Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

Want an easy exercise that only takes a few minutes to complete? Well, running free could be perfect. Quick yet effective, it’s a surprisingly powerful way to bring employees closer together, evoke feelings of excitement and elation, and get them to trust each other better in the process.

How to play Running free

To do it, you should go somewhere spacious and outside – like a park, large garden, or playing field. Then divide everyone into pairs, asking one member of each to wear a blindfold. Next comes the fun bit:

Instruct each pair to hold hands and start walking, then jogging, then running, and finally sprinting, with the sighted person leading the way each time! When that’s done, they swap the blindfold and repeat the process.

It’s surprising how much trust you have to put in the person leading you. Expect giggles, squeals, and nervous delight from the get-go!

However, you should always make sure people are fit, healthy, physically able, and willing to do this activity first. The last thing you want is for someone to get injured or feel excluded because they have mobility issues.

What you need:

• Blindfolds

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.

If you’re in a big team and want a fun and speedy energizer to lift the mood in record time, try Shock Wave.

How to play Shock wave

To play, clear a space and ask the whole team (except you, the moderator) to form a circle. Colleagues then have to join hands with the people next to them and shut their eyes. Next, quietly touch the shoulder of one person in the circle.

When they feel your touch, it’s their job to begin the “shockwave” – moving both their arms up and down in a wave-like motion, thus sending it to whoever’s on their left and right-hand side. Those people then continue the wave, taking the “shock” in one arm and replicating it in the other.

This continues around the entire circle until someone on the opposite side feels the movement in both arms simultaneously. At that point, they yell “KABOOM”, and everyone can re-open their eyes. Repeat as many times as you want to!  

Strengthen team bonds by visually representing shared memories and achievements.

Materials needed:

• Large sheets of paper or a designated wall space
• Markers, colored pens, and any decorative materials

Instructions on how to play:

1. Assign each team the task of creating a visual representation of their shared memories and achievements on a wall or large sheets of paper.
2. Encourage creativity in showcasing significant moments, accomplishments, and team milestones.
3. After completion, each team presents their Memory Wall to the entire group, sharing stories and reflections.

Why it's a great team building game:

• Memory lane stroll: Encourages reflection on shared experiences, fostering a sense of nostalgia and unity.
• Visual storytelling: Promotes creativity and collaboration in visually expressing the team's journey.
• Celebration of success: Recognizes and celebrates achievements, boosting team morale.

Top tip to help the game run smoothly: Provide a variety of materials to spark creativity. Encourage teams to use drawings, quotes, or any artistic elements that resonate with the memories they want to capture.

Explore more office team building activities to strengthen connection and morale within your workplace.

How to play Statue challenge

This game is full of silly fun, but can encourage more observational skills and makes people aware of their colleagues. This game is really ideal for people working in larger open spaces. The first participant that you choose is the “statue” leader. At some point in the day, they’ll freeze - it should be random. As other players notice the “statue” they will also freeze. This continues until there is only one person left, and they lose. This is an entertaining game that also offers a bit of stress relief during busy times, and is great to plan when tensions are high in the office.

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!

A water gun fight is an opportunity for your employees to leave the stresses of the office behind them and enjoy some harmless fun.

Great for: Interpersonal bonding, relieving stress

Duration: 30 minutes

You’ll need: An open space, various water guns (at least one per person)

How to organise:

• Mark approximate boundaries for your water gun fight. If you’re in a park, this might simply be the approximate confines of the park itself.
• Scatter various water guns through the space for your employees to discover once the fighting begins.
• When you say “Go!” players will scatter to find a water gun and start firing at other players.
• There are no fixed rules here—the idea is simply to have fun!
• Blow a whistle to signify the end of the game.

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

This is perfect if you don’t plan to leave the office for your meeting or event. Have people break into pairs and then create a craft from materials they find around the office. They should try to be really innovative and come up with the best creation that they can - having a prize can help with this. You might be surprised at the great items they come up with, like a suncatcher made from coffee filters and highlighters. If you want to combine an icebreaker with this exercise, assign pairs randomly so that people will work alongside someone they don’t see very often. It provides the perfect opportunity for getting to know someone better.

Here’s another awesome improv game that hones team collaboration through group interaction and shared contribution. This time, though, it involves storytelling.

Have you ever reminisced about a past event with a close friend or family member? Feels good, right? It sparks nostalgia, puts a smile on your face, and solidifies your bond with whoever you’re talking to in the process.

Remember When takes that idea and puts a new spin on it…

How to play Remember when

Sitting as a team, you go around the group “remembering” an event that you’re actually making up on the spot! Begin the game by introducing a make-believe memory that the team experienced together. For instance, “Remember when we went to see the Super Bowl together?”

Each person then adds another detail, creating a story of your time together as you go. The more creative, random, or outrageous the details, the better! Taking left turns and adding funny nuances to the “memory” helps bring out people’s personalities, sparks giggles, and brings the team closer together.

Want to add a twist to this improv game? Why not make a rule that you have to keep a straight face throughout it? If you smile, laugh, or even chortle to yourself – whether you’re adding the detail or hearing someone else’s – then you’re out!

As you’d expect, adding this competitive element invites employees to say funnier and more outrageous things in a bid to up the ante and make their colleagues giggle. It should also lead to greater engagement and a more enjoyable experience overall.

