38 Amazing Team Building Activities Your Employees Will Love (+How to Play)

Team building activities have now become an essential part of company culture. In today’s world, if a business needs to thrive, then the first and foremost requirement is having a culture of teamwork within the organization. When all the employees come together and work in sync, we can say that the business is moving in the right direction.

Anthony Mixides, MD at bond media has shed light on how team-building will play a crucial role is enhancing team dynamics in 2023.

It has been demonstrated that competition increases productivity. Teams can bond more effectively than through other means by channeling their
increased productivity into a fun, inclusive team-building activity. It can
take some time for a team to learn how to work well together, but you’d be
surprised at how quickly teams can gel when there is motivation to succeed.

That is why many organizations are now taking every possible measure that brings team together, and team building activities play a huge role in that process. There are various team-building games like egg drop, office trivia, escape room, etc., that you can organize to bring your teams closer. At the same time, such games can be played with smaller teams.

Hence, to help you strengthen your team collaboration by boosting their trust and confidence in each other, I have listed down the 20 best team-building activities. Further, these activities will also teach skills that your employees can use in their professional and personal lives.

38 Best Team Building Activities For Work That Drive Unity

Whether you are searching ideas for routine team-building activities or planning to celebrate a whole week of team bonding, i.e., spirit week, this list has something for everyone-

1. Blind Drawing

OBJECTIVE: A very popular and effective team-building exercise, this activity is good for small groups. It helps develop communication, interpretation, and leadership skills.

TOOLS: Pen, paper, and pictures. (To save paper, the person describing can have the picture on their phone)

TIME: 10-15 minutes

PARTICIPANTS: Multiple of 2

HOW TO PLAY: Pair people into groups of two and have them sitting back-to-back.Provide one person with a picture and the other with paper and a pen. Ask the person with the picture to describe it to their partner without actually saying what’s in the picture.

For example, The picture shows a “dog eating ice cream.” The person with the picture has to help her partner draw the picture without saying, “dog eating ice cream.”

RESULT: It helps build leadership skills in the person who is directing the person with the pen and paper to draw the picture. The way she gives direction will result in how well the “artist” understands and draws the picture perfectly. It also depends on the communication between the team members and how clearly do they understand and interpret each other.

2. Flip It Over

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to help people working in groups acquire problem-solving, creativity, and strong communication skills.

TOOLS: A tarp or piece of clothing the size of a tablecloth.

TIME: 20 minutes

PARTICIPANTS: 6-10

HOW TO PLAY: A creative game, here you ask a group of 6-10 people to huddle around and stand on top of a tarp. The challenge is that they have to flip the tarp, standing on the other side of the cloth. The only condition is that they can only use their feet! They can’t get off the fabric or let their feet touch the ground.

RESULT: It forces the group to think of creative ways to work as a team and solve the problem without getting off the sheet. This is a great team-building game that urges the team members to make sure no one is getting off the sheet. This ensures that in a non-game situation too, they include everyone in the group and make everyone responsible for reaching the ultimate goal of the task.

3. Winner/Loser

OBJECTIVE: It urges people to look at things from a positive perspective and turn it into a learning experience.

TOOLS: None required

TIME: 10 minutes

PARTICIPANTS: Multiple of 2

HOW TO PLAY: Winner/loser is a great ice breaker game too. Divide employees into groups of two. After this, one of the team members shares a negative life experience with their partner. Now, the other team member retells the same story while highlighting the positive aspects of the experience.

Partners should switch roles after talking about each issue.

RESULT: By the end of the game, each member will have found the silver lining to their life experiences that they probably did not wish to relive. This will teach them to view the hardships of life (both professional and personal) from a positive perspective and learn from it.

4. Mystery Dinner

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to let employees get out of their comfort zone and work as a team. It also helps with working with new team members.

TOOLS: Restaurant/ home

TIME: 1-2 hours

PARTICIPANTS: 8-10

HOW TO PLAY: Conducted exclusively at Hubspot, this fun game is an excellent example of team bonding. What you have to do is that on a single night, you have to invite a group of people from different teams to dinner at a restaurant or someone’s place. The company will incur expenses.

The mystery is that before the dinner, employees are only informed about the date and time of dinner. Then on the day of the dinner, an email is sent to everyone with the restaurant’s name and who they’ll be going with.

RESULT: It enables people to step out of their comfort zone and meet new people. It helps them to understand the work with other departments and different teams do. In a workplace scenario, it will prepare employees to work with people from diverse teams whom they haven’t met before.

Also, an evening of free food and laughter, who doesn’t love that?

