Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

Explanation:

‍Teams build different sections of a complicated Rube Goldberg machine. In-office teams work on physical pieces, and remote workers create virtual sections using online tools.

In-office workers can start by building something physical—like a series of dominoes or a ball rolling down a ramp—while remote workers come up with digital elements (animations or recorded videos of their contraptions). The challenge is to connect these sections into one long, wacky machine that works seamlessly together. Remote workers can submit their videos or ideas, and in-office teammates figure out how to physically incorporate them.

This brings remote and office workers together in a super creative way!

How to play “I expect”

You can kick off a training session and spur engagement with this simple exercise. You’ll need a blank wall and a few colored post-it notes. Break the white board or chalkboard into 4 quadrants and label them “the training”, “the trainer”, “from myself”, and “from attendees”. Each participant should take a turn filling out 4 post-its that begin “I expect”. For example, “I expect from the training to learn how to better resolve customer conflicts.” Everyone should place their sticky notes in the appropriate quadrant. Then the moderator should go through and read them, highlighting which ones are repeated often.

How to play Trade-up game

Negotiation is a crucial part of successful selling, and this game is a great way to practice. The objective is to trade for better objects than what you currently have at hand. Start by passing out basic items such as office stationary, a stapler, or a soda from the fridge. Then, let everyone talk to others and try to trade for something they deem as better. Whoever ends up with the best product wins the game - since obviously they were able to finagle their way into better items. Afterward, it’s a good idea to ask the top players how they performed so well and what negotiation tricks they might share.

Imagine having someone genuinely tuned in when you talk—how cool is that? Active listening is like giving colleagues a comforting nod, making them feel heard and understood. It stops mix-ups and keeps conversations smooth.

Pay close attention to what your colleagues are saying, show genuine interest and ask follow-up questions. Active listening demonstrates that you value their input and perspective.

Active listening activity - Story swap:

• Divide participants into pairs.
• One person shares a personal story or experience for a set time while the other listens attentively, without interrupting.
• After the first person finishes, switch roles.
• Each pair discusses what they learned about their partner's story, highlighting key details.
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Story Swap enhances active listening skills, encourages empathy and strengthens understanding between colleagues

Setting up a challenge for your teams using LEGO is a simple and playful way to kickstart an agile session. Tasking them with the challenge of building a specific structure shape using LEGO bricks. Stick a twist on it by giving them limited instructions

Set-up:

Simply create small teams, 4 or 5 members per team will do. Each group gets a set of LEGO bricks and only partially completed instructions. Give them a time limit for preparing and see who builds closest to the desired structure. Variations on the game can include:

• One person being a blindfolded builder
• A “tower of Babel” - biggest tower winds
• Limited communication (like only hand signals)
• Earthquake-proof designs that can withstand a gentle ‘shake’

Explanation:

‍Teams brainstorm and design the ultimate office gadget that solves an everyday problem, like a self-cleaning desk or a coffee cup that never gets cold. The goal is to sketch out the concept and explain how it works.

In this hybrid version, remote and in-office workers team up to brainstorm their gadget ideas. Remote workers can use virtual tools to create digital sketches and presentations, while in-office workers can build mockups or create physical prototypes using whatever’s available. Everyone collaborates on how the gadget would work and why it would make office life easier (or just more fun). At the end, each team shares their gadget ideas via video call, showing off both the digital and physical aspects of their creation.

It’s a fun way to mix creativity and problem-solving across both work environments!

How to play Country ambassadors

This is a lively game which only requires some knowledge of geography. Assign each player a country. You can do this by using a random country generator, or just selecting at random. Once countries are assigned, each person should take a turn describing their country without mentioning it by name. The goal is for all the remaining players to be able to guess their country. If you want to make the game competitive, then keep a running list of all the players and how many countries they’ve guessed. The person who got the most correct wins.

Extreme rock, paper, scissors takes the traditional playground game to a new level. This time, Instead of battling it out in pairs, your employees will attempt to overthrow the competition in teams.

