Buckle up for a tech-infused journey through time in the Time-Traveling Tech Expedition. From ancient civilizations to futuristic landscapes, your team will delve into history's greatest technological milestones. But here's the twist: you'll also tackle hands-on tech challenges inspired by each era. As you leap through time and grapple with inventions past and future, your team's adaptability and innovative spirit will shine. It's a quest that transforms history into a playground for the tech-savvy.
Buckle up for a tech-infused journey through time in the Time-Traveling Tech Expedition. From ancient civilizations to futuristic landscapes, your team will delve into history's greatest technological milestones. But here's the twist: you'll also tackle hands-on tech challenges inspired by each era. As you leap through time and grapple with inventions past and future, your team's adaptability and innovative spirit will shine. It's a quest that transforms history into a playground for the tech-savvy.
This is another game focused on group wordplay, and one that can be done virtually as well as in person. It’s also really fun, so a great exercise for boosting team morale. To begin, let each person know they’ll take a turn as the story-teller. They should grab an object around them - like a pen or pad of paper - and spend one minute telling the most exaggerated story they can come up with around the object. For example, if their object is a pen, they might talk about how this was the pen used to sign a deal for the most famous athlete in their city. It’s also a game that puts people on the spot and makes them come up with something under pressure, so it’s an especially helpful activity for management level team members.
This is another game focused on group wordplay, and one that can be done virtually as well as in person. It’s also really fun, so a great exercise for boosting team morale. To begin, let each person know they’ll take a turn as the story-teller. They should grab an object around them - like a pen or pad of paper - and spend one minute telling the most exaggerated story they can come up with around the object.
For example, if their object is a pen, they might talk about how this was the pen used to sign a deal for the most famous athlete in their city. It’s also a game that puts people on the spot and makes them come up with something under pressure, so it’s an especially helpful activity for management level team members.
This word game is for all the music aficionados in the office. Riff Off is a popular game that plays on famous song lyrics. If you need a little help, search for the online lyrics to a really popular song. Tell your teammates one word from the song. We’ll make an example, the first lyric is “never.” If your partners can’t guess it, give them another word (our next example is “give”) until someone shouts out the song. Hopefully, nobody gave up and you guessed ours; “Never Gonna Give You Up”!
This word game is for all the music aficionados in the office. Riff Off is a popular game that plays on famous song lyrics. If you need a little help, search for the online lyrics to a really popular song. Tell your teammates one word from the song. We’ll make an example, the first lyric is “never.”
If your partners can’t guess it, give them another word (our next example is “give”) until someone shouts out the song. Hopefully, nobody gave up and you guessed ours; “Never Gonna Give You Up”!
If customer service is part of your company culture, reviews are important. One fun way to incentivize more positive reviews and reward your team for great performance is by holding drawings of reviews. Every week, pick the new reviews submitted and print them - both bad and good - and then randomly draw one. If the review is positive, reward your team with a pizza lunch or other small prize. If the review is negative, share the feedback with your team and host a discussion on how to improve. You might even add some low-stakes repercussions such as having to take out the trash or replace the water filter for non-stellar reviews. Note: this sort of contest tends to work better than simply encouraging employees to ask for reviews. In those cases, the most outgoing and charismatic staff tend to get the most reviews, not necessarily the ones who serve customers best. A random drawing rewards the entire team while still highlighting individuals that might be mentioned. Getting more positive reviews can become an important goal for everyone in the department - more positive reviews equals more chances at fun perks.
If customer service is part of your company culture, reviews are important. One fun way to incentivize more positive reviews and reward your team for great performance is by holding drawings of reviews. Every week, pick the new reviews submitted and print them - both bad and good - and then randomly draw one. If the review is positive, reward your team with a pizza lunch or other small prize. If the review is negative, share the feedback with your team and host a discussion on how to improve.
You might even add some low-stakes repercussions such as having to take out the trash or replace the water filter for non-stellar reviews. Note: this sort of contest tends to work better than simply encouraging employees to ask for reviews. In those cases, the most outgoing and charismatic staff tend to get the most reviews, not necessarily the ones who serve customers best. A random drawing rewards the entire team while still highlighting individuals that might be mentioned. Getting more positive reviews can become an important goal for everyone in the department - more positive reviews equals more chances at fun perks.

