Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

How to play:

Challenge employees to write and perform parodies of popular songs with safety-themed lyrics. Record the performances and have a voting process to select the best ones. Offer prizes for the top performances.

This activity combines music and humor with important safety messages, making it memorable and entertaining. It encourages creativity and team spirit while reinforcing safety concepts in a fun way. Plus, who doesn’t love a good song parody?

“Hey! Team mate! Leave those unsafe things alone! All in all you’re just a ‘nother slip in the hall” 🎶

How to play 3-Question mingle

This is a bit like the previous game, but also a different game in its own right. For this one, every participant should write down 3 separate questions on 3 pieces of paper. The questions should be thoughtful and meant to engage in real conversation, not just things like “where do you live?”

Then, have everyone begin to mingle around the room and start to engage in discussions in pairs. People will ask their questions and get answers. The trick is, after asking a question and getting the answer, you hand over that piece of paper to the person you’ve spoken to. They’ll do the same. This way, in your next conversation, you’ll have new questions to ask your next partner. On and on the game goes until everyone has paired off or the timer that you set goes off. Many people find this is ideal for a large group of over 50 or 60 people, and is good for encouraging participation among even your quietest team members.

Bring your team outside for a day of friendly competition with ultimate field frenzy! This is a mix of classic outdoor games like tug-of-war, sack races, and team challenges that will get everyone moving and working together.

It’s the perfect way to boost team spirit and break up the office routine. With a variety of games to suit everyone’s skills, it encourages teamwork, healthy competition, and plenty of laughs. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to get the entire team involved, no matter how large!

How to play:

• Organize outdoor games like tug-of-war, sack races, and obstacle courses.
• Split the group into teams and have them compete in various challenges.
• The team with the most wins at the end of the day is the champion!

How to play You teach me

Everyone learns differently and has unique perspectives on things. There can be a lot of value in hearing and understanding these perspectives from other people. For this exercise, you’ll need to divide people into small groups of no more than 5. Give them all of the training materials and notes you have for the training, and instruct them to work together to come up with their own presentation. Their goal is to cover the material for everyone else present, as if they were the teacher. Teaching others is actually a powerful form of processing knowledge, and having a different perspective will help attendees to learn the material more thoroughly.

How to host Talent show

For more silly fun, let employees know that your next happy hour will be a talent show. To execute this idea, you probably need to be in your own office space or another venue where you have the space to yourself. This is also a nice idea for a big outdoor space. Announce the talent show in advance and let everyone prepare an “act”. Or, for even more fun, put people on the spot during the event and see what everyone can come up with at the last minute.

You can encourage more cross-department collaboration by having people split up into groups for their talent act, doing things like a group poetry recitation or improv scene. If you want to ensure more networking, divide up the groups in advance.

How to play Baamboozle!

In this online game, everything is already set up for you. Baamboozle is a great website with thousands of topics ready to go, all you need is one host to screen-share. 2 to 4 teams can compete, with topics from videogame trivia to icebreaker games.

Allocate more than 3 teams for a more tactical game, as 2 teams can decide to gang up on 1 unfortunate team. Remember to make use of the ‘power up’ function for point-stealing mischief and leader-swapping bonus cards.

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How to host Create emotion signs

Why not give everyone a bit of a heads up about the kind of moods they’ll be dealing with that day? Have a paper and some markers ready at each seat when people come into the room. Ask them to make a sign that would signal their mood to everyone around them, and then hold it up. For example, if someone is a bit out of sorts on a Monday morning, they might write “Tired”. If someone is really excited, they might write something like “Pumped!” If someone is anxious about presenting later, they might draw a nervous-looking face. Then, have each person stand and explain what’s on their sign and why.

This game relies on solid opinions, sure to get people talking. As the game's name implies, your team will get to know each other quickly, discussing the things they love and hate the most.

How to play:

‍Team members go around and ask a question about the best thing they can learn from the group. After each participant's answer, they go to the next person who asks about the worst thing their team can talk about. That can be like, “what is the best meal you ever had.”

