Bounce
A high-energy outdoor relay.
The Gym Ball Hopper Relay is an energetic, visually engaging outdoor team challenge. Participants sit atop large inflatable hopper balls equipped with handles and must bounce, balance, and navigate their way down a marked lawn course toward a finish line or turning cone.
Once reaching the turnaround point, the player hops back to the starting line to tag and pass the ball to their next teammate. The activity requires physical coordination, core stability, and pace control, creating a hilarious spectacle that gets spectator teammates cheering loudly from the sidelines.
Why Organizations Love This Activity
High Visual Spectacle & Cheer
The sight of colleagues and leadership bouncing down a green lawn breaks formality instantly and creates an electric, carnival-like atmosphere.
Core Stability & Physical Engagement
Gets teams outdoors and physically active, offering a refreshing boost of endorphins during offsite sports days or outdoor retreats.
Relay Ownership & Handovers
Emphasizes smooth transitions; quick, clean handovers of the hopper ball at the tag line can make or break a team's total time.
Humorous Equalizer
Equalizes corporate hierarchy completely—executive titles offer no advantage when it comes to balancing on an inflatable hopper.
High Spectator Engagement
Even team members waiting for their turn are fully immersed, shouting encouragement and strategy tips to navigating runners.
Ideal for Outdoor Lawns & Resorts
Perfectly suited for open resort lawns, sports grounds, and outdoor team offsite venues.
Learning that connects directly to work.
Each round is facilitated with observation, reflection and practical transfer to daily team behaviour.
Intentional Setup: Pacing over Panic
Teaches participants that controlled, steady bounces yield faster total times than frantic, off-balance leaps that cause falls.
Role Variety: Active Sideline Support
Demonstrates how loud, constructive cheering and clear directional calls from waiting teammates boost the active runner's speed and confidence.
Productive Stretch: Stepping into Lighthearted Risk
Encourages team members to let go of self-consciousness, embrace physical playfulness, and trust their team's encouragement.
Momentum Repair: Fast Recovery from Stumbles
Helps players practice laughing off balance losses, remounting quickly, and maintaining competitive focus.
Relevance Check: Energy & Team Morale
Serves as a living metaphor for keeping team spirit high during intense, fast-moving operational sprints.
Specific Commitment: Enthusiastic Peer Support
Translates into a commitment to bring high energy, visible encouragement, and active celebration to daily team wins.
Success Story
How an outdoor relay race transformed cross-functional engagement at a resort offsite
During an annual leadership and sports retreat at a hill resort, functional heads from regional offices were exhibiting low interaction across departmental lines.
The facilitator introduced the Gym Ball Hopper Relay as part of the afternoon outdoor games. Initial hesitation dissolved into roaring laughter as participants took to the course, cheered on by team banners and flags along the finish line. The shared laughter and competitive spirit completely broke down regional barriers.
In the post-game debrief, leaders noted how the sheer joy and shared vulnerability of the race created an easy, informal rapport that carried into the evening strategy discussions.
Business Impact
- Immediate breakdown of corporate hierarchy and formal hesitation across teams
- High morale and strong team cohesion throughout the remaining retreat agenda
- Creation of memorable, shared team moments referenced long after the event
- Increased cross-departmental networking during informal offsite sessions
Best-fit teams and occasions.
A client moment from Bounce.
"The Gym Ball Relay was the absolute highlight of our outdoor offsite! It brought out an incredible level of energy, friendly competition, and pure fun across our entire team."
"When you strip away corporate stiffness through shared laughter and outdoor movement, authentic team connections form naturally."
Plan a memorable ice breaker for your next event.
Share your city, team size, venue preference and available time. Strawberry Outbound will customise the format, facilitation and debrief for your audience.
