Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

This easy game is perfect for breaking up an in-person meeting with a quick exercise that encourages listening and concentration, depending on the size of your team, which can be done in a meeting or break room.

How to play:

‍Set up chairs in a circle facing one another so your team members do not face to face. This game is about listening, so get ready to use your ears and not your eyes. Have your employees start counting from one to ten or higher if you’re a big group. Each person goes around in a circle saying a number, but since you are not looking at one another, you have to be patient and listen carefully for your neighbor to speak theirs. If you interrupt them, you start back at zero and start the whole game again.

Materials you’ll need: Just your team and enough chairs and space to have your whole team sit in a circle.

How many people: Small to mid-sized teams (8 to 16 people)

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.

It’s time to see who’s the office know-it-all with trivia smackdown! Split into teams, answer rapid-fire trivia questions, and see who can come out on top. You’ll cover everything from history to pop culture—and probably learn who’s been secretly binge-watching obscure documentaries.

This is a laid-back activity to get the team thinking and laughing, and maybe stir up some friendly rivalry.

How to play:

• Form teams and answer trivia questions in rounds.
• Keep track of points, and the team with the most correct answers wins.
• Bragging rights are included in the prize.

How to play Keychain Sharing

Sometimes bringing a physical object into play can add a new and more personal element. For this activity, have everyone sit in a circle and then place their keyring in front of them. Everyone should talk about which keys are on their ring and why.

They can also talk about any keychains they have and why they are meaningful. Go around in a circle clockwise or counter-clockwise and make sure everyone has a chance to share uninterrupted. If you want to take things a step further, take another spin around the group and have everyone share one insight they gained by hearing about others’ keys.

This is a quick and easy icebreaker that doesn’t require any equipment and is guaranteed to produce a laugh. The game inspires your team to get creative and think on their feet in a fun environment. The aim of the game is to collaborate on an interesting and unpredictable story by allowing each player to contribute one sentence at a time.

How to play the Neverending Story

To play The Neverending Story, gather your group into a circle, sitting or standing—it’s up to you. Then, choose a player to start, you can help them by giving them the first sentence or proposing a setting for the story. Once a sentence has been added to the story, the opportunity moves to the next person in the circle.

You can set a time limit, or bring the game to a close once the story meets its natural conclusion. Your team are sure to have great fun being creative and collaborating on a silly story.

If your team members are new to each other, encourage each player to include the name of one of their colleagues in their sentence. For example, “Then, Steve walked in and couldn’t believe his eyes!”

Our final minute-to-win-it cup game is a hilarious way to round off the list. It also takes a steady hand and a surprising amount of patience! You’ll need a few rolls of toilet paper, some cups and refillable water. Here’s how to play:

Set-up:

1. Prepare your contestants: Each player should be given 1 roll of toilet tissue. At the end of a long table, place one cup per contestant. Fill the cups up (it shouldn’t be too heavy, as the paper will rip). Under the filled cups, place the end of the toilet tissue roll, and let the toilet tissue unravel all the way to the other end of the table.

2. Wind the cup towards you: On your mark, each player then carefully rerolls the toilet tissue, slowly dragging the filled cup toward them. Things can get really fun when a player is losing halfway through the race. They start to panic and speed up the rolling process. This often causes a bit of spillage, tearing the paper. When that happens, they need to clear up and reset their roll.

This super simple game is a barrel of laughs, so try it out with your teams today. It’ll bring team members closer together and keep everyone on a roll!

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 group activity 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 activity tests the strength of every link in the chain. In paperclip chain relay, teams compete to craft the longest paperclip chain within a time limit.

‍Set up:

1. Split everyone into teams of 4 to 6. Enough brains to brainstorm, but not too many cooks to spoil the broth.
2. Hand out equal piles of paper clips to each team. Ready, set, clip!
3. Decide on a time limit. 5 to 10 minutes should do the trick. Start your timer and keep it viewable.
4. Roam the room and cheer teams on as they make the longest chain possible. When time’s up, measure each chain to find the longest.

Routine coffee breaks in brick and mortar offices provide the foundation for the development of employee relationships. Without this frequent interaction, remote teams can struggle to discuss topics outside of work.

