explore · Team Building, Communication, Feedback · 20–40 min · 8-20 people · high energy
Minefield
Soft objects are scattered across a roped-off area. In pairs, one person wears a blindfold and the other, standing outside the boundary, guides them across with words only. Every touch of an object counts, and other walkers are obstacles too. A debrief afterwards links what happened to how the team gives instructions and asks for help.
When to use Minefield
Use on an outdoor team day when you want to surface how people communicate under pressure, without it becoming a sporting contest.
What it solves
Teams assume their instructions are clear because they are clear to the person giving them.
How to run Minefield, step by step
- Rope off an area of about 5 by 5 metres and scatter soft objects inside (prep).
- Form pairs, explain the rules, and give pairs 2-5 minutes to plan their signals (5 min).
- First crossing: blindfolded partners walk, guides talk from outside the rope (5-8 min).
- Swap roles and cross again (5-8 min).
- Debrief: what helped, what confused you, how is this like our real work? (10-15 min)
Materials needed
- Rope for the boundary
- Soft objects: balls, cones, rubber chickens
- Blindfolds or eyes-closed option
Facilitator tips
- Use soft objects only and a flat, even surface; check the ground for holes and roots first.
- Offer eyes-closed instead of blindfolds, and let anyone become a guide only.
- Keep pairs moving slowly; tell them that speed does not score points.
Common pitfalls
- Turning it into a race, which makes it noisy and less safe.
- Skipping the debrief, so it is just a game.
Variations
- Several guides for one walker, to show what happens with too many voices.
What it produces
Concrete observations about giving and receiving instructions, which the team turns into one or two working agreements.
Origin
A classic experiential-education trust activity, published by Mark Collard on playmeo under the name Pathfinder. — source
Build a session around Minefield
METODIC places Minefield inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.