Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

This is a quick and easy icebreaker that doesn’t require any equipment and is guaranteed to produce a laugh. The game inspires your team to get creative and think on their feet in a fun environment. The aim of the game is to collaborate on an interesting and unpredictable story by allowing each player to contribute one sentence at a time.

How to play the Neverending Story

To play The Neverending Story, gather your group into a circle, sitting or standing—it’s up to you. Then, choose a player to start, you can help them by giving them the first sentence or proposing a setting for the story. Once a sentence has been added to the story, the opportunity moves to the next person in the circle.

You can set a time limit, or bring the game to a close once the story meets its natural conclusion. Your team are sure to have great fun being creative and collaborating on a silly story.

If your team members are new to each other, encourage each player to include the name of one of their colleagues in their sentence. For example, “Then, Steve walked in and couldn’t believe his eyes!”

The Digital Detox Adventure is a refreshing escape from the virtual world, where you'll engage in outdoor activities, games, and team-building exercises that encourage face-to-face interactions. This challenge rekindles genuine connections and highlights the importance of interpersonal skills and effective communication.

Instructions

• Divide participants into teams, ensuring a mix of personalities.
• Plan outdoor activities that require teamwork and communication.
• Engage in games that promote problem-solving and collaboration.
• Reflect on the differences in communication when technology is removed.
• Share your insights on how the digital detox experience impacted your team dynamics.

How to play Share your superpower

Another easy variation on an icebreaker is to share what your superpower would be. As everyone stands and introduces themselves, ask them to include some information on the special talents that make them unique. They can use their imagination for most desired superpowers like teleporting, or they can list some actual talents such as speedy present-wrapping or fantastic filing. It’s a nice way to learn a bit more about the people around you and what makes them special (plus, you might learn about who you can go to when you need some help with certain tasks).

How to play Parachute Volleyball

Imagine playing an ordinary game of volleyball. However, there’s a catch: you can’t use your hands. Instead, you and your team are holding a parachute – having to work together to move around the court so you can catch the incoming ball and sling it back over the net at your opposition!

That, in a nutshell, is parachute volleyball. As you can imagine, it’s a recipe for pandemonium! But it’s also great fun, fantastic for team-building, and another unique sporting activity for your upcoming Field Day.

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.

In What's My Name?, team members use clues to help a participant guess the famous person's name on their forehead.

Instructions on how to play:

1. Write the name of a famous person on a Post-it note for each participant without letting them see it.
2. Place the Post-it note on each participant's forehead.
3. Team members provide verbal clues without saying the actual name, helping each participant guess who they are.
4. Rotate turns until everyone has guessed their famous persona.

Why it's a great team building game:

• Communication and collaboration: Encourages effective communication and collaboration in providing clues.
• Fun and engagement: Adds an element of excitement as participants try to decipher the clues and guess the famous person.
• Icebreaker: Facilitates conversation and laughter in a light-hearted setting.

Top tip to help the game run smoothly: Choose a diverse list of famous people to cater to different interests within the team. Encourage creativity in providing clues and celebrate the humor that arises from the game.

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How to play Toss and Catch

Instructions: Pair up participants and provide them with a soft object, such as a beanbag or foam ball. Partners stand a few feet apart and toss the object back and forth, gradually increasing the distance. The pair that tosses the farthest without dropping the object wins.

Materials needed: Soft objects (beanbags, foam balls).

Toss and Catch is a simple and inclusive game that promotes hand-eye coordination, focus, and teamwork. It encourages friendly competition, provides an opportunity for participants to connect on a personal level, and adds an element of fun and physical activity to the picnic.

How to play Sinking ship

This is a fun, physical game for people who aren’t afraid to get close. It works best for about 10 - 20 people. Create a boundary on the floor with tape, and have everyone step inside it. Make sure they are standing close, but not totally on top of each other. Then, each minute, pick up one side of the tape and move it further inside the boundary. The idea is that it gets smaller and smaller, just like a ship that is gradually filling with water. The group will likely get into funnier and more creative configurations as the space gets smaller. Again, please be aware of the comfort of your team in close physical proximity before executing.

Effective collaboration is all about working together to achieve a common goal. It involves putting your ego to one side for the good of the team, listening to what others have to say, and responding positively instead of dismissing their ideas.

We love the Ad game because it hones in on each of these aspects of collaboration – as well as many others!

Here’s how it works:

After dividing your team into groups of at least 3 people, you give each group a particular item, such as a chair, plant pot, or cup. Feel free to tell them what they have, rather than literally giving something to them!

Each group then takes turns to provide extra information about their item, adding more and more details until they’ve turned it into a revolutionary new product.

Let’s say you gave a coffee cup to someone in Group 1. Someone in the group will start by making a statement about it, such as, “This mug has a giant handle”. Everyone in the room then yells “YES!” as if it’s the best idea they’ve ever heard.

