Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

How to play duct tape three-legged race

The three-legged race is the ultimate teamwork game. Players are taped together by their ankles, using their outer legs and a single middle leg to move as seamlessly as possible to the finish line.

If you have an outdoor area, this is a great place to host this game, as it is best played with enough space to make the race challenging. If you’re playing inside, find the widest open area between the starting and finish points. If you have teams that are larger than two people, you can split up into groups within the same team.

For this game, you need a large space to accommodate everyone.

Here is what to do:

1. Have all players get together and form a circle.
2. Choose a random item within your reach and give each player up to 60 seconds to pitch to other participants.
3. Have everyone focus on the notable features and try not to repeat a sellable attribute that another participant mentions.
4. Any player who cannot remember a feature within 60 seconds leaves the game.
5. The last standing player is the winner.

If your team is on the creative side - or you want to encourage them to be - this is a smart activity for you. You’ll need plenty of recycled materials like paper, cardboard, or plastic items.

Here is what to do:

1. Split up your group into smaller teams.
2. Give each group a set of recycled materials. Try to give a good mix of whatever you’ve come up with.
3. The goal of each team is to come up with a unique and creative piece of art in the time allotted. The other objective is to use as many of the recycled materials as possible.
4. Once the time you set is up, each group will present their creation to the larger team.
5. Either one judge or a panel of judges will assess each art piece based on factors like creativity, teamwork, and the best use of the materials provided. The team with the highest score is the winner.

How to play “Pass the energy” circle

People love this one because it’s high-energy and good for engaging groups. Here are the steps: begin with everyone in a circle. Have a “caller” who will kick off the game by choosing a noise to make (such as “ahh” or “boom”). The person next to them must replicate the noise and it goes around the circle until it gets to the last person, who makes a new noise. Everyone should try to make the noise as fast as possible around the group. If you want to add some extra fun, try timing the exercise for each sound and seeing how fast the group can run through a single noise.

Robots takes the basic premise behind Human Objects (from earlier in this article) and pushes it a step further. This time, rather than individuals imitating random items, the entire team works together to embody a robot!

How to play Robots

This funny improv game begins with everybody standing in a circle. You then invite someone to walk into the center – pretending they’re a robot every step of the way.

After a few seconds, someone else jumps in and pretends they’re a new part of it, complete with their own movements and sounds. Repeat this process until you have an entire machine made up of colleagues in various body positions performing different functions, but ultimately operating as one.

Think: “The Office” meets “Transformers”. You’ll feel as if you’re back at school, giggling like little kids as your workmates manipulate themselves into ever more unusual positions (making robot noises as they go).

When it’s fully assembled, you can then ask the “robot” to complete a task or dismantle itself bit by bit. Heck, you could even get the team to build a robot that’s designed with a specific task in mind.

Whatever happens, the end result is a high level of collaboration. They’ll be joining arms, holding hands, and moving in sync in their effort to make and imitate a machine. The fun, physicality, and humor involved should forge tighter relations too.

Water balloon dodgeball is a highly intense competitive game that’s guaranteed to get your group livened up at the start of your team-building event. Just don’t forget to remind everyone to bring a change of clothes beforehand!

Great for: Energization

Duration: 10–20 minutes

You’ll need: Two large buckets or bins, lots of water balloons, cones or rope for marking the field

How to play:

• Mark out a rectangular field using rope or cones, divide it in half and then place a bucket or bin full of water balloons at both ends.
• Divide your group into two teams and position them at opposing ends of the field next to the water balloons.
• When you say “Go!” both teams start hurling water balloons at the opposing players.
• If a player is hit, they’re out of the game and must leave the field.
• Play continues until all the players from one team are eliminated. The team with players still standing wins.

How to play Cooperative yoga or stretching

A collaborative set of movements is always a nice idea for a group. We suggest focusing on yoga moves and having each person picking the next move in your flow. A participant will pick a yoga move that everyone completes, and then the next person selects a different one, and so on.

