Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

How well do your team really know each other? Team Trivia is a fun and simple game that will put your employee’s relationships to the test.

Great for: Interpersonal bonding

Duration: 10 minutes

Players: 6+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play Team Trivia

Setup: Before you can play Team Trivia, you need to compile interesting facts about your employees. The easiest way to do this is to send out a survey designed to extract as many cool facts as possible.

To play: Team Trivia can be played online or in person, making it a great solution for remote teams. Bring your team together and start asking questions to your team. These can be things that they might already know, like, “Who is the tallest member of the team?” Or things they will need to guess at, like, “Who in the office has eight siblings?” The player with the most correct answers is the winner!

This game is a high-speed activity that focuses on prioritization and quick decision-making. The emphasis is less on winning and more on confident decision-making.

Set up:

Start a 2-minute timer and present your teams with a realistic work scenario or small project. Something along the lines of “Plan the first steps for a product launch” or “Outline a strategy for user feedback.” Each team needs to collaboratively brainstorm to create three immediate actions to address the needs of the scenario. Once the timer’s up, let them discuss their choices and how they prioritized their actions. You’ll be helping them develop collaboration and decisiveness.

How to play Capture the flag

In this fast-paced game, players try to steal flags from each other's territories. The game is helpful for strategic thinking and promotes togetherness. You’ll need two to four teams with between 4-8 players. Each team should spend a few minutes creating their flag, and then find an open space where the teams can each hide their flag and have everyone attempt to come steal their flag.

How to play Pin the tail on…

Return to your childhood birthday with a “pin the tail on” game. You can buy a set from a party store or online, or you can make up your own game with your own visuals. Some people print a large photo of a coworker and have that as the game piece. For example, if your boss always drinks Diet Coke, maybe you have a life-size image of her and participants should try to pin the beverage into her hand. As a refresher, the game involves having participants approach the game, one at a time, to be blindfolded and spun around. Then, they attempt to pin an accessory to the larger picture. It’s usually good for some laughs to see where everyone’s pins ended up.

How to play Mystery basket

In this game, blindfolded players will try to guess what’s in a basket by feel. To play, gather a bunch of items from around the office. Obviously they should be safe and not have things like sharp ends or spikes. Place everything in a basket or bowl and have blindfolded participants explore the items with their hands and try to guess what they are observing. Keep track of answers with a pencil and paper, and the person with the most correct guesses wins.

This game is a fun, chatty way to level up those conflict resolution skills. Let's dive into those scenarios, chat it out, and become conflict-solving pros!

Materials needed

• Conflict scenario cards (These are your secret weapons. You'll need to whip them up beforehand.)
• Some comfy chairs or a chill seating arrangement
• Optionally, someone to guide the game, like a facilitator or moderator

Instructions

1. First things first, create a set of scenario cards. Each one should tell a little story about a workplace conflict. Think of disagreements between team members, tricky client situations, or head-butting with colleagues.
2. Gather your gang in small groups. Aim for about 4-6 folks per group. But if you've got a cozy team, you can play all together as one big, happy crew.
3. Pass out those scenario cards, but keep 'em face down for now. The suspense is half the fun!
4. Once everyone's got a card, tell 'em to take a peek and read it solo. Each card gives a little story about a conflict situation – who's involved, what's going on, and why things are heated.
5. Now, it's time to dive into the drama. Get your group to chat about the scenario. Here's what they should tackle:
   

• What's causing this mess?
• What could be the reasons behind the conflict?
• How can we fix it in a positive, productive way?
• Are there different angles to consider?

6. After giving 'em some time to hash it out (about 10-15 minutes), ask each group to spill the beans. Share what you discussed – the insights, strategies, and solutions you came up with.
7. After tackling a bunch of scenarios, bring everyone together for a debrief session. Chat about common themes, what worked, and any challenges that popped up. Ask your crew to think about what they've learned.

The devil is in the detail, they say. At the workplace, misinterpreting instructions or being unclear with your instructions can have detrimental knock-on effects. Copy Cat teaches your employees to listen more carefully.

Great for: Listening skills, comprehension

Duration: 5-10 minutes

Players: 2+

You’ll need: Various sets of identical office items, something to use as a barrier i.e a flipchart.

