Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

How to play Most difficult prospect

Every sales person has come across a prospect that is full of objections and generally makes their job harder. The better that people are able to deal with such individuals, the more effective they will be at a sales job. Sort people into pairs and have them act out a sales meeting, with one of them playing the role of a difficult prospect. That individual should impersonate the toughest prospect they have come in contact with, rolling out all the usual objections and talking points, while the other person tries to overcome them and answer questions. Then, bring everyone back together for a discussion about how the conversations went. Everyone will have something to learn about how to deal with their next challenging sales meeting.

Red Light Green Light is another popular team warm-up/energizer that you may remember from childhood.

How to play Red light, green light

Simple to play and fun to participate in, your team has to line up on one side of a room and move toward a finish line whenever you – the facilitator – shout “green light”. When you yell “red light”, they have to stop.

If they keep moving forward, fall over, or do anything other than stand completely still, then they’re out. The winner is the first person to get to the finish line.

You can also play in separate teams instead of doing it individually though. In this version, you’d split everyone into 2 main groups, with the winner being the first group to get everyone across the finish line.

Top tip: Like many large group energizers, Red Light Green Light works best when you have a bigger space to do it in. Consider going outdoors to a local park if your office can’t accommodate the exercise.

How to play Trading post

Understanding pricing and its effects on supply and demand is a natural skill in the business world. This game can help your employees to focus on this area in new ways. You can do this game for any length of time, so it’s perfect for fitting into most agendas. Start with two groups, a pile of fake money, and some simple items to trade like paper clips or pencils. Each group should have their own money and supply of items. The groups will need to decide what things cost and come up with trade terms.

Then, they should get busy buying, selling, and trading. At the end of the exercise, bring everyone together and see who came out ahead. Why did one group do better than the other? What did everyone learn? Supply and demand are pretty simple economic concepts that most people know, but this is a fun reminder and refresher.

Some of the best improv games for team collaboration are also the simplest. Here’s one that falls into this category, while still helping to a) lighten the mood and b) build the connections that are so fundamental to successful teamwork.

How to play Near and far

Near and Far asks participants to do 3 things:

1. Stay as close as possible to one person of their choice
2. Stay as far as possible from someone else of their choice
3. Stay silent throughout the game

They decide in secret who they’ll be sticking close to and who they’ll be avoiding, then set to work! What follows is a fun and fascinating process of trying to accomplish these 2 competing tasks.

The office becomes an ant’s nest, with employees in constant motion, weaving around the room in a bid to dodge some people and stay next to others.

For example, what happens if Person A has picked Person B to stay close to, but Person B chose them as the employee they have to stay away from? A chase ensues! The fact nobody can talk adds another fun element to proceedings.

Near and Far doesn’t just force teammates to adopt creative systems and behaviors to achieve their goals, but it also opens up interesting conversations about group dynamics. Consider debriefing at the end of the task to see how everyone felt about it. What was it like to have to do both things at once? What were their takeaways?

How to play:

Create a list of safety-related trivia questions covering topics like fire safety, first aid, and workplace hazards. Organize a trivia contest where employees compete individually or in teams to answer the questions. Keep score and offer prizes for the top scorers.

Safety trivia battle turns learning into a competitive and enjoyable experience. It encourages employees to brush up on their safety knowledge and rewards them for their efforts. Trivia is always a crowd-pleaser and can be a great way to break up a training session.

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How to host Departmental meet and greets

Do you have different departments that tend to work in silos? In this case it can be a smart idea to organize happy hours where everyone can meet and mingle. You can go as far as assigning tables with mixed groups, or just encourage people to network more organically. A cross-departmental meet and greet is a simple and intuitive way to chat and get to know each other.

How to play Balloon Pop Relay

Instructions: Divide participants into teams. Each team has a designated starting point and a finish line. One member from each team races to the finish line while carrying a balloon between their knees. They must pop the balloon before the next team member can start their turn.

Materials needed: Balloons

Balloon Pop Relay adds excitement and energy to the picnic. It promotes teamwork, coordination, and a competitive spirit. It also creates memorable and entertaining moments for participants and onlookers.

How to play Balloon challenge

Start this fun and active energizer by inflating lots of balloons in the office (the more the merrier!). When you’re done, the challenge can commence:

The team’s job is to stop the balloons from touching the ground at all costs! Play for 5 to 10 minutes and explain there’ll be prizes if they succeed.