Related article: 10 Best Virtual Team Building Activities for Remote Employees

5. Minefield

OBJECTIVE: Builds trust and collaboration among team members. The nature of the game also focuses on developing communication and active listening.

TOOLS: Numerous soft objects without rough edges (cups, balloons, soft toys), few blindfolds.

TIME: 20-30 minutes

PARTICIPANTS: 10-14

HOW TO PLAY: In an open space, place random objects or “mines” across the floor. Divide people into groups of two and put the blindfold on one of them. The other person has to direct his partner to go from one side of the space to the other without stepping on any objects. The person executing can only give verbal directions, and the blindfolded one cannot speak at all.

Hold the competition between 5-6 teams,and the one who reaches the finish line without stepping on any of the “mines” the earliest wins the game.

RESULT: It is a great team-building activity to foster trust between your employees. Because one of the members is blind and cannot talk, he/she has to put his entire trust and confidence into his partner. It is also an excellent activity for people who are not open to collaboration. It also increases concentration and urges your employees to pay attention.

6. Sneak a Peek

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this activity is to understand how individual role plays an essential role in a team’s overall success. Other skills to be developed are problem-solving, strategizing, and sharpening memory.

TOOLS: Building blocks, lego, popsicle sticks.

TIME: 25 – 30 minutes

PARTICIPANTS: 10-20

HOW TO PLAY: Before the activity begins, build a sculpture using blocks and hide it from all the teams. Divide the teams into groups of 2-8 each and provide them with equal but enough building material. Ask one member from each team to come and “sneak a peek” at the sculpture for about 10 seconds. Then they go back to their teams and get 25 seconds to instruct their teams on how to rebuild the same statue.

After 25 seconds, another member from each team is sent to sneak a peek at the sculpture. The process continues until one of the teams successfully builds a replica of the original statue.

RESULT: By the end, the team will realize how every team member’s participation is essential to success. When they work together as a team, new strategies are developed to solve the problem at hand, and the confidence level of each other rises.

7. Human Knot

OBJECTIVE: One of the best team-building activities for work, human knot urges employees to communicate and cooperate. The objective is to solve the problem in a set time, cultivating skills like problem-solving and time management.

TOOLS: No tools required

TIME: 20-30 minutes

PARTICIPANTS: 8-16

HOW TO PLAY: A great exercise for a large group of employees, divide employees into groups of 6-12. Ask them to form a circle facing each other. Tell them to put their right hand in the air and grab someone’s hand from across the circle.

After that, ask everyone to put out their left hand and grab someone’s hand from the circle. Set a timer for them and ask them to untangle the “knot” within the specified time. The first one to unravel wins.

RESULT: The teams work to think of creative ways to complete the activity within a fixed period. This enables them to organize their work in a way that teaches them to get the work done on time.

8. Scavenger Hunt

OBJECTIVE: A classic example of team building, a scavenger hunt is great for team bonding. The objective is to build a sense of teamwork and camaraderie among employees. Other skills that can be acquired are problem-solving and strategizing.

TIME: More than 1 hour

TOOLS: Mobile phones, pens, and paper.

PARTICIPANTS: 8-12

HOW TO PLAY: Divide employees into groups of 4 or more. Assign groups with a fun list of items with different point values assigned for each task. Set a time limit to complete them.

These activities can range from taking selfies with strangers, quiz questions about the company, preparing a dish with ingredients available in the break room. You can also design a treasure hunt that you can space around the area near your office.

RESULT: Scavenger hunts are a great and effective way to get people to interact and collaborate. It encourages people to think of creative ways and to think “outside the box.”

9. Birthday Line Up

OBJECTIVE: This simple team-building exercise instills qualities like leadership, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

TIME: 10-12 minutes

TOOLS: None required

PARTICIPANTS: 12-20

HOW TO PLAY: Pair participants into teams of 8-12 and ask them to stand side-by-side. Now ask them to stand in order of their birthday (month and day). The catch to this simple game is that employees have to complete the entire task without talking to each other. They must use signs and symbols to get into order.

The team which is able to get into order successfully the earliest wins.

RESULT: This game is highly effective if you want to foster great communication and interpretation among your employees. Consequently, it also gives every employee to hone their leadership skills while giving out directions to their team members on how to solve the task.

10. What’s My Name

OBJECTIVE: Gets people to interact with colleagues they haven’t met before. The purpose of this game is to make people aware of how they stereotype and categorize people based on characteristics.

TIME: 20-30 minutes

TOOLS: Post-it notes/ sticky notes, pen

PARTICIPANTS: 20-25

HOW TO PLAY: Write the names of famous personalities (celebrities), characters (comics, cartoons), or professions (football, swimming, golf) on sticky or post-it notes. Place the note on each person’s forehead but don’t tell them who they’ll represent.

