Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

Here’s another easy, energizing, ice-breaking, and amusing activity that brings teams together and helps co-workers learn more about each other.

How to play My first job was…

To play My First Job, start by handing out a pen and a post-it note or scrap of paper to each participant. Next – and without showing anyone else – they have to write down whatever their first job was, before folding up the paper, and placing it in a hat/box in the center of the room.

From there, teammates take turns selecting a post-it from the pile, reading the role to the group and then guessing who wrote it. If they get it wrong, the rest of the team can jump in, working together to decide who had the job. Expect friendly banter, laughter, and all sorts of revelations to ensue!

Top tip: My First Job can be played in remote teams too. You’d simply ask people to send their jobs to you – the moderator – privately beforehand, then plug them into an online tool such as Wheel Decide. Employees can then spin the wheel and guess the owner of whatever job they land on.

The rolling chair race is a great way to get creative and transform the office into a playful space for the Office Olympics. Using different rooms, furniture, and anything you can find, create an obstacle course that can be completed in an office chair. This means making sure spaces are wide enough for the chair to fit, and ensuring that team members can actually get through so all they have to focus on is winning the race.

Time each person completing the obstacle course and the team that makes it through in the least amount of time takes home the gold.

If your group are struggling to come up with team names, this quick team-building activity might help! Classification encourages players to find common ground and get to know one another quickly.

Great for: Interpersonal bonding

Duration: 10 minutes

Players: 8+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play Classification

Setup: To prepare for Classification, separate your group into even teams. Before the game starts, make it clear that consolidating people into groups or perpetuating stereotypes isn’t useful. Players should avoid classifications based on gender, race, sexual preferences, or any other theme that could be perceived as prejudicial or discriminatory.

To play: After forming teams and explaining the basic rules, you’re ready to start. When you say “Go!” the players can start to exchange basic information about themselves. Perhaps they like to wake up early? Maybe they like to grab a coffee every morning? Based on these preferences and characteristics, the players will attempt to find common ground and classify themselves. You can expect results such as “The Early Birds” or “The Caffeine Addicts.”

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 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 Coworker trivia

Similar to the quiz idea, team trivia is a great way for colleagues to get to know each other better. This can be a lot of fun for groups that are often disjointed. It’s easy to find online trivia games for free, or you can use an online quiz maker to put one together. Or, you can have colleagues submit their own questions based on topics that you shared in advance. You can also include virtual team members easily as well.

How to play Would You Rather?

In this straightforward but effective game, an employee is asked what they would do in a difficult situation. It could be along the lines of “Would you rather be always cold or always hot?” or “would you rather listen to your least favorite music everyday or a baby crying everyday”.

Make sure that you ask for their reasons as to why they chose a particular answer, as this will highlight their thought process and inject some personality into the game.

It’s a fantastic way to really get to know the likes and dislikes of your employees which could be used to your advantage as you strive to make the office a place of enjoyment.
If you’re lacking on the creative questions to ask in the game, make sure to check out our extensive list of Would You Rather questions for inspiration!

How to play "Around the world” steps contest

As more companies focus on health and wellness, step contests have become popular. Step-counting competitions involve staff monitoring their daily steps and trying to beat each other or a certain number. You can put a more fun spin on things by leveraging a map or globe concept where the steps walked equate to miles. In this way, employees can work their way “around the world” by adding up more steps each day. It makes the most sense to use a 1:1 ratio where one step equals one mile. Every day throughout the contest, contestants will update their map to display their steps/miles.

For a little extra fun, have people pick “transportation” methods to move around their map, like a hot air balloon or a rocket ship. The race can last as long as you want it to, but a few weeks is probably best if you really want to see people make it “around the world”.

How to play Something in common

‘Something In Common’ is a no-prep game that can be run on the spot in your next virtual get-together. Create some breakout rooms of 4 or 5 people, giving them a 3-minute timer. Set a task of finding the most unique fact they have in common.

