38 Team Building Games That You Will Actually Enjoy

#4 Blind Drawing

Time: 25 minutes

Number of Participants: 4-30 People

Items Needed: Paper, writing utensils, A selection of everyday items (bottle cap, coin, key etc.) or pictures.

Goal: The artist must draw an item based only on the team's description of it.

Similar to Charades, but with a twist. Blind Drawing is a team-building activity that can be done in groups of 4-6. Each team must appoint one artist. Give the artist drawing materials and sit them with their back facing the rest of the team so they're not able to see the group. 

The group then picks an item or picture from those supplied. They must successfully get the artist to draw this item or picture in 3 minutes. However they aren't allowed to tell the artist what the item is; they can only give indirect descriptions.

Say the team chose a photo of a bee. They can't say 'draw a bee' however they can give hints like 'buzz', 'yellow and black,' 'honey maker,' etc. The artist can not ask any questions and must draw only based on the descriptions. 

When times up, groups should compare their drawings. It can be comical to see how badly they can turn out. The game can get people laughing and highlights how difficult giving instructions can be and how important it is to communicate clearly. 

Follow Up Questions:

• Was the artist confused? What was their thinking process? 

• Was there any descriptions that confused the artist?

• What methods of communication worked the best for your team?

• What leadership was demonstrated during the challenge?

• What did you learn from the challenge?

#5 Reverse Charades

Time: 30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 4-20

Items Needed: Smart phone, Reverse charades application or board game Goal: Teams use 60 second rounds to act out as many words as possible while only one person guesses.

In a normal game of charades, one person from a group stands up and acts out a word or phrase while the rest of the team tries to guess. However, in reverse charades, the scenario is flipped. The rest of the team must work together to act out a word or phrase while one person has to guess. You can play the box game version or download the mobile app.

In Reverse Charades, it is necessary for team members to communicate with each other. Because there is one person is guessing and everyone else is acting, everyone is involved throughout the entire game, making it a good pick for shyer or attention avoidant team members. No one can sit back while a few take on the challenge.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did you work as a team to act out the phrase?
• Was it hard to get everyone on the same page? 

#6 Sneak a Peek

Time: 20 Minutes

Number of Participants: 2-20

Items Needed: Building materials (clay, toothpick, plasticine, legos) Goal: Recreate an object out of building materials only going off a verbal description.

In this game, divide the group into multiple teams. One person from each team is selected to view a hidden object or sculpture. They only have 10 seconds at a time to peek at the sculpture and must relay the information that they see to the rest of their group. The group must try to recreate the sculpture based on the peek person's description.

Players must trust the team member to describe it accurately and listen to their instructions. It can help break down management barriers if you select a lower-level person as the person to view the sculpture. In a different position than they are accustomed to, it pushes them to adjust, direct a team and communicate clearly.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did you successfully recreate the object?
• Was there any bit of the description that confused you? 
• When did you benefit most from working as a team?

#7 Conducted Story

Time: 15-20 Minutes

Number of Participants: 4-25

Items Needed:  None

Goal: Create an interesting story one sentence at a time.

To do a Conducted Story, groups stand in a circle. One person may act as the conductor, who is responsible for moving the story along. The first person starts the story with a sentence like, "Mike went to the supermarket because..." The next person continues the story, "He needed eggs to bake a cake for.." The story continues on like this until it reaches the last person in the circle or goes around the circle a few times, depending on your group size.

The conducted story is a listening exercise that requires every team member to pay attention to what the others have said. It also stresses the importance of telling a seamless story and that unity and strong communication are needed to do that.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did you find it difficult to come up with sentences? 
• When the story didn't go the way you thought it would, how did you pivot? 
• Was it hard to keep the story continuous? 

#8 Swedish Story

Time: 15-30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 3-25

Items Needed: None

Goal: To tell an entertaining story while incorporating team suggestions.

This is another activity that combines storytelling and teamwork but with a twist. People work in pairs or small teams of no more than four. One person is the storyteller while the others are the word givers. The word givers start off by giving a title that the storyteller must start talking about.