After this, ask them to go around the room and mingle with people to ask and answer questions. They have to treat each other stereotypically based on the label that they have been tagged with.

RESULT: The game highlights how people treat us and we treat them based on stereotypes, and characteristics. It is also a great ice breaker game for people who haven’t met yet to interact and get to know each other.

Similar Articles: List Of Best Icebreaker Questions For Work

11. Barter Puzzle

OBJECTIVE: Develops several skills like strategy, negotiation, problem-solving. It also tests your employees’ communication and leadership skills.

TIME: 45 minutes-1 hour

TOOLS: Jigsaw puzzles

PARTICIPANTS: 10-12

HOW TO PLAY: Split people into groups of four or less. Give every group a different jigsaw puzzle with the same difficulty level. The catch of this game is that some pieces of the puzzle will be mixed at random with puzzles of other groups.

Their task is to complete their puzzle by negotiating, trading, or bartering team members or puzzle pieces with other teams. However they do it, the group must arrive at a consensus before making any decisions. The team who completes their puzzle first wins this team-building activity.

RESULT: This game will focus mainly on how well do teams work together. Because there has to complete agreement before making every decision, this activity will give room to robust communication, discussions, and diverse strategies. This will ensure communication and cooperation. In addition, a barter puzzle will advance your employees’ negotiation as well as workplace communication skills.

12. Two Truths And A Lie

OBJECTIVE: To challenge preconceived judgments, help introverts mingle with others, and just get to know each other.

TIME: 15-30 minutes

TOOLS: None required

PARTICIPANTS: 8-12

HOW TO PLAY: To make the game enjoyable, conduct the game with at least 8-10 people. Sit them around in a circle facing each other. Ask everyone to state three facts about themselves out of which one has to be a lie. The rest of the people have to figure out which one is the lie and which two the facts.

RESULT: This game has no winner or loser. It’s just a fun activity to make people realize how their judgment can be completely wrong. It shows employees who they shouldn’t judge peers based on what they think about them or what they may have heard about them. Moreover, it also gives introverts a platform to share their stories and meet new people.

Recommended Read: 6 Proven Types of Team-Building Every Company Must Explore

13. Frostbite

OBJECTIVE: Tests leadership, communication and tries to build trust between team members.

TIME: 45 minutes

TOOLS: An outdoor place is best for this activity. Other materials required are thick cardboard boxes or two-person tents, tape, staplers, and blindfolds.

PARTICIPANTS: 4-5

HOW TO PLAY: A situation-based game, divide people into groups of 4-5. Explain to them that they are explorers lost in the Arctic ocean and need to build a shelter to survive. However, the team leader suffers from frostbite and can’t move physically to help make the shelter. The rest of the team has also been struck by snow blindness and therefore, must be blindfolded.

The challenge is that teams must build the shelter while keeping their blindfold on. The team leader can’t participate physically but needs to direct the team verbally in helping to make the tent.

The first one to build the shelter successfully wins.

RESULT: The team that wins will only be able to do that if they have complete faith in their team leader. In a workplace scenario, teams must learn to trust and carry out their leader’s judgment. For the person in charge of leading, it helps him/her to direct members with authority. They can only do that when they can earn their teams’ trust and confidence.

Moreover, since this game relies heavily on communication, the leader will also learn to direct the teams with clarity and precision.

14. Helium Stick

OBJECTIVE: A great team-building exercise that aims to enhance teamwork and communication among mid-sized groups.

TIME: 15-20 minutes

TOOLS: A light-weight bamboo or plastic cane

PARTICIPANTS: 8-10

HOW TO PLAY: This game can be conducted with 8-10 people. Ask the team to split into two groups and stand facing each other. Ask them to hold their arms out in front of them and point their index fingers.

Lay the cane down on their fingers.

The stick has to be horizontal, and everybody’s index fingers must be touching the cane at all times.

The challenge is to lower the stick to the ground without dropping it and touching it only with the index finger. Teams will be disqualified if any team member tries to hold it with any other finger or removes their index finger.

RESULT: This task can be accomplished only if teams have complete cooperation among themselves. Other outcomes that can be achieved are problem-solving in a group, communication, and leadership.

15. Memory Wall

OBJECTIVE: This game is meant to make everyone feel appreciated and recognized.

TIME: 60-90 minutes

TOOLS: Sheets of paper, tape, and markers/pens.

PARTICIPANTS: 10-30

HOW TO PLAY: Provide everyone with a sheet of paper and pens/markers. Give them 20 minutes to survey the room and list down the positive memories with the people present in the room. These can be shared experiences, a project they worked on together, or a learning experience.

