Stargate: A COVID-Friendly Teambuilding Initiative

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Backpocket initiatives are great to have in your repertoire because they don’t require a tonne of equipment or set-up. They quite literally fit into your backpocket – or at least your backpack. And if they are COVID-friendly and use items your site already owns, even better.

Stargate is a variation of Worm Hole (Teamwork & Teamplay, p. 206-207) that uses the insert from Hexagonal Hole or you can make your own. The hole or “gate” consists of 40” long a piece of ¼” or larger bungee cord that has been tied in a circle. Then, a series of 2-3 m long ropes (3/8” diameter or larger) are attached to the bungee and radiate out – those are the arms of the star. Ideally, the group consists 6-12 people and each group member has their own rope. The buddy ropes that were described in the Earthwinds initiative are perfect for this purpose.

The task is to pass each person, one at a time, through the gate without the person touching the bungee cord. For this to occur, other group members will need to hold their ropes in a way that stretches the hole open. Group members should remain physically distant at all times and may only hold their own rope. As with many initiatives, there is the potential for timing the activity and assigning time penalties for touches. The group can then engage in subsequent attempts to improve their performance with all the good problem-solving and discussion that this entails.

Some risk management issues to keep in mind…

  • Check the bungee for structural integrity before using it in this activity. Pay attention to the knot – it should be a double fisherman’s with adequate tails. Ten or more people pulling on a bungee can generate a lot of force.
  • Be sure the ropes that radiate out from the hole are at least 10 mm or larger. It’s too hard to pull on a small diameter rope for more than a few seconds.
  • Make sure the ropes are well connected (I recommend a bowline knot) so that they don’t become disconnected at a critical point during the initiative.
  • Don’t allow participants to wrap the rope around any body parts. Neither rope burn, blisters, or cutting off circulation is a good outcome.
  • Don’t allow participants to tie knots in the ropes – unless you’re ok with that knot becoming a permanent feature of that rope.

Finally, to debrief this activity you might consider Bullring Write-on (Teamwork & Teamplay, p. 83). Similar concept but on a different scale and with a different problem to solve.


By Kathy Haras, Ph.D