Then, as they are speaking, givers yell random words that storytellers must incorporate. The key is that the words should be unrelated to the topic to make it more challenging and interesting. For instance, in a story about, "Visiting the City," word givers should avoid relevant words like, "taxi", "skyscrapers", and "subway". Instead, they shout out unrelated words like, "coconuts", "T-Rex", "Big Foot", or "lumberjacks". You can see a combination of Swedish Story and Conducted Story here:

Storytellers will be put on the spot and have to think fast. It drives them to actively listen to the words the other members say and insert them into the storyline.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did coming up with a story come naturally or did you find it to be a struggle?

• Did your teammates suggestions help or hinder? 

• Do you prefer being the story teller or the word giver?

#9 Tied Up

Time: 15-30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 3-15

Items Needed:  Rope/String/Bandanas

Goal: Complete a goal while team's hands are tied together.

In this activity, divide groups up into teams of 2 to 4. Form members into circles facing each other and use rope or shoe strings to tie their wrists to their neighbours wrist. Then, give them a task that they must complete together with their hands tied. 

A few examples of tasks that you can use are:

• Make a sandwich.

• Tie a ribbon.

• Navigate through an obstacle course.

• Complete a jigsaw puzzle.

• Wrap a gift.

Because everyone's hands are tied, it will require the effort of each person to complete the task. The constraints can increase their creativity and push them to think outside-of-the-box. This will also require good and constant communication.

Follow Up Questions:

• Was it difficult to complete the task?
• How did everyone contribute to achieving the task?
• What didn't work in terms of communication? What did work?

#10 Bounden

Time: 5-20 Minutes

Number of Participants: 2

Items Needed: 1 smart phone for 2 people

Goal: Complete a dance with another person.

Bounden is a mobile dance game designed to be played with partners with choreography by the Dutch National Ballet. A pairs holds a smartphone or tablet while instructions appear on the screen. 

Holding opposite ends of the device, you tilt the phone around a virtual sphere following a path of rings, resulting in players swinging their arms and twisting their bodies. Sensors in the phone detect if the right moves are made.

This can be used as a great icebreaker for small groups. It also requires people to pay close attention and follow the instructions. As they continue, the moves can get more fast-paced or difficult, so they'll have to stay in sync and keep communicating to win.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did you struggle as it got faster? 

• What types of communication did you use? 

• Was there anything you picked up on from your partner's non-verbal communication? 

#11 Game of Possibilities

Time: 10-15 Minutes 

Number of Participants: 4-25

Items Needed: Various random objects, one per each participant

Goal: Come up with alternative uses for everyday objects and have team members guess said uses. 

Each participant is given an object and must demonstrate an alternative use for it. You can use anything from a basketball or plastic bag to a hula hoop or stapler. 

Give the participant one-minute to silently act out their alternative use for the object; for example, a stapler could be used as a fork or a trumpet. While they're acting, others in the group try to guess what they're mimeing. Every person who correctly guesses the alternative use gets a point. Once the minute is over, the next person will do the same and so on. 

The Game of Possibilities is a great way to bring out your team's creativity and quick thinking as well as a fun way to boost team creativity and innovation.

Follow Up Questions:

• What was the most creative use someone came up with? 

• Did you struggle to come up with alternative uses? 

• Did it get easier over time?

#12 Dance Party

Time: 30 minutes

Number of Participants: 2-16

Items Needed: iPhone, Dance Party ™ Application

Goal: Closely mimic movements of dancers to get points. 

Although one of the most effective and quickest ways to bring someone out of their comfort zone is to get them to dance, dancing can be uncomfortable for people who shy away from attention. Dance Party solves this issue by having up to 4 participants dance at once. 

You can download the Dance Party app from the App Store and set it up in your office. Players mimic the dance moves that the avatar performs on the screen. Encourage members to form teams and compete.

Dancing as a group takes the pressure and embarrassment out of dancing. Dance Party fosters healthy competition and energizes teams. Plus, the physical activity can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Follow Up Questions:

• Was there anyone who felt uncomfortable dancing? 

• Did it help to dance with others? 

• What's something you learned playing this game?

#13 Heads Up!

Time: 20-50 Minutes

Number of Participants: 2-10

Items Needed: Smartphone

Goal: Guess the word displayed on participants phone

You may have seen "Heads Up!" being played on the Ellen Show. It is a mobile app available for download on Android and iOS devices, in which one player puts the phone on their forehead, the rest of the players can see the word, celebrity, or other category on the card, but it is hidden from the person holding it. He or she has to guess the item on the card based on clues from their team.

