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Cotton ball race

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Cotton ball race

Team Building Activity: Cotton Ball Race

Category: Games & Activities
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Overview

A fun competitive relay that livens up any session while encouraging teamwork, communication, and trust. Participants race while blindfolded, transferring light cotton balls with spoons—harder than it sounds!

Time

~15 minutes

Items Needed

  • 2 packs of cotton balls
  • 2 bowls or boxes
  • Plastic spoons (1 per participant)
  • Blindfolds (1 per participant)
  • Masking tape (to mark start/finish lines)
  • 4 chairs (2 at start, 2 at finish)

Setup & Directions

  1. Mark a start line and finish line about 7–8 feet apart with masking tape.
  2. Place two chairs 5 feet apart on the start line and two chairs 5 feet apart on the finish line.
  3. Put a pack of cotton balls on each start‑line chair and a bowl/box on each finish‑line chair.
  4. Split participants into two equal teams and line them up behind the start‑line chairs.
  5. The first player of each team puts on a blindfold, picks up as many cotton balls as possible with a spoon, and carefully carries them to the bowl at the finish line.
  6. Once the cotton balls are deposited, the next teammate repeats until everyone has gone.
  7. Count the cotton balls in each bowl; the team with the most wins.

Safety Tips

Ensure the pathway is clear, remind participants to move slowly, and have spotters if the floor is slippery.

Debrief Questions

  • Which strategies helped your team transport cotton balls efficiently?
  • How important was clear verbal guidance?
  • What parallels can you draw between this activity and real workplace collaboration?

Alternative / Related Activities

1. Ping‑Pong Spoon Relay

Replace cotton balls with ping‑pong balls for added difficulty. Participants balance the ball on a spoon while blindfolded. Focuses on balance, patience, and steady communication.

2. Water Cup Line

Teams form a line. The first person scoops water with a paper cup, passes it overhead to the next, and so on. Last person pours remaining water into a bucket. Highest water level wins. Builds coordination and highlights leakage points in communication chains.

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