Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

Explanation:

‍Office and remote workers team up to match pairs of items. Remote workers describe their items, and office workers try to match them without seeing them.

Remote participants start by picking an item from their home (like a weird-shaped mug or a funky pen), but instead of showing it, they give the office team a detailed description. The in-office team then tries to find a matching item in the office based on that description alone. It’s all about great communication and attention to detail. Once both teams think they’ve found a match, they reveal the items on camera to see if they actually paired them correctly!

It’s a light-hearted, fun way to boost listening skills and teamwork between remote and in-office employees.

How to play Mock commercials

This activity is the opposite of a quick office game. It requires some time and preparation, but is worth it! Have employees choose a product or service and then create a commercial to sell it. You’ll need a space for everyone to act in, plus recording devices and a way for everyone to watch. Some companies add another layer of complexity by using two bowls.

Each bowl has several slips of paper with a word written on it. In one bowl is the style of commercials, such as humorous, scary, or emotional. In the other bowl is an object, such as soda or a copy machine. Have each group pick one paper from each bowl and base their commercial on that. So, you might have one group that creates a scary commercial about a copy machine. Doing it this way necessitates more creativity and often leads to a lot of laughs.

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 Pass the bomb

Pass The Bomb is a fast-paced family word game that’s great for work teams too. The box contains two decks of cards, a dice and a ticking time bomb. The aim of the game is to create words with the letters shown on the cards. Most cards have only 3 letters.

Rolling the dice can land on “TICK,” “TICK TACK,”  or a BOMB symbol.

• TICK means letters can’t be used at the start of a word.
• TICK TACK means your letters can be used anywhere within the word.
• The BOMB symbol means letters can’t be used at the end of the word.

So turn over your letter card, turn on the bomb, and start the game! Remember; pass the bomb, don’t throw it! (gunpowder not included)

How to play Restaurant pricing

“Price” is one of the four Ps of marketing, but is an often overlooked element. An exercise that helps your team to come up with a pricing strategy and see how it impacts overall revenue can be really helpful. This game takes about 45 minutes and you’ll need someone who is an Excel whiz to document the numbers portion. To begin, come up with a menu of items for your “restaurant”. You’ll also need an Excel or Google Sheet that has rows for each item, and columns to place cost of goods, price, number sold, and margin.

The goal of your group is to come up with pricing for each item that nets a great profit. However, they need to be realistic about things like the cost to make each item and how many people will buy it. If the price gets too high, they should plan to have less customers. This can start a great conversation on pricing strategy overall. How high does the price need to be before customers turn away? How low can you keep prices while still getting a decent margin? Using a template that has formulas built in means your team can just plug in different numbers to come up with several scenarios. This is a great way to drive home the point that even small price changes can make a big difference on the bottom line.

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Keep your team moving with healthy hustle challenge! Teams work together on daily wellness goals—whether it’s step counts, hydration, or stretching breaks—and track their progress in a shared spreadsheet. It's a fun way to keep each other accountable and celebrate small wins.

This challenge is a great motivator to stay healthy while working remotely, with a little team spirit and friendly competition sprinkled in.

How to play:

• Set daily wellness goals (e.g., steps, hydration, or workouts).
• Teams track their progress in a shared spreadsheet.
• Celebrate the team with the best overall progress at the end!

Discover more fun team-building ideas to keep your team energized and engaged in our full guide.

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.

Extreme rock, paper, scissors takes the traditional playground game to a new level. This time, Instead of battling it out in pairs, your employees will attempt to overthrow the competition in teams.

Great for: Energization

Duration: 10 minutes

You’ll need: Plastic hula hoops (approx. 15)

How to play:

• Lay the hoops in a line on the ground and leave a gap of 50cm between each one.
• Divide your group into two teams and position them at either end of the line of hoops.
• When you shout “Go!” one player from each team starts hopping through the hoops towards the opposition.
• When they meet in the middle, they play rock, paper, scissors.
• The loser exits the hoop and jogs back to their team. Meanwhile, the winner continues hopping forward towards the opposition and a player from the other team steps in to replace their fallen comrade.
• When the two players meet, they play rock, paper, scissors again.
• Play continues until a player reaches the opposing team’s starting hoop. The first team to land in their opponent's starting hoop wins.

