12 Awesome Team Building Games Your Team Won't Hate

17 April 2023

12 Awesome Games Your Team Won't Hate

1. Game of Possibilities- Object Interpretations
Time: 5-6 minutes
Number of Participants: One or multiple small groups
Tools Needed: Any random objects

Rules:

1. Divide the participants into small groups of 3-5 people.
2. Give each group a random object. It could be anything from a paperclip to a rubber duck to a spoon.
3. In each group, assign one person to be the "demonstrator" and the rest to be the "guessers."
4. Set a timer for 1-2 minutes for each demonstration round.
5. The demonstrator's task is to creatively and non-verbally demonstrate a unique use for the given object. They can act out actions, gestures, and interactions with the object, but they cannot use any spoken words.
6. The guessers in the group must closely observe the demonstration and try to guess what the intended use or scenario is. They can discuss and share their ideas quietly within the group.
7. After the demonstration time is up, the guessers write down their interpretations of the demonstration on a piece of paper.
8. Rotate roles so that each member of the group gets a chance to be the demonstrator.

Objective: The objective of this game is to foster creativity, communication, and teamwork within a short timeframe. By assigning an everyday object and requiring non-verbal communication, participants are encouraged to think outside the box and come up with imaginative uses for common items.

Benefits:

• Creativity: Participants need to think creatively to demonstrate unconventional uses of the objects, which can stimulate their creative thinking skills.
• Communication: Without using words, participants must communicate their ideas effectively through actions and gestures, enhancing non-verbal communication abilities.
• Teamwork: Group members work together to decipher the demonstration and discuss their interpretations, promoting collaboration and teamwork.
• Innovation: Encourages participants to approach challenges from different angles, fostering a culture of innovation and unique problem-solving.

Variations:

1. Blindfolded Demonstrator: Have the demonstrator blindfolded while demonstrating, adding an extra layer of challenge and creativity.
2. Limited Time Demonstrations: Shorten the demonstration time to 30 seconds or less, forcing participants to think quickly and act decisively.
3. Multiple Rounds: Run several rounds with different objects, allowing participants to switch roles and engage with various items.

Remember, the goal is to create a fun and engaging environment where participants can let their creativity shine and bond with their teammates through shared laughter and interpretation.

Enhance Team Collaboration with Exciting Activities

2. Winner/Loser- Positive Reframing Exchange
Time: 5-6 minutes
Number of Participants: Two or more people
Tools Needed: None

Rules:

1. Pair up the participants. If there's an odd number, you can have a group of three with one person sharing their experience and two helping with the positive reframing.
2. Decide who will be Partner A and who will be Partner B for the first round.
3. Round 1: Partner A's Negative Experience
   • Partner A shares a genuine negative experience from their personal or professional life with Partner B. This could be something that caused stress, frustration, or disappointment.
   • Partner B listens attentively without interrupting and shows empathy.
4. Round 2: Positive Reframing of Partner A's Experience
   • Partner A revisits the same negative experience, but this time, they focus solely on the positive aspects of it. They highlight any lessons learned, personal growth, or unexpected positive outcomes.
   • Partner B assists Partner A in exploring the bright side of the situation, helping them identify positive angles they might not have considered.
5. Switch Roles:
   • Partner B now shares their own negative experience with Partner A.
   • Repeat the process for this new experience, starting with Partner B's negative sharing and then moving to the positive reframing with Partner A's assistance.

Objective: The objective of this activity is to help participants reframe negative experiences into positive learning opportunities. By sharing and exploring the positive aspects of challenging situations, participants can gain insight into the power of perspective and the potential for personal growth.

Benefits:

• Perspective Shift: Participants learn to view negative experiences from a different angle, fostering a more optimistic outlook on challenges.
• Empathy: Listening to and sharing experiences enhances empathy and understanding among participants.
• Resilience: Exploring positive aspects of negative situations can build emotional resilience and coping skills.
• Communication: Participants practice active listening, effective communication, and collaborative problem-solving.