How to play Virtual coffee breaks

That’s where virtual coffee breaks come in. Now, you can establish routine online coffee breaks for your employees, allowing them to unwind and socialise with their colleagues while sipping on their favourite hot beverage. You can use any kind of video chat software to do this such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Microsoft Teams.

This simple card game is designed to get people talking. Building Blocks is a perfect icebreaker tool or exercise for growing teams.

How to play:

The card game has six categories with questions aimed at “removing personal barriers and creating space for teamwork.” An example of a question in the deck is: What do you wish to spend more time on both in and outside the office”. If your team is remote, this can be played in person or over Zoom. The game is marketed for workshops, and meetings.

Materials you’ll need: Building Blocks card deck.

How many people: Small to mid-sized teams (8-16 people)

How to play:

Create a set of cards with safety-related images or terms and their corresponding definitions or explanations. Lay the cards face down and have employees take turns flipping two cards to find matches. The player with the most matches wins.

A safety memory match game is a fun and engaging way to reinforce safety concepts and terminology. It improves memory and recall while adding a playful element to learning. A simple game that can be enjoyed by everyone, making it a great addition to training sessions.

How to play Family portraits

A group of people creates a tableau of a specific group member. Everyone must work together to put together an image that closely resembles the subject.

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” 🎶

Imagine having someone genuinely tuned in when you talk—how cool is that? Active listening is like giving colleagues a comforting nod, making them feel heard and understood. It stops mix-ups and keeps conversations smooth.

Pay close attention to what your colleagues are saying, show genuine interest and ask follow-up questions. Active listening demonstrates that you value their input and perspective.

Active listening activity - Story swap:

• Divide participants into pairs.
• One person shares a personal story or experience for a set time while the other listens attentively, without interrupting.
• After the first person finishes, switch roles.
• Each pair discusses what they learned about their partner's story, highlighting key details.
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Story Swap enhances active listening skills, encourages empathy and strengthens understanding between colleagues

How to play Friendly Feud

Have you ever seen the TV show or played the board game called Family Feud? Well, Friendly Feud is a DIY version that’s just as fun to play. Here’s the process for each round:

1. Divide the group into 2 teams
2. Come up with a question on a particular topic
3. Poll one of the teams to find the top 5 answers to it (making sure the other team doesn’t see/hear)
4. Assign points to each option, with the most points going to the “best” answer and the least points going to the “worst”
5. Ask the opposite team to come up with 5 answers to that same question – with a time limit
6. See if they choose any of the same answers and then add up the number of points they earned
7. Repeat the process, asking numerous questions to both teams and keeping track of their points

For instance, let’s say the question is, “what’s something that flies?” After polling Team A, you get 5 answers: Airplane, bird, bee, drone, and helicopter, which you say are worth 5 points, 4 points, 3 points, 2 points, and 1 point, respectively.

You then ask Team B for 5 answers to the same question. They say, “airplane, paraglider, hot air balloon, spacecraft, and birds.” Because they got two of the five options set out by Team A, they’d receive 9 points.

How to play Truth or Dare

Want to discover new things about your workmates or challenge them to do silly stuff? Truth or Dare is a classic question game where you take turns choosing between a “truth” and a “dare.”

If you pick the former, you have to answer a personal question from one of your colleagues – no matter how embarrassing it might be! Opt for the latter, and you have to do something embarrassing, awkward, or otherwise unenjoyable.

As you can imagine, the truths and dares you’d do with close friends are likely to differ from what’s appropriate in the workplace! We suggest you keep the game “PG” when you’re with workmates – avoiding questions or dares that might make people too uncomfortable.

Potential “truths”:

• What’s your biggest fear?
• Who do you think is the best-looking person in the office?
• What’s the worst lie you’ve ever told someone?
• What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?

Potential “dares”:

• Do your best impression of [insert co-worker’s name here]
• Sing a song in front of the group
• Eat a spoonful of [insert condiment here]
• Call a random number and tell whoever answers that you love them

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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This game is another version of story-telling, but with a few twists that make it a little more involved. This game is really more of an improv exercise.

