Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

How to play Inspirational quotes

For a faster paced activity, prepare a set of inspirational quotes before the session. Grab as many quotes as there are participants and write them individually on pieces of paper. Put the pile of papers in the center of the room and let everyone pick one quote. They should share with the group what the quote means to them and how it is meaningful. This process should continue until everyone has had a chance to read and discuss a quote.

Get ready to wield your balloon-bashing skills in the exhilarating Balloon Sword Fight challenge! As your teams gear up for friendly combat, the atmosphere will be filled with excitement and laughter. Inspired by the fast-paced action of sword fights, this game replaces steel with balloons, turning your colleagues into balloon-busting warriors. It's not just about popping balloons; it's about teamwork, strategy, and the art of joyful competition.

Instructions

• Divide participants into teams of equal size.
• Equip each team member with a balloon "sword" – a harmless, air-filled weapon.
• Set up a designated play area with safety precautions in place.
• Teams strategize and plan their approach to the battle.
• Engage in friendly combat, trying to pop opponents' balloons while protecting your own.
• The last team with an intact balloon wins the round.
• Encourage sportsmanship and celebrate the victorious team.

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 “If I were”…

One of the easiest games to play, this activity allows players to describe themselves in different situations. Simply read the prompts out loud and give everyone a chance to respond. Some things you can suggest are:

• If I were a country, I’d be….
• If I were a song, I’d be…
• If I were a food, I’d be…
• If I were a brand, I’d be…
• If I were a cocktail, I’d be…
• If I were a wild animal, I’d be…
• If I were a mythical creature, I’d be…

What was the defining moment of your life? What’s the best thing that ever happened to you? What incident(s) enhanced your personal and/or professional life? What’s the most exciting, adventurous, or rewarding thing you’ve ever done?

How to play Final 30 seconds

Those are the types of questions around which this trust-building exercise revolves. Put them to your team at the next virtual meeting! To help them narrow down their search for answers, frame the initial question like this:

“What moment from your past would you choose to relive in the final 30 seconds of your life?”

Give each person a while to think about it and then go around the proverbial circle sharing your answers. Oh, and feel free to start proceedings with a story of your own! Telling the team about a special time in your life will encourage participation.

Honest and unpretentious, this exercise is a potent way to create a newfound sense of unity among remote employees. Having had a glimpse into their colleagues’ backgrounds, desires, and personalities, they’ll understand and be able to relate to one another better. Expect teamwork and trust to improve as a result.

What you need:

• N/A

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.

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:

‍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.

Get ready to sweat, strategize, and laugh together. The Obstacle Course Challenge throws your team into a physical adventure filled with ropes, walls, and adrenaline. But it's not just about conquering obstacles; it's about conquering them together. You'll shout encouragement, lend a hand, and celebrate each victory as a united front. Through the sweat and cheers, you'll find yourselves communicating better, trusting more, and learning that each member's strength boosts the whole team. It's teamwork, it's a workout, and it's a whole lot of unforgettable fun.

Instructions

• Nominate a team leader for organized coordination.
• Familiarize teams with the course layout and safety rules.
• Teammates support each other to conquer physical challenges.
• Offer encouraging words and provide guidance during tough spots.
• End the challenge with a triumphant team cheer to boost morale.

In acts of kindness quest, teams race against the clock to complete as many random acts of kindness in the community as possible. Whether it’s helping a stranger, picking up litter, or donating items, the goal is to spread positivity and do good.

This activity brings the team together for a feel-good mission while making a difference in the community.

How to play:

• Create a list of random acts of kindness for teams to complete.
• Set a time limit, and send teams out to perform as many acts as they can.
• The team that completes the most acts of kindness wins, but everyone feels great!

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.

For this game, players guess words based on context clues. The pyramid is a collection of six words with three on the bottom, two in the center, and one at the top. To win the game, teams need to guess all of the words within the pyramid within the timeframe you set.

To play:

1. Break a large group into smaller teams.
2. Give one player on each team the pyramid.
3. The pyramid-holder should give hints to their teammates to describe each word without using the actual words of the item.
4. When a player guesses correctly, the pyramid-holder will move onto the next word. On the other hand, they can also say “pass” and return to the word later.
5. Every correct guess is worth a point.

Before you set the time limit, think about the difficulty of the words you chose. A good rule of thumb is 30 seconds per word (which is 3 minutes total), but you can add or take away time as necessary. This can be a fun group activity, too.

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.

How to play Show your phone

A very simple and easy icebreaker involves asking everyone to share the latest “something” on their phone. The “something” could be their most recent photo, or the last app they had open. As long as it’s work appropriate, you can get creative about what you’ll ask people to show. A popular take on this game is to share the last 3 emojis you used, but you can get as creative as you feel comfortable. For a super fast and effective icebreaker, have each person stand up, introduce themselves, and share this tidbit of information based on your prompt.