Variations:

1. Group Reflection: After both rounds are complete, gather the whole group and invite volunteers to share their insights and reflections on the activity.
2. Open Discussion: After each positive reframing, open a short discussion to encourage participants to share their thoughts on the power of positive thinking and how it can impact their lives.
3. Visual Aids: Provide participants with paper and markers to create simple visual representations of their experiences and the positive aspects they've identified.

Remember, the goal is to create a safe and supportive environment where participants can openly share their experiences and explore the potential for growth and positivity within challenging situations.

Indoor Team Bonding Ideas to Boost Morale

3. Purpose Mingle- Contribution Connection
Time: 1 - 2 minutes
Number of Participants: Any
Tools Needed: None

Rules:

1. Preparation: Before the meeting, inform participants about the upcoming team-building activity and its purpose.
2. Purpose Mingle:
   • As participants arrive for the meeting, ask them to walk around and have brief conversations with as many people as possible.
   • During these conversations, each participant should share what they intend to contribute to the upcoming meeting. It could be a perspective, an idea, a solution, or a specific contribution they plan to make.
3. Prizes (Optional):
   • To make the activity more engaging, offer a small prize for the person who shares their contribution with the most number of people.
   • Another prize can be given to the participant who effectively delivers on their promised contribution during the meeting.

Objective: The main objective of this activity is to shift participants' focus from personal gains to collaborative contributions, thereby enhancing the overall productivity and engagement during the meeting.

Benefits:

• Collaborative Mindset: Encourages participants to think about how they can contribute positively to the meeting's goals and outcomes.
• Engagement: Promotes active participation and engagement by creating a sense of responsibility for contributing meaningfully.
• Awareness: Helps participants become aware of the various perspectives and ideas that will be brought to the meeting.
• Accountability: The promise of delivering on contributions during the meeting encourages accountability and follow-through.

Variations:

1. Pair Sharing: Instead of mingling, pair up participants and have them share their intended contributions with each other.
2. Contributor's Choice: Allow participants to choose who they share their contribution with, promoting more targeted conversations.
3. Virtual Adaptation: For virtual meetings, participants can share their contributions through chat or a virtual whiteboard tool.

Remember, the goal is to foster a collaborative and productive atmosphere during the meeting, where participants actively contribute to the group's objectives and engage with each other's ideas.

Outdoor Team Building Game

Creative Team Building Games for Workplace Harmony

 4. Scavenger Hunt- Whimsical Scavenger Quest
Time: > 1 hour
Number of Participants: Two or more small groups
Tools Needed: Pen and Paper

Rules:

1. Team Formation: Divide the participants into pairs or groups of more than two individuals. Aim to mix individuals from different teams, departments, or social circles to encourage cross-functional collaboration.
2. Task Assignment:
   • Generate a set of silly, creative, and fun assignments for each team to complete. Assign tasks that involve interacting with people, objects, or spaces in and around the office.
   • Examples of tasks:
     • Take a picture with a stranger, preferably someone wearing a hat.
     • Create a human pyramid with at least three members of your team.
     • Find an object in the office that starts with the letter "Z" and take a picture of it.
     • Strike a pose mimicking a famous artwork.
     • Find the most colorful item in the office and wear it as a hat.
3. Distribution and Deadlines:
   • Hand out the task list to each team along with a clear deadline for completing the tasks.
   • You can also assign different point values to tasks based on their level of difficulty or creativity.
4. Scavenger Hunt:
   • Teams work together to complete the assigned tasks within the given time frame.
   • Teams can strategize, delegate tasks among members, and even collaborate with other teams to complete certain challenges.
5. Scoring and Winner:
   • After the time is up, gather everyone and tally the points based on the completed tasks.
   • The winning team is the one that completes the most tasks and earns the highest total points.

Objective:  This is an excellent team building activity that promotes collaboration among individuals from different teams, departments, or social circles, thereby breaking down office cliques. It can be a fun and engaging scavenger hunt where teams complete various tasks on a list within a given timeframe. Interestingly, we organized our own scavenger hunt using our tool to monitor and manage the tasks.

