Prepare to challenge your team with these great games they can’t resist. Fun team building activities and ideas for happy employees!
Team building games are an excellent method for companies to bring people together in an informal and relaxed environment, without the pressure of projects, deadlines or managers. When being involved in fun group activities and exciting challenges, people forget about the differences and conflicts between them or their departments. They are encouraged to open up and bring out the child inside them. During this process, they also get a deeper understanding of communication, collaboration, problem-solving and creativity at work. Note that these team building activities are designed for adults and can be practiced both indoors and outdoors.
The importance of team building games is oftentimes neglected. Corporate team building events, 5 minutes team games or simple getaways are contributing in a wide variety of ways, from which we mention only a few:
When designing a team building program, each game needs to reflect different goals, aligned with the values of the company and the profile of its most valuable resource – employees. You should not forget that these ice breakers activities should be catchy, fun, quick, easy to implement and effective for small groups in the workplace or larger groups outdoors. We invite you to have a look at our favorite games that can discover the real personalities of coworkers and strengthen the power of the team.
Number of participants: 5-20 people
Duration: 30-90 minutes
What you’ll need: cardboard, sheets of paper, marker pens, colored pens, watercolors
How to play:
This creative team-building exercise can be a great icebreaker. Players are divided into groups and must work together to create a coat of arms that best represents them. Allow participants 10 minutes for inspiration, they can even search online for ideas, and then 20-80 minutes to draw or paint their identity. Explain that this is a symbol that captures their mission, values, and commitment and that makes them feel proud when showing it to the world. Once the time is up, invite each group to display their coat of arms and present their concept in front of the other groups.
This game can be the first step for creating a sense of cohesion between people and finding a common identity to represent them throughout the whole team building program. Besides improving team bonding, the activity is flexible enough for any group size and for people that didn’t necessarily know each other until then.
It can also be integrated into a larger concept, for example, a themed program inspired by history where the participants represent different tribes that compete in several challenges for showing their power or gaining their freedom. Variations of this game can include creating a flag or a war cry.
Number of participants: 3-5 people
Duration: 10 minutes
What you’ll need: sheets of paper
How to play:
In this dynamic indoor game, participants are divided into small groups and each two of their representatives are required to hold as many pieces of paper as possible by using only their bodies. Communicate the rules: only one sheet of paper can be placed between any two body parts; no glue or folding allowed; each sheet of paper must be in contact with both team members; no two sheets can be touching. Nothing complicated, huh? Well, let’s start the game and enjoy the fun!
Number of participants: 5-8 people
Duration: 10 minutes
What you’ll need: marker pen, string or duct tape, sheets of paper
How to play:
The group sits in a circle having a sheet of paper in the center. Each participant receives a piece of string and ties it on the marker pen while holding tight the other end. The aim is to maneuver the marker pen by holding the strings and to write on the piece of paper one word that best defines a team – such as “collaboration”. Debriefing will include questions such as what strategy you had, who was the person who took the role of a leader, what was the hardest thing to achieve, etc. This is a great game because it can also be played at the workplace, during the lunch break for example.
Number of participants: 8-20 people
Duration: 15-30 minutes
Instructions:
Participants stand in a circle facing each other. Instruct everyone to connect their hands with two other random people in front of them and form a human knot. Make sure each hand is holding only one other hand. Within a set time limit, the group must try to untangle themselves without breaking the connection of hands. If this happens, they need to start the game all over again. This is a great icebreaker that shows the importance of communication, collaboration, and creativity. Do you have what it takes? Accept the challenge and give it a try!
Number of participants: 6-14 people
Duration: 45-60 minutes
What you’ll need: 28 sticks, 1 detailed instructions sheet
How to play:
The idea for this construction comes from the genius Leonardo da Vinci, who around 1480 designed a transportable bridge that required no specific skills or tools. The goal of this activity is to build a self-supporting bridge of 4 meters in size, using only the 28 sticks provided. The participants must start constructing the bridge from two ends so that finally the two parts will connect in the middle. The key factors for success are coordination, cooperation, and creative thinking, while the bridge is a metaphor for the ability to overcome any obstacle and to bring people together as one team. So, let your group face this challenge and develop their team spirit!
Number of participants: two or more small groups
Duration: > 1 hour
What you’ll need: pen and paper, map
How to play:
A timeless classic for companies that can be beautifully adjusted to the situation, location or team size. The rules are all up to you – you can go indoors or outdoors, imagine it like a quick activity or otherwise like a day-long event, with few people or even the entire department.
This fast-paced, fun-filled event will require full participation from the teams in terms of planning and collaboration towards a common goal. By navigating through a variety of recreational and puzzle-based challenges, the most clever and quick group will become victorious in capturing the ultimate prize – the treasure!
The most efficient way of organizing a treasure hunt is to start from clarifying the purpose – what would you like to achieve by implementing these activities? This question is also helpful for dividing the participants into relevant groups where they must collaborate with the other members.
You can find plenty of inspiration online for creating the list of activities that are aligned with this purpose. Remember to pick up achievable puzzles with a medium degree of difficulty, not to create frustration between participants, but fun and entertainment. Like in the pirates’ stories, the challenges can be visually represented on a map for more precision and motivation.
Running a treasure hunt requires a lot of preparation, but the results can be so exciting. A good event should involve everyone and gently push people who don't get along otherwise to work closely.
