If you have a big group that is in need of an energetic team-building activity, look no further. Playing Card Shuffle is a simple and easy way to unite a group while having some fun. Best of all, the only thing you need for this activity is a deck of cards.
This activity can easily be set up in advance. Start by placing a card from the deck in each area where you would like small groups to form. For larger groups, it’s best to place the cards into stanchions on each table. Alternatively, in smaller groups, you can place the card face down on each table to make it more challenging.
For really big groups, I like to put all of the red cards on one side of the room and black cards on the other. You can also put all of the spades in one-quarter of the room, clubs in another, etc.
The way that you organize the cards can make the activity more or less challenging. The larger the group, the simpler you want to make the activity. So you’ll probably want to organize the cards in order from Ace to King and possibly separate them by color or suit. In small groups, you’ll probably want to mix the numbers and suits up to make it more challenging.
As each participant walks into the room, you can either distribute random cards or set up stations around the room where participants can draw a card. My favorite distribution technique is to spread the cards out as a Las Vegas dealer might on the edge of the stage and ask everyone to come up to the stage and “pick a card.” The larger your group, the more stations you’ll want to create.
After each participant has their individual card, you can have a lot of fun getting the participants to their correct table or station. This will get them moving quickly.
Activity Instructions
- Place one card per table. Set a single playing card on each table or station before the group arrives.
- Hand out the matching cards. Distribute individual cards to participants at random, or let them “pick a card” from a dealer-style station.
- Announce “Find your team.” Give the room that single instruction and let participants self-organize by matching their card to the one on the table.
Ways To Adapt Based On Group Size
- Color Suit Separation: Direct participants by card color or suit to different areas of the room first, then have them find their specific group from there — useful for very large groups.
- Equal Team Balancing: Include Jokers or “Wild” cards in the mix. Collect them as they surface and redistribute them to whichever groups end up short a member, keeping team sizes even.
- Complexity Scaling: Give larger groups fewer instructions to keep the energy high; give smaller groups more complexity to stretch the activity out.