How to play Copy Cat

Setup: To prepare for Copy Cat, separate players into pairs and position them on either side of a solid barrier—the players should be able to see their partner. Hand each player a set of matching office items. You can use things like a wastepaper basket, stapler, pens, sticky notes, etc. In each pair, one person needs to be the Leader and the other needs to be the Copy Cat.

To play: When the timer starts, the Leader begins building his structure with the materials provided. The Leader is allowed to iterate his actions, saying things like “I’m going to lay the wastepaper basket on its side,” and “I’m sticking two sticky notes to the bottom of the basket.” Based on these comments, the Copy Cat must attempt to create an identical structure to that of their Leader. The Copy Cat cannot ask any questions, forcing the Leader to be precise with their commentary.

How to play Human Hungry Hippos

Do you remember the game Hungry Hungry Hippos from childhood? Bring the game to life with this super physical challenge. You’re guaranteed to get some laughs after even the longest meetings. The concept is simple: you recreate the classic game using your own bodies, skateboards, laundry baskets, and plastic balls. You can have 3 or 4 people go against each other every round.

To start, one person lays on their stomach on a skateboard, and another participant holds their feet in order to steer. The laying-down player should hold a laundry basket upside down, ready to snatch the balls. The leader should dump a basket of small plastic balls onto the floor to start the game. From there, each pair of players scrambles to grab as many balls as they can with their basket. The pair with the most balls at the end wins. This game is best suited for people who don’t mind getting physical and aren’t afraid of looking silly.

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Anyone with experience in the active world may have encountered this exercise before. A classic improv game that revolves around cooperation, communication, and creative thinking, it’s fast-paced, funny, and full of opportunities to become a tighter-knit team!

How to play “Yes, and?”

You can play “Yes, and” in pairs, but we prefer it in a larger group. Standing in a circle, the basic idea is to work together to create a silly story, one statement at a time, using the words “yes and” to drive the plot forward. The goal is to make each new statement more exaggerated.

One person starts with a simple statement, then makes clear eye contact with whoever they want to continue the tale. For example:

• “The house is built on rock.”
• “Yes, and the rock is starting to crumble.”
• “Yes, and it’s falling down the hillside.”
• “Yes, and the house is tumbling with it.”
• “Yes, and superman is coming to save us.”
• “Yes, and he looks like he got dressed in a hurry.”

The goal is to cultivate a fun and carefree atmosphere and to keep the story moving as quickly as possible. Rather than pausing to think of the “right thing” to say, each person should relate the first “yes, and” phrase that comes to mind.

It doesn’t have to make sense – the sillier, the better!

This game can be a tad daunting at the start. But that’s almost the point. By talking without thinking, each team member opens themselves up to being vulnerable.

Far from being mocked, though, they’re celebrated. They discover they can be themselves around their colleagues, which is a huge boost to morale and levels of trust within the team.

What you need:

• Nothing more than a positive attitude! However, having a few simple statements up your sleeve to get the ball rolling may help.

How to play Personality Shapes

If your personality was a shape, what would it be? This is a fun little game where you can get a visual of the different personality types you work with. At a table near the entrance to your event, have several colored shapes set out. You’ll also want a sheet available that explains the different shapes and their traits. For example, squares could be detail-oriented and stubborn, while circles are empathetic but struggle with saying no. You can be creative in making the various shapes and matching them with different characteristics.

The important thing is that everyone gets a chance to choose a shape based on the descriptions provided. Then, before starting the meeting, ask everyone to raise their shape in the air and let everyone look around. In this way, you can get an accurate portrayal of who sees themselves a certain way. For added benefit, allow time for discussion.

How to play Limbo Contest

Instructions: Set up a limbo pole using a long stick or pole. Participants take turns attempting to pass under the pole by leaning backward without touching it. Gradually lower the pole after each round. The person who can go the lowest without touching the pole wins.

Materials needed: Limbo pole or stick.

Limbo Contest adds a fun and interactive element to the picnic. It encourages flexibility, balance, and friendly competition. It creates an atmosphere of excitement and laughter, bringing joy to both participants and spectators.

