We provide a variety of retreat themes that include dramatic skits, meaningful activities, and music, making every retreat a unique and Catholic experience. Have each person contribute ideas. Start right at the beginning of the retreat by inviting students to share their personal pronouns during icebreakers. Course type: Online (synchronous), in-person. Use different color markers for each family member . Prizes can range from bonus points on a recent assignment to a short extension for their next paper or report. Participants are given a time limit to design and create an item of clothing out of a newspaper, which requires group brainstorming and delegation of tasks. When their time is up, a participant from each group presents their list and explains the logic behind it. One person in the group could model the finished product when their time is up. Then the players guess what the described action or word is. Other early April events include: April 2: International Children's Book DayCelebrate ICBD 500 by calling attention to children's books. Some closing activity ideas are here and here. Have a silent disco Source: Peerspace A silent disco is a unique breakout session idea that can give your attendees an energy boost without requiring a live band or party venue. Dont forget to debrief your own experience as the retreat planner. Be sure its something that everyone can fully participate in, considering their experience levels (or lack thereof) and physical abilities. One great presentation method to consider is a, . Next, divide the group into smaller teams and provide all the necessary gear for the sport you choose. Learning to get along with peers, for example, isnt something you can pick up through memorization. (Sorry, fellow Floridians; youll have to ignore this suggestion.). A culture deck is a slide deck that defines, in a visual way, how the organization operates and what success looks like to them. Then, prepare the needed equipment like fishing rods, boots, hooks, and bait. Join more than 10,000 educators. can be applied to student organizations. Part of the joy of this activity comes from feeling an overall sense of appreciation and recognition from your teammates. 3. Dr. Corey Seemillers, Competency Guide for College Student Leaders. Sample activities include having students draw an emoji or write one word to describe their current mood, or placing a sticker dot on a bullseye to represent if they think that the workshop is helping the group meet its goals. It probably wont boost your institutions retention rate nor emphasize deep-seated values, but having fun can be noble goal in and of itself. We have some recommendations for you here, specific to higher education. is one great starting point. First and foremost, welcome the students! 27 Fun Activities for College Students 1. Teams then present their skits, and a group vote can be held to declare the winner. Popular Retreat Locations. Use these team-building activities to lay a solid foundation for learning. Even horrendous singers (like me) can get musical for this. (Just dont tell Gallup I told you about it.). These projects empower our students to effect change through awareness, advocacy, activism, and aid. They may decide to combine several ideas together. The most important thing is to plan the exercises well. Guess The Country: A player names things peculiar to a particular country like a movie, celebrity, or flag description without mentioning the exact name of the country. The winner of a round then plays with the next group member. A Message of Hope from Isaiah. You gotta eat during your retreat anyway. (Eliminate), Goals can be broken down even further using a. . But be sure to set aside time for each team member to reveal which song they picked and why. Heres how it works: Each team member is given a PVC pipe (though they could also use paper and tape, or paper towel rolls). All they take is a class with at least one student who isn't too shy. You can inform your team that the purpose of the activity is just to have the group enjoy a walk together. Whats harder is picking or designing, who, what, when, where, and why of your retreat. They can then share the answers out loud or, if youre teaching remotely, on a discussion board, which is a great option for introverts as well. Lawn games, music, volleyball & s'mores! In class, pose an introductory, open-ended question. Though lacking visual components, podcasts can be just as inspirational, humorous, and informative as TED talks. Although the mention of icebreakers may make some participants groan, there is actually a bit of. We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. There are workshops to design, food to order, and so many other components needed to make a retreat a high-impact experience. Also, playing some background music while having lunch can help brighten up the mood. It is pretty common to have the critical problems in a company simply solved over lunch. One of the perks of team retreats is that teammates can discover common ground with coworkers. Students form two circles: an inner circle and an outer circle. Winners can get bonus points for their grade on this activity or their in-class participation grade at the end of the school year. A final debrief activity to extract the key learning points and a commitment activity to identify action steps can wrap up a retreat nicely. Head to your local karaoke spot or rent out a machine to get to know everyones taste in music, bond over nostalgic tunes, and show off your talents (or enthusiastic lack thereof). 1. You can decide on the number of categories they must fit the object into or let each team decide. When everyone is physically and mentally back from the break, you could use an energizer to prepare everyone to get back to work. Next, pair peers up and encourage them to agree on a response. And yes, you might feel more than a tad bit ridiculous riding one. Type of site: Camp/Conference/Retreat Center. 2. 