Someone else in Group 1 then says “and”, before adding another detail (“And it has a special lid on it that functions as a coffee plunger”).

This process continues, with each group member adding further details and the entire team agreeing with their idea, until they’ve fleshed out their product and decided on a name for it. You can even take it a step further by getting them to create a tagline and identify a celebrity to endorse it.

Do this for each group until everyone’s had a turn. By the end of the game, you’ll have giggled, groaned, exercised your creative sides, and worked together in a wholly positive fashion.

Explanation:

‍Teams are given a random office item and must come up with a full marketing campaign and product launch strategy for it within one hour. It’s fast-paced, creative, and hilarious as teams scramble to sell everyday objects as the next big thing.

In the hybrid version, both remote and in-office teams are handed the same random office item, like a stapler or sticky notes, and they must collaborate to create a complete product launch strategy. Remote workers can handle the digital aspects, like designing an online ad or social media campaign, while in-office workers take on in-person tasks like creating a mock product display or filming a funny promo video.

At the end, each team presents their campaign virtually, showcasing how they turned something ordinary into the next office must-have.

It’s a great way to get everyone thinking on their feet, no matter where they are.

Quick, simple, and surprisingly engaging, Fact or Fiction is a first-rate icebreaker game that challenges players to distinguish between true or false statements.

How to play Fact or Fiction

To play, one participant reads out a statement, and everyone else must guess whether it’s “fact” or “fiction.” The aim is simple: test people’s general knowledge on certain topics and have some fun in the process!

This question game often works best with a bit of planning, though. Try to compile a long list of fact/fiction questions beforehand that players can draw from. It’ll help the game flow and ensure you ask questions on a range of topics to keep it interesting.

Alternatively, you can forget the trivia and play Fact or Fiction with personal statements. Each player says something about themselves, and everyone else decides if it’s true or false! Examples include:

• I have traveled to every state in America. Fact or fiction?
• I can do the splits. Fact or fiction?
• I have an identical twin named David. Fact or fiction?
• My family emigrated here from France in 1880. Fact or fiction?
• I am bilingual. Fact or fiction?

Explanation:

‍Employees submit “impossible” tasks, like opening a door without touching the handle or moving an object without picking it up. Teams brainstorm creative ways to solve these challenges together.

For the hybrid setup, remote workers can submit their impossible tasks via text, video, or even a live challenge. The in-office team will brainstorm ideas together, while remote workers can jump in via video call or chat to contribute their own solutions. Whether you’re using random office supplies or thinking way outside the box, the goal is to come up with the most creative and doable solution. Afterward, everyone shares their quirky solutions to see which team cracked the “impossible” the best. It’s a light-hearted way to get everyone thinking and working together, wherever they are.

How to play One-word icebreaker

This is a perfect exercise for kicking off a specific event or meeting. You need a group of 4 or 5 people, or to break larger groups into teams of that size. The goal is to have everyone describe their feelings on the event that is about to take place using only one word. Give them a few minutes and then go around the room having everyone state their word, like “excited”, “nervous”, or “curious”.

How to play:

Divide the team into pairs. One person in each pair chooses an object or concept and mimes it without using any words or sound. The other person tries to guess what the mime represents.

Materials needed: None

Benefits:

• Enhanced nonverbal communication: Encourage your team to sharpen their ability to communicate effectively without relying on words. This activity fosters creativity in finding innovative ways to convey messages through facial expressions and body language.
• Boosted team spirit: Experience moments of laughter and joy as you witness your team members' hilarious and creative interpretations of various mimes. It's like a comedy show where your employees become silent performers, fostering camaraderie and a positive team atmosphere.

The aim of this game is to boost your conflict resolution skills by diving into some video scenes that are bursting with workplace drama. We'll watch 'em, dissect 'em, and figure out the best ways to make things right. This is a hands-on, visual, and chatty way to boost your conflict resolution skills. Let's dive into those scenes, have some fun, and make our workplace a better, more harmonious space.

Materials needed

You won't need much for this - just some video clips that showcase different conflict scenarios, a way to display them (a projector or screen), and something to jot down your thoughts.

Instructions

1. First you need to choose your scenes. Think workplace disputes, customer service kerfuffles, or good ol' interpersonal clashes – scenes that you can totally relate to. Scenes from the movie Horrible Bosses or Steve Jobs could be perfect.
2. After the video's done, it's your turn to chat. We'll dive deep into the conflict we just saw. What caused it? How did emotions play a part? And what about those communication styles?
3. Split into groups or pairs and hand out some worksheets or notebooks. You'll use these to brainstorm your own ideas for smoothing out the situation. Remember, it's all about constructive conflict resolution.
4. Let's regroup and share what we came up with. We want to hear all about your ideas and strategies. Feel free to speak up – there are no wrong answers here.
5. We're not stopping at one video. Nope, we'll keep this party going with a bunch of different scenarios. Each one will have its own unique challenges and situations.
6. After we've tackled all the videos, we'll gather 'round and talk about what we've learned. What were the big takeaways? Any recurring themes? And most importantly, how can we use all this newfound knowledge in our daily work lives?