It’s best to complete these exercises quietly and without speaking, focusing  instead on breathing and movement.

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.

Brag & boost is an uplifting, in-office activity where one person highlights an achievement, and another praises a colleague’s success. It’s a simple but effective way to foster positivity and recognition within the team.

This is a great way to start or end a meeting, spreading good vibes and making sure everyone’s hard work gets noticed.

How to play:

• One person calls out an achievement they’ve noticed.
• Another team member follows up with praise for a colleague.
• Continue passing the compliments and positive energy!

For more team bonding activities that strengthen team morale and connection, explore our full guide.

Looking for a quick team-building activity to refine your group‘s listening skills before a meeting? Then Stop-Walk is the game for you!

Great for: Listening skills

Duration: 10 minutes

Players: 8+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play Stop-Walk

Setup: Find a large room and delegate one person to be the “leader.”

To play: The game starts simply. The leader introduces two basic instructions: “stop” and “walk.” When the leader says “walk,” everybody starts walking around, and when he/she says “stop,” everybody stops. Then, the leader announces that the meanings of these phrases have now been reversed, so “stop” means “walk” and “walk” now means “stop.” Once the group has got to grips with these commands, the leader can slowly introduce new pairs of commands such as “clap” and “jump,” now and again reversing the meanings. Whenever somebody performs the wrong action, they are eliminated from the game.

How to play Paper airplane race

Like the pencil javelin, the paper airplane race centers on how far you can get your paper airplane to fly. Each team constructs their best engineered plane and marks where they ultimately land. Each person on the team should have a chance to fly the place and the team that gets the furthest is declared the winner.

With digital playbook, employees create short user manuals or intro videos explaining how they work best—whether it’s preferred meeting times, communication styles, or favorite work snacks. It’s like a cheat sheet for collaborating effectively!

This activity helps teams understand each other’s work preferences and habits, which can make remote teamwork smoother and more enjoyable.

How to play:

• Each team member creates a short video or document explaining how they work best.
• Share the playbooks with the team so everyone can reference them.
• Use the playbooks to understand teammates' work habits and collaborate better!

For more fun team-building activities for work that strengthen communication and connection, explore our full guide.

How to host Virtual hackathon

This is a great option for remote teams or teams who are spread out geographically. Online hackathons are one of the most popular and effective team competition ideas.  A hackathon is a marathon competition where teams compete to sketch or design a new product over the course of a few days. To host one, pick a theme (like sustainability or pop culture) and announce it at the beginning of the competition. Make sure to announce the contest in advance of starting it so that teams have time to gather supplies, implement the right collaboration tools, etc.

Divide your group into teams and let them get started! Then, at the end of the allotted time, wrap up the competition and set a time for everyone to present their finished products. Then judges will pick a winner and award a prize. Maybe the product ideas could even be implemented someday!

How to play Post-it note art show

Teams are given the challenge of creating an office mural using only Post-it notes, with the mural reflecting a work-related theme. It’s easy to organize: grab some packs of colorful Post-its, assign a theme, and watch as creativity takes off. This is a fun way to encourage teamwork while bringing some color and personality to the office walls.

Top tip: Don’t stress over artistic skill! Even if it looks like a kindergarten project, it’s all about having fun together. Bonus points for those who incorporate inside jokes into their murals!

How to play:

‍Set up a Jeopardy-style game board with categories related to workplace safety (e.g., "Fire Safety," "PPE," "First Aid"). Create questions of varying difficulty and assign point values. Divide employees into teams and let them choose questions to answer for points.

Safety jeopardy extravaganza transforms safety training into an exciting game show experience. It’s an effective way to review safety policies and procedures while fostering a competitive spirit. Channeling their inner Alex Trebek, participants can both learn and have fun.