Want to give the game a competitive edge? Divide everyone into smaller teams and assign each one a bunch of balloons with the same color. They then have to work together to keep those particular balloons in the air (while simultaneously sabotaging the other teams’ efforts).

Bonus points if you can inflate all the balloons before anyone else arrives at the office! Trust us, the look on peoples’ faces when they walk through the door will be worth getting there early…

How to play Nerf ball break

If you need a break that’s a little more physical, set up some buckets of nerf balls in an outdoor space at your venue. Have everyone stand in a circle and choose one person to have the ball initially. When they have the ball, they answer the question that you chose for an icebreaker. For example, “What are you excited to do or learn about today?” They answer, and then throw the ball to someone else, who also answers. Once everyone has had a turn to share, you can head back inside.

How to play Smartphone bingo

Some variation of bingo is helpful in nearly all scenarios, and this is no exception. Start by creating bingo cards with a random assortment of prompts based on your phone. For example, “has a to-do list”, “has Amazon as a bookmark”, “has more than 300 contacts”, or “has a photo of their dog”. Have a facilitator randomly pull these prompts and call them out, and attendees will fill in the square if it applies to them. This is a fun way to learn a bit more about your coworkers while also improving listening skills.

Torpedo is a fun activity that involves some players being partially “blind.” It works best with teams of more than 5 members, and there’s a slight amount of coordination needed without members being able to see, so make sure you’re using an open, clear area free from any dangerous hazards.

Set up:

Form two or more teams. Each team lines up, one behind the other, and each person puts their hands on the person’s shoulders in front of them. Everyone needs to close their eyes, apart from the member at the front and the person at the back. Slowly, everyone steps forward, and the back person guides the “torpedo” by tapping the left or right shoulder of the person in front, to turn. The objective is to hit another “torpedo” while maintaining coordination, which makes this a great exercise in clear signaling and trust.

How to play Angry customers

This is a simple and popular activity that involves real-life scenarios and role-playing. Have your team divide into pairs, with one of them playing the role of “angry customer” and the other being the employee trying to appease them. Have them go through a conversation where the customer is upset about something, and discuss the potential resolution. Then they switch places and come up with a new scenario. If time allows in your training session, have each pair present to the group and share which conflict resolution measures they took and what they learned.

How to play Friendly Feud

Have you ever seen the TV show or played the board game called Family Feud? Well, Friendly Feud is a DIY version that’s just as fun to play. Here’s the process for each round:

1. Divide the group into 2 teams
2. Come up with a question on a particular topic
3. Poll one of the teams to find the top 5 answers to it (making sure the other team doesn’t see/hear)
4. Assign points to each option, with the most points going to the “best” answer and the least points going to the “worst”
5. Ask the opposite team to come up with 5 answers to that same question – with a time limit
6. See if they choose any of the same answers and then add up the number of points they earned
7. Repeat the process, asking numerous questions to both teams and keeping track of their points

For instance, let’s say the question is, “what’s something that flies?” After polling Team A, you get 5 answers: Airplane, bird, bee, drone, and helicopter, which you say are worth 5 points, 4 points, 3 points, 2 points, and 1 point, respectively.

You then ask Team B for 5 answers to the same question. They say, “airplane, paraglider, hot air balloon, spacecraft, and birds.” Because they got two of the five options set out by Team A, they’d receive 9 points.

How well do your staff know each other? This activity has players use their observation skills to guess who owns each office desk based solely on its contents. Here’s how you go about it:

Set up:

1. Gather your photos. Take a snapshot of each person’s desk. Don’t worry about tidying anything up, the photos are reflections of the day-to-day.
2. Set up teams and display those photos as clearly as you can. Use the biggest TV in the office to share those snapshots (the photo should be the desk of someone on the opposing team to the guesser!)
3. Reveal and cheers. Unveil the desk owners and celebrate the sleuths with the most spot-on guesses. Prizes for the sharpest eyes are a must!

Step up for a cause and embark on an Environmental Quest for Sustainability. In this expedition, your team isn't just exploring; you're on a mission to make a positive impact. Navigate through eco-conscious challenges that shed light on pressing environmental issues. From picking up litter to creatively repurposing materials, you'll not only learn about sustainability but actively contribute to a cleaner planet. This offsite activity isn't just about teamwork; it's about leaving a green footprint in the world.

