Instructions for Build-A-Bike ® Team Building Activity
Since we created the Build-A-Bike ® team building activity in 2005, we have received thousands of requests to post the instructions for Build-A-Bike ® team building activity online. We’ve always been a little hesitant to post the instructions because we have spent over a decade creating a brand that the public recognizes as a quality product. However, the event is so popular, that we really want to make sure that if you are doing one of these programs on your own, that you have every opportunity to make the activity successful.
A Few Cautionary Suggestions Before Organizing a Self-Facilitated Build-A-Bike ®
The absolute, most important thing to keep in mind about team building activities is, the larger the event and the longer the time frame, the more you will want a professional team building instructor or facilitator. If your group size is 20 people or smaller, and you just want a quick 30-minute fun activity, then the self-facilitated version might be excellent for you! However, if you want an event to last an hour or two, or if you have a group of 40 or more people, we strongly suggest that you hire a professional instructor. We have a list of certified instructors located all over the US, Canada, and Europe. Just call us at 800-872-7830 for a list of instructors in your area.
When we deliver a Build-A-Bike ® activity, our goal is to keep every participant active and having fun throughout the entire event. If this is your goal as well, make sure and hire an instructor. The instructors on our list have each conducted HUNDREDS of events. They have seen everything. They can handle any challenge that presents itself. The biggest challenge that we see in self-facilitated events is that there are often a few people participating and a bunch of people standing around watching.
Finally, if the timing is important, we suggest a professional instructor. It typically takes a single person about 10 to 15 minutes to assemble a bike. If you have groups of four to eight people working together to build the bike, it typically just takes a few minutes. So, the activities that accompany the event are way more important than the bike assembly.
Instructions for Build-A-Bike ® Team Building
We offer a turn-key Build-A-Bike ® Kit that includes a bike, helmet, and tools. You can order these kits online at Build-A-Bike ® Kit. At the time I’m writing this post, we are charging $250 per kit (includes bike, helmet, tools, and shipping). The minimum number of bike kits per order is 4. Keep in mind that if you are donating the bikes to a charity, the larger the donation, the more impressive the ending of the event.
We have a supply of bikes in our warehouse, but we require two weeks advance notice. We may have to charge an extra shipping fee for orders within two weeks. So, if you are on a tight budget, make sure to order early. We suggest 20″ bicycles. This size bike is perfect for six-year-old to eight-year-old children. They are always happiest when they receive a new bike. Younger kids may not know how to ride a bike yet. Older kids typically aren’t as appreciative of the gesture.
If you want to create a custom activity for your group, for a small fee, our instructors can design one for you. So, we can ship you a team-building event in a box fairly easily. Call us at (800) 872-7830 to special order a team-building activity for your group.
A Few Easy Team Building Activities
If you want to try to facilitate an activity on your own, we have provided a list of them for you below.
It is important to get the group to transition from whatever they were doing before to working together as a team. So, if you start with a really quick activity to get them having fun, the entire activity will be more memorable. By the way, this could be a simple as having the group pull numbers from a hat to determine their team.
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- Add an Activity where Participants Earn their Bicycle Parts. We suggest either the Helium Stick or Tennis Ball Exercise.
If you just build bikes, you will just be forcing your team to do manual labor. Instead, have them EARN the bike. This way, when they start building, they have a sense of accomplishment and teamwork.
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- Build the Bikes
Most people believe that the building of the bikes is the big part. Keep in mind, though, that these bikes may only take 10 minutes or so to put together. It is a very fast and easy process. So if you jump to this part too soon, the whole activity will be short and uneventful.
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- Invite a Charity to Receive the Bikes
If you organize the event well, all of the bikes will be completed at about the same time. (This is why the activities to earn the bike parts are so important. If you have teams finished and standing around idle, the enthusiasm in the room will drop.) The event works best if you invite a charity to bring kids to the event. That way, when the kids all arrive the teams can adjust the seats and handlebars for them.
Since we do thousands of these activities all over the world, we have an extensive list of charities who know about Build-A-Bike ® and will enthusiastically accept the donation.