Initiative games and cooperative games (also referred to as Team Building Activities) nurture and help develop qualities of mentoring. These games are played differently from most games that are familiar to us. They require strategy and skill, everyone has fun, and 
in that sense, everyone wins. Initiative games are purposeful activities with specific goals and learning processes that are less competitive and less rule-oriented. They can best be described as “action and reflection” experiences. These games:
- Have specific objectives—such as cooperation, trust, or imagination—achieved through physical and verbal group activity
- Call for solving problems
- Must be talked about or reflected upon in order for participants to receive the maximum impact
- Are fun
Leadership Tasks – Many Scout games necessitate an individual assuming a leadership role and directing the task at hand. This role can be rotated amongst members of the patrol or troop team. All participants can provide strategy and skill, but it’s the Scout in the role of the leader who decides how they will work on the task. Like initiative games, leadership tasks are purposeful activities with learning processes and specific goals. Make sure to include a reflection time focused on the performance of the leader, and consider the following:
- Not everyone is comfortable leading an activity, so it is important that all participants demonstrate courtesy and respect.
- The leader may not always be able to direct the team to complete the task. This is not a problem, because the real purpose of the activity is the process—not the task itself.
- As in initiative games, participants should spend some time afterward reflecting on the task and, specifically, on the performance of the leader.
— Be careful not to be too critical; feedback is a gift, but it can also be hurtful if not offered in the proper spirit.
— Determine whether the leader used more of a coaching or a mentoring approach. - Always end leadership tasks on a fun and positive note.