Sit in a circle and start a story with a few sentences. Each person adds a sentence to continue the story, building upon the previous contributions.
Sit in a circle and start a story with a few sentences. Each person adds a sentence to continue the story, building upon the previous contributions.
Materials needed: None
Benefits:


Everybody knows how to build a paper plane, but who can do it the best? In this creative team game, employees go head to head to build the best paper plane!
Everybody knows how to build a paper plane, but who can do it the best? In this creative team game, employees go head to head to build the best paper plane!
Great for: Teamwork, creative thinking
Duration: 10 minutes
Players: 4+
You’ll need: Various stationery supplies including paper, sticky tape and scissors
Setup: Divide your group into even teams and hand each team a matching set of stationery supplies. Each set should include paper, sticky tape and scissors, but feel free to add other items such as glitter, googly eyes, etc.
To play: When the timer starts, the teams have five minutes to construct a paper plane using the supplies they were given. When the time is up, position the teams behind a line and ask them to throw their creations, one by one. The planes will be judged on three criteria: the plane that travelled the furthest, the plane that flew for the longest and the plane that looked the best. It’s up to you whether you inform your group of these criteria before or after the creation process.


This card game challenges the psyche and asks employees to get outside their comfort zones. A fun game for a team that is making a company retreat and one that brings out the inner actor in everyone.
This card game challenges the psyche and asks employees to get outside their comfort zones. A fun game for a team that is making a company retreat and one that brings out the inner actor in everyone.
Split your team into large groups, around ten people, is ideal. Make a small deck of cards that includes an even amount of each suit (diamonds, clubs, etc.) which will then be evenly distributed. Team members draw a card, but without seeing it, the team-building organizer tapes it to their backs. Everyone is then instructed to go around talking to others based on the card on their back. The suit dictates the behavior:
After completing the game, sit down as a group and discuss how you were treated and how that made you feel. Group members will get the chance to acknowledge how they treat people as a marker of how others will perform and feel in the workplace.
Materials you’ll need: Desk of cards and ample space
How many people: Large teams (25+ people)

This exercise not only gets the creative juices flowing, but can also help with sales skills. Have everyone grab one item from around them - like a pen from their desk - and craft a brief sales pitch to present to the larger group. People should spend about 15 minutes coming up with a logo, a slogan, some talking points, etc. Then they give the sales pitch of their item to the larger group. If you want to make it competitive, you can announce a winner and even grant a prize as part of this sales game.
This exercise not only gets the creative juices flowing, but can also help with sales skills. Have everyone grab one item from around them - like a pen from their desk - and craft a brief sales pitch to present to the larger group. People should spend about 15 minutes coming up with a logo, a slogan, some talking points, etc. Then they give the sales pitch of their item to the larger group. If you want to make it competitive, you can announce a winner and even grant a prize as part of this sales game.
We’ve likely all played a game of Bingo at one time or another. Take the well-known teambuilding activity and infuse it with agile principles. It’s a fantastic way to keep reflection engaging and lively. Retrospectively looking at completed projects is putting the key in the door to iterative progression. It relies on honest reflection and communication.
We’ve likely all played a game of Bingo at one time or another. Take the well-known teambuilding activity and infuse it with agile principles. It’s a fantastic way to keep reflection engaging and lively. Retrospectively looking at completed projects is putting the key in the door to iterative progression. It relies on honest reflection and communication. Here’s how to set it up:
Create a 5x5 Bingo card with “What went well?” and future-focused questions in each square. Send cards to remote participants and, during the session, have everyone ask questions. They mark off squares as topics are brought up. The first to complete a line shouts “BINGO,” and recurring themes can be explored.
Example retrospective questions:
a. Which team member made this sprint easier for you?
b. Did anything go better than expected?
c. What should we replicate in future projects?
d. What’s one small improvement you’d suggest?
The Hula Hoop Challenge promotes physical activity, coordination, and determination. It adds a light-hearted and nostalgic element to the picnic, and participants can cheer each other on and share in the fun.
Instructions: Each participant is given a hula hoop and must keep it spinning around their waist for as long as possible. The person who keeps the hoop spinning the longest wins.
Materials needed: Hula hoops.