Number of participants: 3-6 people
Duration: 30 minutes
What you’ll need: planks, obstacles
How to play:
This exhilarating outdoor game is perfect for small groups and requires lots of teamwork and communication. The participants stand on two wooden planks with their feet tied up. For moving one step forward, all the members need to coordinate and walk at the same time. Teams race against each other while trying to pass every obstacle placed on their itinerary. May the fastest team wins!
Number of participants: 6-14 people
Duration: 30 minutes
What you’ll need: string & duct tape
How to play:
A giant spider spread an extremely poisonous web that blocks your way. In this dynamic game, you and the entire team must move through the web and secure your path to safety. But here comes the tricky part! Each member must pass from one side to the other without using the same gap twice and without touching the web. Once someone passes through a hole, it closes off for the remaining participants. No other equipment is allowed. Be careful, any time members touch the web (even with their clothes) or if any guidelines are broken, the challenge will be restarted.
Number of participants: 12-15 people
Duration: 30-45 minutes
What you’ll need: tarp or blanket
How to play:
This is a popular team-building exercise ideal for small groups that are designed to make participants step out of their comfort zone and find creative approaches to simple problems.
For this experiential activity, you will need to prepare a tarp, or a blanket just big enough for your entire group to stand on. Let the members imagine they are riding on a magic carpet and the only way to get back home is to flip it over and read the instructions printed on the other side on how to change the direction. Instruct participants to stand with both feet on the carpet and try to turn it over completely without stepping off or any body part touching the ground. If anyone falls off the carpet, the game must be restarted.
An interesting variation is to explain the instructions to two groups at the same time and see if they try to collaborate or work as separate teams.
Number of participants: 5-20 people
Duration: < 1 hour
What you’ll need: buckets & helmets
How to play:
Want a simple recipe that will entice participants to become active, think creatively, and work as a team - all at the same time? Accept the challenge and together with your colleagues try to transport as much water as possible in the least amount of time, in this exciting relay race. We promise you a lot of fun and plenty of water, as the buckets must always be placed on top of the head and staying dry can be difficult. Make the next warm summer day more entertaining than ever!
Number of participants: 10-15 people
Duration: 20-40 minutes
What you’ll need: rope
How to play:
An unfortunate event happened to your team and the crew got caught on a sinking ship. They managed to use the safety raft and reach the nearest island, but the tide is coming and their safe area is shrinking every minute. Can they survive until they are rescued?
All the members of the team must fit inside a circle created on the floor using the rope. The circle will gradually get smaller and smaller until the team has to rely on support and collaboration to complete the game. All aboard now!
Number of participants: 4-8 people
Duration: 20 minutes
What you’ll need: rope & blindfolds
How to play:
Participants stand facing each other. They hold a rope and place it on the floor to form a circle. While being blindfolded, members need to collaborate and turn the circular rope into a perfect square. After 5-7 minutes of activity, everybody is required to take off their blindfolds to see the shapes created. As expected, the results can be a source of much good-natured humor.
Number of participants: 6-12 people
Duration: 40 minutes
What you’ll need: duct tape or string
How to play:
Two groups are competing in this timed game. Participants from one group stand in line and tape their ankles to each other. The activity aims to cross an area from one location to another while complying with the rules and successfully meeting the challenges on the way. While crossing, the following things need to be considered: participants must pass through several square boxes drawn on the floor with duct tape and cannot step outside, they cannot untie their ankles, they must remain in line and the task is finished only after the whole group passes the end line. The fastest group wins the challenge. Follow with a debrief focusing on the strategy, the roles each member had, lessons learned, etc.
Number of participants: 3-5 people
Duration: 50 minutes
What you’ll need: Lego bricks
How to play:
This is an interesting three-part exercise focusing on cooperation and teamwork in groups of 3-5 people. The aim is to make the tallest Lego tower based on the amount of collaboration specified by the facilitator.
Number of participants: 5-25 people
Duration: 20 minutes
What you’ll need: 2 hula hoops and a timer
How to play:
Ask the participants to form a circle and hold hands with the two people next to them so all hands are connected. Explain that the goal of this activity is to pass a hula hoop completely around the circle as quickly as possible without breaking handholds. Once the group is ready, start the game with a round for familiarization and time their performance. Allow them to go through the exercise several times and see if they can improve their performance. In the end, add another hula hoop to the opposite side of the circle to make the activity a little bit more interesting. For debrief, ask participants to analyze their strategy and determine how this activity can help them in real-life situations.
Number of participants: 6-15 people
Duration: 30 minutes
What you’ll need: tent & blindfolds
How to play:
On a beautiful winter day, participants went on a hike in the snowy mountains, but a blizzard came unexpectedly in their direction. They were caught in the middle of the snowstorm and now their survival depends on making a shelter for the whole team. Unfortunately, the leader of the group suffers from “frostbite” and cannot physically help assemble the tent, while the rest of the team suffers from “snow blindness” and has been blindfolded. The leader must give instructions to the team so that they can successfully assemble the tent and secure everybody’s safety. Each team has 15-20 minutes to complete the task.
Conclusion
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." Henry Ford
Let your work be guided by these wise words and remember that a team building is not only an opportunity to have fun and socialize but an effective way of strengthening the collaboration and the cohesion of a group. We wish you the best of luck in implementing these activities and seeing the positive results for your team!