Great for: Energization

Duration: 10 minutes

You’ll need: Plastic hula hoops (approx. 15)

How to play:

• Lay the hoops in a line on the ground and leave a gap of 50cm between each one.
• Divide your group into two teams and position them at either end of the line of hoops.
• When you shout “Go!” one player from each team starts hopping through the hoops towards the opposition.
• When they meet in the middle, they play rock, paper, scissors.
• The loser exits the hoop and jogs back to their team. Meanwhile, the winner continues hopping forward towards the opposition and a player from the other team steps in to replace their fallen comrade.
• When the two players meet, they play rock, paper, scissors again.
• Play continues until a player reaches the opposing team’s starting hoop. The first team to land in their opponent's starting hoop wins.

Who are we kidding? Everybody knows that working from home includes barking dogs, screaming children and make-shift offices. This activity is designed to discover the ‘working environment’ of your colleagues.

How to play ‘Welcome to my crib...‘

Colleagues will take it in turns to give a short tour of their house, showing where they work, where they go for lunch, etc. This builds more human connections between employees.

Explanation:

‍Team members switch roles for the day—the accountant becomes the designer, the manager takes on the IT role, and everyone gets to try something totally different. It’s all about experiencing a new side of office life.

In the hybrid version, both in-office and remote employees swap roles, but the twist is they’ll shadow their swapped roles virtually if they’re in a different location. Remote workers can sit in on video calls or collaborate on shared tasks, while in-office workers can hop on a call to learn about the ins and outs of a remote teammate’s role. The key is to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, even if it’s virtually.

It’s a fun way to gain empathy for each other’s daily challenges and maybe even discover hidden talents along the way.

How to play Salt and pepper pairs

In this activity, you’ll break everyone into pairs of 2. Each group is labeled with one side of a pairing - salt and pepper, macaroni and cheese, Batman and Robin, etc. Each team member should have their item name taped to their back. Have everyone scatter, and then start asking questions of their colleagues to figure out what each one is. Only then can they figure out what they might be and who they belong with. When everyone is properly grouped into their pairs, the exercise is over.

How to play How Well Do You Know Me

Here’s a brilliant question game for a) testing how well you know your teammates and b) helping everyone learn more about each other.

To play, one person acts as the subject while everyone else is a guesser. You then choose questions (that someone has compiled in advance or found on the internet) that both the subject and guessers must answer about the subject. Potential questions include:

• “Where did I grow up?”
• “What’s my favorite food?”
• “What are my current hobbies?”
• “Who is my celebrity crush?”
• “What historical figure do I look up to?”

For example, if Dave from HR was the subject, he’d answer questions about himself; the other players would attempt to answer the questions about him. After writing down their answers, everyone would then compare what they put! You then swap roles so that everyone has a chance to be the subject.

Inspired by the classic game “Telephone,” The Communication Game requires players to accurately pass a physical message from one end of the line to the other.

Great for: Communication, observation skills

Duration: 10 minutes

Players: 6+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play The Communication Game

Setup: Ask your group to stand in a single-file line, about arm’s reach apart, facing in the same direction.

To play: Ask the person at the back of the line to come up with a short movement sequence. Once they’ve created the sequence, they tap the shoulder of the person in front of them, asking them to turn around. The player turns around and observes the movement sequence. Then, they turn around, tap the shoulder of the player in front of them and perform the same sequence. This pattern continues until the movement sequence reaches the person at the front of the line. Hopefully, the sequence will be somewhat preserved!

How to play Spray balloons

This is a really fun game for beating the heat. If you will be doing any outdoor activities, this is a good one to add. All participants will need a balloon, a spray bottle filled with water, and some form of receptacle like a trash can or box.

The goal is for players to guide the balloon into the container using only the spray bottle to propel it. Contestants can spray the balloon with the water to guide it off the ground and where they want it to go. Challenge everyone to complete the challenge in one minute!

Think of it as a personal space bubble. Respecting boundaries shows you care about colleagues' comfort and that respect creates a smoother vibe in the office.