Although it is a fun app usually associated with parties, it can be perfect for office team-building. The best part about the game is that you can use the preloaded decks or you can create your own decks. Make a deck that relates to your company or industry and test their knowledge while having some fun.

Outdoor or Large Indoor Space Team Building Games and Activities

#14 Minefield

Time: 20-30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 2-20

Items Needed: Blindfold, masking tape, random assortment of items (for the mine field)

Goal: Team members must guide a blindfolded person through a minefield with only their words.

Minefield can be set up inside or outside, but make sure to clear the area to avoid any accidents. Place "mines" or objects in an obstacle area and mark a finish line with masking tape. Mines can be anything from styrofoam cups to cones, as long as they are soft with no rough edges.

The member that is going through the field, or obstacle area must be blindfolded. The other members of the team direct them through the minefield by giving them verbal instructions. If they hit an object, they must start over. The first team with all members across the minefield wins.

It can be difficult for some to trust their team members or to rely on someone else to help them reach a goal. Some may think they have to do it on their own. Minefield is an activity designed to foster trust in teams. It can help members that are resistant to collaboration become more open.

Follow Up Questions:

• What was the most difficult part about giving instructions? What about receiving instructions?

• How important was trust and communication?

• What style of communication was the most effective? What didn't work?

#15 Hole Tarp

Time: 14-45 Minutes

Number of Participants: 8-20

Items Needed:  Tarp, 1-3 Balls

Goal: Guide a ball around tarp without letting it fall into a hole

Thought it may remind you of an activity you did in gym class, Hole Tarp can be a lot of fun, even for adults. It can be done with a tarp or plastic sheet and a few tennis balls. 

First you must cut one or a few holes into the tarp. Once this is done, place your team evenly around the tarp. Have each member hold the edge with both their hands. Instruct your team to shake the tarp so it begins moves around like a wave. Once it is moving, throw in a ball.

Participants must navigate the ball around the tarp for the longest possible period without having the ball fall through one of the holes. If the ball falls through a hole or off the side of the tarp, your team must restart the game. 

Alternatively, you can have the team guide the ball, circling each hole. The team wins the game when they successfully navigated the ball around the circumference of each tarp without having it fall into any of the holes.

Everyone on your team has to keep moving to keep the ball rolling. If someone stops, the ball will drop. This game relies on constant communication to achieve its final goal 

Follow Up Questions:

• How successful do you think you were?

• Was there any forms of communication that worked better than others?

• Did you assign a leader (formally or informally)? Did that help or hinder your progress? 

#16 Lava Flow

Time: 25 Minutes

Number of Participants: 6-14

Items Needed: Items that can be used as platforms (milk crates, fabric square, tires, baseball base), 2 ropes or 4 cones

Goal: Cross the floor or ground by maneuvering across different objects. 

If the phrase "the floor is lava!" brings back happy memories of your childhood, you'll like this team-building game. Lava Flow, also called River Crossing, is a game in which a group must cross the river of lava by jumping and maneuvering across different objects. 

It's the team's task to figure out how to get the entire group from one side of the lava field to the other without touching the ground. The group should be given a limited number of objects, 2 or 3, that way they have to be moved and shared each time someone crosses. 

If someone touches the floor at any point, then they will get burnt and must start over. The first team to cross the river with all members intact are the winners.

Follow Up Questions:

• What was the hardest part of completing the task?

• Did you have to start over at any point? 

• What could you have done to cross the Lava faster? 

#17 Scavenger Hunts

Time: 1-3 Hours

Number of Participants: 6-50 People

Items Needed: Scavenger hunt list, smartphones (optional)

Goal: Gather as many items on the list within a set period of time.

Scavenger hunts are one of the oldest ways to get people to interact and collaborate. But, there are still one of the most effective and fun. Smartphones and apps have made it possible to do scavenger hunts anywhere. You can even add in photo or video challenges and share an album within the organization.

You can do a simple scavenger hunt and keep it in the office or take it outdoors, which can be much more exciting. Create a list of items that groups must collect or tasks that they have to complete. They can be goofy, as long as it's possible to complete.

Some examples are: "Take a selfie with someone wearing a cat shirt" or "Grab a take-out menu and a fortune cookie from a Chinese restaurant." Set a checkpoint for people to meet when they finish.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did anyone get all the items?

• What was the most difficult item to get?