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.

Our next game requires pyramids of stacked cups, some balloons, and a healthy set of lungs. The objective is to exhale into a balloon and use the air to blow every cup off the table. You might find that office-singers do well in this one!

Step-up:

1. Use balloon air to start the destruction: Create three teams, with a table in front of each first-player, On each table, create a pyramid of 10 cups. Each pyramid should be around 15cm from the edge of the table. The three competitors stay in one place, blow into their balloon, hold the air in with their fingertips, and then let the air go while aiming it at the pyramid. You’ll have a few cups fly off the edge of the table.

2. Refill balloons to clear the table: For any remaining cups, the balloon needs to be inflated again. Repeat the releasing of air until every cup is off the table. The first player with a cup-free table wins!

“Blow that pyramid over!” works fantastically as an office party game or on an occasion like a birthday or special celebration. Enjoy the moment!

DISCLAIMER: sushi-lovers will have an unfair advantage.

Frustration is a fun, interactive game in which players race against the clock to transfer as many sweets as possible into their bowls using only chopsticks.

Great for: Energising your team, remaining calm under pressure

Duration: 5-10 minutes

Players: 3+

You’ll need: Bowls, small sweets (e.g. M&Ms, Skittles, etc.), chopsticks

How to play Frustration

Setup: Place one large bowl of sweets (something small like M&Ms or raisins) in the centre of the table and position the players in a circle, at equal distances to the bowl. Give each player a small bowl and a pair of chopsticks.

To play: When the time starts, players attempt to transfer as many pieces of candy into their bowl as they can. The players can ONLY use the chopsticks—their free hand must remain behind their back. The winner is the person with the most pieces of candy in their bowl after the time runs out.

Ah, the classic game of Never have I ever. A staple at college parties and now...the office? Yes, that's right. This game can actually be a great team-building activity in the workplace.

How to play:

1. Gather a group of players and sit in a circle.
2. Each player takes turns stating something they have never done.
3. Anyone who has done that thing must take a forefit or lose a point.
4. The game continues with each player taking turns sharing something they’ve never done.
5. The winner is the last player left with points.
   

Now, you may be thinking, Why would we play a drinking game at work? Fear not, my friend. You can swap the drinks for something a bit more appropriate, like standing on one leg or raising both arms. It's a fun way to get to know your colleagues better and find out about their interesting experiences. Plus, it can help break down barriers and foster a more relaxed work environment. Just make sure you keep it professional and stick to appropriate topics. Cheers to that!

It’s one small drop for an egg, one giant leap for team creativity.

The premise of an Egg Drop Challenge is to build a structure that stops a raw egg from cracking when dropped from a height.

In a large group, it feels like part science experiment, part creative brainstorm (while being fully entertaining to watch). This simple but surprisingly strategic team activity is perfect for developing some of the key skills you need in the office. 

It’s a fast and creative way to watch teams plan, test, and occasionally mourn their brave little eggs in the name of innovation. 

Let’s break down the challenge for you:

What you’ll need

The Egg Drop Challenge doesn’t require any fancy equipment, just a few common materials and the courage to watch your creation fall from the sky.

• Raw eggs: One per team for the main challenge, but 2 to 4 eggs should be used for design iterations

• Plastic straws: These will be the main frame for the protective shell

• Tape (masking or duct): This is the glue that holds the fate of the raw egg

• Scissors: Needed for trimming straws down into the perfect shape

• A timer: Teams should be working to a set time (20 minutes design time works best)

• Paper or card: Optional, but great for cushioning and creativity

• Measuring tape: Well, you need to make sure the drop height is fair, don’t you?

• Step ladder or balcony: Your official drop zone

• Tarp or sheet: This will save your floors from looking like hell’s kitchen

How to play (step-by-step instructions)

Follow these steps to set up the challenge, brief your teams, and watch as their creativity takes flight:

1. Introduce the challenge and set the scene

Announce the mission loud and clear: each team must design a device that will protect their raw egg from cracking when dropped from a set height. Tell them they’ll need to combine planning and construction, both against the clock, as they’re working to a countdown. The 

2. Form teams and give out materials

Depending on the number of people, create your teams of equal size. We tend to find four to five works best. Give each team the same supplies, so the playing field is completely even (no last-minute swap-outs or sneaky bubble wrap here!)

