A Team and Communication Task from the Take Off Show – Try It Yourself!

The Challenge

Teams must rebuild a given structure using building blocks (e.g. Lego) as quickly and accurately as possible—without all team members being allowed to see the structure.

The game is played in teams of three, with three roles:

• Architect: Only this person sees the original structure.
• Messenger:  Relays information between the Architect and the Builder—but must not see the structure.
• Builder: Rebuilds the structure out of sight, using only the information passed on by the Messenger.

The first team to correctly rebuild the structure wins!

Materials

For each team:

• Two equally sized baseplates (Lego or Duplo)
• Two identical sets of building blocks, each with at least 5 bricks
  • One set as loose bricks (for the Builder)
  • One set pre-built as the structure (for the Architect)
• Two envelopes, plus books or boxes to conceal the materials
• Paper (2 sheets) and pens (for noting codes)

Organisation

• Form groups of three.
• If numbers don’t divide evenly, remaining students can help the teacher monitor the challenge and check the structures.
   

Rules

• The original structure must not be altered.
• The Messenger may only relay spoken information.
• The Messenger must not see either structure (“blind”).
• Each team may develop their own code on paper.
• The Builder may not ask questions. (You can omit this rule to simplify the challenge.)

Let’s Go!

Phase 1: Planning

Before the challenge begins, teams have 5–10 minutes to plan their communication strategy. At this point, they don’t yet know which role they will take. Teams also haven’t seen the bricks or baseplate yet, but you can tell them they are standard bricks (e.g. no special figures).

Tip: A good strategy clearly and uniquely describes bricks by colour, size, and position, while keeping the information short and easy to remember. This phase is crucial—it reveals which team develops a clear, efficient, and robust communication strategy. At the end of planning, roles are assigned by lottery.

Phase 2: The Challenge

• The Architect and Builder are at opposite ends of the room, both working behind screens (e.g. books).
• The Messenger moves between them, never seeing the structure.
• The game leader gives the start signal.
• When a team thinks they are finished, they call “Take Off!” The teacher or helpers check if the structure is correct.
  • If correct → Victory!
  • If incorrect → The game continues.

Phase 3: Review and Discussion

After the game, reflect together:

• Which communication strategy worked best?
• Which terms or codes were most helpful?
• Where was information lost—and why?

Tips from our tests

• Don’t start too complex: Even a structure with five bricks can be very challenging, as position, colour, and size must all match.
• For younger classes: Allow verbal communication in both directions and show the building blocks to the teams.
• Assign roles by lottery: This ensures all students must understand the communication method thoroughly.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Develop clear and precise communication strategies,
• Learn to relay information in a structured and understandable way,
• Recognise the value of shared codes and unambiguous terms,
• Strengthen their teamwork skills.

Authors: Joseph Rodesch and Lucie Zeches