George MacDonald said, "To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.". Trust is the most important factor for building and preserving any relationship. Although it may acquire different meanings in different relationships like that of a husband and wife, a parent and child, or a superior and subordinate, the truth remains that building trust takes a lot of time and commitment. The youth of a country is its future, which makes it very important for virtues of trust, confidence, and faith, to be instilled in them at an early stage. Given below are a few activities on how to build trust, that you can try out.
In this activity, one member of the team is blindfolded, and his partner is responsible for guiding him through obstacles to complete a course. When one of them completes the activity, the roles are interchanged and the course is altered. This helps develop communication and trust among the participants. However, always remember that this activity should be conducted with participants who have known each other for sometime, as playing this game too early can cause physical and emotional harm. You can even conduct some ice-breaking sessions with the members, before beginning this activity.
Run the Gauntlet
Here, participants are made to stand in two rows, so that they are facing each other. Then, every participant has to raise his arms towards the center of the line. A member has to pass through the center of this line in such a way, that he/she doesn't come in contact with any raised arm. The course is completed when the member is able to cross the hurdle and reach the other end.
This game is usually played by arranging chairs in a circular manner, such that the number of chairs is one less than the number of participants. Then, music is played and participants have to walk around the chairs. As soon as the music stops, all of them have to try and sit on the nearest chair. Ideally, the player who is left standing is eliminated from the game, and a chair is also removed. However, you can remove a chair without eliminating any of the participants, so that when the music stops, all of them have to squeeze into one chair. Ensure that you use sturdy chairs, though.
This activity helps the participants build confidence and trust. To do this, get people to stand facing of each other; have them look into each other's eyes for a minute or two. This will help youngsters develop social skills that will help them later in their lives.
In this exercise, a pair of participants is required. One of them takes the role of a 'faller', and the other, the 'catcher'. The faller cries out, "I am about to fall, is there anyone to catch me?". The catcher replies, "Yes, I am there to catch you.". Then the faller slowly falls backwards, and the catcher has to ensure that he doesn't fall to the floor. You can also interchange the places of the catcher and faller and continue the activity.
Some of these activities need to be carried out with utmost precaution, as there is always a risk of physical injury. So, if you are in charge of conducting these activities, then take the precautionary measures necessary, so that the whole idea of carrying out these exercises serves the right purpose.