Respect boundaries activity - "Personal preferences" icebreaker:

• Prepare a list of thought-provoking questions related to work habits, communication styles and personal preferences.
• Gather colleagues in a relaxed setting and facilitate a group discussion by asking the questions.
• Participants take turns sharing their responses, providing insights into their preferences and boundaries.
• Encourage colleagues to actively listen and engage in discussions to better understand each other's perspectives.
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This icebreaker activity promotes open conversations about boundaries and encourages mutual respect.

How to play Lego builders

If you have enough space to spread out a bit, try some lego construction. Give everyone the same set of lego pieces, and print out brief instructions for creating a certain project. Who can complete the project in under one minute?

There’s nothing like a spot of mischief to bring colleagues closer together. With office makeovers, different teams within the company have the chance to “redecorate” another team’s space. From unraveling rolls of toilet paper to putting up posters of people’s favorite boy bands, the options are endless.

Set some ground rules beforehand to stop the pranks from going overboard though. The atmosphere should be light and full of laughter – not frustration at the state of your redecorated space!

In 3-question showdown, you’ve got a mission: mingle around the room and ask open-ended questions to get to know your teammates—fast. It’s speed-dating, but without the awkwardness, and way more about finding out who loves pineapple on pizza.

It’s a fun team activity to break the ice and discover fun facts about people you usually only see in meetings. Plus, who doesn’t love finding out who the office cat person is?

How to play:

• Mingle and ask each teammate three open-ended questions.
• Share fun facts you learned after the showdown.
• Walk away knowing way more about your coworkers (like who’s secretly a karaoke pro).

How to host Snack tastings

If you don’t want so much focus on alcoholic drinks, try sticking with snacks. Who doesn’t love snacking? A snack pairing can be a really good idea if you have a culturally diverse staff. Have everyone bring or suggest one of their favorite snacks and the drink that is best served with it. This can range from a fancy hors d'oeuvre to a decadent dessert. Or, simply have everyone research a geographic area and bring in the region’s most popular snack for everyone to try. This is an easy DIY event that you can host without needing a particular space, though you may need room to set everything up.

How to play Budget balance

For all the math geeks out there! Give each participant a word problem describing an individual’s income and spending habits, such as regular bills and discretionary spending. Does the imaginary individual have a balanced budget? Or perhaps they have a serious spending problem. Who can figure it out first? This is a fun little math competition that can be done independently. Make sure to provide calculators.

How to play Penny stack

Players should try to stack 25 pennies in under one minute using only one hand. This game works best for small groups and is ideal for groups of three players competing in rounds of play. You’ll need to make sure you have a few rolls of pennies to start the game.

Slack talk shuffle uses conversation prompts in Slack to spark casual, non-work-related discussions. Whether it’s “What’s your dream vacation?” or “Best movie of all time?”, this is an easy way to keep the team connected and talking—even remotely.

It’s a great way to add a little fun into your virtual workspace and build camaraderie, with minimal effort.

How to play:

• Post a conversation prompt in Slack.
• Teammates respond and discuss in the thread.
• Watch the conversation flow and learn more about each other!

Explore more funny team-building activities to keep your team engaged, whether you're working remotely or in person.

A classic, if you ask me. This game can get a little embarrassing, so it's a nice icebreaker!

How to play Chubby bunny

Two players go head-to-head, adding, placing and holding marshmallows in their mouth one by one. After each marshmallow has been added, each player tries and say the phrase “chubby bunny,” as clearly as possible.

Players keep adding a marshmallow until the judge declares a players “chubby bunny,” to be unintelligible.

How to play Broom Hockey

Broom Hockey is just what it sounds like! But, instead of playing with a puck and sticks, you grab some brooms from the cleaning closet and make a puck out of paper. Roll it up into a tight ball so that it rolls smoothly in the direction you want.

It’s best to have a designated open area to play this game, so use any break rooms or conference rooms, using the underside of a desk or a trash bin as your goal marker.