​Benefits:

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Encourages employees to interact and collaborate with colleagues they may not usually work with.
• Creativity: Challenges participants to think creatively and work together to complete unconventional tasks.
• Problem-Solving: Teams strategize and problem-solve to complete tasks within the given constraints.
• Team Bonding: Builds camaraderie and a sense of unity among participants, enhancing team dynamics.

​Variations:

1. Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Adapt the activity for remote teams by assigning tasks that can be completed within their home environment.
2. Themed Scavenger Hunt: Create a theme for the scavenger hunt, such as a "movie-themed hunt" where participants act out scenes from popular films.
3. Photo Sharing: Teams can share their completed task photos on a shared platform for a fun recap and celebration.

Engage Your Employees with These Group Exercises

5. Human Knot
Time: 15 - 30 minutes
Number of Participants: 8 - 20 people
Tools Needed: None

Rules:

1. Circle Formation: Gather participants in a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder and facing each other.
2. Hand Holding:
   • Ask each participant to extend their right hand and grab the hand of a different person across the circle.
   • Instruct them to extend their left hand and grasp the hand of another person, making sure they are not holding the hand of someone next to them.
3. Untangling the Knot:
   • Explain that the goal is to untangle the human knot of arms without releasing their hands.
   • Participants must communicate, cooperate, and strategize to figure out how to untangle themselves.
4. Time Limit:
   • Set a time limit for the group to solve the human knot. This can vary depending on the size and dynamics of the group.
5. Debrief and Reflection:
   • After the activity, gather the group and discuss their experience. Encourage them to share insights on communication strategies, problem-solving approaches, and teamwork dynamics.

Objective: The main objective of this activity is to enhance communication skills, foster collaboration, and encourage creative problem-solving within the group.

Benefits:

• Communication: Participants need to communicate effectively and actively listen to each other in order to untangle the knot.
• Teamwork: Requires cooperation and collaboration as participants work together to find a solution.
• Problem-Solving: Encourages creative thinking to find the most efficient way to untangle the knot.
• Bonding: Creates a lighthearted and memorable experience that participants can reminisce about.

​Variations:

1. Blindfolded Challenge: Blindfold participants while they're forming the human knot to increase the difficulty and reliance on communication.
2. Time Competition: Divide participants into smaller teams and set a time limit for each team to untangle their knots. The team that untangles the fastest wins.
3. Scalability: For larger groups, form multiple circles and have them compete against each other to add a competitive element.

Remember, the primary goal is to create a fun and engaging experience that highlights the importance of effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. This activity can be a great icebreaker or energizer for groups of varying sizes.

6. The Perfect Square- Square of Communication
Time: 15 - 30 minutes
Number of Participants: 5 - 20 people
Tools Needed: Long piece of rope tied together and a blindfold for each person

Rules:

1. Circle Formation: Gather participants in a circle, making sure they are all holding a section of the long rope. The rope should be arranged in a random shape on the ground.
2. Blindfolding Participants:
   • Distribute a blindfold to each participant and have them put it on, ensuring they cannot see.
3. Creating the Square:
   • Instruct participants to take a few steps back from the circle while maintaining their grip on the rope.
   • Explain that the goal is to return to the rope, communicate with each other (while blindfolded), and collaborate to form a perfect square with the rope.
4. Time Limit and Challenge:
   • Set a time limit for the activity to add a sense of challenge and urgency.
   • For an additional challenge, designate a few team members to remain silent during the activity.
5. Debrief and Reflection:
   • After the activity, gather the group and discuss their experience. Encourage them to share insights on the communication strategies used, the challenges faced, and the role of leadership in guiding the group.

Objective: The main objective of this activity is to highlight the importance of effective communication, teamwork, and leadership in achieving a common goal.

Benefits:

• Communication: Participants experience firsthand the challenges of communicating effectively while blindfolded, emphasizing the need for clear and concise instructions.
• Teamwork: Requires collaboration and cooperation as participants work together to create a square.
• Leadership: Participants can identify emergent leaders who step up to guide the team.
• Trust: By including silent team members, trust is built as others rely on their guidance without being able to question their decisions.

