Throw it up is a challenging creative game for groups.

Benefits of Throw It Up Experiential Team Building Activity  

• Provides good-humored fun
• The game is straightforward but challenging
• Encourages teamwork
• It develops collaboration and cooperation

Required Props for Throw It Up Experiential Team Building Activity  

•  Length of rope or rubber tubing flexible enough to tie a knot in.

How to play the game Throw It Up Team Building Activity  

Throw it up may appear easy on paper, however, actually performing it correctly may be more difficult than it appears. Start by taking a number of lengths of rope or tubing and tying a knot in each at both ends to form a loop. The rope should be about 5-metres.

Have the group break up into smaller groups of say, 6 to 8 people. Hand one looped rope/tube out to each group. Get the group to form a circle, have each member of the group grab onto the loop with both hands. To make it easier, have each member of the group hold the rope with their palms facing up. 

Next, you need to explain to the groups, that during the following 5 minutes they must try and throw the rope/tube loop into the air.

They must then succeed with the following vital objectives:

• The loop must be thrown in the air and then caught by all members of the group at the exact same time.
• The rope/tube must keep its shape of a circle, as close as is possible, after each throw.

You need to instruct the groups that when they throw the rope/tube loop, it must go at least 3 metres into the air, which will make the exercise more challenging. Let each group have a number of attempts and then suggest they stop for a while.  They can then discuss how to proceed further and try a different plan if necessary. 

In the past, it has been found that a team who does the Pizza Toss well, is able to throw and catch the loop successfully more than 3 times in a row.  However, after this, the reliability of the team’s success seems to weaken. 

This challenge is rather tough and therefore each team or group needs to reflect on their success or failure. This can be done after the exercise has been concluded.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Throw It Up Team Building Activity  

• Get a number of 5-metre-long pieces of rope or rubber tubes and tie both ends with a knot forming a loop.
• Divide your group into smaller teams of say 6 to 8 members and hand each team a loop of rope or tubing.
• Let the groups form a circle, each member needs to hold onto the rope/tube with both their hands.
• Instruct the teams that they are required to throw the loop up into the air. They must also successfully reach the following objectives:

– The loop needs to be caught by all the members of the group at the same time.

– The loop needs to keep the shape of the circle as close as possible during each throw.

• Give all the team’s sufficient attempts in order to reach their goal.
• Assist the teams as much as possible, in order for everyone to successfully complete the challenge.

Facilitators and Leadership Tips

The challenge is a little easier if you can make use of flexible rubber tubing, as it is a bit more rigid than a piece of rope. Alternatively, a length of rope will suffice.

Depending on your group you can make the challenge a great deal of fun, or it can be taken a lot more seriously. Challenge your group with a task that is difficult to perform successfully.

Since the challenge is very difficult, it requires teamwork to complete successfully.  Maybe consider bringing your camera along, so you can catch the loop while it is in the air. You can also get some good shots of the team’s efforts in the process.  

Debriefing and Reflection Strategies

Here are some questions that can help the group process their experience of playing the game of ‘Pizza Toss’

• What observations did you make during the exercise?
• Was there any part of the exercise you found to be difficult or challenging?
• Did your team have a particular plan to complete the challenge successfully?
• Is there anything that you would do differently the next time you play this game?
• Do you think that your efforts were successful? If not, why not?

Variations of Throw It Up Experiential Team Building Activity  

• Lead-Foot: When throwing and catching the loop, all the group members feet must not move.
• Straight Arms: Everybody’s arms in the group must remain straight without bending the elbows when they are engaged with throwing and catching the loop.
• Full Circle: When the loop is thrown into the air, it must turn a full revolution (360°) while in flight. This means that the loop must turn in the air, so that the knot which was made, lands back into the hands of the same person who threw it up. In this case, the centrifugal force of the spinning loop will help to keep it in shape, but this is no guarantee.