Team sports refer to games where participants come together to achieve shared goals. They improve the cognitive skills and physical activity of players. Students who play team sports are less likely to drop out. Research by At Your Own Risk shows that physically active children tend to earn up to 40% higher test scores.
A survey by Youth Sport Trust, published on 29 November 2023, shows that sports team activities lead to higher levels of well-being in young students. Of the 5481 participants, the level of mental toughness and self-belief was higher than that of the students who were not into sports.
With a greater state of mental well-being, students can perform well in academics and professional life. They can naturally bond with their teammates and build strong connections with them. Furthermore, they can also step up their game and practice their leadership skills in the team, leading to a feeling of happiness and contentment in them.
Let’s explore in detail the top 10 challenging yet enjoyable activities to enjoy as team sports with the students.
Why Are Team Sports More Fun?
Team sports are generally considered more fun for many reasons. For instance, students can feel a sense of belonging and connection to others. In fact, the knowledge and skills gained through intellectually stimulating group activities can help with writing assignments. They also sharpen their problem-solving and critical thinking abilities.
As per Vitality Insurance, a study of 400 participants shows that team players generally have a higher level of satisfaction in life than those who work out alone. It is because the act of joining a sports team brings together the feeling of belonging in your team members.
Some of the reasons why team sports are important and fun are mentioned here:
- Confidence boost
- The enhanced cognitive ability
- The social interaction
- Improved brain health
- Strong leadership skills
- Immense emotional control
- Sense of community and belonging
10 Awesome Fun Activities to Do for Team Sports with Students
Team sports and fun activities boost students’ morale greatly. According to the Higher Education Sports Participation and Satisfaction Survey, almost 65% of students participate in university sports, and their satisfaction levels are high.
Here, we are going to dive into the details of the top 10 games that can help students get sharper in their studies and challenge their existing skills in an effort to improve them.
Idea Building Blocks
Game Type: In-person
Group Size: Group of 3-9 students
Here, the coach can divide the class into different groups or teams and provide them with a problem related to the coursework. One individual mentions the solution and passes it over to the next team member. They have to pass around the paper until each group member has mentioned their solution. When the time for discussion is up, a group member presents their solution to the rest of the group. This activity develops problem-solving and collaboration skills in students.
Pub Quiz
Game Type: In-person, online
Group Size: Group of 4-8 students
For this game, students do not have to hand it out in a real pub. All that they need to do is mimic a trivial pub night, which fosters team building in a fun environment. For the online version of this fun activity, the instructors can use Zoom rooms to organise groups or teams. The teams are given 60 seconds to discuss answers to certain questions, and at the end, the team with the most points win the quiz.
Scavenger Hunt
Game Type: In-person
Group Size: Group of 6-9 students
This may sound like a fun activity for team sports with kids, but it can also be played by adult students. Students are encouraged to collaborate, plan a strategy, and communicate their progress. Offering riddles and clues in the names of items can make this more challenging. It’s a fun little game for students.
Pipeline
Game Type: In-person
Group Size: Group of 2-6 students
Here, the teams are given individual tasks of carrying balls or marbles from the start line to the end line. Each individual is given a PVC pipe, and they are allowed a total of 5 minutes of planning. This way, they can strategise the transportation of their group. It can promote a sense of great teamwork and communication among people.
Think-Pair-Repair
Game Type: In-person, online
Group Size: Minimum 20 students
In such games, students are often expected to do their usual brainstorming activities but in groups in classrooms.
Students can be paired up and asked to probe about different problems. They can continue doing so until the groups go head-to-head with the remaining half. This way, students can learn from the perspectives of their peers.
Deserted Island
Game Type: Online, in-person
Group Size: Group of 2-6 students
This is more like an ice-breaking activity in the classroom, making students think that they are stranded on an empty and deserted island. It is one of the fun activities that helps students build their leadership skills. You can provide them with a list of survival items. This can help you solve all the problems and needs of the collective parties.
Improv Games
Game Type: In-person and online
Group Size: Minimum 20 students
The improvisational games encourage the students to contemplate and get out of their comfort zone. These fun activities help them connect with their peers. In such games, students should pair up with each other and figure out the most unexpected things that they share in common, for instance, the perfect way of impressively starting an assignment on a given topic. It lets them share knowledge.
Why I am Here?
Game Type: Online, in-person
Group Size: Maximum 20 students
A coach can ask the students to draw a picture that shows why they enrolled in a certain course. They can also be encouraged to think beyond the boundaries of academia. After some minutes, students are encouraged to share their pictures with a larger community. It fosters a well-connected society among students.
Concentric Circles
Game Type: In-person
Group Size: Maximum 20 students
In this game, students form two circles. One circle is the inner one, and the other is the outer one. Each student from the inside is paired with a student from the outside. A question is posed to the entire group, and they will discuss varying answers. After 3-5 minutes, the groups are shuffled, and the same process is repeated. It lets students see different perspectives of the team.
Socratic Seminar
Game Type: In-person
Group Size: Minimum 20 students
In this team sports activity, you ask the students to prepare for a discussion by reading or reviewing a course or group texts. After that, they come up with high-order discussion questions. The questions can be open-ended, introductory or closed in nature. The students don’t have to follow a given order while speaking.
How Do You Bring a Sports Team Together?
The fun activities for team sports can teach multiple skills to students that they can use in real life. Communication skills, collaboration, and appreciation for others are some of these skills. Successful teams have distinct qualities such as accountability, fluid responsibility and shared leadership skills.
To understand the level of mutual cohesion between a team, the coaches need to ensure that they follow a couple of strategies. According to the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, here is how you can bring a sports team together:
- There must be a commitment to the shared goals and objectives.
- The mental models should be shared and accurate.
- Each team member should have an element of cooperation and mutual trust.
- The coach must ensure a sense of collective potency in the team.
- Spend some more time together with your team so that all the internal conflicts can be resolved in a peaceful environment.
Conclusion
When thinking of different fun activities to do for team sports with students, these top 10 sports must be on the top of your list. The outdoor team-building activities are more than just fun and games; you can consider them a strong tool for fostering collaboration. By challenging a team to work together, the coaches can foster a strong sense of camaraderie in students.
If students find that increased involvement in sports is affecting their academics, London-based assignment writing firms can offer valuable support. Expert writers can assist in managing homework and improving grades. Additionally, the scientifically proven stress-relieving benefits of outdoor activities make balancing academics and sports both achievable and beneficial.
All in all, the fun activities for team sports often provide a whole host of positives. Particularly in the context of academics, it also boosts the educational skills of students.