Variations:

1. Different Shapes: Instead of a square, challenge participants to form other shapes, like a triangle or a circle, to add variety to the activity.
2. Multiple Rounds: Run several rounds with different objectives, such as creating a shape while avoiding obstacles on the ground.
3. Obstacle Course: Set up an obstacle course for participants to navigate while blindfolded and holding the rope.

7. The Mine Field- Navigating the Minefield

Time: 15 - 30 minutes
Number of Participants: 4 - 10 people (even numbers)
Tools Needed: Various handheld objects, several blindfolds

Rules:

1. Setup:
   • Place various handheld objects randomly across an open space, creating a "minefield."
   • Divide participants into pairs. Each pair will consist of a "guide" and a "blindfolded navigator."
2. Blindfolded Navigators:
   • Ask one person from each pair to put on a blindfold, becoming the blindfolded navigator.
   • Blindfolded navigators cannot see, and they are not allowed to speak during the activity.
3. Guides:
   • The other person in each pair becomes the guide.
   • Guides stand outside the minefield and use only verbal instructions to guide their blindfolded partner from one side of the open space to the other, avoiding the "mines" (objects) on the ground.
4. Navigation:
   • The guide's role is to provide clear and concise instructions to the blindfolded navigator, helping them avoid stepping on the objects.
   • The blindfolded navigator must actively listen and trust the instructions to navigate through the minefield.
5. Route Variations:
   • To increase the difficulty, you can create specific routes that the blindfolded players must follow.
   • You can also set a time limit for completing the task, adding an element of challenge and competition.

Objective: The primary objective of this activity is to build trust, enhance communication skills, and promote active listening between partners.

Benefits:

• Trust Building: Blindfolded participants learn to trust their partners' guidance, highlighting the importance of mutual reliance.
• Communication: Guides practice clear and effective communication, while navigators experience the value of attentive listening.
• Teamwork: Partners collaborate to successfully navigate through the minefield, fostering a sense of teamwork.
• Problem-Solving: Participants strategize on how to maneuver through the obstacles, promoting critical thinking.

Variations:

1. Obstacle Complexity: Vary the size, shape, and arrangement of the objects in the minefield to change the level of difficulty.
2. Silent Communication: Allow guides to use non-verbal cues (claps, taps) instead of verbal instructions.
3. Role Reversal: After a round, have participants switch roles to experience both sides of the activity.

8. The Egg Drop
Time: 1 - 2 hours
Number of Participants: Two or more small groups
Tools Needed: Assorted office supplies

Rules:

1. Team Formation:
   • Divide participants into teams of three to five individuals. Make sure each team has a designated workspace.
2. Supplies and Egg Distribution:
   • Provide each team with an uncooked egg.
   • Create a pile of assorted office supplies (tape, pencils, straws, plastic utensils, packing material, newspapers, rubber bands, etc.) for teams to use in creating their contraptions.
3. Design and Construction:
   • Explain that the goal is to design a contraption that will prevent the egg from breaking when dropped from a height.
   • Give teams 15 to 30 minutes to brainstorm, plan, and construct their egg contraption using the provided supplies.
4. Testing the Contraptions:
   • Designate a location for dropping the egg contraptions from a height. The second or third floor of your building can work well.
   • Each team takes turns dropping their egg contraption from the designated height.
5. Evaluation:
   • After each drop, carefully examine the egg to determine if it has survived intact or broken.
   • Encourage teams to share their design strategies, challenges faced, and lessons learned during the activity.

Objective: The primary objective of this activity is to promote creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and hands-on learning through the design and construction of egg contraptions.

Benefits:

• Creativity: Teams must think creatively to design a contraption that will protect the egg.
• Problem-Solving: Participants face the challenge of engineering a solution with limited resources.
• Teamwork: Teams collaborate to design, construct, and test their egg contraptions.
• Learning: Participants learn from both their successes and failures in the egg drop process.