Instructions

• Form teams and provide each with eco-friendly tools.
• Design challenges related to recycling, conservation, or green initiatives.
• Teams execute tasks that contribute to a cleaner environment.
• Document before-and-after results to showcase your impact.
• Reflect on the experience and brainstorm further sustainable actions.

One-word check-in is a quick activity that helps gauge the mood and mindset of all team members. It’s ideal as a warm-up or to start a meeting with a pulse check.

Set up:

In a circle, ask each team member to describe their current feeling, focus, or attitude in just one single word. They might give you positive input like motivated or focused, but they might let you know how tired and overwhelmed they feel, so it’s important to listen closely. Once everyone has spoken, look for recurring themes and reflect on those as a group.

How to play:

Provide materials for employees to create safety posters that highlight important safety messages or procedures. Display the posters around the workplace and have a voting process to select the best ones. Offer prizes for the top posters.

This activity promotes creativity and personal investment in workplace safety. Employees get to showcase their artistic talents while contributing to a safer work environment. The posters serve as ongoing reminders of safety practices long after the competition ends.

How to play Blind square-build

This is a fun, problem-solving game that’s often used in business environments to support teamwork and critical thinking. To begin, tie a long piece of rope into a circle. Let attendees know that their job is to turn the circle into a square - while blindfolded. Break the session up into two, 15-minute sessions. In the first session, they can plot and plan but must not touch the rope. In the second session, they can work together moving the rope. This game is simple and effective and has materials that are easy to come across and cheap to buy.

Ever seen superheroes team up? That's what collaboration feels like—bringing unique skills to the table, solving problems faster and having each other's backs. Another fantastic way to build relationships within the team.

Collaboration activity - Puzzle challenge:

• Provide each team with a jigsaw puzzle of similar complexity.
• Divide colleagues into small groups and give each group a puzzle.
• Instruct teams to work together to solve their puzzle within a specified time frame.
• After completion, have teams present their finished puzzles and share their collaborative strategies.
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This hands-on activity emphasizes the value of teamwork, communication and problem-solving in achieving shared goals.

How to play Nature Collage

Want to do a creative Field Day activity? Try making nature collages. You’ll need glue, thin wooden boards (or pieces of card), and access to somewhere like a local park, forest, or beach – anywhere with an abundance of natural materials lying around, such as twigs, leaves, grass, and flowers.

Next, split into teams and spend 15 minutes gathering your items. From there, you can work together to design an attractive layout with them before sticking everything down onto the wooden boards (or cardboard, if you’re using lightweight items, like leaves). By the end of the activity, you should have a set of attractive natural collages to put on display at home or in the office.

Is bad weather at risk of spoiling your Field Day?

Don’t worry. You can take the fun inside and turn this activity into a tissue paper collage instead. For this version, you’ll need lots of colored tissue paper, large pieces of thick cardboard to act as the “canvas,” glue, paintbrushes, and scissors. After dividing into your teams, work together to cut out tissue paper shapes and then glue them to the card to create tissue paper masterpieces!

How to play Miniature problem solving

Teams use small objects like paperclips, rubber bands, or sticky notes to devise a solution to an everyday office problem, such as tangled wires or tricky door handles. It’s a playful way to encourage innovation while improving problem-solving skills. Plus, you might even come up with a practical fix for those annoying little issues!

How to play Call a number

This circle game is ideal for warming up and gaining energy. Follow these steps: First, give all of the players ordered numbers (so if there are 15 players there would be numbers 1-15). Players should gather in a circle and then choose someone to go first. The player will mention a random number within the range of numbers you are playing with. The player with the number mentioned must respond by mentioning the number of another player. The game continues with players responding when another player calls their number. If a player doesn’t respond right away when their number is called, they are out.

How to play Who Said It?

For this game, you’ll need to have several quotes from famous individuals prepared. Start by giving everyone a quote and challenging them to guess who said it. Whoever submits the first correct answer wins. It’s easiest to have pieces of paper with the quotes printed on them, that you can just hand out as people enter the room.

The spelling bee is a great opportunity for the more introverted members of your workforce to display some raw talent.

How to play Spelling bee

A host will need to make a list of words, with increasing difficulty. Try adding in ‘bonus’ rounds where spellers will need to spell the word backwards.