This year was what we termed a ninja-a-thon. Part mental challenge, part physical, I split everyone up into 3 groups (above). They each got to choose team names which was entertaining in itself! No one in the team had any idea at all what they were doing on the day, in fact I had somehow tricked them into thinking I was driving them on a bus somewhere (hilarious!). We met at work on Friday morning and the banter between the teams started.
Here's a glimpse into the day:
I handed each of them a clipboard, instructions (or should i say clues on where to go), an envelope with $20 in it and an envelope that said : only open me if you get lost or are not at the final destination by 9.50am!
My instructions were pretty clear.....it's not a race.....but that didn't stop team Smurf sprinting out the door!
Activity 1 : Scavenger Hunt
Teams started 5 minutes behind each other. They had 3 pages and 50 questions to answer that were designed to take them on a journey around inner city newcastle. If they couldn't answer the question it should have been an indication they were headed in the wrong direction!
Questions ranged from car's can't do this but you should (a big sign that said no right turn) to Take a pic of 5 clients in this area. The aim was for each team to be at the Ferry Terminal by 9.50am.
The second last clue was head to 1 less than Steph's favourite number (that should have taken them to 6 degrees).
Then the last clue, I resemble big bird on top. I'll take you to the next destination. Your team will need to use the redback (ie the $20 note). I also added if you arrive at your destination early you should grab a coffee!
Well the only team to actually understand the clues was team AA! With 5 minutes to the Ferry departure time I had to message team Smurf and Team Big Bird and tell them to RUN to the Ferry. It was rather entertaining to see 6 people with backpacks running as fast as they could along the foreshore!
On a positive note each team was stopped in the street by wonderful people offering help!
Puffed, each team made the 10am Ferry!
RESULT:
Team Big Bird took the win with 37/50
Team AA close behind with 36/50
Team Smurf 3rd with 22/50
Activity 2 : Blind Drawing
Next exercise (after a morning tea snack courtesy of Snows) was a bling drawing exercise. I handed one person on each team a picture. Each team had a picture of an animal reading a book. The idea was to sit back to back with the 'drawing' person from their team. They were allowed to explain everything in the picture but not show the picture. All under the watchful eye from the other teams so no cheating!
The catch here.....the teams only had 5 minutes to explain & draw.
RESULT:
Team AA took the win (as voted by the teams) : 1st pic
Team Big Bird 2nd : 3rd pic
Team Smurf 3rd : 2nd pic
Activity 3 : Egg & Spoon Race
An oldie but a goodie, we started the physical challenges with an egg & spoon race. 4 laps, which meant 1 person in the team had to go twice.
No eggs were harmed in the process of this race!
RESULT:
Team Smurf just nudged over the line for 1st
Team Big Bird a close 2nd
Team AA 3rd
Activity 4 : Three-legged Race
Another oldie the next physical challenge was the Three-Legged race. The catch here one person needed to run twice and change the other person in the team half way through.
RESULT:
Team Big Bird cruised to the finish line 1st
Team Smurf 2nd
Team AA 3rd
Activity 5 : Hula Hoop
I couldn't go past adding in some hula hooping! What a way to bring back childhood memories. Apparently none of the gwise team were very good with hula hoops as kids!
RESULTS:
Team AA for the win
Team Smurf 2nd
Team Big Bird 3rd
Activity 6 : The Olympics
The signature physical challenge of the day was the olympics:
- sprint around the cones and back
- 25 push ups
- bounce a ball to the 1st cone and back
- sprint around the cones and back
- 25 sit ups
- hula hoop for 10 seconds
- throw the tennis ball back and forth 20 times
- run again!
- plank for 60 seconds
This was hilarious. It was rather difficult to video, keep the paper from flying away and also tell the teams what exercise was next!
RESULTS:
Winners by a long way Team Smurf
Team Big Bird 2nd
Team AA 3rd. But massive thumbs up to Kristy doing pushups and a plank while rather pregnant!
Activity 7: Jigsaw Puzzle
Enough with the physical challenges it was back to the mental ones. This time a jigsaw puzzle to complete. The catch I had removed 6 pieces of the puzzle and they had to negotiate with each other for the 6 pieces.
Team Smurf didn't even finish this one as their puzzle blew away! Team Big Bird had completed the puzzle 15 minutes before Team AA.....however some very swift negotiating has Team Big Bird blocked....and at a stale mate, Team AA took the win.
RESULT:
Team AA 1st
Team Big Bird 2nd
Team Smurf 3rd
Activity 8: Sequence
Just for something different board game time!
This game requires a team to get 5 of the same colour in a row. They can't talk to each other and don't know the cards or strategy of the rest of the team.
RESULT:
Team AA were the winner
Team Big Bird & Team Smurf were a tie for 2nd
Activity 9: Salt & Pepper
This is a word association game. You write down a pair of words - ie salt & pepper, you say the 1st word and the other teams have to guess the 2nd word.
Some of the word associations were quite entertaining with many having either food or rap references!
RESULT:
Team Big Bird 1st
Team Smurf 2nd
Team AA 3rd
Activity 10 : Client Trivia
During the day the teams had to answer some client trivia. The clues were things like Share the Love (Camplify) and Part Mind, Part Machine (psyborg). Some of the teams had forgotten to answer and had to rush like mad to hand everything in!
RESULTS:
Team Big Bird 16/20
Team Smurf 13/20
Team AA 11/20
Overall
The day was loads of fun, lots of laughs, lots of banter and a great way to celebrate while working closely in teams.
But you all want to know who won overall yes!
RESULTS:
The underdog Team AA took out the winning trophy for the day
Followed very closely by Team Big Bird
Then the favourites Team Smurf were 3rd
I can't wait to plan the next ninja-a-thon challenge!