This continues until everyone has the chance to ask a question, and receive answer.

Materials you’ll need Just your team and a large seating area.

How many people: Small to large teams (8-25+ people)

Robots takes the basic premise behind Human Objects (from earlier in this article) and pushes it a step further. This time, rather than individuals imitating random items, the entire team works together to embody a robot!

How to play Robots

This funny improv game begins with everybody standing in a circle. You then invite someone to walk into the center – pretending they’re a robot every step of the way.

After a few seconds, someone else jumps in and pretends they’re a new part of it, complete with their own movements and sounds. Repeat this process until you have an entire machine made up of colleagues in various body positions performing different functions, but ultimately operating as one.

Think: “The Office” meets “Transformers”. You’ll feel as if you’re back at school, giggling like little kids as your workmates manipulate themselves into ever more unusual positions (making robot noises as they go).

When it’s fully assembled, you can then ask the “robot” to complete a task or dismantle itself bit by bit. Heck, you could even get the team to build a robot that’s designed with a specific task in mind.

Whatever happens, the end result is a high level of collaboration. They’ll be joining arms, holding hands, and moving in sync in their effort to make and imitate a machine. The fun, physicality, and humor involved should forge tighter relations too.

How to play Try not to laugh

This is another one that’s great for groups. Choose one person to be “invisible”. Everyone should also pretend that the player can’t be seen. They can do anything except interact directly with the invisible player. The entire time, the invisible player should be trying to make them laugh. Any player that does end up laughing must leave the game. Ideally this game goes on until there’s only one player left (the winner).

How to play Interactive group map

In this engaging team warmup exercise, you have the group imagine the space that you’re in as a map. Their goal is to place themselves where they are from. The first few steps have the most energy, as people try to find relative geographies and move around the space and each other. This game can be played with teams of any size, but it tends to be more fun when people are from more diverse, spread out areas. If everyone is from the same state, simply scale down your map and have everyone stand in the town they’re from.

Explanation:

‍Teams are given a random office item and must come up with a full marketing campaign and product launch strategy for it within one hour. It’s fast-paced, creative, and hilarious as teams scramble to sell everyday objects as the next big thing.

In the hybrid version, both remote and in-office teams are handed the same random office item, like a stapler or sticky notes, and they must collaborate to create a complete product launch strategy. Remote workers can handle the digital aspects, like designing an online ad or social media campaign, while in-office workers take on in-person tasks like creating a mock product display or filming a funny promo video.

At the end, each team presents their campaign virtually, showcasing how they turned something ordinary into the next office must-have.

It’s a great way to get everyone thinking on their feet, no matter where they are.

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”.

This activity is a hands-on, engaging, and safe way for employees to develop crucial conflict resolution skills that they can use effectively in their professional roles.

Instructions

1. Set a conflict scenario or topic for discussion.
2. Participants can only communicate nonverbally (no words).
3. Designate one as the communicator and the other as the recipient.
4. Set time limits for interactions.
5. Discuss experiences and challenges after each round.

Why it's awesome for learning conflict resolution

• Practical Skill Development: Conflict resolution often involves understanding emotions and unspoken cues. This game offers practical experience in interpreting nonverbal signals, a crucial aspect of resolving conflicts effectively.

• Enhanced Communication: The game hones participants' ability to communicate without words, which is essential when dealing with emotionally charged conflicts where verbal communication may be challenging.

• Active Listening: Conflict resolution relies heavily on active listening. This activity encourages participants to pay close attention to nonverbal cues, which is a key component of effective listening.

Corporate Castaways puts your employees’ ingenuity and teamwork skills to the test as they attempt to solve various group challenges.

Great for: Teamwork, communication

Duration: 2–3 hours

You’ll need: Various equipment depending on the games chosen

How to play:

• Find an open outdoor space with plenty of room to move around, such as a park or a beach.
• Set up each game (physical challenges and puzzles). Leave plenty of space between them. You should have as many challenges as you do teams.
• Divide your group into teams of about 5–8 players.
• Assign each team a challenge and have them stand around or next to it.
• Set a time limit for each game. When you say “Go!” teams set about trying to complete the challenges. Assign an “official” to each challenge to tally the scores.
• Teams have a turn to complete each challenge. The team with the most points after completing all of the challenges wins.