3. Build the best egg-protection device

Tell your teams they have 20 minutes to plan, test and build their structure. You could encourage teams to quickly sketch their designs first, before getting hands-on. Any method is allowed; wrapping, suspending, cushioning, just as long as it's made with the given materials (you’ll probably hear a few debates on gravity and air resistance here)

4. The drop test

Now comes the fated drop test. Choose your drop zone; a stairwell, balcony or step ladder will do the trick. Get everyone around and start the countdown. Each team gets just one shot to drop their creation. Here you could add a drumroll, or mock space-launch music if you want to turn up the tension.

5. Check for survivors

Once every egg has made its descent, it’s time for the grand reveal. Unwrap each structure carefully to see which designs survived and which ones got scrambled. Applaud the survivors, console the fallen, and don’t forget to take a photo of the mess (thankfully on the top of your tarp sheet).

Facilitator tip:

Make a point for teams to test early and adapt quickly. The most successful designs usually come from trial and error, not from overthinking. 

And one pro move could be: don’t reveal the exact drop height until the building time is over. A slight surprise element means designs need to be a bit flexible, and you’ll add a touch of suspense, too.

Variations and twists

Once your teams have mastered the standard version, try mixing things up with a few fun twists:

• Limit team materials: Reduce the number of straws or the amount of tape to force creative problem-solving under pressure.

• Higher stakes: Use multiple rounds, and increase the drop height for each round to raise the tension.

• Blindfold build: One teammate can’t see, relying entirely on verbal guidance from others.

• Remote/virtual adaptation: If you’re working with remote or hybrid teams, you can still run it online. Each person can build their design at home and record their drop for a team reveal.

Debrief: What was learned through the game?

On the surface, the Egg Drop Challenge looks like a lighthearted game, but beneath the laughter and flying tape is a perfect snapshot of teamwork in motion. After the cleanup (and any tears for fallen eggs), take a few minutes to reflect on what teams practiced:

• Collaboration under pressure: With time and materials limited, success will hinge on clear communication and shared decision-making.

• Creative problem-solving: Teams get to practice experimentation and are encouraged to think outside the box.

• Iteration: Trial and error will beat overplanning, as every cracked egg offers feedback for the next.

• Celebrating as a team: No matter if the landing was smooth or scrambled, the game is built on the foundation of teamwork, humour and collective pride.

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Wrap up by asking teams how these lessons mirror their day-to-day projects (because, much like the egg, good ideas also need careful handling).

FAQs:

What are the rules for the Egg Drop Challenge?

Teams must use only the provided materials to build a device that protects a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a height. Each team gets one attempt, and a surviving egg means victory.

What’s the best way to protect the egg for the drop?

Generally, soft padding will best absorb impact. On top of that, a structure that is designed to slow the fall can help, meaning you could try folding card as a material, too.

How high should you drop the egg?

Start with a moderate height (around 1.5 metres) and raise it after each round for more challenge. Outdoors or high ceilings give you more flexibility (and less chance of keeping the egg in one piece!).

Can you run the challenge indoors?

You absolutely can. You just need to make sure you’ve got enough space and protective sheets (for the inevitable eggsplosions). If you’re limited for space, go for lower drops or use a stairwell.

How to play What I admire most in others…

Yet another version of the most straightforward style of icebreaker, this one involves answering the question “What do you most admire in others?” In this way, you can find out what matters most to the people you work with, which makes for a much more pleasant and cooperative work environment. For example, if trust is most important to someone, then you’ll remember that doing what you say you will is crucial. If someone says being accountable is very admirable, then you know that you can count on them for help with projects.

Fun, chaotic, and surprisingly difficult, Attract and Repel is a fantastic game for making people laugh and for breathing life back into the room.

Here’s how it works:

After clearing a space in the office, gather everyone together and ask them to start walking around the room. Next, tell them to choose 2 colleagues (without saying anything out loud), one of which they must stay as close as possible to and the other they have to stay as far as possible from.