Dabble is another great letter game that combines elements of Scrabble with crossword puzzles. 2 or more players compete to create five unique words. These words must be 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 letters long each, using 20 tiles. Easy to pick up, difficult to master!

How to Play:

1. Each player receives 20 letter tiles
2. Race to create a 2-letter, 3-letter, 4-letter, 5-letter and 6-letter word using your tiles.
3. The first player to finish all five words wins the race, but then scores are counted depending on the value of each letter.

This one is fast, fun, and utterly addictive!

How to play Jenga unstack

Try a condensed take on the popular game Jenga. Start by building the tower according to game instructions. Then see who can remove the most pieces in one minute without knocking everything down. You can do this as a large group and simply set the timer for a minute and see how far you can get, or you can have a Jenga tower prepared for smaller groups or pairs and have them compete to see who can remove the most. Either way, watch out for the falling pieces!

Instructions:

‍Create a space for leaders to express appreciation for each other's contributions and strengths.

Gratitude is the secret ingredient of exceptional leadership. The appreciation circle allows your team to acknowledge and celebrate the strengths and achievements of their coworkers. It creates a positive and uplifting environment, fostering a culture of appreciation and recognition. By expressing gratitude, leaders build stronger relationships, boost team morale, and inspire their team to give their best. Gather in a circle, shower each other with praise, and watch your leadership bonds grow stronger.

Have your teams flex their teamwork muscles while experimenting with their engineering skills. Build a bridge uses small, nifty materials to set the stage for a group challenge.

How to set up:

1. Gather Your Gear. You’re going to need specific materials. Raid the supply closet for straws, tape, and popsicle sticks. Also, get them sorted into teams to save the supplies.
2. Rule check time! Explain that teams need to create the strongest free-standing bridge they can, and lay down some time limits to add a sense of urgency.
3. Time to test the strength of each bridge and see if it can handle pressure. Load the bridges up with weights and see which one stands strong at the end.

Here’s an ice-breaking, energizing, and entertaining game that’s great for small teams of people who know each other already. Expect it to open up funny conversations and help everyone learn more about their colleagues in the process.

How to play Most likely to

Super simple, you play in a circle and take turns asking “who is most likely to”, followed by a specific trait or activity. For instance, Sally might ask the group:

• “Who’s most likely to bungee jump off a bridge?” Or
• “Who’s most likely to play a prank on the boss?” Or
• “Who’s most likely to be a night owl?”

Each team member then votes for whoever they think is most likely to do that activity or possess the trait. To spice things up, you could say that the participant with the most votes must perform a light-hearted punishment, such as making everyone a cup of coffee or handling the next tricky customer!

How to play Turn back time

Turn Back Time" is a heartwarming activity that brings people together through sharing personal memories. It taps into the positive things people remember from the past, sparking nostalgia and curiosity among the listeners.

This is a great way to boost team building without materials, as participants need only their memories. Why is it a hit at corporate events? Well, we spend so much time in the office, but how often do we really get to know our coworkers beyond the water cooler chat?

So, if you're looking to sprinkle a little fun and nostalgia into your next corporate shindig, "Turn Back Time" is your golden ticket. As you uncover the beautiful tapestry of memories that make your team tick, get ready to laugh and reminisce.

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.

A quick brainteaser or trivia question is a simple way to engage your team at the start of the week. This is a particularly useful strategy for encouraging engagement in remote teams. You can create a dedicated channel in Slack for employees to discuss the answer.

Great for: Facilitating interaction

Duration: 5 minutes

Players: 6+

You’ll need: A thought-provoking riddle, trivia question or brainteaser

How to play Quiz Question of the Week

Setup: Establish a day of the week when you’ll pose a head-scratching question to your team. When the time comes to ask the question, you can display it in any way you see fit. Write it up on a whiteboard in the common area, drop it in an email, or—if you’re working remotely—put it in a dedicated Slack group.

To play: Once you’ve asked the question, allow some time for your employees to wrestle with potential answers/solutions. It’s up to you when you choose to reveal the answer, but the idea is to encourage your employees to engage with the question as a group. If you like, you can start a leaderboard with a prize at the end of the year for the person who answered the most questions correctly.

Explanation:

‍Teams compete to create the funniest or most relatable memes about remote work life using online meme generators. Afterwards, everyone votes on the best one.

In the hybrid version, both remote and in-office teams get together to create the most hilarious or relatable meme about their work experience. Using online meme generators, each team collaborates to capture the ups and downs of remote work life—whether it’s Wi-Fi issues, Zoom fatigue, or the joys of working in pyjamas. Once the memes are created, they’re shared with the whole team for a vote. After all, who doesn’t love a good meme to brighten things up?