The Hula Hoop Challenge promotes physical activity, coordination, and determination. It adds a light-hearted and nostalgic element to the picnic, and participants can cheer each other on and share in the fun.
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.
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.
Silent signals is a fun, in-office game where players pass a series of mime gestures down a line, trying to keep the message intact. Think of it like a game of telephone but without speaking—just silent, exaggerated gestures that often get hilariously misunderstood along the way.It’s a great way to get everyone laughing and focusing on non-verbal communication. Plus, the confusion at the end is always worth the effort!
Silent signals is a fun, in-office game where players pass a series of mime gestures down a line, trying to keep the message intact. Think of it like a game of telephone but without speaking—just silent, exaggerated gestures that often get hilariously misunderstood along the way.
It’s a great way to get everyone laughing and focusing on non-verbal communication. Plus, the confusion at the end is always worth the effort!
Explore more fun team-building activities to bring even more energy and laughter to your team activities.
Create a word search puzzle using safety-related terms (e.g., "first aid," "PPE," "emergency"). Distribute the puzzles to employees and offer a small prize for the first person to complete it.This quick office game is a simple yet effective way to familiarize employees with important safety vocabulary. It’s a relaxing activity that can be done during breaks, reinforcing key terms and concepts in a fun way. The satisfaction of finding that last hidden word is a great bonus.
Create a word search puzzle using safety-related terms (e.g., "first aid," "PPE," "emergency"). Distribute the puzzles to employees and offer a small prize for the first person to complete it.
This quick office game is a simple yet effective way to familiarize employees with important safety vocabulary. It’s a relaxing activity that can be done during breaks, reinforcing key terms and concepts in a fun way. The satisfaction of finding that last hidden word is a great bonus.
Create bingo cards with different safety-related actions or reminders in each square (e.g., "wore safety goggles," "reported a hazard"). Distribute these cards to employees and encourage them to mark off squares as they observe these actions throughout the day. The first person to get a bingo wins a small prize.Safety bingo blitz makes safety awareness engaging. It's like regular bingo but with a twist that reinforces good safety practices. Everyone loves a good game of bingo, and it's a great way to keep everyone alert and involved in maintaining a safe work environment.
Create bingo cards with different safety-related actions or reminders in each square (e.g., "wore safety goggles," "reported a hazard"). Distribute these cards to employees and encourage them to mark off squares as they observe these actions throughout the day. The first person to get a bingo wins a small prize.
Safety bingo blitz makes safety awareness engaging. It's like regular bingo but with a twist that reinforces good safety practices. Everyone loves a good game of bingo, and it's a great way to keep everyone alert and involved in maintaining a safe work environment.
For this game, have everyone form a circle and sit down. Choose one person to start first. That person writes or says a word and the person next to them has to come up with another word using the last letter or the last few letters of that word. This is a verbal game that doesn’t require any materials or special preparation, which makes it a great activity if you have some spontaneous time to fill and want it to be productive.
For this game, have everyone form a circle and sit down. Choose one person to start first. That person writes or says a word and the person next to them has to come up with another word using the last letter or the last few letters of that word. This is a verbal game that doesn’t require any materials or special preparation, which makes it a great activity if you have some spontaneous time to fill and want it to be productive.
In this game, players will need to work together to untangle themselves without letting go of each other’s hands. It’s a fantastically simple game for improving communication and collaboration skills.
Few team-building games create equal parts laughter and confusion, but the Human Knot certainly does!
This classic team-building game looks simple on the surface, but it quickly turns into an exercise in communication and patience.
The premise is simple: Teams must untangle themselves from a knot of interlocked arms without letting go, using nothing but cooperation and a bit of flexibility (both physical and mental).
It’s quick to set up, completely equipment-free, and perfect for breaking down barriers in any group, from new hires to long-time teammates.
The Human Knot is refreshingly low-tech. All you need is people, space, and a sense of humour.
That’s it; no props, no setup, no mess. The only challenge is convincing everyone that it’s not a crazy trust fall or an elaborate escape room.
Getting started is simple. Follow these steps to form your knot, untangle it, and hopefully come out stronger (and still friends).
If you’ve got a large group, divide everyone into smaller circles of around six to eight people. Smaller teams make for faster, more focused gameplay, and fewer elbow-related accidents.