Once they have listed down the memories, give them new sheets of paper. Ask them to make drawings of the memories they have listed down. They can team up with the person they have shared the memory with to recreate these images. Give them 30 minutes to complete this task.

After this, members have to tape their memories to the wall. Ask them to come forward and share the memory with the rest of the group.

RESULT: It’ll bring back positive and happy memories your teams might have shared in the past. The “visual memory wall” will improve camaraderie and reestablish positive relationships between employees.

16. Tied Together

OBJECTIVE: To get employees to focus on teamwork, problem-solving, and listen to each other’s opinions.

TIME: 20 minutes

TOOLS: Shoelaces, cloth strips, or zip ties.

PARTICIPANTS: 10-12

HOW TO PLAY: Make all the participants stand in a circle facing inwards. Ask them to hold out their hands to their sides and tie them with their neighbor’s hand. Alternatively, you can also tie ankles. Once everyone is tied up together, present them tasks that they must complete in a set time.

Here are some ideas-

• Wrap a present
• Build a bridge
• Pour a cup of water for everyone in the room
• Group walk (if the ankles are tied together)
• Build a lego structure

RESULT: Some outcomes of this activity will be goal setting, leadership, collaboration, active listening, and problem-solving.

17. Perfect Square

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to practice leadership and arriving at decisions with a consensus.

TIME: 15 minutes

TOOLS: Blindfolds and rope.

PARTICIPANTS: 5-8

HOW TO PLAY: Everyone needs to stand in a circle with the rope in their hands. Once the circle is formed, ask them to put the string on the floor. Then they must put their blindfolds on and take five steps backward. The activity is to create a square with this rope while keeping their blindfolds on. In the end, participants can take their blindfolds off and check the result.

To make the challenge harder, you can ask them to make shapes other than squares.

RESULT: Teams that win will possess skills like communication, planning, and outstanding leadership.

18. Suddenly

OBJECTIVE: To get team members to think on their feet when new developments or problems suddenly arise in a project.

TIME: 25-30 minutes

TOOLS: None required

PARTICIPANTS: 5 or more

HOW TO PLAY: Ask everyone to gather in a circle. Start the game by narrating the first three lines of any story. After the three sentences, you have to say “suddenly,” and the person sitting next to you must continue.
He/she will make up another three sentences of the story on the spot and pass it on to the next person.

RESULT: It will get everyone thinking and getting creative. Some wacky and wondrous versions of stories might come out.

19. Lost At Sea

OBJECTIVE: This game tests whether teams can share resources equally, arrive at a consensus in the most stressful situations.

TIME: 30-45 minutes

TOOLS: ‘Lost at sea’ charts and pens.

PARTICIPANTS: Minimum 5

HOW TO PLAY: Give them the backstory to the challenge first. Explain to them that they are five friends lost at sea (Antarctic or similar) with only one lifeboat. Most of their resources have drowned, but they have somehow managed to save 15 items. These 15 items are vital for their survival.

The challenge is for them to rank these 15 items in order of importance. They must place rank 1 to an essential item, 2 to the next most important item, and so on.

Now, provide each member with a ‘lost at sea’ chart. The facilitator can divide this chart into six columns.

The 1st column will be a listing of the items in random order.

The 2nd column will have spaces against each item for the participant to give his/her personal ranking.

The 3rd column will again have empty spaces for teams to provide their rankings. The 4th column will have the correct orders (provided by the US coast guard). The 5th column will be to calculate the difference between the individual and the correct score.

The final column will calculate the difference between the team rankings and the correct rankings.

In the end, there will be two separate rows to calculate the individual and the team’s total score.

The team with the lowest total score wins the game.

Provide 10 minutes to individual members to rank the items. The next 10 minutes will be given to teams to confer and decide on the importance of items. Teams then must compare the teams’ scores with everybody’s score. They must discuss with team members the reason for the difference in scores.

RESULT: This is a game that relies heavily on communication and active listening. Sometimes, an individual’s perspective can be more correct than the group’s collective approach. Therefore, the most important learning of this team-building activity is to ensure that every individual’s opinion is heard.

20. Blindfold Challenge

OBJECTIVE: To build trust, active communication, and collaboration among team members.

TIME: 30-45 minutes

TOOLS: A basket, blindfolds, and blunt objects like paper cups, water bottles, index cards, shoes, etc.

PARTICIPANTS: 5-20

HOW TO PLAY: In an outdoor or medium-sized indoor space, place the objects. Outline the space inside which the objects have been placed. Put a basket in the center of the space and spread out the objects around it.