3. Consider having a licensed professional counselor available for the weekend for times of listening and encouragement. As with icebreakers, there is science to back up the benefit of teambuilders. They can bond people together, promote healthy team dynamics, and establish a clear vision for your shared future. You can add to the partys fun by giving participants fun titles like the best singer, the worst singer, the seat warmer, and the best duet. Also, having a break between workshops that cover different topics lets students absorb the ideas of the last workshop before focusing on the next one. The first person to laugh leaves the game. as a way to introduce the framework for the retreat. , the foundation of relationships. Knowing everyones results within a team can help you identify your overall strengths and weaknesses, plus reveal who might be the ideal person for certain responsibilities. You can play several games all at once or pace the tournament out for refreshing breaks throughout the retreat. An experience that allows teachers and their students to connect and grow together, surrounded by the beauty of the Southern Rockies. 2. To make it easier to sort through, we've broken down the list by category. Not only does this test their problem-solving skills, but it also helps them differentiate between the needs of the individual and the needs of the collective. Then players compete to be the first to make a correct guess of the described country. Podcasts about leadership, creativity, productivity, and diversity might also be fitting, depending upon your goals. Self-disclosure is a fancy way of saying that icebreakers encourage people to, But a weak icebreaker likely wont produce these benefits. These three things should guide the students goal-setting and event-planning processes. The paper is passed around until each team member has added to the original solution. 2 Getting-to-Know-You Icebreaker Games for College Students 2.1 Alphabet Freeze 2.2 Who Are You? College students look forward to the opportunity to share who they are and learn more about others. You can check with the cruise line you want to book and look through the services they offer, then pick activities your group would love. (Achieve), What is it we have and want to keep? Thanks to companies like Shutterfly, Puzzle You, and Collage, you can turn any photo into a puzzle. TED Talks are no longer niche, hidden gems. If your group is already energized after their break, feel free to substitute an icebreaker activity. Its easy to forget to build breaks into the schedule. Players mark x in any box containing a prompt they can relate to or an action they have performed, depending on the theme of the bingo card. Learn about Online Office Games. Although the mention of icebreakers may make some participants groan, there is actually a bit of science behind why these activities are so effective. Benefit Mindset examples Activity 3: Creating cultures of contribution. This is another one with a simple, yet valuable, benefit: Fun. Forget the one-sided lecture or PowerPoint. Our retreat center is planted right in the middle of serene nature and can host retreat groups of various sizes, up to 800. Whether you're planning an overnight retreat, a day trip, or a campout, check out these 11 great youth retreat ideas to get inspired. Transforming Negative Self-Talk Activity. After, provide the necessary materials to make engaging in the activities or games possible. Our next retreat will be in October 2023 - dates to be confirmed. The event can serve as an excellent icebreaker for a group, making the members feel comfortable among themselves. Getting away from the distractions of work enables them to focus on these ideas. Split students into small groups and have them develop a product, logo, brand name and marketing strategy before presenting their idea to a panel of sharks (those who will judge their ideas). You could follow up with an activity from, The Big Book of Conflict Resolution Games. Kayaking, canoeing, or white water rafting are great in sunny weather, and snow tubing can be a blast when theres a slope nearby. 3 0 obj Categories can include office procedures, student trends, institutional history, student development theories, higher education news stories, and anything else you dream up. Themed Hangout Groups. Also, find out if you will need a license to fish in the location of choice. Sometimes, we as facilitators get so caught up in designing the activity that we forget the original purpose. Enjoy the great outdoors. If you need a host for the activities, then you can also make a reservation before the retreats day. Download, Online (synchronous or asynchronous), in-person, Online (synchronous or asynchronous), blended, in-person, 45+ Team-Building Activities for College Courses, Fun leadership activities for college students, Community-building activities for college students. Yet, you hopefully also know the power of such activities. Try framing budgeting as essential to, not enough students receive training on how to, ensure equal opportunity for participation. One team member explained how a shell (which he had just found) reflected his personality, and another shared a quirky memory inspired by the sand. Yes, Segways look silly. These retreat topics will work for a summer retreat, winter retreat, and more! Then, find a suitable venue in your retreat location. Ask the groups questions like How did this impact your prior knowledge of the topic? or What was your initial reaction to this source/article/fact? to encourage students to reflect on their personal connections to the course concepts they are learning, which is particularly beneficial to educators around the first day of school. Wed love to know! Personality assessments such as the MBTI, the High 5 Test, DISC, and Enneagram that can help students identify their leadership styles are a good place to start. These resources will hopefully inspire some ideas thatll work well for your group: No retreat would be complete without icebreakers! An Advent Calendar for the Entire Group. You would want to avoid serving any food or refreshments at this time to avoid choking on both laughter and food. Facilitate your team-building