Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

A relaxing game that helps you boost communication amongst team members. This exercise shows how well team members can listen and follow directions. You only need some paper and tables for people to make their shapes.

How to play:

‍Hand out a sheet of A4 paper to each group member and then instruct them to close their eyes. Everyone must keep their eyes closed while one person reads the instructions to fold and create their piece of origami.

After you’re done instructing them, the whole group opens their eyes and compares their shapes.

Materials you’ll need: A4 Paper, seating areas with tables

How many people: Small to mid-sized teams (8-16 people)

Imagine standing on that iconic red circle, sharing your most audacious goal with the world as if you've already aced it. In this activity, participants channel their inner TED speaker and deliver a brief presentation that could rival the real deal.

Public speaking about your goals isn't just about eloquence; it's about fostering confidence, celebrating achievement, and nurturing a positive mindset. Get ready to captivate your audience – even if it's just your team – and let your goals take center stage in the spotlight!

Top Tip for Facilitator:

• Remind the employees it's about sharing dreams, victories, and the occasional stumble.
• As the facilitator, be the hype person, the supportive audience member, and the constructive critic all rolled into one.
• Let the stage be a place where authenticity shines, and goals take center stage with a side of passion!

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.

How to play Icebreaker bingo

This is one of the best games for lengthier introductions and learning more about the people around you. Most people are familiar with a bingo format, so it should be easy to play. You can use an online bingo card generator to come up with squares and randomize them. Squares can be anything from “owns a boat” to “has 20 years with the company” to “met a celebrity”. Another great thing about this icebreaker game is that there are actual winners - so if you have some fun prizes to hand out, this exercise is perfect.

Minefield is a fun energization game that improves communication and listening skills. All you need is an open space and a bunch of soft-edged objects.

Great for: Listening skills, communication, energization

Duration: 10–15 minutes

You’ll need: Various soft objects like balloons, foam blocks, plastic cups, etc.

How to play:

• Divide your group into teams of about 4–5 players and blindfold one player from each team.
• Spread out your soft-edged objects throughout the space.
• Ask the teams to stand at one end of the room.
• When you shout “Go!” the blindfolded player must make their way to the other side of the room without touching any of the objects on the floor. The players without blindfolds are allowed to give verbal commands to the blindfolded player. They are NOT allowed to touch or guide the blindfolded player in any way.
• The team to reach the other side of the room first without touching any of the objects wins. If a team touches an object, they must return to the start.

How to play Figure it out

This activity is a combination of 20 questions and various TV game shows. It involves guessing a “secret” phrase that someone has drawn. To play, choose an initial contestant. That person draws an item based on slips of paper that you previously created. They begin by drawing a number of blanks to signal the number of words in the phrase they picked. From there, the other people present can ask yes or no questions. If someone guesses a word that appears in the secret phrase, the player writes the word in the blank. At any time, the other participants can guess the phrase. This game requires a bit of preparation. You’ll need to come up with as many “secret phrases” as there are people present, and also have large pieces of paper and a marker to keep track of the number of words for each round.

How to play Sinking boat

This popular team-building activity involves participants imagining themselves stranded on a boat that’s sinking. You’ll need to break people into small groups and instruct them on this exercise. The objective is for the group to work together to decide who should be saved from the sinking boat based on their overall importance to the group and what they value. This encourages communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. It’s also a good way to spark discussions about teamwork and decision-making and can give everyone insight into the talents and personalities of their colleagues.

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 Cold call point system

For an ongoing game that will add some fun to the daily routine, start a cold calling point system. Take five minutes out of each day and have employees record their cold calls. It can be really fun to see points add up over time and learn from each other. Keep a whiteboard or other points-tracking system in view so everyone can get a status. Here are some options for tracking points:

1. 30 points for getting the prospect on the phone
2. 20 points for keeping them on for more than a minute
3. 40 points for scheduling a follow up
4. 10 points for getting a new contact from the call

How to play Personal treasure box

This exercise takes a bit longer and is a bit more involved, but involves a lot of introspection which can be a powerful exercise. Ask everyone to create their own personal treasure box and place items inside. You can get really creative and have literal treasure boxes at each seat, with different items symbolizing various aspects of life. Or, you can just use a pencil and paper.

The important thing is that everyone has time to think about what should go into their personal treasure box - the items, values, and people that are most special to them. Then, have everyone share with the group what they included and why. Since this exercise is more in-depth, it’s best to reserve at least an hour and maybe more for proper sharing and dialogue.

How to play Letter to myself

This is another great activity for ending a large group event. Instruct everyone to write a letter to themselves that involves what you just did. For example, if part of the event was creating new goals, ask them to write how they’ll accomplish that. Then, depending on the size of the group, have people either pair off to share their letter or read their letter aloud. Opening up this way is a nice step toward getting everyone to bond and collaborate.

