Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

This is a guaranteed good-time game that can be played after work on a retreat or at a weekend getaway with your team. It only requires the game Jenga and adequate seating and surface area for playing.

How to play:

‍The same rules apply to Jenga Thoughts to the original Jenga. There is a tower made out of rectangular wooden blocks that players have to remove, so the whole tower doesn’t fall strategically.  

With this team-building-friendly version, each block has a question the player has to answer. The objective is to keep the tower intact, but questions facilitate discussion and break down walls, bringing teams together while playing.

Materials you’ll need: A Jenga set, multiple, and seating areas with tables where people can play.

How many people: Small to mid-sized teams and a large one for setting up the game so everyone can play. If you have multiple Jenga sets, ensure you have several tables to seat and several small groups.

Ready for some outdoor action? In flag rush, teams compete to capture the opposing team’s flag without getting tagged. It’s all about strategy, speed, and staying out of sight—until it’s time for that final dash to the flag!

It’s a great team-building activity to get everyone moving, thinking on their feet, and diving into some friendly competition. Plus, who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned game of capture the flag?

How to play:

• Split into two teams, each with a flag to protect.
• Try to capture the other team’s flag while avoiding getting tagged.
• First team to grab the flag and return it to base wins!

You may have played Word Association to pass the time on long journies. Well, funnily enough, it also works brilliantly as a quick team-building game!

Great for: Quick thinking, communication

Duration: 5 minutes

Players: 4+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play Word Association

Setup: Position your group in a circle facing inwards. Players can be sitting or standing.

To play: To start the game, somebody starts with a one-word prompt. Then, play moves around the circle as each player replies with a word they strongly associate with the previous word. For example, if player one starts with the word “tree,” player two might say “leaves” and player three might follow up with “autumn.” Play moves around the circle until the time runs out.

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.

This or That questions force your employees to choose between two equally appealing or unappealing scenarios. As each player explains their choice, you’ll gain insight into their values, moral code and priorities.

Great for: Communication, decision-making

Duration: 10 minutes

Players: 6+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play This or That

Setup: Start by compiling a list of This or That questions that you can ask your employees.

To play: Playing the game is very simple. After hearing the question, players must vote for which option they would prefer. The questions could be serious, funny, thought-provoking or silly—it doesn’t matter, as long as they force the players to think. The best questions split the crowd and cause a debate.

How to Cup toppers

For this game you’ll need some cups or tumblers and some old compact discs. Place the cup a reasonable amount of space away from the player (such as a few feet, across a table). Have them take a stack of CDs and toss them, one by one, onto the cup. Their goal is to land as many as they can flat onto the top of the cup. Whoever strikes the most landings wins.

How to play Growing sentence

In this game, everyone in the room contributes one word to a growing sentence. You can have everyone stand in a group or in a line, as long as everyone can hear each other properly. Pick one word to begin the sentence and have everyone add one more word to keep the sentence going. Have someone write it down on paper or a chalkboard so you can all get a laugh at the final result.

In acts of kindness quest, teams race against the clock to complete as many random acts of kindness in the community as possible. Whether it’s helping a stranger, picking up litter, or donating items, the goal is to spread positivity and do good.

This activity brings the team together for a feel-good mission while making a difference in the community.

How to play:

• Create a list of random acts of kindness for teams to complete.
• Set a time limit, and send teams out to perform as many acts as they can.
• The team that completes the most acts of kindness wins, but everyone feels great!

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.

How to play 10 ways to kill a new idea

If you want to be sure everyone really has an open mind and is ready to bring creative ideas to the table, start by having everyone talk about what not to do. You can use a whiteboard or even a poster-size sheet of paper. Ask everyone to share thoughts on the best ways to kill a new idea. Make a comprehensive list and then use discussion to narrow down the top 10.

Then, make a commitment as a group that you will not do these things as you complete the day’s work. This creates an environment where everyone is open to new ideas and ready to work together.

This activity is perfect for the office and smaller teams! It can be great at showing your team everyone’s role in the workplace and how everyone is connected in some way or another.