One point is awarded at the end to the team with the most interesting example. Tell them to emphasize uniqueness, as ‘we all use phones’ is a bit dull, while something like ‘we have all read a book by the same author’ sparks interest.

How to play Gift wrap

Gift wrapping is a true talent! See who on your team has this skill by tasking everyone with wrapping gifts in under a minute. You can either have several packages ready and see who gets the most wrapped, or pick containers that will be especially difficult to wrap and see how far each player gets in one minute. You might be surprised how difficult this can be. Remember that for this one everyone will need their own scissors, tape, wrapping paper, and area to spread out.

In rapid book reviews, team members get five minutes each to present key insights or takeaways from a shared book. It’s quick, to the point, and a great way to hear different perspectives—without anyone having to sit through a long book report.

This is a fun way to mix learning with speed and keep things lively. Plus, you might just find your next favorite read!

How to play:

• Choose a book for the team to read.
• Each person presents their insights in a five-minute mini-presentation.
• Keep it snappy and enjoy hearing different takes on the same book!

Explore more fun team-building activities for work to spark learning, laughter, and great conversations within your team.

Upgrading office equipment regularly to show gratitude to employees is a thoughtful gesture that can improve morale, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.

Here are some ways to provide the appropriate equipment based on employees' unique needs:

• Ask what your employees need. Conduct a survey or host a feedback session to understand which office equipment or tools employees want or need upgrades so that you can prioritize your investments.

• Don’t skimp on equipment. Provide employees with the latest tech, such as tablets, laptops, and dual monitors, to help improve comfort and efficiency. Speaking of comfort, whether your employees are in the office or remotely, offering a budget or upgrading chairs and desks to ergonomic options can enhance employee comfort and reduce the risk of work-related injuries. Remember, additional office equipment, such as printers, upgrade software, and collaboration tools, are needed to do a good job and should be provided by the company.

It’s about providing the equipment and creating a work culture that values and appreciates employees, leading to a more balanced professional environment and higher retention rates.  

Make sure to conduct regular feedback sessions to find out what your employees like and what they need more of to show that you care about their well-being and are grateful for their commitment and work.

Next up is the lesser-known, but fun guessing game "Password". It's known for keeping your employees on their toes in an amusing and challenging way.

How to play:

1. Choose a password and write it down.
2. Players take turns giving one-word clues to help others guess the password.
3. Clues cannot contain any part of the password.
4. If someone guesses the password correctly, they get a point.
5. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

So why is this game perfect for the office? For starters, it's a great way to get people thinking creatively and working together. Plus, it's an easy way to inject some energy into meetings or downtime without spending a lot of time or money.

This game is a fun and energetic game that gets the blood pumping, and its team members get to know each other in an informal way, which is essential to boosting workplace morale.

How to play:

‍Stand in a group, and the first player answers one of the written prompts on the ball after reading it aloud, so the group knows what they’re answering. After they finish, they call out the next person's name to that they will be throwing the ball (they wouldn’t want to hit an unsuspecting player in the face), and they do the same as the first player.

The game continues until everyone has a chance to answer a question.

Materials you’ll need Enough space for people to gather comfortably and throw a ball.

How many people: An icebreaker thumbnail or a DIY version can be a soccer ball with phrases written on it.

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.

In match quest, everyone has the name of a famous pair (like “Batman” and “Robin”) stuck to their back, but they don’t know who they are. Players ask each other yes/no questions to figure out their identity and find their match. It’s a race to see who can complete their pair first!

This team building game is perfect for encouraging interaction and getting people mingling. It’s a lighthearted, playful way to break the ice and get the team laughing together, making it ideal for building connections.

How to play:

• Write the names of famous pairs on cards and stick one to each player’s back.
• Players ask yes/no questions to figure out who they are.
• The goal is to find your match as quickly as possible.

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?