Agile principles usually involve executing tasks quickly, so get your teams into the habit of fast-paced decision-making with Lightning Planning. It’s a high-energy activity that flexes your prioritization muscles, which is great for reinforcing agile values.

Set up:

Set a timer for 2 minutes. Have your team members brainstorm one task on a sticky note that they believe is crucial to today’s immediate goals. When the time's up, each person shares their note out loud and sticks it to the board. Then, as one big team, arrange all tasks in order of importance, then discuss the top priorities and any overlaps.

How to play Rolling the dice

You can’t beat this one for simplicity. Have players break into groups of two and provide a set of dice to each pair. The goal is simple: roll the die and try to get the highest total possible in one minute. So, one person should roll and the other can document the number they get. This should go on as many times as they can in one minute. Whoever has the highest number wins.

One of the most important skills to be able to iterate and improve work is being able to focus on reflection. A Focus Funnel activity promotes these core values and lets teams work with an agile mindset, asking clinical questions as they go. Here’s the setup:

Set up:

Each team member first needs to clearly write a list of their current tasks and goals.

The focus funnel comes when applying a series of questions to help you narrow down and prioritize their list. Some example funneling questions could be:

a. “Which task delivers the most immediate value?”

b. “Which of these tasks can be delegated?”

c. “What can be simplified and removed?”

As the questions are applied your teams practice agile prioritization and bring high-value tasks to the forefront.

How to play Wanna spoon

Using only a spoon, players should attempt to transfer as many ping pong balls as they can from one bowl to another - no hands! Hands would be allowed if you drop the ball on the ground but then they should be placed back into the original bowl for another attempt. Whoever moves the most ping pong balls in the minute timeframe wins.

How to play Lip Sync Battle

Instructions: Divide participants into teams. Each team chooses a song and choreographs a lip-sync performance. Each team takes turns performing, and judges or fellow team members select the winning performance based on creativity, stage presence, and enthusiasm.

Materials needed: Music player, microphone (optional).

Lip Sync Battle allows team members to showcase their creativity, performance skills, and sense of humor. It promotes camaraderie, boosts morale, and creates a fun and entertaining atmosphere where everyone can participate and enjoy the performances.

This simple game tests your historical knowledge and is a great way to spark conversation outside the office. While organizing a company retreat that emphasizes relaxation, this game is a great way to get people talking.

How to play:

‍Hand out several coins, around five max, to each person. Go around in the group and have them start with one currency and tell a personal story that was meaningful for them.

If they are the only person with that experience, they can place the coin in the center of the table. If another team member shares a similar experience, they must put theirs.

The game is played until someone gets rid of all their coins.

Materials you’ll need A handful of pennies or equivalent coins in whatever currency you use. Just make sure the currency is recent (not older than 20 years old)

How many people: Small to mid-sized teams (8 to 16 people)

Think fast! In action reverse, simple commands like “walk” mean “stop,” and vice versa. Players must respond with the opposite action to what’s being instructed. It sounds easy—until your brain starts overthinking!

This team building game for work is perfect for getting everyone alert and sharp while throwing in some unexpected laughter. It’s a fun way to test reaction time, focus, and coordination in a lighthearted setting, and it’s guaranteed to shake up the office routine.

How to play:

• One person gives simple commands like “walk” or “sit.”
• Players must do the opposite action (e.g., walk means stop, sit means stand).
• The game continues until someone makes a mistake!

How to play Mirror game

Two people stand across from each other and mirror each other's movements, trying to stay in sync.

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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 Coat of arms creation

This creative drawing exercise helps everyone get to know each other better. Have each participant draw their own “coat of arms” that is unique to them, representing the characteristics or important accomplishments that make them who they are. When everyone is finished drawing, they should share with the group. For very large groups, it’s more effective to break people into smaller teams for sharing. For added camaraderie, create a coat of arms gallery in your office where everyone can display their creations.

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.

In this fun icebreaker game, your team will need to read the lips of their teammates and guess the phrase.

Great for: Energisation

Duration: 5 minutes

Players: 8+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play Read My Lips

Setup: Split your group into teams. The bigger the groups are the more difficult the game will be.

To play: The host provides the first player of each team with a simple phrase such as “I work harder than everybody else in my team.” The longer the phrase is the more difficult the game will be. Make sure the other players don’t hear or see what the phrase is. The first player then turns off their microphone and says the phrase, making sure their mouth is visible. The second player guesses what was said, turns their microphone off and says the phrase to the third player. Play continues like this until the last player has “heard” the phrase. The last player then guesses what the original phrase was. Teams that guess the phrase (more or less) correctly win a point.

How to play Typing race

Who would have made the best 1950s receptionist? You can find out with this fun activity. Anyone who is interested should gather in one space with their keyboards or laptops. Announce the words that people should type (or write them on a white board) Set a timer and see who can get the typing done the fastest. This is helpful for developing typing skills and is also a great refresher for hand-eye coordination during a monotonous day.