How to play Late for work

1. Begin by choosing a “stage” where the game will play out - it should be a spot that everyone present has a clear view of.
2. The first person will kick things off by entering the space and pretending to be late for work. They should come up with a funny or outlandish reason why they are late, and elaborate.
3. A second person will play the “boss” and ask why they are late. Here again, the more personality they show, the better. Once those two complete their “scene”, they sit down to observe the others, and the process begins again.
4. Two more volunteers will come up and improv the late to work scene, using a new work venue and new excuses. The game is complete once everyone has had a chance to pair off and do the exercise.

Explanation:

Someone in the office describes an abstract design made by remote workers, while those working remotely try to recreate it—without ever seeing the original! The goal is to see how close (or hilariously far) the recreations turn out.

This is a perfect game for connecting the office and remote workers. The in-office person gives a detailed but tricky description of a design that a remote worker has come up with (think: a robot unicorn or a house made of ice cream cones). Remote team members then try to recreate the design based solely on that description using whatever tools they have at home—whether that’s paper and pen or digital drawing software. Everyone compares the original design with the recreations, leading to plenty of laughs as teams see just how different (or spot on) the interpretations are!

One of the most important skills to be able to iterate and improve work is being able to focus on reflection. A Focus Funnel activity promotes these core values and lets teams work with an agile mindset, asking clinical questions as they go. Here’s the setup:

Set up:

Each team member first needs to clearly write a list of their current tasks and goals.

The focus funnel comes when applying a series of questions to help you narrow down and prioritize their list. Some example funneling questions could be:

a. “Which task delivers the most immediate value?”

b. “Which of these tasks can be delegated?”

c. “What can be simplified and removed?”

As the questions are applied your teams practice agile prioritization and bring high-value tasks to the forefront.

Obstacle sprint is a high-energy game where blindfolded team members navigate through a “minefield” of objects, guided only by their teammates’ verbal directions. It’s all about trust and communication, and watching people stumble around makes it a lot more fun!

This game is great for building trust and sharpening communication skills—plus, it’s always good for some laughs.

How to play:

• Set up an obstacle course with random objects in a designated area.
• Blindfold one team member, while the others give verbal instructions to guide them through the course.
• First team to navigate the course successfully wins!

Find even more team building activities for small groups to strengthen teamwork and communication in your office.

How to play Bin Basketball

Grab two trash bins in the office and play ball! You can purchase a ball for this game but also just as easily use a tightly crumpled up piece of paper. Split into teams of two and play for around 10 minutes so each team member gets a chance to take a shot. Winner is determined by the team that makes the most baskets.

How to play Paper boat race

If you are able to visit a location by water, you can try this really fun activity. In this fun and creative exercise, participants build a small boat with paper (and other supplies) and then race them in a small body of water like a pond or stream. The boats are usually made by folding paper into a boat shape, but you can also try offering cardboard, balloons, popsicle sticks, or other crafty materials.

You’ll also want to supply materials for decorating so that everyone can really have their creation stand out. Obviously the person who reaches the finish line first is the winner, but you can offer a few other prizes just for fun, like most beautiful boat or best effort. Make sure to check out our article on other creativity and innovation games, too.

It’s one small drop for an egg, one giant leap for team creativity.

The premise of an Egg Drop Challenge is to build a structure that stops a raw egg from cracking when dropped from a height.

In a large group, it feels like part science experiment, part creative brainstorm (while being fully entertaining to watch). This simple but surprisingly strategic team activity is perfect for developing some of the key skills you need in the office. 

It’s a fast and creative way to watch teams plan, test, and occasionally mourn their brave little eggs in the name of innovation. 

Let’s break down the challenge for you:

What you’ll need

The Egg Drop Challenge doesn’t require any fancy equipment, just a few common materials and the courage to watch your creation fall from the sky.

• Raw eggs: One per team for the main challenge, but 2 to 4 eggs should be used for design iterations

• Plastic straws: These will be the main frame for the protective shell

• Tape (masking or duct): This is the glue that holds the fate of the raw egg

• Scissors: Needed for trimming straws down into the perfect shape

• A timer: Teams should be working to a set time (20 minutes design time works best)

• Paper or card: Optional, but great for cushioning and creativity

• Measuring tape: Well, you need to make sure the drop height is fair, don’t you?

