Zip Line Ideas

Zip lines span tremendous gorges, man-made structures and tall tree tops all for the thrill of the zip. These exciting set-ups have sprung up in many tourist regions during the past few years. Zip lines now are found in the rain forest canopies of Central America, the coastal temperate rain forest of southeast Alaska, and many points in between. Zip lines can be used for corporate team building, leadership development and youth confidence building.

  1. Youth Problem Solving and Confidence Building

    • Take a group of elementary-aged school kids on a field trip to a zip line. As the children enjoy the thrill and fun of flying through the trees, assign them small problem-solving tasks. The program, "PBS Kids," assigned a group of youngsters the task of making a device to transport two ping-pong balls down the zip line. Children had to work together to design a simple device to carry the balls while still building confidence as they flew through the air.

    Leadership Training and Team Building

    • Bring a team of corporate or business colleagues and employees to a zip line. Work with the zip line employees and guides to set up a challenge course. Position safety spotters at each zip section -- where participants clip in to fly down the ropes -- and give the team an objective, such as getting one member down without that member using his arms or legs. This teaches problem solving and work-place sensitivity should there be physically disabled employees.

    Disabled Challenges

    • Bringing disabled youth and adults to a zip line provides needed adventure and confidence building. Those confined to wheelchairs get to see how they have alternate opportunities and abilities using their working limbs. Blind participants are assigned a buddy to guide them through the zip line, giving them the chance to feel like they are flying. Deaf participants might decide to use a new set of hand signals to communicate between zip lines and help each other make it through the course.