Visual puzzles are all about teamwork through description. One person describes an object, and their teammates sketch it based on those instructions - without seeing the original object. The results? Usually hilarious, but also a great way to test communication skills.

This teambuilding activity is perfect for enhancing your team’s ability to give and follow clear directions. Plus, the unexpected drawings add a bit of fun and laughter, making it an enjoyable way to break up the workday while sharpening those communication skills.

How to play:

• One person describes an object (e.g., a mug or a bike).
• Teammates sketch the object based only on the description.
• Compare the drawings to the original for some laughs!

Explanation:

‍Team members switch roles for the day—the accountant becomes the designer, the manager takes on the IT role, and everyone gets to try something totally different. It’s all about experiencing a new side of office life.

In the hybrid version, both in-office and remote employees swap roles, but the twist is they’ll shadow their swapped roles virtually if they’re in a different location. Remote workers can sit in on video calls or collaborate on shared tasks, while in-office workers can hop on a call to learn about the ins and outs of a remote teammate’s role. The key is to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, even if it’s virtually.

It’s a fun way to gain empathy for each other’s daily challenges and maybe even discover hidden talents along the way.

The Penny Game helps teams find the sweet spot between rhythm and balance. This simple game demonstrates how important workflow and efficiency are to agile working. You’ll need a decent-sized coin collection beforehand.

Set up:

Form teams of 5-6, providing each with a batch of 20 pennies. In each round, team members pass a batch, flipping each penny before passing. Reduce batch sizes each round to demonstrate smoother workflow with smaller batches. After each round, pause for feedback on speed and accuracy.

Gossip? Nah, we're all about good vibes. Avoiding gossip keeps the workplace drama-free and the focus on what truly matters.

Avoid gossip activity - Positive news sharing:

• Set up a designated time, such as a weekly meeting or a designated chat channel, for sharing positive news and uplifting stories.
• Encourage colleagues to bring forward news articles, personal accomplishments, or inspiring anecdotes to share with the group.
• Facilitate discussions around the shared news, allowing participants to express their thoughts and reflections.
• Emphasize the importance of maintaining a positive and supportive atmosphere by focusing on constructive conversations.
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This activity shifts the focus away from gossip and fosters a culture of optimism, inspiration and meaningful interactions.

Can your team protect an egg from a high drop using only a few materials? In the egg armor challenge, small teams work together to design a structure that keeps an egg intact when dropped from a height. Limited resources mean creativity is key!

This challenge brings out everyone's engineering skills, teamwork, and a bit of friendly competition. Plus, it’s always entertaining to see the wild contraptions people come up with. A little messy, but a lot of fun—and a great way to boost problem-solving skills in the office.

How to play:

• Split into teams and provide each with limited materials (e.g., paper, tape, straws).
• Teams design a structure to protect an egg.
• Drop the egg from a height and see whose egg survives!

Ready to take a page from the playbook of the greats? Enter the Role Model Analysis, where participants embark on a journey of inspiration and practical insights. The game plan? Identify role models or mentors who've aced goals similar to the ones you're chasing.

This activity allows for studying the traits and strategies of those who've been there, done that, and applying those lessons to your own goal-setting approach.

Top Tip for Facilitator:

• Encourage diversity in role models. Remind participants that role models can come from various fields and backgrounds. The key is to draw inspiration from a range of sources.
• As the facilitator, guide them to explore traits and strategies that resonate with their unique journey, creating a customized roadmap to success.

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.

Scrabble is a household classic that has brought people together for years. After building a word, countless people have scrambled to check their dictionary, and shout to their opponent “There’s no such word!” It’s a word-building game that comes with more than a handful of strategic play.

How to Play:

1. 2 to 4 players set the board up
2. Each player gets seven letter tiles.
3. Take turns forming words on the board, building off existing words.
4. Rack up points by placing words on bonus squares for extra scores!

Get your thinking-caps on and your dictionaries on standby for this classic letter game!

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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