How to play Simple stretching

Sometimes, just moving your body and getting some good, deep breaths is enough. Several times throughout the day, use the natural breaks that occur to have everyone stand up and stretch. If you want to be more formal, you could have a team leader facilitate some group stretching or even introduce a short yoga session. As long as you can get people’s bodies moving, it’s a great thing. Plus - it’s free and no special supplies are needed!

In this engaging game, sales reps work as detectives and try to uncover customer needs.

Here’s how it works:

1. Have everyone in the group divide into pairs with one detective and one customer.
2. Give every pair about ten minutes to get as much information as possible. The detective should try to understand as much as they can about the customer's needs.
3. At the end of the session, have each detective present what they’ve learned, with the person who acquired the most knowledge the winner.

This is a great activity for learning more about probing questions, uncovering the things that aren’t being said, and building rapport with prospects - all valuable skills in the sales process!  

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That’s right, the classic race from your childhood is just as fun for adults! In fact, it’s probably even better. After decades of being bipedal, strapping your leg to someone else’s and having to move in unison is a significant (and hilarious) challenge – especially when you make it a race.

How to play Three-Legged Race

As you can probably remember, you don’t need much for a three-legged race. Some simple strips of fabric or lengths of rope will suffice. From there, you divide the group into pairs, stand each team side-by-side, and use the fabric/rope to tie Person A’s right leg to Person B’s left leg or vice versa.

Next, mark a start and finish line, get everyone to stand at the start, and blow a whistle for the race to commence. Expect chaos and laughter to ensue as they make their way as quickly as possible down the track!

Got lots of people coming to your Field Day? Try a three-legged relay race instead.

This time, you’ll need to create a longer track with four individual sections before splitting everyone into pairs like before. Assign four pairs to each team then set them around the track to run different sections of the relay. Each “starting pair” needs a baton, which they’ll pass to the next pair in their team, whenever they reach them. The first team to reach the finish line wins!

How to play Relay Sack Race

Instructions: Divide participants into teams. Each team stands in a line, and the first player in each team gets inside a sack. On "go," they hop to a designated point and back, then pass the sack to the next teammate. The team that finishes first wins.

Materials needed: Sacks or large bags.

Relay Sack Race encourages teamwork, coordination, and builds camaraderie among team members. It adds an element of fun and nostalgia to the picnic while providing an opportunity for participants to cheer on their teammates.

Instructions:

1. Begin by researching and finding a leadership style quiz on the internet.
2. Allow your team to read through the questions and ask them to choose the answer that best reflects their leadership approach.
3. Once they have completed the quiz, review their results and take note of their leadership style.
4. Engage in a group discussion about the different leadership styles and how they can be applied in various situations.
5. Share insights on how to adapt leadership style to different scenarios.
6. Encourage open communication and active listening during the discussion.

Who doesn't love personality quizzes? This activity helps team members to understand their unique leadership style and explore different approaches. By delving into the nuances of leadership styles, you'll gain self-awareness and learn how to adapt your style to different situations. It's like discovering your leadership superpower and unleashing it to save the day!

How to play Watermelon Eating Contest

Instructions: Provide each participant with a slice of watermelon. The objective is to eat the watermelon slice as quickly as possible without using hands. The first person to finish their slice wins.

Materials needed: Watermelon slices.

The Watermelon Eating Contest is a fun and delicious game that promotes friendly competition and brings out the laughter. It adds a lighthearted and entertaining element to the picnic while allowing team members to bond over a shared experience.

You would be surprised how competitive colleagues become over a typing speed race. This game is a great way to kick off the fun.

How to play typing speed race

The best way to play the game is for the competitors to take turns completing a typing test and sharing their screen as they do so. This way, spectators can cheer them on as they type.

Once they’ve completed the test, their scores are entered into a league table. Fancy upping the stakes? Encourage the team to ‘place bets’ on who they think will be the fastest before starting the competition.