Some days, just getting through all of your meetings and tasks can feel like survival of the fittest. Why not harness that energy for the good of your team?
Survival games are activities that foster teamwork and encourage fun while actually preparing people for an emergency. It’s always a good idea to have a plan for what will happen if something goes wrong, and survival games are also great for strengthening team bonding. Sometimes they are referred to as “wilderness games”, and they tend to encompass some elements of outdoor team-building activities, group games, and trust building exercises. They also make a great corporate team-building activity that works for teams of any size or formation.
If you’re ready to level up your team-building - and get some serious survival skills to boot - let's dive in!
21 Survival games and exercises for work teams
1. Relay race
A standard at most field days, relay races are tons of fun and a fast-paced, physical activity. This relay race is a classic but with a survival spin. In this activity, groups work together to complete survival-themed challenges, such as building a shelter or purifying water. Players take turns completing all of the necessary tasks, and whoever finishes first wins. This game is impactful for motivation, teamwork, communication, and collaboration as well. It does require some thought and preparation in advance, so make sure the event facilitators have plenty of time and space to create the various challenges and stock supplies.
2. Emergency evacuation drill
More of an exercise than a game, this activity offers peace of mind as well as teamwork. Part of feeling comfortable and secure at work is knowing what will happen if something goes wrong. You can facilitate this with a drill that helps workers prepare to leave the office quickly in the event of an emergency. It’s a good practice to set up team leaders - perhaps according to department or office area - and have them guide everyone to emergency exits and follow whatever protocol you set up. If you want to make this exercise extra effective, have everyone gather outside and ask for feedback on how things went and what could be improved. What could make things more smooth and streamlined in the event of a real emergency? Incorporate the best ideas into your emergency evacuation instructions.
3. Gimme shelter
When most people think of being stuck in the wilderness, their first concerns are around food and water. However, survival experts will tell you that in many climates, it’s impossible to survive without a proper shelter. This exercise teaches key survival skills while also encouraging teamwork, cooperation, and critical thinking. Start by gathering everyone outdoors and breaking a large group into smaller teams. Provide some limited supplies like rope, tarp, and tree branches. You don’t want to make it too easy or unrealistic, so don’t bother with things like tents. The goal is for everyone to build a strong shelter that will protect them from the elements. For some added fun, have prizes ready for the first team done, the most effective shelter, and the most creative.
4. Make-a-fire challenge
If you haven’t ever started a fire from scratch before, you might be surprised at how difficult it can be. However, being able to create a fire from raw materials is a huge advantage in survival. Key for warmth as well as preparing food and boiling water to filter it, a fire is an essential part of making the most of your environment in an emergency. Break larger groups into smaller ones or have people pair off. Using only wilderness materials, have them try to (safely) start a fire. Make sure to offer prizes to the group who gets their fire roaring first (we suggest keeping with the theme and offering a smores supply kit or other fun camping gear). Obviously, this one has some space considerations to think about. You need to be in an outdoor space with plenty of twigs and an area to build the fire. It needs to be fairly easy for people to gather kindling and the other supplies. This challenge really tests peoples’ patience and communication and is a strong team-builder.
5. Campfire cooking contest
A more adventurous take on a cooking contest, this challenge requires using sparse materials and ingredients found in the wild to create a tasty recipe. It will be easier if you provide a few ingredients, but you can always have people tough it out and see what they can come up with from the woods. People also need a way to build a fire to cook over, a pan or cast iron skillet, etc. Have everyone work in small groups and then have a judge or panel of judges to assess all of the creations. Educational and fun, it’s a great activity to add to any outdoor team-building events.