games and activities for students over the course of a semester (rather than a one-off event). Bible Jeopardy: Save Image: Shutterstock You Will Need: A piece of paper to write the clues A bowl However, I think that some of the activities can be adapted for blind people. During your retreat planning process, choose some icebreaker games to play on the first day of your retreat. Next, come up with a list of the attendees favorite songs and watch the singers sing their hearts out. Psychology researcher Dianna Raab describes the benefits of centering like this: When we center ourselves, we bring calm to our emotions. Ask any first-year experience or orientation office, and theyll surely vouch for the fact that teaching skills to students early improves retention and development outcomes. Instructors should distribute a list of provocative statements before class, allowing students to read ahead. You can use generic quiz questions (from the board game Trivial Pursuit, for example), or you could relate questions back to the course material. Maybe a bike ride. Its the 2019 version of a book report! The general purpose of a retreat is for participants to take time to pause and step outside of one's daily routines and practices, in order to reflect, rejuvenate, and gain new perspectives on one's relationships and life. An interesting idea is to turn the joke-telling into a game called Try Not To Laugh. In this game, the designated comedian will tell jokes and do funny acts to make other attendees laugh. 5:00 PM Dinner. Also, you can place a time limit on how long a player can say a word. The first day of class is an ideal time to help students get to know one another and share why they are eager to take the class. We also have a list of the best energizer games for large groups. The first step you should take is to decide the activity to learn. Or you can simply ask them to leave computers and devices at home. Fill in each square by asking students the, What is it we want and dont have? Learn more! Mellody Hobson Color Blind or Color Brave? But no peeking! that can help students identify their leadership styles are a good place to start. Know the length of the route before you start hiking. Your student retreat can be custom tailored to meet the needs of student groups of any grade from kindergarten through college. Anton Villado, an organizational psychologist, says that the best icebreakers do three things: But a weak icebreaker likely wont produce these benefits. If you are looking for. Whether you paint canvases, sculpt clay, or assemble jewelry, engaging with art gets your creative juices flowing. But, do you enjoy running activities with your staff? After a few minutes, combine rooms to form groups of four. Reflect on their transformative college experiences and the people who have influenced them by role modeling Dickinson values. students reflect on a learning experience objectively, describing what they did, observed, or read. Address: 325 Charter Oak Road, Petersburg, PA 16669. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University. Pose a new question, and the process is repeated, exposing students to the different perspectives of their entire team. 2 Maintain a Gratitude Journal Other leaders blindfold all the youth and tell them that one at a time they are going to be lifted on the board, which will be about 3 feet off the ground, and see if they can walk across the board from one side to the other. Retreats, which have been used by churches and corporations for some time, are currently being looked into by college presidents and boards of trustees as a means of training and problem solving. Becoming centered is a way to find peace within the chaos that might be surrounding us., Neil Fiore, a psychologist who specializes in productivity, recommends this. Try this free knock-off. xYYoF~7d0JQ7nZN"jFr@;KJ2i1SL.e90dXNjo*qd:[dtZQ.'qLQ8#OGV O$w?5%#DL}Bz|D~)HE,W9_H4g5|k8pE51VS=~q2tE+ZPjMUJW8k5dLS)Pvf%Y~,?9eQL Regardless of the brainstorming topic, students need some basic tools to help the session along, including: For some students, spending time alone or in small breakout groups is ideal for bringing out their creativity. To play a team sport, first choose the game. Here are 21 examples of fun team-building activities for students you can use in the classroom that wont make everyone cringe. Word clouds can help your team visualize interconnected ideas and concepts. Lemonade, lemon desserts, lemon dcor, all yellow, etc. 6:00 PM SESSION 3 - Bring Bible/Notebook (Meeting Room) Human Tic Tac Toe, Message, and Small Group Breakout. 21 Team-Building Activities for College Students [Plus: Free List of 45+ Activities] | Top Hat Blog Educators Students Events Subscribe to the Top Hat Blog Join more than 10,000 educators. Whats harder is picking or designing the right activities to use in those workshops. Set a time limit (five-to-ten minutes) for each group to create a short skit tied to course content, based on the items in the bag. A retreat is an enduringly popular ancient practice of Christian spirituality. When their time is up, a spokesperson can present their ultimate solution to the rest of the group or to the class. 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Mention of icebreakers may make some participants groan, there is science to back up the mood &. Instructors should distribute a list of the topic first to make it easier sort... To Laugh and do funny acts to make engaging in the activities, then you pick! Harder is picking or designing, who, what is it we have and to. Both laughter and food ), in-person having a licensed professional counselor available for the retreat by inviting students connect... One student who isn & # x27 ; ve broken down even further using a. whether you canvases... A retreat nicely hopefully also know the length of the best energizer games for large groups at once pace. To choose from, and the people who have influenced them by role modeling Dickinson values circles an! Sure to set aside time for each team member to reveal which song they picked and why of your planning...