Divide participants into two groups of equal members. Take note that the number of objects is always twice the number of members in a team.

Make both teams stand on opposite sides of the area. Ask them to choose one volunteer from each team to be blindfolded for the game. Put the blindfolds on both the volunteers.

After the blindfolds have been put, teams need to call out objects for their teams. Then the game begins.

The volunteer for each team has to pick up the objects called out by their team and put them in the basket in the center. Fix a time limit for this challenge (2-3 minutes). However, team members cannot call out objects by its name. They have to describe the object to their volunteer.

For example- a water bottle can’t be called by its name but described as a container, must-have drink in summer and so on.

The team that first gets all of its objects into the basket wins.

RESULT: It paves the way for employees to be more creative, think on their feet, and force them to work together. It focuses on building clear and precise communication among teams.

21. Mafia

OBJECTIVE: To improve team bonding, mutual understanding, and trust between teammates.

TIME: 40-60 minutes.

TOOLS: A deck of cards to determine the role of teammates.

PARTICIPANTS: 8-12

HOW TO PLAY: At the start of the game, the main narrator or coordinator will hand out cards randomly that will designate the role of each individual. The cards include-

Ace Card: Anyone who gets an Ace card is a Mafia member. Their main job is to eliminate the townspeople and win the game without getting eliminated themselves.

King Card: Individuals with the King card get the role of becoming police. Their main objective is to find the real Mafia and vote him out with the townspeople’s help. They need to keep their identities secret so that the Mafia does not figure them out and eliminate them first.

Queen Card: Anyone who gets the Queen card receives the role of the doctor. The part of the doctor serves the purpose of protecting the people during the night. They can be selfish as well and choose to defend themselves at night.

Other Cards: The remaining cards will be the role of the townspeople. Their objective is to find the Mafia and eliminate the person with good decision-making and coordination during the daytime.

Arrange the players in a circle while the narrator walks outside the circle to supervise the game. The narrator then gives certain commands to the players on each “day.” The cycle usually involves nighttime, daytime, and daytime voting.

1. Nighttime

To play this game start with the nighttime. During the nighttime, the narrator commands the players in the following command-

• It is nighttime, everyone, please go to sleep. (Heads down and eyes closed)

• Mafia, please wake up. (The mafia or mafias open their eyes and choose the target they want to eliminate. The narrator takes a note of the person.)

• Mafia, please go to sleep.

• Police, please wake up. (The designated individuals will open their eyes and point out the suspect they think is the Mafia. The narrator quietly shakes their head to indicate whether the person is the real mafia.)

• Police, please go to sleep.

• Doctor, please wake up and choose the person you’d like to protect. (If the doctor is still alive, they will choose the person they would like to save for the day.)

• Doctor, please go to sleep.

• It’s morning, everyone. Please wake up.

2. Daytime

During the daytime, the narrator announces the person that the Mafia chose to eliminate. Until and unless the doctor decides the right person to save, they have to leave the circle. The person has to remain quiet for the remainder of the game and observe how things unfold.

3. Daytime Voting

The townspeople, along with the Mafia (the imposter) and the police, nominate and vote out the people they suspect are the Mafia. The nominated person may defend themselves and plead their innocence. The person receiving more than 50% of the votes is eliminated, and the cycle then continues. At the end of the game, if the mafia eliminates all the townspeople along with the police and doctor, they win the game or vice versa.

RESULT: This particular game is quite interesting and challenging at the same time. It builds understanding between team members and develops critical thinking. The game also helps the teams to become more strategic with their approach and enhances their decision-making skills.

22. Team Emblem

OBJECTIVE: To get team members to reflect on their greatest strengths as a team.

TIME: 30 minutes or more

TOOLS: Square cloths, acrylic/watercolors, markers, cardboard, and tape

PARTICIPANTS: Smaller teams of 3-5

HOW TO PLAY: Divide the team into small groups for this team bonding exercise. Each team must then collaborate to create an emblem, flag, or shield that represents what their team stands for and their identity.

RESULT: This fun game is relaxing, encourages employees to express their creativity, and aids team members in practicing open communication.

23. Coin Logo

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to test a groups’ innovative thinking and personal awareness

TIME: 5-10 minutes

TOOLS: Coins, notebooks, Pens, Pencils, etc.

PARTICIPANTS: Can be played into teams of 3-6 people.

HOW TO PLAY: Ask the participants to empty their pockets, wallets, etc. of any coins and place them on the table. Instruct them to create their own personal logo using the coins in front of them in one minute. If you have a large group of participants then split them into a group of 3 and ask them to do the same.

Once they are done with their logo ask them what the logo says about them.