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.

Instructions:

‍Pair people with different levels of experience in a reverse mentoring relationship. The less experienced individuals mentor the more experienced ones, sharing fresh perspectives and knowledge.

It's like flipping the leadership script and giving the underdogs a chance to teach the old dogs some new tricks. By pairing less experienced individuals with seasoned leaders, reverse mentoring unleashes a whirlwind of fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and the wisdom of youth. It's a leadership shake-up that challenges status quo and ignites mutual learning, making it a win-win for all involved. Perhaps consider involving yourself in this activity and allowing a newbie to mentor you. You never know, you could be mentored by the rising stars of tomorrow!

How to play Celebrity matching game

This is similar to the childhood photo matching game, only instead of a photograph from their childhood, staff should bring in a photo of a celebrity they’ve been told they resemble. You can either post the pictures in a public space or pass them around and have everyone guess which photo belongs to which person.

Teams will navigate a web-like course blindfolded, guided only by verbal instructions from their teammates. This task sheds light on the importance of clear communication, active listening, and trust. As participants navigate the course, they'll realize that effective communication is the cornerstone of successful collaboration.

Instructions

• Set up a course with obstacles, twists, and turns.
• Divide participants into pairs – one blindfolded and one giving instructions.
• Teams take turns guiding their blindfolded partner through the course using only verbal cues.
• Encourage descriptive language, patience, and adaptability.
• Evaluate based on successful navigation and the quality of communication.

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 Who did it?

This game is helpful for learning about what your colleagues do outside of work. To begin with, everyone should get a piece of paper and pen, and write down one interesting thing they’ve done. Then, all the notes are placed in a container, and a facilitator pulls them out one at a time and reads them alive. Everyone else in the room should guess who the individual was who completed that activity. For example, if one prompt is “skydiving”, then everyone would guess who among them was most likely to have done that. The more creative people get, the better!

It's time for the Goal Reflection Circle – a huddle of progress, challenges, and collective wisdom. Allow participants to form a circle, each taking a turn to share one of their recent exploits. It's a chance to share challenges, reflections, and receive constructive feedback from your cohesive team. This activity is like a group therapy session for your goals, promoting a sense of community

Top Tip for Facilitator:

• Foster an atmosphere of trust and support. As the facilitator, guide the circle with a gentle hand. Encourage active listening and constructive feedback. This activity is about building a community where vulnerability is a strength, and everyone is not just cheering for success but helping each other navigate the hurdles.

How to play Blind Volleyball

Volleyball’s always fun to play with friends. However, this version of the game adds a memorable twist that makes it even better! Rather than playing with an ordinary net you can see through, you place a cover over the top that stops you from seeing the team on the other side.

This simple change completely alters the volleyball experience! It becomes something like Battleships. You have to guess where the opposition is so you can place the ball where you hope they aren’t. In essence, you’re playing blind.

Assuming you can find a volleyball net and ball, this Field Day game for adults is nice and easy to organize as well. The rules are exactly the same as normal, other than the cover you’ll put over the net (an old bed sheet does the trick nicely). Just be conscious of hitting the ball too hard! You don’t know where people are on the court, so smashing it over the net is asking for trouble.

Birthday Line-up is a quick team-building activity that requires very little setup and no equipment. If it’s early in the morning and your team is drowsy, this is the perfect warm-up for the body and mind.

Great for: Problem-solving, decision-making, communication

Duration: 10 minutes

Players: 6-20

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play Birthday Line-up

Setup: Ask your group to form a line, standing shoulder to shoulder.

To play: When the timer starts, players must arrange themselves into order from the earliest birthday to the latest birthday (month and day only). Under normal circumstances, this would be a simple task, but there’s one problem: Players cannot speak. Instead, they can use only hand signals and body movements to communicate their birthday.