What follows often borders on bedlam! People will giggle with glee and squeal with dismay as they attempt to juggle these two competing goals. Try playing this game for 5 to 10 minutes before a morning meeting or after lunch – traditional low points in terms of energy levels – to feel an instant boost in positivity.

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.

We all fall on hard times. But victimising ourselves and dwelling on the negatives can lead us to overlook growth opportunities. Silver Linings alters perspectives of apparent failures and misfortunes.

Great for: Mindset development, positivity

Duration: 5 minutes

Players: 6+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play Silver Linings

Setup: Divide your group into pairs. You might wish to pair employees together who don’t often have the opportunity to interact.

To play: The first partner starts by sharing a negative experience. This could be something from their personal or professional life, as long as it’s true. Upon hearing the experience, the second partner attempts to reframe the story in a positive light. Then, the first partner retells their story, highlighting silver linings they may have missed the first time around. The players then switch roles and start again.

How to play Suddenly” story

This is a fun game that brings out lots of creativity and improves communication. Have your team sit in a circle and instruct everyone that they will get to share 3 sentences only. Choose a person to start, and they’ll share their 3 sentences. Once finished, they should say “suddenly!” and then the next person in the circle takes their turn.

This cycle continues until you reach the last person in the group, who should conclude the story. For a twist, you can have people make up a completely fictional story, or include real-world information to form a realistic narrative. This makes it amusing but also helps with overall story-telling, which is a key part of effective marketing

Office Apples to Apples is a hilarious twist on the classic word game, perfect for bringing some shenanigans to a corporate event. Here's how to get the party started.

Set up:

1. Get your cards ready. A spin on the traditional Apples to Apples card game, you need to create cards with office-themed words or phrases, like “coffee break” or “Monday meeting madness”.
2. Lay Down the Law: Explain that one lucky soul plays judge in each round while the others throw down their wackiest associations to the green apple card played.
3. The judge picks their favorite, and that team scores a point. Set a point limit for winners.
4. Keep the laughs rolling by rotating judges each round.

How to play Three-line scene

Anyone who’s played beginner improv games before may have encountered a game called “Yes, and”. In it, people work together to build an increasingly ridiculous story. For example:

• Person 1: “I went to the gym this morning.”
• Person 2: “Yes, and your arms look fantastic.”
• Person 3: “Yes, and they’d be perfect for arm wrestling.”
• Person 1: “Yes, and I want to tattoo my partner’s name on them.”
• Person 2: “Yes, and they’ll probably want to marry you after.”

Three-Line Scene takes that concept and simplifies it. This time, pairs of colleagues work together to say one line each, using “yes, and” to build on whatever the previous person said. Heads up, it works best when you say statements vs questions. For example:

• Person 1: “I went to the gym this morning.”
• Person 2: “Yes, and you’re making me feel guilty about eating this cake.”
• Person 1: “Yes, and I’m not going to stop until you become my gym partner.”

The aim is to move fast, think quickly, and not worry about saying the ‘right thing’. The game works well because it rewards creativity and is inherently positive. Those enthusiastic “yes, and” responses embolden new improvisers and make them feel comfortable thinking on their feet and contributing to the task.

We don’t have to explain how helpful that is to team collaboration! The fact teammates practice the art of agreeing with their colleagues (vs dismissing their suggestions) is useful too. With any luck, it’ll transfer into everyday conversations.

Ever feel like time is running faster than you can list your goals? Well, brace yourself for the whirlwind excitement of Speed Goal Sharing! Participants team up, and they've got a mere minute to spill the beans on their current goals to a partner. It's like goal-setting on fast-forward. Why? Because sometimes, brevity is the key.

This quick teambuilding activity isn't just a time crunch; it's a crash course in concise communication and prioritization. So, get ready to share your aspirations at lightning speed – clarity and alignment within the team await!

Top Tip for Facilitators:

• Keep the vibe upbeat and the clock ticking. Encourage everyone to channel their inner auctioneer – goals on the fly, people!
• Guide the conversations to make sure it's not just a blur of words but a meaningful exchange.
• This activity is like a goal-driven race, so set the pace, cheer them on, and let the concise communication marathon begin!