Materials needed:

• Get some yarn in different colors.
• List down tasks or roles that are team tag-teams.

Instructions on how to play:

1. Match tasks with yarn colors.
2. Pass the yarn around to show how tasks connect.
3. Talk about how communication is key.

Why it's a great team building game:

• See the ties: Makes teamwork visible with a colorful yarn masterpiece.
• Team-up time: Gets everyone working together and feeling like a united force.
• Spot the stars: Shows who the key players are in your team's success.

Top tip to help the game run smoothly: Before diving in, explain why you're doing it. Let everyone know this web thing is about teamwork and strong connections.

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.

Instructions

• Gather construction materials such as spaghetti, marshmallows, playing cards, or other unconventional items.
• Divide participants into teams and provide each team with the same materials.
• Set a time limit and a goal height for the structures.
• Teams work together to design and construct their structures.
• Evaluate based on stability, creativity, and teamwork.

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.

This is a light-hearted team game that’s great for improving communication skills. Before you can start playing, you’ll need to divide the players into small groups, say 2-3 players per team—any more than this and things can become chaotic.

How to play the drawing challenge

To play the drawing challenge, each team must first designate one player to be “the drawer,” while the other players will be “the describers.” The describers will be shown an image which they’ll have to describe to the drawer within a given time limit. The more accurate the description, the more accurate the drawing will be.

The game is guaranteed to spark some laughter among your group while encouraging the players to develop their communication and listening skills.

As you know, strong communication is one of the hallmarks of effective teams. It facilitates problem-solving, prevents conflict, and fuels innovation, among a slew of other benefits.

If you’re looking for a way to teach the value of it via video call, then give Unseen Drawing a go at your next virtual meeting! Sometimes called “back-to-back drawing”, this awesome trust-building exercise encourages colleagues to work together and think about how they communicate.

How to play Unseen drawing

In the usual variation of this game, you’d divide your team into pairs and ask them to sit back-to-back. You’d then give a pen and paper to one member of each pair and an obscure photo/image/drawing to the other.

From there, whoever has the image must describe what they’re looking at (and/or give verbal instructions) so the person with the paper can draw it.

To complicate matters, the “artist” can’t talk! They simply have to listen to their partner and do their best to recreate the image.

When doing this task as a virtual team, you explain the task as a group, assign the roles of “talker” and “artist”, then break off into separate video calls – with each pair on their own call. For efficiency, you could send emails in advance to set the duos, assign roles, and pass on the images for them to describe.

Each pair has about 10 minutes to complete the task, before swapping roles.

Having completed the game, you hop back onto the group call where everyone compares images and discusses the experience.

What did they learn about the importance of clear communication? What problems arise when they’re vague and imprecise? How could they implement those lessons in their daily work lives?

What you need:

• Images/photos for people to draw
• Pens and paper for each pair

How to play:

Provide teams with sculpting materials such as clay, Play-Doh, or modeling clay. Challenge them to create sculptures based on given themes or prompts, encouraging imaginative interpretations and creative expression. Select a judge to choose the best one to determine a winner.

Example: The prompt says design a Simpsons character with play-doh (unintentional pun).

Materials needed: Sculpting materials (clay, Play-Doh, modeling clay)

Benefits:

• Tangible manifestation of creativity: Get ready to witness magic in action as your team members mold and shape their creative visions into physical forms. Their sculptures will be concrete proof of their incredible imagination, leaving everyone in awe and inspired.
• Celebration of individuality: Embrace the uniqueness and diversity of interpretations as each team member unveils their extraordinary sculpture. This game creates an environment that celebrates individuality and appreciates the creative expressions of others.

Nothing brings people together like food. Feast & connect is all about gathering your team for a casual lunch, giving everyone a chance to chat, relax, and build relationships outside the usual work talk. No pressure, just good food and conversation.

This laid-back team-building activity is perfect for boosting morale, sparking new connections, and strengthening bonds over shared meals. It’s a nice break from the hustle and a great way to show appreciation for your team. Plus, who doesn’t love a good lunch?

