Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

Get ready to belt out some tunes with virtual karaoke jam! Team members take turns singing their favorite songs in an online karaoke session. For extra fun, you can even vote on the best performance, though it’s really all about letting loose and having a laugh.

It’s a great way to inject some fun and energy into a virtual meeting and maybe even discover a few hidden vocal talents on the team.

How to play:

• Each person picks a song and sings it in an online karaoke session.
• Optional: Vote for the best performance.
• Sit back, sing along, and enjoy the musical chaos!

Browse more team-building activity ideas to keep your virtual meetings lively and engaging.

Minefield is a fun energization game that improves communication and listening skills. All you need is an open space and a bunch of soft-edged objects.

Great for: Listening skills, communication, energization

Duration: 10–15 minutes

You’ll need: Various soft objects like balloons, foam blocks, plastic cups, etc.

How to play:

• Divide your group into teams of about 4–5 players and blindfold one player from each team.
• Spread out your soft-edged objects throughout the space.
• Ask the teams to stand at one end of the room.
• When you shout “Go!” the blindfolded player must make their way to the other side of the room without touching any of the objects on the floor. The players without blindfolds are allowed to give verbal commands to the blindfolded player. They are NOT allowed to touch or guide the blindfolded player in any way.
• The team to reach the other side of the room first without touching any of the objects wins. If a team touches an object, they must return to the start.

“It’s 11.30am on a midsummer’s day and your plane has just crash-landed on a remote desert island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Your task is to rank these 20 items that were salvaged from the plane in order of their importance to the survival of you and the team.”

That’d be one way to introduce the classic team and trust-building exercise called Desert Survival! A powerful way to demonstrate that teams outperform individuals and that collaboration’s key to success, this activity always goes down well.

There are three ways to play:

• With actual items that the team can hold and put in piles
• With pictures of each item or
• With items simply written down on a board or piece of paper

In any case, the team gets around 40 minutes to discuss each item, reflect on their respective pros/cons, and work together to decide what they’re going to keep. In the process, they’ll realize the:

• Need to speak up if they wish to make a point
• Problem with stubbornness in a collective environment
• Value of compromise and sacrifice in search of unity
• Gaps in their personal knowledge/reasoning that others can help fill

From a managerial perspective, the Desert Island scenario also reveals how well the team works together and how easily they find solutions to a problem. You’ll see how rapidly they approach a state of synergy – where collaboration enables them to leverage their individual strengths and become greater than the sum of their parts.

What you need:

• A selection of items to be used on a desert island (or pictures of them) – unless you choose to write them down instead.

How to play Trivia Time!

Instructions: Prepare a set of trivia questions about the company's history, products, or famous employees. Divide participants into teams and ask questions. The team with the most correct answers wins.

Materials needed: Trivia questions, answer sheets.

Get ready for Office Trivia, the brain-boggling showdown that proves knowledge is power and a hilarious conversation starter. It's a crash course in camaraderie, where teammates unite to celebrate their shared team culture and flex their mental muscles. Prepare to be enlightened, dazzled, and maybe even shocked by your team's epic achievements.

How to play Communication chain

This is a great game for a team and involves participants expressing activities through gestures. Have everyone stand in a line facing the same direction. The last person on this line is the lead. They should write down an action (such as “I was walking my dog and tripped and fell”). The person next to them in line acts out the particular action without any verbal cues, and then the next person in line does the same, and so on. The first person at the beginning of the line will have to guess what the action was.

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How to play Group Art Project

If you want to be a little more active and collaborative, try coordinating an art project like a mosaic for the group. An activity like this can cater to people who are more introverted and not naturally chatty.

First, provide everyone with a workspace and the proper materials. Choose different mediums like paper, paint, magazines, glass pieces, or even computer graphics you printed. Come up with some guidelines such as “draw a team crest” or “come up with a goal for your team”. Then set a timer for a specific amount of time and let everyone create their art! You can have everyone do this as a large group or break people into smaller groups. If there are smaller groups, allow everyone to show off their creation to the larger group. If you need more ideas for icebreakers for introverts, check out our past post.