RESULT: The coin logo activity tests the creativity of individuals and their ability to collaborate in a team. It also enables employees to become self-aware of their personality within the organization.

24. Sell It!

OBJECTIVE: Sell It is one of those team-building games that are perfect for sales or marketing-oriented teams.

TIME: 30 minutes or more

TOOLS: Regular objects

PARTICIPANTS: 5-10 employees

HOW TO PLAY: To play this game, ask each team member to pick up any nearby object.

Explain to each employee that once they have the item in their hands, they will have to try to sell it to the other team members.

Set a 5-minute timer for members to prepare a pitch for why the other team members need to buy that item. They can set their own prices and have one minute to present a sales pitch and one minute to answer questions.

After everyone on the team has pitched, ask everyone to vote on which pitch they believe was the best of all. The pitch with the highest number of votes will win!

RESULT: Playing “Sell It” is a fun way for team members to showcase their presentation, negotiation, creative thinking, and communication skills. It can serve as a team-building exercise as well as a personal development activity.

25. Spectrum Mapping

OBJECTIVE: Unearth the diverse perspectives of a team and value the different opinions of each individual.

TIME: 30-60 minutes.

TOOLS: Whiteboard and sticky notes.

PARTICIPANTS: 5-15

HOW TO PLAY: To begin the game of spectrum mapping, start by proposing a problem on the whiteboard. Now ask the employees to write down their solutions in the sticky notes provided to them. Map each solution in the whiteboard as a spectrum or with the help of different factors like soft to aggressive, safe to risky, etc.

Use the sticky notes and mark the position on the whiteboard based on the answers. Group similar solutions together. This will help you identify the solutions that the members of the group find ideal.

RESULT: This activity allows the employees to explore different ideas and understand different perspectives. Furthermore, it pushes team members to think beyond the box in order to achieve long-term success.

26. Charades

OBJECTIVE: Charades is an extremely familiar, easy, and fun ice breaker that will be ideal for introducing new hires to the rest of the team.

TIME: No limit

TOOLS: Paper chits

PARTICIPANTS: Small groups of 3-5 people each

HOW TO PLAY: Before you dismiss this as too cliched, you can add your own “office twist” to it by replacing movie titles with common office jargon.

Step 1: Divide the team into smaller groups of 3-5 employees.

Step 2: The other team selects a player from one of the teams. The chosen player selects a chit that their team is unaware of.

Step 3: The player attempts to convey the title of the film to their teammates by acting. But speaking or pointing out any objects is against the rules.

Step 4: If their team correctly guesses the title of the film, they win a point. If not, the opposing team gains a point.

Step 5: Continue with the steps (1-4). The team with the most points wins the game.

RESULT: Charades is a fun, old-fashioned game that encourages nonverbal communication skills. It encourages team members to better understand one another and to learn to express themselves more clearly.

27. Back of the Napkin

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this team-building activity is to test the problem-solving ability and innovativeness of a team.

TIME: 10-20 minutes

TOOLS: Tissue and pen.

Participants- 6-24(divided into teams of 3-4)

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Divide all the participants into teams of 2-4 players. The ideal scenario would be to group players who have not worked together before.

2. Come up with a bunch of open-ended questions or problems. These problems can be related to your business, a new product, or a generic one.

3. Give them a napkin and a pen.

4. Ask the teams to come up with the solution to the given problem(s). Evaluate all the solutions and pick the best one as the winner.

RESULT: This particular team-building exercise encourages out-of-the-box thinking while trying to improve decision-making abilities. Moreover, it also tests the unity and understanding of a team within the organization.

28. Salt N Pepper

OBJECTIVE: Sell It is one of those team-building games that are perfect for sales or marketing-oriented teams.

TIME: Approximately 15-30 minutes

TOOLS: Tape, pens, pieces of paper

PARTICIPANTS: 10-15 employees

HOW TO PLAY:

Step 1: Compile a set of famous pairings. Think salt and pepper, Popeye and spinach, or macaroni and cheese.

Step 2: Separate the pairs and write only one of them on each sheet of paper—for instance, salt on one paper and pepper on the other.

Step 3: Tape one piece of paper to the back of each team member, making sure the rest of the team cannot see it.

Step 4: When the game begins, each team member must walk around asking yes or no questions to discover what word has been taped to their backs.

Step 5: They’ll be able to find their other pair once they figure that out. The two will sit down and reveal three to five interesting facts about each other.

RESULT: Playing “Sell It” is a fun way for team members to showcase their presentation, negotiation, creative thinking, and communication skills. It can serve as a team-building exercise as well as a personal development activity.