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.

How to play Breakfast Guessing

This game is super simple and doesn’t require any props. Players simply take turns guessing what other colleagues had for breakfast that morning. To make it more interesting, the team can collectively ask up to three questions to narrow down their options. For example, they might ask if it was a cold item, or whether it was savory or sweet.

Sometimes people get really creative, asking questions like “Did it come from a blender?” or “Would fancy restaurant serve this food?” Warning: this game does tend to get people thinking about food, so make sure you have a plan in place for your next snack or meal.

Building stories together can help an agile team practice iteratively expanding ideas. Building stories has been helping teams grow in corporate events and quickfire meetings, so keep the focus on agile principles and you’ll be improving your employees’ collaborative skills.

Set up:

Dedicate some time to creating prompts beforehand, to make each step in the story open-ended and adaptable. Start with an opening that instigates conversation like “Our new app just launched…” The first team member adds to this line, which can turn the story in any direction, such as “Users flooded in on day one, and our servers went caput.” Encourage the next member to weave in some challenges or a milestone, with a line like “Our support team scrambled to handle user questions.” Keep iterating and adding and see where it leads. When the story ends, reflect as a team and focus on agile practices that helped them to adjust.

How to play Story cubes

Another worldwide classic game that has stood the test of time is “Story Cubes.” There are hundreds of variations of stories available, from simple daily scenarios to extravagant and epic fantasies.

The game is open-ended and revolves around a collection of cubes. Each side of a cube has an idea that continues a story, in a chain of events. Scour online resources for some templates, or create your own. Sometimes, the more random, the better!

How to play Heads up, heads down

This one is ideal for small or medium size groups. The goal of the game is to eliminate players who make eye contact. First, choose a person who will shout out the directions. Then players should gather in a large circle with their heads down. When the leader calls “up”, the players must raise their heads simultaneously, look towards another player, and pause. Then the supervisor will say “down” and players put their heads down. These actions go back and forth and if two players happen to look at each other directly, they are out of the game. This continues until there is a winner.

How to play Word crush

There aren’t many people in the world who haven’t heard of the game Candy Crush. Word Crush is a video game crossover that uses a column-stacking system while challenging the player’s word-building skills.

Each person can play individually, or record high scores and go head-to-head with multiplayer. The game is available for Apple and Android, so download and share on a screen for a competitive, word-building challenge!

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.

It’s time for a verbal showdown. In debate duel, two players go head-to-head, debating opposite sides of a topic. The audience votes on the winner based on persuasion, humor, or pure passion.

This game gets the conversation flowing and lets people flex their public speaking and persuasion muscles. Whether it’s serious or silly topics, debate duels are a great way to sharpen communication skills while having a few laughs. Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to settle those ongoing office debates once and for all!

How to play:

• Select two participants to debate opposing sides of a topic.
• The audience listens and votes for the most convincing debater.
• The person with the most votes wins!

This game seems a little childish at first, but it usually leads to a ton of laughs. It’s the perfect game for leaving egos at the door - chances are everyone will feel equally silly. Why not let your walls down and just goof off for a while? You’re sure to feel closer to your coworkers afterward.

To begin:

1. Have the group stand in a circle, and have one person stand in the center. The circle should be wide enough that the person in the center can freely spin around, and people can move fairly freely.
2. The person in the circle should spin around a few times with their finger pointed out. When they stop, the person they are pointed at is “up”.
3. The person in the center asks that person to make a particular noise - for example, a lion, or a car that won’t start. Chances are the sound won’t be that accurate, and the more outlandish, the funnier the game gets.
4. Then the person who was just “up” moves to the middle and does the same. They will spin, point to someone, and come up with a silly noise for them to make. This goes on until everyone has had a turn.