How to play Balloon Pop Relay

Instructions: Divide participants into teams. Each team has a designated starting point and a finish line. One member from each team races to the finish line while carrying a balloon between their knees. They must pop the balloon before the next team member can start their turn.

Materials needed: Balloons

Balloon Pop Relay adds excitement and energy to the picnic. It promotes teamwork, coordination, and a competitive spirit. It also creates memorable and entertaining moments for participants and onlookers.

How to play Name that product

Remember the memory games that you used to play as a child? A variation of this activity can help new hires to learn about your product offerings. You don’t need anything besides a pen and paper! Begin by making a list of the products that your company sells. On the same page, list product features and price points. Then, on separate papers, write a short product description for each of the items. Have sales reps match the products with the short descriptions. Or, as another variation, instead of descriptions you can use customer needs or wants, or another indicator that would help people to better understand your product breadth and keep them straight.

Some of the best energizers are also the simplest. Case in point? Exercise. Well-known to perk you up, improve your mood, and make you feel more alert, getting the body moving can work wonders in the workplace. There are all sorts of ways to use exercise to your advantage too.

How to do group exercise

• Go for a short walk as a team each afternoon
• Encourage everyone to do some simple stretches/exercises at their desk
• Go into the hallway and run relay races together
• Clear a space and run around the office for 5 minutes, dropping to the floor to do certain exercises (e.g. push-ups, squats, or burpees) every 20 seconds

However you incorporate exercise into the workday, it’s almost guaranteed to have positive effects on people’s energy levels. Stress relief, improved physical health, and stronger social ties are a few other benefits to look forward to.

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.

How to play Human Hungry Hippos

Do you remember the game Hungry Hungry Hippos from childhood? Bring the game to life with this super physical challenge. You’re guaranteed to get some laughs after even the longest meetings. The concept is simple: you recreate the classic game using your own bodies, skateboards, laundry baskets, and plastic balls. You can have 3 or 4 people go against each other every round.

To start, one person lays on their stomach on a skateboard, and another participant holds their feet in order to steer. The laying-down player should hold a laundry basket upside down, ready to snatch the balls. The leader should dump a basket of small plastic balls onto the floor to start the game. From there, each pair of players scrambles to grab as many balls as they can with their basket. The pair with the most balls at the end wins. This game is best suited for people who don’t mind getting physical and aren’t afraid of looking silly.

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How to play Team story weaving

Start with a random sentence, and each person in the group adds one more, crafting an unpredictable and often hilarious story. The key here is to embrace the absurdity and let creativity flow without overthinking it (or without using any materials!). As the story moves around the room, everyone gets a chance to contribute, which often leads to surprising twists, unexpected endings, and lots of laughter. It’s a great way to loosen up the atmosphere and let everyone feel comfortable being a little silly, which can lead to more open communication down the line.

This is perfect for breaking down communication barriers and showing off everyone’s quirky sense of humor. It’s especially great for larger groups, as it gives everyone a chance to participate, without putting too much pressure on any one person. The beauty of this game is that no one knows where the story will end up, and sometimes it goes in directions no one could’ve predicted!

How to play Photo Scavenger Hunt

Instructions: Create a list of specific photos or scenes that teams need to capture using their smartphones or cameras. The team that captures all the items on the list in the shortest time wins.

Materials needed: List of photo items, smartphones or cameras.

The Photo Scavenger Hunt combines the fun of a scavenger hunt with creativity and photography. It encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and allows team members to explore the surrounding area while creating lasting memories.

How to play Finding Bonds

Try an identity game that will help players to find common bonds. Everyone takes a turn making “I am a…” statement. Some examples could be “I am a mother” or “I am a runner” or “I am an amateur chef”. Other players who identify with that statement should move to stand near the person speaking. To begin the game, players should be spread out across the room, and move toward speakers as they identify with statements shared.

How to play Capture the flag

In this fast-paced game, players try to steal flags from each other's territories. The game is helpful for strategic thinking and promotes togetherness. You’ll need two to four teams with between 4-8 players. Each team should spend a few minutes creating their flag, and then find an open space where the teams can each hide their flag and have everyone attempt to come steal their flag.

