Successful businesses recognize the value of team building to boost morale and productivity. But finding team building activities that are fun and engaging can be a challenge. As a result, we’ve created a list of top activities that are both fun and easy to do. These activities are intended for certain size groups so if you have a larger team, mix them into smaller groups.
Code Of Conduct
Approximate Time: 30+ minutes
Number of people: 10–30
Team Building Goal: Build mutual trust, establish group values
This is a great warm up team building game that gets people in the right frame of mind while itemizing things that are important to them. They will also learn what’s important to others providing some perspective.
Here’s how to set it up:
- Have a facilitator write down “Meaningful” and “Pleasant” on a whiteboard
- Ask everyone to write their ideas on post-it notes for what will make this team building workshop meaningful and pleasant
- Collate everyone’s opinions on a mind map
- Make sure every participant understands the idea. If they don’t, then you need to change the idea until you reach a consensus
- Once everyone agrees on the ideas, those ideas will make up the code of conduct for the group throughout the workshop
The agreed-upon values will help the workshop run smoothly.
Two Truths and a Lie
Approximate Time: 15–30 minutes
Number of people: 4–6
Team Building Goal: Build affinity
In this game, team members get to act as human lie detectors!
- Have each person write down 2 truths and a lie about themselves on paper
- Take turns letting each person tell the two truths and one fabricated statement in any order
- Then ask other team members to figure out which are the truths and what’s the lie
- The speaker can then reveal which fact is indeed false
Office Scavenger Hunt
Approximate Time: > 30 minutes
Number of people: 4–6
Team Building Goal: Collaboration, problem solving, build rapport
Scavenger hunts are one of the most popular team building activities but do take some time to plan. Still, most employees will appreciate a break from the daily routine!
- Determine a prize for winners. Maybe a round of coffee, or a team lunch?
- Use your creativity to organize a list of clues that lead team members to different items/locations
- Hide a clue to the next item or location at each goal location
- Provide each team with a unique start clue and total goals so teams aren’t following each other around
- Have each team take a photo of the item or location
- First team to solve all the clues and get a photo wins the prize
Goals for the hunt are limited only by imagination. Scavenger hunts can be held inside, outside or both. It will depend on your situation but getting outside is always nice. Outdoor activities can be a fun way to let team members engage with each other outside of the workplace.
Pencil Precision
Approximate Time: 20 minutes
Number of people: 2
Team Building Goal: Collaboration, build rapport
- Tie the ends of two long pieces of string or thin rope around the eraser-side of a pencil
- Instruct pairs of teammates to tie the other end of the pieces around their waists
- Each team must stand back to back and work together to lower the pencil into an empty water bottle between them
- The first pair to complete this goal wins
Guess Who?
Approximate Time: 15 minutes
Group size: 5–10
Team Building Goal: Problem solving, communication
- Write a series of commonly known names on sticky notes, such as celebrities or historical figures.
- Place the sticky notes face down on a table
- Have each team member randomly select a note and stick it on their forehead without looking at it
- Participants then go around the circle asking “yes” or “no” questions to find out clues of who they are
- If someone gets a “yes”, they are allowed another question. If they get a “no”, the person who just answered get a turn
- Whoever gets their name right wins!
Blind Drawing
Approximate Time: 10–15 minutes
Group size: 2
Team Building Goal: Build trust, communication, collaboration
- Instruct pairs to sit back to back
- One team member will have a pencil and a piece of paper, and the other will have an object or picture
- The team member with the picture/object must instruct their teammate to draw what’s in their hands without saying what it is
- They can describe its properties like shape and color but must not precisely state what the object is
- When the team member identifies the object, team members can switch roles
Such a team building event will push participants to trust and listen to one another.
Marshmallow Challenge
Approximate Time: 18–30 minutes
Number of people: 2–40+
Team Building Goal: Communication, team collaboration, problem solving
This team building activity requires teams to use 20 spaghetti sticks, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow.
Divide team members into groups of 3 or 4 people. Teams must build the tallest free-standing structure within the time limit using the above materials with the marshmallow on top.
The Marshmallow challenge also encourages teams to communicate effectively; while leaving room for innovation and creativity.
Company Outing
Approximate Time: > 60 minutes
Number of people: Entire team
Objective: Communication, building rapport
Though this event is the most expensive team building activity, it makes the entire team feel extremely valued. This is a great way to build teams and works best if you have people in different departments who do not interact daily. The idea is to invite the entire team to an exciting event like a painting class, round of golf or laser tag. The important thing is for all to feel comfortable and relaxed participating in the event.
Engaging outside of the workplace helps them to open up and bond naturally and is a great team building event for large and small groups alike.