How to play Compliment train

This simple no-prep activity keeps the aim of positive reinforcement and maximizes a productive atmosphere. It is so simple it can be run during a virtual water cooler chat. Each person in the group simply chooses one other attendee, and then that person chooses someone who hasn’t been complimented yet and tells them something positive they’ve done.

The effectiveness of this simple activity comes from the fact the complimenting is done at a peer-to-peer level, rather than from management.

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How to play Business card collection

To introduce people who haven’t met before, you can try this game. Set a timer and have everyone try to collect at least 3 new business cards in the room. Through the conversations they have with others, they should write down at least 3 details about the person on their business card. So, once the timer goes off, you can go around the room having each person name the people that they met and the information they found interesting (from their notes on the card). If people want to collect more than 3 cards, that’s fine, as long as they are taking the time to also get to know some details about each individual. Remember, the goal is to get to know others, have real conversations, and recall both names and other facts about each person.

How to play Stop and walk

This is a high-energy game that's great for groups. Use it to warm up large groups in a fun way or break up long periods of sitting such as during training. All the participants should “walk” and “stop” on the commands of a leader. The leader should repeat the two commands several times so everyone gets used to it - and then switch commands to “trick” people. For example, saying “stop” two times in a row. You can also add in other commands like “jump” or “turn around”. There’s no real winner, it’s just about everyone being silly and moving their bodies.

Explanation:

‍Teams are given a fictional crisis, like a hacked server or a flooded event venue, and they have to come up with solutions to save the day. Remote workers focus on virtual solutions, while in-office workers handle the on-the-ground details.

In this hybrid version, the remote team is tasked with brainstorming virtual fixes—like tech solutions, backup plans, or virtual client support. Meanwhile, the in-office team works on practical strategies to tackle the crisis on-site, whether that’s coordinating logistics, handling communications, or finding last-minute resources. Both teams need to collaborate and stay in sync under time pressure to solve the crisis together.

Finally, everyone shares their strategies to see how they tackled the issue from different angles. It’s a fun, fast-paced way to boost problem-solving skills while bringing remote and office workers together.

If you’ve ever been to a professional escape room event, you’ll know just how effective they are at improving essential skills like communication and problem-solving. With Office Escape, you can recreate the drama of an escape room experience without leaving the office!

Great for: Problem-solving, creative thinking, communication, leadership

Duration: 1–2 hours

You’ll need: A storyline with a final objective, a series of problems and challenges

How to organise:

• Think of a final objective and then create a series of challenges and tasks that leads them towards completing it. It’s easier to think of challenges when you already have the final objective in mind.
• Plot a series of challenges that leads your employees toward the final objective. Be creative and have fun with it!
• You can further engage teams by offering a small reward for being the fastest to complete the objective.

Looking for more team-building activities for adults that build communication and problem-solving skills? Explore our full guide for extra inspiration.

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.

Time to pop some balloons in balloon burst blitz! Teams race to pop balloons filled with challenges and complete the tasks inside. Whether it’s a trivia question or a physical challenge, the goal is to be the first team to finish all tasks.

It’s fast, fun, and slightly chaotic activity - but in the best way. Plus, the surprise of what’s inside each balloon keeps things exciting!

How to play:

• Fill balloons with different challenges (trivia, physical tasks, etc.).
• Teams pop the balloons, complete the challenge inside, and move to the next.
• First team to finish all tasks wins!

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.

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 Bullseye

Another hands-on game, this is just what it sounds like - trying to hit a bullseye target. Put up a large bullseye target in the space that you’re working in, and have people throw foam balls to try and hit it. If you want it to be more “icebreaker-ish” then have each person announce their name and role before tossing the ball. Keep track and narrow down to a few winners that need to share a bit more information about themselves in order to get a prize.

Ready for a mini-adventure? In office quest hunt, teams race to solve clues and complete quirky challenges that lead them to hidden items around the office. It’s a mix of problem-solving, creativity, and—let’s be honest—a chance to snoop around desks in the name of fun.

This is perfect team-building activity for getting everyone up, moving, and working together to crack the clues. Plus, it’s always funny seeing who takes it way too seriously.

How to play:

1. Hide items around the office and give teams clues to find them.
2. Teams race to solve clues and complete challenges.
3. First team to find all the items wins!

How to play Sack Races

Hunting for more classic Field Day games for adults and want something suitable for groups of any size? You can’t beat a sack race. Channel your inner child, climb into a hessian sack, and hop, skip, and waddle as fast as you can to the finish line – racing your teammates every awkward step of the way!

Sack races work great in relay races, too.

You could do an entire relay sack race, where the hessian sacks replace ordinary batons. In this case, participants would hop down a track to the next teammate along, who’d then take the sack and climb into it before hopping as fast as possible to whoever’s next. The first team to hop across the finish line wins. Alternatively, you can incorporate the sack race into one leg of a relay!

And, of course, climbing into sacks and hopping a set distance would also make an effective obstacle in your obstacle course.

Discover even more fun team-building activities in our complete guide.

Kanban is a Japanese word literally meaning “visual card.” It is one kind of agile methodology first developed by Toyota, and in this system, teams use visual cues to keep all tasks flowing in a process. One of the best ways to make an agile game with this system is by creating a simulated pizzeria. Let’s break it down:

Set-up:

Create a pizzeria with stations for each pizza-making step (e.g., dough rolling, cheese sprinkling, baking), represented by sticky notes as orders move through. Your teams will iterate with each order to speed up every round. Improving each round and redesigning how many workers are at each station makes great practice for agile methodology.

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.