Paper Chains is a simple game that can be played by small or large groups. The aim of the game is for teams to build the longest paper chain without talking while using ONLY their dominant hand.

Great for: Communication, problem-solving, leadership

Duration: 5-10 minutes

Players: 6+

You’ll need: A4 paper, sticky tape, scissors

How to play Paper Chains

Setup: Separate your group into teams of 4-5 players and hand each team several sheets of A4 paper, a roll of sticky tape and a pair of scissors. Then, ask each team to allocate a team leader.

To play: Escort the team leaders from the room and explain the rules of the game in private. The rules are as follows: Teams must attempt to build the longest paper chain without talking while using only their dominant hand. Once the leaders understand the rules, they have 30 seconds to convey them to their team and devise a quick strategy. Then, teams have just three minutes to start building their paper chains. The team with the longest paper chain at the end of the three minutes wins.

How to play Balance challenge

Sometimes called the “helium stick” exercise, this game creates engagement in a group and paves the way for more group learning. Have your group break into two groups and form rows. The two rows should be facing each other. Then, ask everyone to hold out their index fingers and place a long, thin rod across everyone’s fingers. They need to ensure it’s level before going further. Then, instruct them to move the rod up or down, but as a group where the rod stays level.

This one is perfect for newcomers to agile practices. It’s quick and interactive, focusing on iterations and adapting to customer feedback. Teams work together to design a chocolate bar to please their “target market” (other team members), iterating each time depending on the feedback they get.

Set up:

Every round, one person is the Product Owner and they give basic instructions for making chocolate (like milk or dark chocolate, fillings, toppings, colors, packaging). They design the product on a whiteboard and then release it to their “customers” for feedback. The product owner takes the feedback to the group to reiterate for the next release. Working within timers for design, the cycle continues until most customers are happy with the end result.

Another classic game, the javelin toss, was played alongside the discus. It would be impossible to throw a javelin in the office unless you have extraordinarily high ceilings or none at all.

How to play Pencil toss

Use what you have in the office and grab some pencils to create a miniature version of the javelin.

Like rubber band archery, mark a point where you will throw the pencil. Since the pencil will not stick to the ground, you can establish who has thrown it farthest by marking off the point with tape. Alternatively, the game can use a trash can or open container, and see which team can make the most accurate shots.

Kick off a healthier routine with run & recharge! Form an office running club and go for group runs after work to promote both physical and mental well-being. It’s a low-pressure way to get everyone moving, destress after a long day, and bond as a team.

This activity is perfect for boosting morale, increasing fitness, and recharging your mind—while enjoying the fresh air.

How to play:

• Set a regular time for post-work group runs.
• Run as a team, encouraging each other along the way.
• Track progress together and celebrate small fitness wins!

Regardless of how cohesive your team is, at some point, you’re going to encounter disagreements. Online office debates are a playful way of developing public speaking, communication and listening skills that will come in useful during real-life debates.

How to play Online office debates

To organise an online office debate, select two people to go head-to-head in a meaningless debate. The topic could be silly, such as “No one should ever tell a lie” or “Pineapple belongs on pizza.” One person argues “for” the topic while the other argues “against.”

The two presenters can argue their case using any means necessary, they might want to create a PowerPoint presentation and share their screen or back up their points with YouTube videos. After the presentations have been delivered, it’s time for the audience to decide the winner.

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?

If you had just one question to determine the suitability of your future spouse, what would you ask? The One-Question Game pressures your employees to determine theoretical suitability for a given scenario with just one question.

Great for: Communication, decision-making

Duration: 5-10 minutes

Players: 6+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play The One Question Game

Setup: Start by dividing your group into pairs, leaving one person to act as the leader.

To play: The leader starts by posing a hypothetical scenario to the group. The leader could ask questions like, “What would you ask to determine the suitability of somebody to babysit your child?” Or “What question would you ask to determine whether somebody was capable of building your house?” This game encourages players to home in on what’s most important when determining the suitability of somebody to perform a given role.

Alternative Application is the game that challenges players to think outside the box—you’ll be surprised by the innovative ideas your employees will come up with!

Great for: Creative thinking

Duration: 5-10 minutes

Players: 4+

You’ll need: Various office items (at least one per player)

How to play Alternative Application

Setup: Before play begins, gather a variety of random office objects (at least one, preferably two, per player). Objects might include a stapler, flipchart, kitchen kettle etc.

To play: Taking turns, pass one of the objects to a player and ask them to mime an alternative use of that object. Meanwhile, the other players try to guess what action is being mimed.

For example, the player with the flipchart might stand it on its legs, drape a sheet of paper over their head, and mime taking a photograph on a vintage view camera. Once somebody guesses correctly, play moves to the next player.