A challenge that appears simple on the surface, which involves food and is great for teambuilding? Sign us up for that!

The spaghetti and marshmallow challenge uses common items for an experiment in creativity and communication.

Whether used for a team offsite, workshop warm-up, or an onboarding icebreaker, this game reveals how your group thinks, collaborates, and adapts under pressure, one spaghetti strand at a time.

What you’ll need:

The setup for this teambuilding activity is simple. You won’t need a full-on kitchen, but you will need some level tables. Each team should have:

• 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti
• 1 yard (or meter) of masking tape
• 1 yard (or meter) of string
• 1 marshmallow (full-sized, not mini!)
• Scissors
• Measuring tape or ruler
• An adjustable timer on display

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Divide participants into teams of 4–5 people and give each group the same set of supplies. Clear a flat workspace for each team, as the towers must end up freestanding (no walls, chairs, or extra support) and hold the marshmallow at its peak for at least five seconds.

Before starting, check that every team understands that the materials are limited. Once the spaghetti breaks or the tape runs out, that’s it (sorry, no refunds or exchanges!).

How to play (step-by-step instructions)

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to start this teambuilding challenge:

Step 1: Brief your teams

Invite your teams into the construction site (aka the office or cafeteria) and explain the challenge clearly. Their task is to build the tallest freestanding tower possible that can hold a marshmallow on top. They’ll also be working against the clock, and the amount of time is up to you. We find that 18 minutes works best, as 15 feels too short, and 20 is a bit too long. In those 18 minutes, teams need to plan, build and test their structure. The marshmallow must be placed at the top of the tower and remain intact at the end of the countdown.

Step 2: Give out your materials

Hand out the same materials to every team (no favoritism and no extras) once they start. Encourage groups to check their supplies carefully and to delegate their roles in the group. They might get the best results if one person cuts, tapes, or tests. The key to this is collaboration right from the start, so make sure each person has a role before the building begins.

Step 3: Start the clock

Give them the countdown, then let’s get to building! The moment the countdown begins, you’ll see some teams get stuck straight into building, while others will plan more carefully. Both are fascinating to watch. Remind everyone that the marshmallow is a bit heavier than it looks, so they might want to test their structure as they go, instead of going into panic mode at the final minute.

Step 4: Check stability

When time runs out, tell each team to keep their hands off, and have them all step back. Each tower must stand on its own for at least five seconds while supporting the marshmallow. Any tower that collapses or leans on outside support is disqualified (no exceptions!).

Step 5: Measure and celebrate your noodle champions

Use your measuring tape to see whose tower stands tallest. Take a moment to consider your chosen winner, and once you’ve decided, start saying what you like about the non-winning towers. Every team should get a little shoutout for their designs, even if they are super wonky! This is a light-hearted teambuilding challenge, so keep it light with cheers for losers and team photos. Those crooked towers are often the most memorable.

Facilitator tip:

Encourage participants to iterate quickly and test early. The most successful teams usually build, break, and rebuild rather than overanalyzing. As the facilitator, resist giving design advice, as the discovery process is where the real teamwork happens.

Debrief: What did teams learn?

The challenge is playful on the surface, but there’s a whole lot of teambuilding happening in a short amount of time. Watching towers rise and collapse in real time sets the gears in motion for communication and being able to adapt when faced with uncertainty.

• Prototype beats perfection: The most successful teams are the ones that try new ideas and test them early, not those who spend 15 minutes planning and 3 minutes building. Early prototypes bring flaws to the surface and teach teams that feedback and iteration matter more than rigid plans.

• Communication makes or breaks the build: With the clock ticking, good communication becomes a team’s strongest tool. Actively listening to each other and sharing decision-making can turn chaos into collaboration. Those who communicate most often have the greatest output.

• Leadership and flexibility: Strong leaders will emerge naturally, but the best leaders are able to delegate, encourage and adapt, without trying to control everything. Every failed tower is a reminder that shared ownership leads to better outcomes than one-person command.

• Embracing and iterating on failure: Try as we might to stop it, every first attempt is likely to tumble. That’s the whole point. Your teams will learn quickly that recovery and rebuilding are as valuable in games as they are in your office projects. 

FAQs

How long does the challenge take?

The session usually lasts around 25 to 30 minutes, including the setup, build and short debrief at the end. It’s perfect as a warm-up activity or energizer during a workshop or offsite.

Can the challenge be done virtually?

With the right preparation, yes, the challenge can be done remotely. Each member can build their own mini tower at home while joining a shared video call. Materials can be mailed in advance or substituted with what people have on hand.

‍What’s the ideal team size?

Generally, groups of four to five work best. Smaller teams communicate faster, while larger ones can quickly become tangled in too many ideas.