Each team stands shoulder to shoulder in its own circle. Everyone extends their right hand into the centre and grabs someone else’s hand. However, you have to tell your teams that they cannot hold the hand of the person standing directly next to them.
Now teams need to do the same with their left hand, grabbing a different person’s hand this time. When every hand is connected, you’ve officially formed the “human knot,” a super-tangled web of arms that needs teamwork to be solved.
Without letting go of anyone’s hands, teams must work together to unravel back into a circle. Participants can twist, step over, duck under, or rotate carefully. Whatever it takes to break free, they can use it, as long as they never let go of a person’s hand, as this would break the chain.
If you wanted to make this a bit more challenging, or if you’ve got a team who have done this before, you could add a countdown timer to see which team untangles itself first. Just make sure everyone’s focused on synchronized movements; otherwise, you might see a few accidental wrestling moves come out.
If your group forms one perfect circle, give them a round of applause. If you end up with two smaller circles instead, that still counts as success (because taking part is as important as winning, right?). The aim is communication and cooperation; you don’t always need perfect results to learn from an exercise.
Encourage teams to talk through their ideas and move slowly. Rushing only tightens the knot (both literally and figuratively). If teams get stuck, let them pause, communicate, and rethink their approach. The real “win” will be found in how they solve the problem as a group.
Once everyone’s mastered the basic Human Knot, you could get a bit devilish by adding a few creative twists:
Sure, The Human Know is a tangle of limbs and a barrel of laughter, but inside the activity are some powerful lessons about teamwork in motion. Once the knots are undone (and everyone’s regained feeling in their arms), gather the group to reflect on what just happened:
Use the wind-down moment to link back to the teamwork they use every day. The same qualities of communication, adaptability and persistence are needed as much in untangling as they are in the office!
Ideally, each team should have around six to eight members. Smaller groups can untangle faster, while larger ones make the challenge more complex, but also more entertaining.
It’s a simple, low-pressure way to practise teamwork, communication, patience, and creative problem-solving. It’s a great way to break the ice for unfamiliar team members, and it encourages focus, while not taking oneself too seriously!
Each person must hold hands with two different people who aren’t standing next to them. Once the knot is formed, the group must untangle, without ever letting go of a hand (breaking the chain).
Fun, chaotic, and surprisingly difficult, Attract and Repel is a fantastic game for making people laugh and for breathing life back into the room.
Fun, chaotic, and surprisingly difficult, Attract and Repel is a fantastic game for making people laugh and for breathing life back into the room.
After clearing a space in the office, gather everyone together and ask them to start walking around the room. Next, tell them to choose 2 colleagues (without saying anything out loud), one of which they must stay as close as possible to and the other they have to stay as far as possible from.
What follows often borders on bedlam! People will giggle with glee and squeal with dismay as they attempt to juggle these two competing goals. Try playing this game for 5 to 10 minutes before a morning meeting or after lunch – traditional low points in terms of energy levels – to feel an instant boost in positivity.
Teams will channel their inner architects and engineers to construct impressive structures using unconventional materials. From spaghetti and marshmallows to playing cards, the challenge is not just to build a towering masterpiece, but also to do so collaboratively, emphasizing communication, planning, and creative problem-solving.
Teams will channel their inner architects and engineers to construct impressive structures using unconventional materials. From spaghetti and marshmallows to playing cards, the challenge is not just to build a towering masterpiece, but also to do so collaboratively, emphasizing communication, planning, and creative problem-solving.
Every now and then, differences crop up. Conflict management skills are like the superhero toolkit to sort things out, keeping relationships smooth and stress levels low. Conflict management skills activity - "Resolution theater": Prepare several workplace conflict scenarios with varying levels of complexity. Divide participants into small groups and assign each group a scenario to act out. Instruct groups to perform a role-play where they present the conflict, pause at critical points and discuss potential resolutions. After the role-play, encourage groups to share their proposed resolutions and engage in a constructive dialogue. This interactive activity provides a safe space for practicing conflict resolution strategies, sharing insights and learning from different approaches.
Every now and then, differences crop up. Conflict management skills are like the superhero toolkit to sort things out, keeping relationships smooth and stress levels low.
Conflict management skills activity - "Resolution theater":
This interactive activity provides a safe space for practicing conflict resolution strategies, sharing insights and learning from different approaches.