Variations:

1. Height Variation: Adjust the dropping height to make the challenge more or less difficult.
2. Limited Supplies: Give each team a set amount of supplies to add an extra layer of challenge.
3. Themed Egg Drop: Assign a theme or scenario for the egg drop challenge, such as creating a contraption for a space landing or a deep-sea dive.

Ice Breaker Games

9. The Barter Puzzle- Puzzle Exchange Quest
Time: 1 - 2 hours
Number of Participants: Four or more small groups
Tools Needed: Different jigsaw puzzles for each group

Rules:

1. Team Formation:
   • Divide participants into small teams of equal size.
   • Provide each team with a jigsaw puzzle of the same difficulty level.
2. Jigsaw Puzzle Preparation:
   • Mix up some of the pieces from each team's puzzle with pieces from other teams' puzzles. Make sure to keep track of which pieces belong to which puzzle.
3. Puzzle Completion Challenge:
   • Explain that the goal is for each team to complete their jigsaw puzzle as quickly as possible.
   • Teams must strategize, collaborate, and use problem-solving skills to put together their puzzle.
4. Missing Pieces Twist:
   • Reveal that some pieces have been mixed up with other teams' puzzles.
   • Teams must find a way to retrieve their missing pieces from other teams.
5. Negotiation and Exchange:
   • Encourage teams to negotiate, trade, and collaborate to retrieve their missing pieces.
   • Teams can exchange team members, puzzle pieces, or use creative tactics to complete their puzzle.
6. Time Limit:
   • Set a time limit for completing the entire puzzle, including the negotiation and exchange phase.
7. Completion and Reflection:
   • Once teams complete their puzzles, gather everyone and discuss the strategies used, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Objective: The primary objective of this activity is to promote problem-solving, teamwork, negotiation, and collaboration among participants.

Benefits:

• Problem-Solving: Teams must strategize to complete their puzzle and find missing pieces.
• Collaboration: Encourages teams to work together and collaborate with other teams to achieve a common goal.
• Negotiation Skills: Participants develop negotiation and persuasive communication skills.
• Decision-Making: Teams must make decisions together and reach a consensus before taking action.

Variations:

1. Team Sizes: Adjust team sizes and the number of puzzles to accommodate different group sizes.
2. Puzzle Themes: Use puzzles with different themes or images to add variety.
3. Competition: Introduce a competitive element by awarding a prize to the team that completes their puzzle first.

 

10. Truth and Lies- Fact or Fiction
Time: 10 - 15 minutes
Number of Participants: Five or more people
Tools Needed: None

Rules:

1. Circle Formation:
   • Participants sit in a circle, ensuring they can easily see and hear each other.
2. Sharing Facts:
   • Explain that each participant will take turns sharing four statements about themselves: three true facts and one false fact.
   • The false fact should be believable and not too obvious.
3. Guessing Game:
   • After each participant shares their facts, the rest of the group takes turns guessing which statement is the false one.
   • Give a moment for everyone to make their guesses before revealing the false fact.
4. Revealing the False Fact:
   • The person who shared their facts reveals which statement was the false one and explains their reasoning behind the choices they made.
5. Rotation:
   • Continue around the circle until everyone has had a chance to share their facts.

Objective: The main objective of this activity is to promote team bonding, active listening, and understanding by sharing personal facts and challenging assumptions.

Benefits:

• Icebreaker: Helps break the ice and create a relaxed atmosphere for sharing.
• Active Listening: Participants must pay attention to details and remember facts shared by others.
• Empathy: Participants gain insights into each other's experiences and backgrounds.
• Bias Reduction: Helps reduce biases and assumptions by revealing shared experiences and unique traits.

Variations:

1. Team Building: Divide participants into smaller teams and have each team share their facts within their group.
2. Theme Variation: Choose a specific theme for the facts, such as "travel experiences" or "hobbies," to add a focused element.
3. Two Truths and a Lie: For a shorter version, each participant shares only two true facts and one false fact.

