The importance of instant challenges and team challenges

This came up on thread last year and is the opinion of some coaches that you can't practice or plan for the team challenge judging.

(One coach to another) > "Don’t worry about it – they can’t plan for it or practice for it. "

(my response-) I respectfully disagree.  The core value area, aka team building, is one where the kids gain insight into how they can best communicate with each other and work together with the upmost respect.  I do think kids (and some adults) have a lot to be taught, or practiced is probably the better word, in this area.   You can practice this event by giving them any simple to complex task that they attempt to solve in 5 minutes.
Here's a page that can give you some ideas-
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2z83j/ic/id1.html
You have to download the challenges, but they are virus free and chuck full of great challenges to try with your team.
http://rosevilledi.bwweb.org/DataFiles/Docs0708/IC_Practice_Set.pdf 
Here's a pdf file that has some more challenges.
The most important part to remember is that the challenge itself doens't matter, it's how they worked together.  Debrief your team after each exercise-

DEBRIEF

Always be sure to debrief at the end of each instant challenge or set. Keep your questions friendly and positively focused, not judgmental. Allow each TEAM to answer the questions and draw it's own conclusions.

1. How do you think you did as a team? What did you learn about teamwork by doing this challenge?

2. How well did you manage your time? How might you have used it it differently?

3. What were some of the strengths of your solution? What worked well?

4. If you were asked to solve this problem again, how would it change?

5. Did your everyone on the team feel heard? What can we do to make sure everyone gives, or has a chance to offer, an idea?

6. How well do you feel you used the materials given? Is there any thing you wished you had more of?

7. Did your team follow the rules? (If not, what can help you follow the rules next time?)

8. If the solution didn't work, what could you do differently as a team to make it work?

9. Could your solution have been more creative, novel or unique?

10. Finally, and most importantly: What did you learn?!

(Optional: when you're checking on the group roles {defined below}-

Did the time keeper ask at least once, “how much time is left?”

Rule keeper/s, did you check your solution against the rules towards the end?

Idea solicitor, were you able to get an idea from each team member? (there shouldn't be blaming (stop the conversation if it starts), but they can explain if not everyone gave an idea.)

A good way to make sure the teams understand and grow their these challenges is to make sure the three basic roles in the group are determined before the challenge begins. Give your team a super quick, 20 secs to determine who has these roles. (It is ok to have more than one child doing each of tasks for a given challenge). -

The “rule keeper”- This person has the job of reminding the group of the rules. They will try to make sure he knows the rules to check at the end of the challenge.

The “time keeper”- this person has the job of making sure the team knows how much time there is left. This person may ask the judges at any time how much time is left. In the beginning of learning this job, team members should be told to ask twice during the challenge, “How much time is left?”

The “idea solicitor” - This person has the job of making sure each team member suggests a solution to the challenge and that every offers input.

Everyone's job- the “thanker”- it is every team members job during each challenge to thank at least one person for their contribution.

If the kids ask you can questions say, “Did the rules say you couldn't do that? If the rules don't say you can't, then you can!”

We practice productive communication- no blaming or focusing on the negative. Everything is phrased as a positive as much as possible.  You only have to have to do afew of these before your team starts to get a little better at talking to each other and making sure everyone feels involved.  My kids practice different jobs- one person is the time keeper of the activity, one person is the rule keeper- (what was the task at hand?), one person is the idea elicitor- they need to make sure everyone spoke up about their idea, or ask, "does any one have any other ideas?" Before the group proceeds to the creation of the task, and each person is responsible for sharing or thanking another team member for putting their idea out there. After a while, it becomes habit and they will do it in the instant challenges without being reminded as well as in the regular meeting times. :)
  They also learn to talk to each other in a way that helps get more responses from each other.  My team regularly says, "That's one good idea. Are there any others?" or, "Can we consider x, y, z idea?" as a way to introduce ideas without putting your teammate's idea down.  I saw how my new members this year came to these practice challenges and my old team members who had practiced these skills were clearly more diplomatic, helped the entire group work together better and generated more success at the tasks compared than the newer members. So I do think there is something to be said for practicing core values. Not to mention, this is a life skill that can really help people throughout their lives.
  We try to have one drama and one building challenge, or we alternate between them. Here are some challenges we worked on recently in our camp. -

Building- “spaghetti tower challenge”

tools- Each team gets 25 pieces of spaghetti, a marshmallow and 5 pieces of tape, or address labels to build their tower. Scissors are available but are not allowed to used in the structure.

Rules:

The tower should be self standing and have the marshmallow on top. Scissors are available for use, but are not allowed to used in the structure. Those are the rules :)

Time: Each team will have 8 minutes to build a tower.

Goal: The tallest tower, that follows the rules, is the victor.

(Debriefing notes: Teams new to instant challenges may not complete this challenge. Assure them that's ok, and they have more challenges to come. Emphasize what could have been differently to produce a positive change. )

Drama- News reporter challenge

Pre- Set-up- Create a lego structure for each team to be viewed by the “reporter”. Make each one unique and in a place where the rest of team can't see it. Number it so the reporter knows which one is his/her.

Rules:

A reporter was out in the field and sees an alien ship land. S/He sees the alien come out of the spaceship and rushes back to tell her/his fellow reporters at the station- BUT s/he is so dumbstruck by the experience that s/he has forgotten how to TALK!

Your task is to create a new, non-known language (so no English, Spanish or Russian if you know it! :). The language can have sounds and can certainly be non-verbal as well. Look at your bag of alien parts and try to come up with a language you can use to put together the alien the reporter saw. You have 8 minutes to create your language and then 3 minutes to build it. (Run the exercise for 3 minutes or until all teams have put together their alien.)

Time: 8 minutes to create language, 3 minutes to build.

Goal: Be the first to report on an alien species by building a LEGO alien before the other reporters.

Drama: “Bi-centennial statues”

tools: your team's imagination

Rules: The mayor has called your team to create a statue for the city's bi-centiennal celebration. The statue you create will placed in the city park for all to see.

- Use your team members to “make” a statue. At least one person must be the presenter of the statue and explain why it represents the town's founding. You must name your city and give a story that tells about its beginnings. Explain why your statue should be chosen to represent the town.

Time: You will have 8 minutes to create the “statue” and 3 minutes to talk about it.

Goal: Create the most imaginative statue for the town's 200th birthday.

(In this challenge you will find some teams who do not complete all the rules- naming the town or explaining why it represents the origin story of the town. The first question you ask to the groups after both have finished is- “Did each team name the town? Did each team tell me a founding story of the town? Did each team explain the statue? No need to comment, the kids will know if they did this or not. Ask the role keepers their role question. )

Building: “Bowling”

Tools: spoon, rubber band, straw, note cards, tape, other stuff :)

Rules:

Your goal is to knock down as many of the “pins” (aka t.p rolls) with the large Lego ball as possible. You may use the spoon in the blowing, but you may not touch the spoon after you start bowling. You can practice this during the time you have. The team that knocks over the most pins wins. You have three trys to knock all the pins down.

Time: 5 minutes to build the bowling device. Three trys to bowl.

Goal- knock over pins with ball :)

(After both groups bowl three times, say I'm going to bowl now. Go over the rules quick- knock pins over with ball. that was the only rule. Then take the ball and and hand knock all the pins down. Ask the teams if the rules said they had to use the equipment? Ask if the rules said they had to start at the end of the table? Talk to them about assumptions. :)