How to play Balloon stomp

For this game, you’ll need tons of balloons in two different colors. You need to be outside or in a large space, and divide your large group into two smaller groups and assign them each a color. Set a timer for one or two minutes, and the goal of the game is for each team to pop all the balloons of their own color - without accidentally hitting the other color. At the end of the game, the team who popped most of their own color balloons wins.

How to play Human machine

Effective collaboration is an important part of a well-functioning team. This training game is a great way to encourage strong cooperation. Have everyone stand in a circle with one person in the middle. They should mimic part of a “machine” by making appropriate sounds or motions.

After 5 seconds, another person should enter and connect to the first person, also making the right “machine” sounds and motions. Every 5 seconds a new person joins, until everyone is connected as a well-running machine. This game is also good if you’re looking for some physical activity to break up a long day, or a quick office game.

A memory wall is a space for spreading good vibes and positivity in the workplace. Here, you’ll create a collage of good memories that your team can appreciate every time they pass by.

Great for: Company culture, job satisfaction

Duration: N/A

You’ll need: Paper, various coloured pens

How to organise:

• Give each employee a pen and piece of paper and ask them to write down some of their favourite memories from previous experiences like Christmas parties and offsite retreats. These can be personal memories or experiences they shared with colleagues.
• Then, ask your employees to create colourful drawings of these memories. If the memory is shared with a colleague, they can pair up and make the drawing together.
• Collect the drawings and use them to make a colourful collage somewhere in the office. It should be in a shared space where it can be appreciated throughout the day.

How to play Rice bowl

Everyone could use more practice with chopsticks. Have players use them to transfer as much rice as possible from one bowl to another with only one hand (and their chopsticks). If you want to make things more difficult, you can use uncooked rice, which is much harder to maneuver.

How to play Pirate ship exercise

This icebreaker is a unique way to learn everyone’s different perceptions and what they bring to the table. Start by drawing a large pirate ship on a chalk or white board. Then go around the room and have each person describe who they would be on the ship, and why. For example, someone might say they would be the cook, because they love to provide for others.

Someone else might say they would be the first mate, because they like to be in charge without being an authority figure. This is a fun way to learn about how people see themselves, which can help you to work with them better in the future.

How to play Beer pong game

If you’ve ever been to a fraternity party, this game needs no explanation. A classic drinking game, this option is for crowds who tend to get a bit rowdier. You set up the game with several red solo cups and ping pong balls - and of course, lots of beer.  You’ll also need a large long table that you don’t mind getting messy. If you’re not sure how to play, just look up a tutorial on YouTube.

Ever thought puns could be more than just a groan-inducing joke? Enter the Pun Battle, where quick wit and humor go head-to-head in a hilarious showdown. It's the ultimate test of pun prowess!

How to play

1. Assemble your colleagues who are up for a punny challenge. Make sure you have a clear space for the contest.
2. Participants pair off for 1v1 battles. Decide who goes first, perhaps with a coin toss.
3. The first punster delivers their pun, aiming to make their opponent laugh. The opponent must maintain a poker face.
4. The puns can be on any topic or theme (within reason), and the goal is to be as clever and funny as possible. There's no room for mercy in this pun war!
5. If the opponent laughs, even just a giggle, the punster who made them crack up wins the round.
6. The victor stays in the ring for the next challenger. Keep the laughter going until you have a reigning pun champion.
7. After the contest, discuss the power of puns in breaking the ice and improving active listening.

How to play Bananagrams

A fast-paced board game, this is one you’ll need to purchase in advance. When you have the game in hand, distribute the letter tiles among the players. Every player will flip their tiles and start forming a crossword grid of intersecting words.

Players can rearrange their grid at any time to make new words. Once a player uses all their tiles, they can shout "Peel!" and everyone has to draw an additional tile. The game goes on until there are fewer tiles than players, and the first player to use all their tiles - shouting  "Bananas!" - wins the game.

How to play Giant Twister

Instructions: Create a large Twister board on the ground using colorful circles or mats. Players take turns spinning the wheel and placing their hands or feet on the corresponding colors without falling. The last person remaining on the board wins.

Materials needed: Large Twister board or mats.

Giant Twister adds laughter, physical activity, and friendly competition to the picnic. It promotes flexibility, balance, and creates a lively and entertaining atmosphere for participants and spectators.