Remember, the goal is to create an inclusive and open environment where participants can share about themselves, get to know each other better, and break down barriers that may exist among team members. This activity can be a lighthearted and engaging way to foster camaraderie and understanding within the team. 

11. Blind Drawing
Time: 10 - 15 minutes
Number of Participants: Two or more people
Tools Needed: A picture, pen, and paper

Rules:

1. Pair Formation:
   • Divide participants into pairs.
2. Back-to-Back Setup:
   • Have each pair sit back-to-back so that they cannot see each other's drawings or pictures.
3. Materials Distribution:
   • Provide one person in each pair with a pen and a piece of paper.
   • Give the other person a picture.
4. Describing the Picture:
   • Instruct the person with the picture to describe it to their partner without revealing what the picture depicts.
   • For example, if the picture is of a sunflower, they might describe it as "a yellow circle with long, slender petals radiating outward."
5. Drawing Based on Description:
   • The person with the pen and paper should listen carefully to the description and attempt to draw what they think the picture represents based on the verbal explanation.
6. Completion and Comparison:
   • After the allotted time, have both partners turn around to face each other.
   • Compare the original picture with the drawn representation to see how accurate the interpretation was.
7. Discussion and Reflection:
   • Facilitate a discussion where participants share their experiences, challenges, and observations during the activity.

Objective: The primary objective of this activity is to highlight the importance of effective communication and interpretation in achieving a shared goal.

Benefits:

• Communication: Participants learn to communicate with clarity and precision to convey information accurately.
• Interpretation: Participants develop the skill of interpreting information and translating it into a visual representation.
• Empathy: Participants gain insights into the challenges of conveying and interpreting information.

Variations:

1. Group Drawing: Instead of pairs, have small groups take turns describing and drawing a single picture together.
2. Chained Communication: Form a line of participants, where each person sees the previous person's drawing and attempts to describe it to the next person.
3. Theme Variation: Use pictures with specific themes (e.g., animals, landmarks, objects) to add variety.

Remember, the goal is to create an interactive and thought-provoking experience that emphasizes the significance of effective communication and interpretation. This activity can lead to interesting discussions about perception, clarity, and the challenges of conveying information accurately.

12. This is Better Than That
Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Number of Participants: Any
Tools Needed: Four or more objects

Rules:

1. Team Formation:
   • Divide participants into teams of equal size, ensuring each team has a mix of members.
2. Object Selection:
   • Select four or more different objects that are unrelated to the scenario. For example, a rubber duck, a flashlight, a spoon, and a scarf.
3. Scenario Introduction:
   • Introduce a challenging scenario to each team. The scenario can be related to survival, problem-solving, creativity, or even a fictional adventure.
   • For example, "Your team is stranded on a remote island, and you need to find a way to signal for help and stay warm."
4. Ranking Objects:
   • Explain that each team's task is to rank the provided objects based on their usefulness in the given scenario.
   • Teams must collaborate and discuss the potential applications of each object.
5. Explanations and Presentations:
   • After ranking the objects, each team presents their ranking to the larger group.
   • Teams should provide reasoning behind their choices, explaining how each object could contribute to solving the scenario.
6. Discussion and Reflection:
   • Facilitate a discussion about the different approaches taken by each team and the creative solutions they came up with.

Objective: The main objective of this activity is to promote creative problem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration within teams.

Benefits:

• Creative Thinking: Encourages participants to think creatively about the potential uses of everyday objects.
• Teamwork: Teams collaborate to brainstorm and rank objects based on their potential contributions.
• Decision-Making: Teams must make informed decisions and justify their choices based on the scenario's requirements.

Variations:

1. Time Variation: Allow teams a limited time to rank the objects to add an element of urgency.
2. Competitive Element: Turn the activity into a competition by awarding points for creative and practical solutions.
3. Role Play: Instead of explaining the scenario, have teams act out the scenario and demonstrate how they would use the objects.

Remember, the goal is to foster a collaborative environment where participants can showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills. This activity encourages teams to think outside the box and consider multiple perspectives to solve complex challenges.

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