How to play:

• Organize a team lunch with a relaxed, casual setting.
• Encourage conversation and bonding over food.
• Use the opportunity to strengthen team connections and morale.

How to play Balloon challenge

Start this fun and active energizer by inflating lots of balloons in the office (the more the merrier!). When you’re done, the challenge can commence:

The team’s job is to stop the balloons from touching the ground at all costs! Play for 5 to 10 minutes and explain there’ll be prizes if they succeed.

Want to give the game a competitive edge? Divide everyone into smaller teams and assign each one a bunch of balloons with the same color. They then have to work together to keep those particular balloons in the air (while simultaneously sabotaging the other teams’ efforts).

Bonus points if you can inflate all the balloons before anyone else arrives at the office! Trust us, the look on peoples’ faces when they walk through the door will be worth getting there early…

Explanation:

‍Team members switch roles for the day—the accountant becomes the designer, the manager takes on the IT role, and everyone gets to try something totally different. It’s all about experiencing a new side of office life.

In the hybrid version, both in-office and remote employees swap roles, but the twist is they’ll shadow their swapped roles virtually if they’re in a different location. Remote workers can sit in on video calls or collaborate on shared tasks, while in-office workers can hop on a call to learn about the ins and outs of a remote teammate’s role. The key is to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, even if it’s virtually.

It’s a fun way to gain empathy for each other’s daily challenges and maybe even discover hidden talents along the way.

How to play Walking questions

This is another exercise that encourages interaction and cooperation. Start by giving everyone a sheet of paper and having them sit in a circle. Each trainee writes down one open question pertaining to the training topic. Then they hand the paper to the person on their right. That person will read the question and write down any answers or insights they might have. Then they add another question and hand the paper to the right. The exercise is over when everyone gets their original sheet back. It should give everyone something to review with plenty of Q & A to look over.

How to play Treasure mountain

Treasure Mountain can be played with teams of 4-6 people, a team captain is chosen to enter the game and share his/her screen with the rest of their team. The teams then race against the clock, completing challenges and solving riddles in the pursuit of gold.

Ever feel like time is running faster than you can list your goals? Well, brace yourself for the whirlwind excitement of Speed Goal Sharing! Participants team up, and they've got a mere minute to spill the beans on their current goals to a partner. It's like goal-setting on fast-forward. Why? Because sometimes, brevity is the key.

This quick teambuilding activity isn't just a time crunch; it's a crash course in concise communication and prioritization. So, get ready to share your aspirations at lightning speed – clarity and alignment within the team await!

Top Tip for Facilitators:

• Keep the vibe upbeat and the clock ticking. Encourage everyone to channel their inner auctioneer – goals on the fly, people!
• Guide the conversations to make sure it's not just a blur of words but a meaningful exchange.
• This activity is like a goal-driven race, so set the pace, cheer them on, and let the concise communication marathon begin!

In this activity, individuals become the authors of their own success stories. The game plan? Keep a goal journal, a personal chronicle where you jot down the highs, the lows, and everything in between on your journey to crushing those goals. Why? Because journaling isn't just putting pen to paper; it's a map of progress, a mirror reflecting challenges, and a compass to keep you on course.

Get ready to unleash the power of the written word – your goals are waiting to be documented and conquered!

Top Tip for Facilitator:

• Let everyone know this isn't a sprint; it's a marathon of self-reflection and growth. Remind them that every scribble in their goal journal is a step toward victory.
• Foster an atmosphere where sharing the journey, bumps and all, is not just okay but celebrated.
• Create a safe space where the power of putting pen to paper becomes a transformative experience.

This game is simple, yet so effective for online teams. This activity encourages employees to put time aside for getting to know one another.

How to play Mister rogers calls

Using a randomiser, pair two employees together every week. The new pair must schedule a 20-30 minute call that week to try and get to know one another as well as possible.

At the end of the month, a host can test their knowledge by asking questions like, ‘Do they have any pets?” One point for each correct answer! The colleague with the most points wins a prize!