• Step ladder or balcony: Your official drop zone

• Tarp or sheet: This will save your floors from looking like hell’s kitchen

How to play (step-by-step instructions)

Follow these steps to set up the challenge, brief your teams, and watch as their creativity takes flight:

1. Introduce the challenge and set the scene

Announce the mission loud and clear: each team must design a device that will protect their raw egg from cracking when dropped from a set height. Tell them they’ll need to combine planning and construction, both against the clock, as they’re working to a countdown. The 

2. Form teams and give out materials

Depending on the number of people, create your teams of equal size. We tend to find four to five works best. Give each team the same supplies, so the playing field is completely even (no last-minute swap-outs or sneaky bubble wrap here!)

3. Build the best egg-protection device

Tell your teams they have 20 minutes to plan, test and build their structure. You could encourage teams to quickly sketch their designs first, before getting hands-on. Any method is allowed; wrapping, suspending, cushioning, just as long as it's made with the given materials (you’ll probably hear a few debates on gravity and air resistance here)

4. The drop test

Now comes the fated drop test. Choose your drop zone; a stairwell, balcony or step ladder will do the trick. Get everyone around and start the countdown. Each team gets just one shot to drop their creation. Here you could add a drumroll, or mock space-launch music if you want to turn up the tension.

5. Check for survivors

Once every egg has made its descent, it’s time for the grand reveal. Unwrap each structure carefully to see which designs survived and which ones got scrambled. Applaud the survivors, console the fallen, and don’t forget to take a photo of the mess (thankfully on the top of your tarp sheet).

Facilitator tip:

Make a point for teams to test early and adapt quickly. The most successful designs usually come from trial and error, not from overthinking. 

And one pro move could be: don’t reveal the exact drop height until the building time is over. A slight surprise element means designs need to be a bit flexible, and you’ll add a touch of suspense, too.

Variations and twists

Once your teams have mastered the standard version, try mixing things up with a few fun twists:

• Limit team materials: Reduce the number of straws or the amount of tape to force creative problem-solving under pressure.

• Higher stakes: Use multiple rounds, and increase the drop height for each round to raise the tension.

• Blindfold build: One teammate can’t see, relying entirely on verbal guidance from others.

• Remote/virtual adaptation: If you’re working with remote or hybrid teams, you can still run it online. Each person can build their design at home and record their drop for a team reveal.

Debrief: What was learned through the game?

On the surface, the Egg Drop Challenge looks like a lighthearted game, but beneath the laughter and flying tape is a perfect snapshot of teamwork in motion. After the cleanup (and any tears for fallen eggs), take a few minutes to reflect on what teams practiced:

• Collaboration under pressure: With time and materials limited, success will hinge on clear communication and shared decision-making.

• Creative problem-solving: Teams get to practice experimentation and are encouraged to think outside the box.

• Iteration: Trial and error will beat overplanning, as every cracked egg offers feedback for the next.

• Celebrating as a team: No matter if the landing was smooth or scrambled, the game is built on the foundation of teamwork, humour and collective pride.

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Wrap up by asking teams how these lessons mirror their day-to-day projects (because, much like the egg, good ideas also need careful handling).

FAQs:

What are the rules for the Egg Drop Challenge?

Teams must use only the provided materials to build a device that protects a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a height. Each team gets one attempt, and a surviving egg means victory.

What’s the best way to protect the egg for the drop?

Generally, soft padding will best absorb impact. On top of that, a structure that is designed to slow the fall can help, meaning you could try folding card as a material, too.

How high should you drop the egg?

Start with a moderate height (around 1.5 metres) and raise it after each round for more challenge. Outdoors or high ceilings give you more flexibility (and less chance of keeping the egg in one piece!).

Can you run the challenge indoors?

You absolutely can. You just need to make sure you’ve got enough space and protective sheets (for the inevitable eggsplosions). If you’re limited for space, go for lower drops or use a stairwell.