Think of this as your team's time-traveling adventure. The Historical Timeline Quest takes you to historical sites, but there's a twist. You'll decipher clues that unlock stories from the past. It's like solving history's riddles together. By working as a team, you'll connect the dots, piece together the timeline, and unveil the bigger picture. Through shared "aha" moments and collaborative detective work, you'll appreciate each other's unique knowledge and skills. It's not just history; it's a journey that brings your team closer, one clue at a time.

Instructions

• Assign roles to team members for efficient operation.
• Distribute clues that reveal historical landmarks.
• Visit sites, solve clues, and document significant events.
• Collaborate to accurately piece together the historical timeline.
• Keep historical references handy to aid in solving challenging clues.

Popular in interview settings and among new teams, Pass the ball is an effective ice-breaker that both unites and energizes employees. It couldn’t be simpler to play either.

How to play Pass the ball

Standing in a circle, one person starts by throwing a ball to a colleague and asks them a question as they do so.

The catcher answers, then repeats the process with another teammate. This continues for as long as you wish to play. Potential questions include:

• “What’s your fondest childhood memory?”
• “Where did you grow up?”
• “What was the last movie you watched at the cinema?”
• “If you could have a superpower, what would it be?”
• “Would you rather have legs for arms or arms for legs?”
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To keep people entertained and inject more energy into proceedings, try to pass the ball and ask/answer questions as quickly as possible. You could also set rules (e.g. “if you drop the ball you have to do a dare” or “only open-ended questions allowed”) to add another level of fun to the game.

Explanation:

Someone in the office describes an abstract design made by remote workers, while those working remotely try to recreate it—without ever seeing the original! The goal is to see how close (or hilariously far) the recreations turn out.

This is a perfect game for connecting the office and remote workers. The in-office person gives a detailed but tricky description of a design that a remote worker has come up with (think: a robot unicorn or a house made of ice cream cones). Remote team members then try to recreate the design based solely on that description using whatever tools they have at home—whether that’s paper and pen or digital drawing software. Everyone compares the original design with the recreations, leading to plenty of laughs as teams see just how different (or spot on) the interpretations are!

Lunch breaks present an excellent team-bonding opportunity that many managers fail to capitalise on. By organising regular lunchtime picnics, you encourage your employees to spend time getting to know each other outside of the office.

Great for: Interpersonal bonding, well-being

Duration: 30 minutes

You’ll need: N/A

How to organise:

• Outdoor company picnics are, of course, weather dependent, so look at the forecast at the start of the week and determine the best day and location for a picnic.
• Mark the chosen day on the calendar in the staff room or send a group email to notify your team.
• On the day of the picnic, provide essential items such as blankets, picnic baskets, sunscreen etc.

This is another childhood favorite for many, and bringing it into your workplace is sure to create a little nostalgia. It's a simple and fun way to get everyone more comfortable working together.

Here’s how you play:

1. Have everyone sit down, either at a desk, on the floor, or wherever it makes sense (but everyone should be sitting). Everyone should close their eyes, put their heads down, and put their thumbs up.
2. Seven players will go around the room and touch one person’s thumb apiece. Each chooser will select only one person, and they should do so as quietly and discreetly as possible. The goal is for the chosen people to guess who picked them, so the more secret, the better.
3. Once all seven people have been picked, have everyone raise their heads and ask the seven chosen people to stand up. Now, they will guess who touched their thumb. Each person gets only one guess, and if they pick correctly, they will be one of the seven “choosers” in the next round.
4. The game continues with the new seven people, including anyone who guessed correctly in the previous round. Ideally, everyone will get a chance to be one of the “pickers”.

In speed stack showdown, teams race to stack cups into pyramids and then break them down as quickly as possible. It’s a fast-paced, high-energy competition that tests agility, coordination, and the ability to keep cool under pressure!

This game is perfect for bringing some excitement into the office and getting everyone moving. Plus, it’s a great way to build team spirit with a little bit of chaos.

How to play:

• Split into teams and give each team a set of cups.
• Teams stack the cups into pyramids and then break them down as fast as possible.
• The fastest team to complete the challenge wins!

Discover more team-building activities for adults to energize your team and spark some friendly competition.

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.