6. First aid skills test
This exercise is valuable in several ways. It’s not only educational, but provides some key insight into survival tasks and helps everyone to feel more prepared if the worst happens. Start by setting up a few different stations, such as CPR, bandaging wounds, or dealing with burns. Before people begin the rotation, have someone run through specific instructions. Ideally this would be an expert who is able to teach these skills, but a local nurse or other first-aid expert can be helpful too. Once everyone has heard the instructions and seen a demonstration, break people into groups and have them begin running through the rotation giving things a try. To make it more of a game instead of just an educational activity, create a self-assessment score sheet where everyone can rank themselves on each activity. What did they excel at, and what did they find really difficult? Have each person give themselves a score, and talk amongst the team about why they scored the way they did.
7. Water purification contest
Obtaining clean water is essential in any emergency scenario, but a lot of people don’t know the various ways to do this. In this fun activity, provide water from a local source (ideally not water that is already filtered; for example from a nearby lake or pond). Also provide some water purification apparatus like boiling, chemical filtration, etc. Give each person a jug of water and add some food coloring to it. The goal is to filter the water as much as possible and see who has the lightest colored water at the end of the filtering processes. The person with the least amount of food coloring present wins.
8. Plant foraging
Bring out everyone’s inner “gatherer” with this activity. To do this, you’ll need to be in a heavily wooded area with lots of vegetation, so it’s best to save this for outdoor retreats, nature park exploration, or other forest-friendly events. Give everyone a basket and a book on edible plants and have them go forage. Before people take off, make sure to point out dangerous plants or other toxic substances to avoid. Set a timer for about an hour and see what everyone comes up with. You can announce the winner as the person with the most plants collected in their basket, or you can award points based on the difficulty of finding certain ones. You can also have people share how they would use the plants or recipes they would create with them for more points. This activity also pairs nicely with the campfire cooking contest, as people can use their foraged provisions to whip up their recipe.
9. Old fashioned fishing
If this is legal in your area, and your colleagues aren’t particularly squeamish, try a fishing adventure at a local river or lake. You’ll need plenty of supplies like bait, fishing poles and line, etc. You’ll also need someone who is an experienced fisher to help get lures set up, attach bait, etc. This is not an exercise to try if no one on your team is familiar with fishing. Make it a contest by seeing who can catch the most fish. This is another activity that goes well with preparing a meal outdoors, so it’s perfect for an overnight camping trip.
10. Navigation contest
Challenge your team to find their way around with only a map, compass, and other survival supplies. Caveats: this isn’t one you want to try in a large national park or where there are dangerous animals. Use your best judgment and make sure there is little risk of getting truly lost. To start, give everyone a landmark or special area they need to get to. Then provide the materials and have them plan to meet back up at a designated time. They’ll need to use things like a compass and trail maps to find their way. This is a powerful team-building exercise, especially for large groups, as people can split up and have plenty of space. It’s a good problem-solving exercise and helps natural leaders to emerge. You may want to equip everyone with walkie-talkies, and don’t forget plenty of bug spray, sunscreen, and comfortable walking shoes. Just remember: the most important thing is that people don’t get completely lost, so use good judgment in choosing teams and picking locations.
11. Knot tying race
What does tying knots have to do with survival? You might be surprised at how helpful proper tying techniques can be to things like creating fishing lines, building shelter, hiking steep areas, and a lot more. Help your team to hone these skills by setting up a knot-tying challenge. Break your team into smaller groups and give them each a long length of rope. Who can tie a series of knots quickly and accurately? You can give them specific knots to try, or just say the first person with 20 knots wins.
12. Identify the gear
What does your team know about survival gear? Help to educate them with this fun and simple game. Lay out a variety of equipment such as a compass, water purification tablet, emergency blanket, etc. Give everyone a sheet of paper and have them write down each item, along with how it’s used. Afford points for each correct answer, and the person with the highest score wins.
13. Worst-case role play
Often, people are sure they would do the exact right things in an emergency - but it turns out they’re wrong. Help your team learn what to do to stay safe in disaster situations by practicing with each other. Pick an emergency - like a tornado or earthquake - and break people up into groups. Everyone can take turns playing a different role - for example, a trapped victim and a rescuer. What are the right and wrong ways to react in the moment? This exercise is especially helpful if there is a survival expert present who can give some feedback on the best things to do.