29. Magazine Story

OBJECTIVE: A great team-building activity that is full of fun and creative thinking. It aims to boost team cohesion and collaboration of a team while encouraging them to think bigger.

TIME: 60-90 minutes

TOOLS: Markers, pens, cardboard, paper.

PARTICIPANTS: Any.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Divide the participants into a group of 3-6 players and ask them to create a magazine story about the organization or any related project.

2. Provide them with a magazine template that includes the magazine cover, cover story headline, quotes from leaders, project highlights, and images.

3. Distribute these templates and hand out the necessary tools they will require to complete the exercise.

4. Choose the best magazine cover and hand out prizes.

(Tip: Make sure the prizes are handy and useful.)

RESULT: The idea of conducting this exercise is to help the teams think big and visualize their future. It is also a powerful activity to motivate employees and help them channel their energy towards a brighter future.

30. Team Birthday Line Up

OBJECTIVE: This team-building game is intended to focus on improving the communication skills of team members.

TIME: 5-10 minutes

TOOLS: None

PARTICIPANTS: 7-10

HOW TO PLAY: Participants must stand side-by-side in line. You will then be asked to stand in a certain order of your birthdays (not considering the year). The challenge is that the members of the group cannot speak. However, you can use non-verbal acting, nudges, and other methods to determine the birthday of each other.

RESULT: This problem-solving game will encourage team members to communicate with everyone and also get to know more about each other. It also encourages people to tap into their creativity.

31. Shark Tank

OBJECTIVE: Remember the famous entrepreneurial TV show “Shark Tank” where you can pitch your ideas in front of the investors or “sharks”? This activity is the exact mock-up of the show that will test team unity and entrepreneur skills. You can play the role of the investor and select the best pitch or business idea.

TIME: 90 minutes.

TOOLS: Whiteboard, markers, or as per requirements of the game.

PARTICIPANTS: Upto 24 people, divided into teams of 2-6 participants.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. The main objective of the game is to let the participants pitch their business ideas and secure investment.

2. Split the participants into a group of 2-6 members. Ask them to come up with their own product and develop a pitch for it. The pitch must be professional and should include-

• Brand name

• Brand tag

• Business plan

• Marketing plan

• Financial data

(Tip: Play clips from the show so that they get the idea of how to pitch.)

3. After coming up with a solid plan, ask them to pitch their idea and present it in front of the investors. Encourage the investors to ask relevant questions and evaluate each team in a realistic manner.

4. The team with the highest investment wins the game.

RESULT: This team-building activity aims to promote leadership qualities, innovative thinking, building confidence, and entrepreneurship among the team members. Moreover, the activity also aims to promote the idea of working together and achieve success with improved collaboration.

32. All Adrift

OBJECTIVE: All Adrift is a great team-building game that allows team members to exercise their decision-making abilities.

TIME: 25-30 minutes

TOOLS: Pen paper, post-it notes.

PARTICIPANTS: Small groups of 3-6 team members.

HOW TO PLAY: The standard scenario in All Adrift is that your boat catches fire, and you must abandon it. You only have a few minutes to gather your belongings. First-aid kits, rope, canned food, bottled water, and other items are some common examples.

Step 1: First, each team should write down the items they would grab from 1-10 in the order of importance for survival.

Step 2: They must then decide and agree on the top ten priorities as a group and fill out the worksheet.

Step 3: Finally, cross-check each team’s list against the scoring sheet (readily available online). The team with the most points is the winner.

RESULT: All Adrift helps you see that you’re more likely to make better decisions as a group than as an individual.

33. Make Your own movie

OBJECTIVE: Making your own movie? Now that is out of the question. But hey, you can enact the same, can’t you? This fun activity aims to bring out the film makes in your employees and help them become more creative.

TIME: 2-8 hours. Make changes at your convenience.

TOOLS: Camera, tripods, microphones. Tools might increase as per requirements.

PARTICIPANTS: Any.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Divide the participants into a team of 8 people(minimum). Ask each team leader to assign responsibilities(screenwriter, cameraman, director, actor, etc.)

2. Ask teams to pick their own theme and let the ideas flow. Instruct them to write a script for a short movie of 6-7 minutes.

3. Provide them with the necessary time to create their film.

4. Appoint judges to evaluate the short films and proceed by handing out prizes to the top picks.

RESULT: This activity might take long hours to complete but it is one of the best exercises to promote creativity and teamwork. Moreover, it also fosters healthier relationships and understanding between team members as they have to make things work in a limited environment.

34. Don’t Smile

OBJECTIVE: “Don’t Smile” can be useful for easing the stress of a new job when onboarding new employees. You can also use this entertaining game to divert team members’ attention away from stressful projects or situations.

