Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

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.

Explanation:

‍It’s just like Giant Jenga, but with each block having a fun little challenge written on it—like balancing the piece on your head or doing a dance before placing it.

For the hybrid version, the in-office team plays with the physical Jenga set, while remote workers jump in by picking the challenges for their in-office teammates. For example, as the in-office group pulls a block, a remote teammate gives them a challenge to complete before placing the block back on the tower. Remote players can also participate by tracking the game and offering ideas for wacky tasks. It’s a great way to include everyone and keep the laughs going, no matter where people are.

One of the benefits of working in a team is that you always have someone to offer their support when you need it. Whether you feel down and need an emotional lift or have too much to do and need some practical input, a sympathetic colleague can step in to ease the burden. This is teamwork and collaboration at its finest.

Unfortunately, Fortunately draws on that supportive reality by asking teammates to reframe each other’s problems into something positive.

Here’s how it works:

Ask one person on the video call to say something they’re struggling with. It shouldn’t be too heavy or serious – nothing that’s going to be uncomfortable to disclose. Next, go around the virtual circle, taking turns to reframe their “problem” in a positive light.

For example, Brian might start by saying, “Unfortunately, I’m finding it hard to wake up on time at the moment.” Upon hearing this, Sheryl might say, “Fortunately, you have such a comfortable bed to sleep in!” And Anthony might follow up with, “And fortunately, you need a good night’s rest to perform at your best!”

It continues from there until everyone has disclosed an issue and received a bunch of positive reframes from their colleagues. By the end of the task, everyone will have practiced their listening skills and offered/received support to/from their teammates.

How to play Drinking in the Dark

In this challenge, your taste buds take the lead as you explore a range of flavors while blindfolded. It's a game that tickles your senses and tests your palate's memory. While it might sound light-hearted, it's also a fantastic way to enhance communication, sharpen your sensory perception, and inject a burst of laughter into your team dynamics. Get ready to sip, savor, and speculate your way through a unique and hilarious bonding experience.

Top Tip: Make this a part of your field day games to ensure no spillage in the office!

How to play:

Write down various safety scenarios on slips of paper (e.g., "using a fire extinguisher," "performing CPR") and place them in a hat. Divide employees into teams and have them take turns drawing a slip and acting out the scenario without speaking, while their team guesses what it is.

Safety charades showdown adds a playful twist to learning important safety procedures. It encourages teamwork and creativity while reinforcing vital safety knowledge. Watching coworkers try to mime "emergency exit plan" is always entertaining.

This simple game needs little material and is a perfect icebreaker—a perfect in-person game for company retreats and onboarding events.

How to play:  

‍One person from the group, ideally a team leader, calls out the facts or questions that team members just asked one another. Individuals have to make teams as quickly as possible based on the call-outs, like” people with one cat” or “people who play video games.”

Individuals must quickly figure out who meets the criteria and form a team. This exercise can be repeated with as many questions as you like.

Materials you’ll need Just yourselves and some places to sit. If you have a large team, ensure enough space to play.

How many people: Small to large teams (8 to 25+ people)

5-minute energizers don’t get much better than this one. Got Your Finger is fun, fast-paced, suitable for groups of all sizes, and sure to lift the mood. Oh, and it requires no prior planning or preparation either.

Here’s how to play:

Ask the team to stand in a circle, close together, and face inward. Next, tell each participant to stick their right hand out with their palms facing the ceiling. They then have to put their left index finger on the open palm of whoever’s standing to their left.

Now the fun can start! When you shout “Go”, each participant must try to close their hand around their partner’s finger before they escape. It’s multi-tasking at its finest – trying to stop the colleague to your left from catching your finger, while simultaneously trying to grab whoever’s on the right.

How to play Group Map

Are you hosting an event where people come from various locations? Try laying out an imaginary map in a room representing all the areas people may have come from. Have them stand in their “place of origin” and share a bit about where they came from. You could also print a large map and have everyone place a pin on their area. The important thing is to share some information about where they’ve come from.

Picture this: a chat where everyone's honest and open. That's open communication! It's like a recipe for trust and harmony, stopping confusion in its tracks and making the team feel like a united front.

Be transparent and open in your communication. Share your thoughts, ideas and concerns honestly and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings and promotes trust.

Open communication activity - Honest feedback board:

• Create a physical or digital board labeled "Honest Feedback."
• Provide sticky notes, pens and markers nearby.
• Encourage colleagues to anonymously share constructive feedback, ideas, or concerns related to work on the sticky notes and attach them to the board.
• Designate regular intervals (e.g., weekly or monthly) for team members to review and discuss the submissions collectively.
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This team building activity promotes transparency, builds trust and establishes a platform for open communication.

Like the Elephant list, Stinky Fish is a game that helps teams bring up complex topics before they sit too long and start to stink up the place, like an old fish forgotten in the fridge. This is an excellent game for encouraging sharing and developing a culture of trust in the workplace.

How to play:

‍Give each player a piece of paper with a fish picture on it. Make sure there is enough space inside the fish to write their concerns and issues, as that’s why the fish stinks, after all! Give each participant five to ten minutes to write their problems down.

After everyone has written their answer, bring the group back together and allow them a minute or two to discuss what they wrote down and why.