14. Wilderness trivia
If you follow our blog, you know we are big fans of trivia in almost any scenario. Give trivia a survival spin by using questions like “What is the most effective way to purify water in the wild?” (Answer: boiling). Come up with questions about what to do in emergency situations and see who can answer the most correctly. Bonus points for making an FAQ document with all of the questions and answers and having everyone take it home with them as a resource.
15. Backpack packing race
For this game, you’ll need lots of supplies. Break your group into pairs and give each of them a backpack to start. Then, create piles of various equipment that may or may not be helpful in an emergency situation. Include things like food, camping gear, first aid supplies, etc. Teams must race to fill their backpack for things needed in a wilderness situation. They should also keep weight distribution and safety in mind. The object of the game isn’t to be the first to pack a bag, but to pack the best bag that increases chances of survival.
16. Survival storytelling
Perfect for a group campout, have everyone sit around a fire and get ready to share. Have one person kick off a survival story, and each person adds a few sentences until the story is fully flushed out. Then, recap. What did everyone learn about potential survival scenarios and what to do - or not to do?
17. Cross the river
Water safety is hugely important, but a lot of people don’t have much comfort around water. This game helps people to feel more comfortable so that they can do the correct things when needed. Begin by setting up your space. You’ll create a fake river with things like markers, ropes, or fabric. Have a broad set of supplies available for people to use to “cross” the river, like boards, stones, rope, etc. Break your team into smaller groups that are evenly sized, and challenge them to cross the river. The team that “gets across” first wins. You can also have winners for most creative or most likely to work.
18. SOS signal challenge
Being able to send signals in an emergency situation is crucial, but many people don’t understand how these signals work. For this game, have groups create an SOS signal with whatever they can find. If you’re outside, this could include branches, stones, even fire. If inside, it might include things like office supplies or clothing. Give each team ten minutes to gather supplies and create their signal, and award points for creativity, visibility, and clarity. This is a fun challenge where co-workers can compete and learn valuable skills at the same time.
19. Lifeboat building
For a great combination of physical exercise, team-building, and problem-solving, try this challenge. You’ll need to have plenty of supplies available and a body of water to test vessels on. Things like large pieces of styrofoam or cardboard, tape, or tarp are all good choices. Have teams build a “life raft” with the supplies in a designated amount of time - probably around 30 minutes. Each team needs to put their boat into the water and see which ones float and are viable. The team whose boat lasts the longest in the water wins.
20. Sinking ship activity
Speaking of water and boats, figuring out what to do in the event of your boat taking on water is a powerful learning experience. You can keep it simple by creating a large circle with tape and having groups stand inside it. Now, imagine the boat is taking on water - what do you do? You can be creative and give them some random supplies, or have them imagine they are on their own. Teams will need to communicate and work together to come up with a viable solution.
21. Lost at sea game
This is a fun simulation game that only requires a pen and paper. Begin by instructing groups to imagine that they are on a chartered yacht that hits a damaging storm. They have 15 minutes to save 15 items from the ship. Have them write down the items and rank them in terms of importance. This can be done on an individual level or in groups, and when done in groups lots of debate and conversation will ensue. Have a recap at the end where everyone discusses their answers and why they ranked things the way they did. Everyone is sure to learn something new!
Add survival skills to your next team-building retreat
Survival games and other team-bonding exercises are engaging, practical, and fun. They’re an ideal way to boost problem-solving capabilities and teamwork while also providing valuable life skills.
Any of these games are a smart addition to a full-day or multi-day team-building retreat, especially those that happen outdoors. It’s becoming more popular for companies to host camping, hiking, or survival retreats that incorporate nature, and these team-building activities are perfect for such an agenda. If you’ve been interested in planning a nature-themed team event but aren’t sure where to start, reach out to Surf Office. We help companies plan events in any location - even the most adventurous - that excite employees and engage entire teams.