TIME: 10-15 minutes

TOOLS: None

PARTICIPANTS: Small groups of 3-6 team members.

HOW TO PLAY: This enjoyable office game is simple to play and takes little time. Request that the team members sit or stand in a circle. After that, have everyone in the group stare at each other for as long as they can without smiling. The person who can keep a straight face the longest wins!

RESULT: Don’t Smile can’t be very helpful in encouraging people to laugh and easing tensions between the rest of the group.

35. Office Trivia

OBJECTIVE: Trivia questions about your workplace is a fun team-building activity that allows employees to know each other well. It helps in improving engagement and creates good bonding in the workplace.

TIME: 30-60 minutes

TOOLS: None.

PARTICIPANTS: Any.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Come up with a list of trivia questions related to the workplace and everyone in the organization. Make sure that the questions are neutral and employee-centric.

2. Write down all the questions and the answers on index cards.

3. Start asking the questions and ask for the right answers.

4. Individuals or teams with the most number of answers win the competition.

RESULT: Office trivia is a great way to promote team bonding and allowing each team member to know each other well. This improves team cohesion, communication, and fosters a friendly company culture.

36. Egg Drop

OBJECTIVE: Egg Drop is the ideal team-building exercise for large groups. It encourages team creativity, innovation, and self-reflection.

TIME: 15-30 minutes

TOOLS: Eggs, straws, duct tape, newspaper, and random objects

PARTICIPANTS: Small groups of 4-5 team members.

HOW TO PLAY: The aim of this activity is for each team to use the given materials as building blocks to make a structure. This building block should be able to keep an egg from breaking when dropped from a certain height.

Step 1: Begin by informing the teams of the time limit and assigning the materials to each time. Once it’s done, you can start the game.

Step 2: Teams will need to collaborate and use the materials to construct a safe structure that will allow their egg to survive a 6″ drop.

Step 3: Stop teams from what they are doing after the specified time.

Step 4: Choose a team to go first, ask one member to climb the step ladder, and then release the egg!

Step 5: Continue until each team has had its turn. The winning team is the one whose egg survives or has suffered the least amount of damage.

RESULT: Egg Drop is a classic game that encourages people to think ahead and make smarter decisions. It also encourages people to reflect on how their choices impacted the final outcome.

37. Buckets and Balls

OBJECTIVE: A classic and old-school game in which teams compete to move balls from one bucket to another without using their hands. It is one of the best ice-breakers to relieves work-related stress. This constraint makes it an engaging activity that requires you to work as a team and delegate duties.

TIME: 20 minutes.

TOOLS: Tape, buckets, and tennis balls.

PARTICIPANTS: 8-24 people.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Set up your field of play and mark your “start” and “finish” lines with the help of masking tape. The distance should be between 10-12 feet apart. Place buckets for each team at either side of these lines. Fill the buckets behind the finish line with tennis balls.

2. Divide the participants into equal-sized teams. Each team should choose a “handler”. The handler has the power to touch the balls with their hands.

3. Ask the teams to take their position behind the starting line. The handler must always stay behind the line. The main objective is that the members have to retrieve the balls from the finish line and get it to the handler without using their hands.

4. The handler can drop the retrieved ball in the teams’ bucket. However, if anyone other than the handler touches the ball with their hand they are disqualified immediately.

5. Keep a time limit of around 5-6 minutes. Start the game at the same time which creates additional chaos and makes communication important.

6. The team that has the most number of balls wins the game at the end of the given time.

RESULT: This is a great team-building activity that aims to improve communication skills, mutual trust, and teamwork between team members. And the great thing about this activity is that it is fun and improves morale in the workplace.

38. Photo Finish

OBJECTIVE: A quick and easy team-building game that requires good coordination between team members. Participants have to walk across the finish line at exactly the same time in a “photo finish.”

TIME: 20 minutes.

TOOLS: A camera.

PARTICIPANTS: 4-20 people.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Create a finish line with the help of masking tape or a rope.

2. Ask the participants to cross the finish line together and at the same time for a photo finish. This will require unity and good coordination to pull it off.

3. Take a photograph each time the participants cross the finish line and cross-check if it qualifies for a photo finish.

4. To increase difficulty ask them to run or fast walk to the finish line. The team that is able to pull it off wins the game.

RESULT: This small but fun game tests the mutual understanding and unity of a team. It looks deceptively simple but it requires good communication between team members to win the game.

This article is written by Shreya Dutta who is a content writer and marketer at Vantage Circle. She is passionate about all things literature and entrepreneurship. To get in touch, reach out to [email protected]