In lightning hunt, players race to find specific household items and show them on camera. It’s fast-paced, and a great way to get everyone moving and laughing as they scramble to find the most random things lying around their homes.
In lightning hunt, players race to find specific household items and show them on camera. It’s fast-paced, and a great way to get everyone moving and laughing as they scramble to find the most random things lying around their homes.
This game is perfect for injecting some spontaneity into your virtual meetings. Plus, it’s always fun to see what odd items people can dig up at a moment’s notice!
Looking for more fun team-building activities for virtual or in-person teams? Browse our full list for extra inspiration.

“Yes, Let’s” is a classic improv game that’s taken straight out of drama class. We like it for a host of reasons! However, one of its main draws in the context of boosting collaboration is that it involves everyone who is present.Unlike other activities of this nature, the focus is never on a single person – which is ideal for anyone who doesn’t like being the center of attention.
“Yes, Let’s” is a classic improv game that’s taken straight out of drama class. We like it for a host of reasons! However, one of its main draws in the context of boosting collaboration is that it involves everyone who is present.
Unlike other activities of this nature, the focus is never on a single person – which is ideal for anyone who doesn’t like being the center of attention.
In a large open space, ask everyone present to start walking around the room. Next, shout out a suggestion for something the group should do.
For example, you could yell, “let’s go swimming in an ice-cold lake”, “let’s ski down this mountain”, or “let’s crawl on our bellies through this minefield.” It can be anything you want, but the game works best when it involves movement.
Whatever you suggest, the group has to respond enthusiastically by yelling back, “yes, let’s!” Everyone then does the action in question, moving around the room “swimming”, “skiing”, or “crawling”. After a while, someone else shouts out another action (“let’s cook a feast for our Viking guests”), and the process repeats.
Hilarity ensues as colleagues look around at their teammates doing all manner of crazy movements and mimes! Expect to energize the room, laugh until your belly hurts, and remember the joy of playing.
Furthermore, you’ll reaffirm a key element of collaboration: that there’s no such thing as a bad idea. Creative problem-solving demands a culture of acceptance, where people feel confident about raising their hand to offer a suggestion. “Yes, Let’s” normalizes unexpected ideas, rewards engagement, and stops people from feeling self-conscious. You’re sure to reap the rewards in the office.

Test mathematical agility and strategic thinking! In 21, participants take turns adding 1, 2, or 3 to a running count, with the goal of avoiding reaching the number 21.
Test mathematical agility and strategic thinking! In 21, participants take turns adding 1, 2, or 3 to a running count, with the goal of avoiding reaching the number 21.
Instructions on how to play:
Why it's a great team building game:
Top tip to help the game run smoothly: Keep the pace quick to maintain engagement. Encourage participants to strategize together subtly and have fun with the challenge. After each round, discuss strategies and celebrate successes.
This one's all about sharing stories! In this activity, we'll open up about our real-life workplace conflicts and learn a bunch of cool stuff from each other.
This one's all about sharing stories! In this activity, we'll open up about our real-life workplace conflicts and learn a bunch of cool stuff from each other.
Real-Life Drama: So, imagine this: We're sharing the nitty-gritty details of actual conflicts we've faced at work. No made-up stuff here! That means the lessons we learn are totally relatable to our daily grind.
All Walks of Life: We've got a mixed bag of folks here, from different departments and roles. That means loads of different perspectives. Hearing stories from all angles makes the learning super rich.
Feel the Empathy: When we listen to each other's tales of workplace woe, it's like putting on someone else's shoes (not literally, though). We start to get how our colleagues feel in those tough spots.
Kick off a healthier routine with run & recharge! Form an office running club and go for group runs after work to promote both physical and mental well-being. It’s a low-pressure way to get everyone moving, destress after a long day, and bond as a team.This activity is perfect for boosting morale, increasing fitness, and recharging your mind—while enjoying the fresh air.
Kick off a healthier routine with run & recharge! Form an office running club and go for group runs after work to promote both physical and mental well-being. It’s a low-pressure way to get everyone moving, destress after a long day, and bond as a team.
This activity is perfect for boosting morale, increasing fitness, and recharging your mind—while enjoying the fresh air.
Looking for more fun team-building activities for small groups? Browse our full guide for more ways to energize your team.