Materials you’ll need Paper/ a template with a picture of a fish that can be written inside and writing materials.

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

Giant tower tactics is your classic Jenga, but bigger—and with more pressure. Teams take turns building up or removing blocks from a giant tower, trying not to be the ones who send it crashing down.

It’s nerve-wracking activity in the best way and a great test of patience, strategy, and steady hands. Plus, the collapse is always dramatic (and hilarious).

How to play:

• Teams take turns building and removing blocks from a giant Jenga tower.
• Avoid making the tower collapse!
• The last team to make a successful move before it topples wins.

Take things easy with picnic power hour! Head to a local park for a relaxed team picnic, complete with blankets, snacks, and good conversation. It’s a casual way to bond outside of the office and enjoy some downtime together.

This low-key activity encourages relaxation, conversation, and unwinding as a team in a peaceful setting.

How to play:

• Pack up some food, drinks, and blankets for a team picnic.
• Head to a nearby park and enjoy a laid-back hour of chatting and snacking.
• Use the time to bond casually and recharge in nature!

Find more fun team-building activities for small groups to bring your team together in meaningful ways.

Hangman can be more than just a childhood pastime. It's a great way to break the monotony of the office and encourage team building.

How to play:

1. Choose a word or phrase and draw a line for each letter of the word.
2. The other player guesses one letter at a time. If they are correct, write the letter on the corresponding line.
3. If they are incorrect, draw a part of the hangman on the gallows.
4. The game ends when the word is guessed correctly or the hangman is completed.
5. Alternate roles and repeat.

Not only does Hangman sharpen vocabulary skills, it also allows colleagues to work together to solve a common puzzle.

Instructions:

1. Share inspiring leadership quotes and allow people to individually reflect on their meaning.
2. Make sure you are the one to lead a lively group discussion around the quotes and their relevance to leadership.
3. Encourage people to share personal experiences related to the themes expressed in the quotes.
4. Foster an inclusive environment for exploring different perspectives and insights.
5. Summarize key takeaways and encourage people to apply the wisdom gained to their leadership journey.
6. Provide resources for further exploration of leadership quotes and their authors.

Who says leadership can't be profound and thought-provoking? This game sparks intellectual conversations and encourages your team to explore different perspectives. By diving into the wisdom of great minds, they'll gain new insights, expand their horizons, and ignite their leadership spark.

The Creative Puzzle Mural challenge is a fusion of artistry and collaboration. Each team is tasked with creating a section of a larger mural, aligning colors, shapes, and themes. As you assemble the puzzle pieces, you'll uncover the beauty of unity in diversity. This activity celebrates the power of collective creativity while highlighting the importance of communication and harmonious teamwork.

Instructions

• Divide participants into teams, ensuring a mix of artistic abilities.
• Assign sections of a mural to each team, providing basic guidelines.
• Teams work collaboratively to design and paint their sections.
• Combine the pieces to reveal the complete mural artwork.
• Reflect on how the different sections symbolize teamwork and collaboration.

Ready for another light-hearted improv activity that involves miming? We thought so! That’s why we’ve included Red ball. Fast-paced and energizing, it’s a great way to lift a team’s spirits, create a tighter unit, and boost employee relations.

Here’s how it works:

Gather everyone into a circle, including yourself. Show the group an imaginary red ball that you’re holding, before making eye contact with someone else and saying “red ball” – passing it to them at the same time. Whoever receives it then repeats the item’s name and gives it to another participant.

Let this happen a few times and then introduce a second item, a third…and then a fourth! By the end of it, you could be passing around a Frisbee, a sleeping child, an angry cat, the original red ball, and as many other items as you wanted.

The idea is that people pass each item along as if they were real.

Encourage creativity and reward imagination! Wouldn’t you soothe a sleeping child if you were holding one, for instance? And shouldn’t you be careful as you pass that angry cat to your colleague? What other types of interactions can people invent?

Hopefully, you’ll end up with complete chaos as the group starts slinging, whirling, and passing these imaginary items around the circle! Expect lots of giggles, shouts, and cries of alarm as teammates hand over an angry cat while trying to catch a Frisbee, and calm the sleeping baby in their arms.

By the end, everyone should feel revitalized and closer to their colleagues.

How to play Egg and Spoon Race

An egg and spoon race is another game that’s as fun for adults as it is for children! It’s also incredibly simple. As the name suggests, all you need is an egg and spoon for each participant. From there, you set a start and end point, line everyone up with the egg balanced on their spoon, and blow a whistle for the race to begin!

The first person to cross the finish line with their egg still intact wins. If someone drops their egg on the way, they must stop and pick it back up using only their spoon (no hands allowed!) before continuing.

Want to make the game less messy? Consider boiling the eggs beforehand. It’ll stop them from cracking when dropped, reducing the amount of cleaning up you’ll do when everyone’s ready to go home. You’ll be able to re-use the eggs, too – a bonus if you’re running multiple egg-and-spoon races throughout the day.

Oh, and don’t hesitate to combine this Field game for adults with the three-legged race we mentioned earlier! Making participants balance an egg on a spoon while their leg’s also joined to a teammate’s is a recipe for fun.