids playing with a parachute

Parachute


The activity
Parachute basics: The hello game by Teach Preschool

In a nutshell – For 20 quid, this large sheet of canvas is a perfect long-term investment, adjustable to countless energising activities. Children learn how to collaborate to achieve a simple, common goal. Find out how to get started with some basic activities.

What you need

  • Kids parachute with handles

Our tip? – To make it even more fun, combine parachute activities with singing songs or rhymes, such as Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Tennis Ball Painting

A couple of kids playing with a small swimming pool in a garden


The activity
Group Art Activity: Tennis Ball Painting! by Anna Reyner

In a nutshell – A dash of abstract art, a sprinkle of mess and heaps of group effort – what a perfect recipe for a sunny day! Your preschoolers collaborate to create masterpieces while developing their gross motor skills.

What you need

  • Small, plastic swimming pool or a big bowl
  • Tennis balls
  • Paint

Our tip? -To make the task a bit more demanding, instead of abstract splashes, kids can decide beforehand on a form they want to create.

Tallest Tower Challenge

Kids building towers from building blocks


The activity
5 Construction Challenges for Kids by Childhood101

In a nutshell – Divide the little ones into groups that will compete to build the tallest standing structure out of a pile of stuff you provide or whatever they can find in the room. It’s basically a more kid-friendly alternative for the teambuilding activity giant – the Marshmallow Challenge.

What you need

  • Whatever items you decide to let the kids use

Our tip? – Gather a pile of different items in the middle, let each group discuss what they need and then send their group members one by one to grab it.

Human Knot

Children holding hands


The activity
Human Knot Game by education.com

In a nutshell – A different, ‘hands-on’ approach to teaching communication skills. Kids need to untangle their hands however they want, so long as they don’t let go. This exercise brings children closer together both literally and figuratively.

What you need

  • Nothing

Our tip? – Divide kids into smaller groups and impose a time limit to make the game more challenging.

Free guide

Get 50 free EYFS activities

Download now
the eyfs activity library is 50 years old

Sneak a Peak

Simple building blocks structures


The activity
Sneak a Peak Teambuilding Activity by Venture Teambuilding

In a nutshell – Children have to duplicate a simple sculpture you’ve made from LEGO or other building blocks. Each team member is allowed to sneak a peek once during the activity. It’s a fun way of strengthening memory and even introducing kids to problem solving.

What you need

  • Building blocks

Our tip? – Let each group be the master of a game and build their own sculpture for the rest to duplicate. It’s a game that could go on all afternoon….

Group Quilts

Kids colouring a sheet of paper on the floor


The activity
We Made Quilts in Preschool By Teach Preschool

In a nutshell – Everyone gets a patch of a big canvas to decorate freely. Kids feel like they have their own space to express themselves while at the same time contributing to a bigger cause. They can observe how something that would take one person a long time to finish can be done quickly with a team effort.

What you need

  • Coloured tape
  • Big sheet of paper
  • Crayons

Our tip? – If kids struggle to come up with ideas for their bits, you can suggest an overall theme, e.g. happiness, summer, Christmas etc.

Three Legged Race

Two kids with legs tied with a bow


The activity
Three Legged Race by Kidspot

In a nutshell – You’re probably familiar with that unique combination of teamwork and physical development. However, check out these variations that can jazz up the classic. This activity can serve as a sneaky way for helping two ‘arch enemies’ get along.

What you need

  • Old rags or stockings

Rabbit Hole

Kids in hula hoop


The activity
Group Games for Kids: Rabbit Hole by The Inspired Treehouse

In a nutshell – Kids hop in the wobbly hula hoops to escape a fox! This game requires hardly any planning and is a great gross motor skills challenge – now that’s a good deal.

What you need

  • Hula hoops

Our tip? – Instead of one by one, you can ask kids to jump in pairs or even triples – helping them to communicate with each other too

The big ideas

download pdf
graphical user interface, text, application
Official Danish Government Reopening Advice

Guidance from the Danish Health Ministry, translated in full to English.

Picture of a Guidance document
UK Nursery Covid-19 Response Group Recommendations

The full recommendations from a working group of over 70 nursery chains in the UK.

Please note: here at Famly we love sharing creative activities for you to try with the children at your setting, but you know them best. Take the time to consider adaptions you might need to make so these activities are accessible and developmentally appropriate for the children you work with. Just as you ordinarily would, conduct risk assessments for your children and your setting before undertaking new activities, and ensure you and your staff are following your own health and safety guidelines.

Try famly for free

Get 1000s of free EY activities

Want over 7,000 activities? See them in a free 14-day trial. Filter to target learning areas, age groups and topics, and get inspired.

Get started