• What was the most fun item to get?

#18 Spider Web

Time: 40 Minutes

Number of Participants: 5-16 People

Items Needed:  Twine/Rope , 2 vertical poles (2 trees, soccer posts, etc.) 

Goal: Get everyone through a web of rope without touching the rope

Do you remember all those spy movies with the intricate laser security systems people had to maneuver through? Spider Web is kind of like that. 

Create a maze of lines and shapes by stringing twine between vertical 2 poles. The end result should resemble a spider's web with some larger, easier holes and some smaller more difficult gaps. Teams must cross the spider web to reach the other side without touching the string or going in the same shapes as anyone before them.

The challenge gets harder as more people cross to the other side and requires everyone to remember and communicate with each other.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did you start off with a strategy?

• What did you learn as you got more people through the web?

• Did your strategy change as you went along?

#19 Balloon In Water

Time: 30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 4-40 People

Items Needed: Buckets, Balloons, Bricks, Disposable straws, Binder clips, Plastic Bags, String, Tape, Scissors

Goal: Submerge a ballon in a bucket of water using only the supplies given 

Balloon in water is a great way to see how your team solves problems together, particularly when faced with limited resources. Each group must immerse an inflated balloon in a bucket of water for a minimum of 5 seconds. They can only use the provided materials to complete the activity.

Each group gets:

• Bucket of water
• Balloon
• Brick
• 5 disposable straws
• 5 paper clips
• 3 binder clips
• 1 plastic bag
• String (20 cm)
• Tape (20 cm)
• Scissors
• 3 binder clips

The brick goes in the bottom of the bucket of water. Teams have a minute to strategize and flesh out their plan and only 5 minutes to do the activity.

Only the provided materials can be used during the challenge. The 3 binder clips and inflated balloon given to the team cannot be altered in any way. Before starting the activity, the team has one minute to plan and they have to plan without touching the materials. 

After planning, the team is given 5 minutes to execute their plan. The balloon must be fully immersed in the water before the 5 minutes is over. The balloon must remain immersed for at least 5 seconds, and the team must notify the trainer(s) when they are ready to be timed.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did your first plan work?

• How did you change your plan as time went along? 

• Did you have a leader? How were decisions made?

• Did you have any disagreements? How did you resolve them?

#20 Leaky Pipe

Time: 30 Minutes

Number of Participants: 6-14 People

Items Needed:  Water, Buckets, Several cups, 2 Pipes with holes drilled in them, and 2 Ping pong balls

Goal: Teams must retrieve a ping pong ball from the pipe by filling it up with water and floating the ball to the top.

This game can get a little messy, so it's recommended for outside. Leaky Pipe is a highly interactive activity that requires groups to work fast and efficiently together. You'll need water, buckets, several cups, 2 pipes with holes drilled in them, and 2 ping pong balls.

To win, teams must retrieve a ping pong ball from the pipe by filling it up with water and floating the ball to the top. Participants will need to work together using the cups to carry the water from the bucket to the pipe, relay race style with cups of water to fill it.

The pipe has holes drilled in it, so they will have to plug the holes as the water gets higher. To complete the challenge, each team will receive a bucket of water (which is placed 10 metres away from the pipe) and several cups. Remember to set a countdown, so they are racing against the clock.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did you make a plan before you went to the bucket? 

• How did you decide who was doing what task? 

• What was the hardest part of this activity?

#34 Murder Mystery Dinner

Time: 1-4 Hours

Number of Participants: 5-50

Items Needed:  Character descriptions, Clues, Dinner

Goal: Work together to find who the murderer was

A Murder Mystery Dinner is an interactive activity that will require everyone to get involved. There are several companies that will design murder mystery dinners specifically for business groups. Actors will provide an entertaining story and set clues in place for your team to decipher.

But, you can also host your own murder mystery dinner party which may be more cost-effective and intimate. Learn more about Murder Mystery Dinners here. Either way, your group will rally around the main goal─solving the mystery and finding the culprit. It's ideal for problem-solving and critical thinking.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did you suspect the murder? 

• Was there anything you thought gave them away? 

• When did teamwork help you the most?

#35 PowerPoint Karaoke

Time: 50 Minutes

Number of Participants: 6-30 People

Items Needed: Powerpoint karaoke slides, projector or screen

Goal: Create a presentation on the spot from slides participants have never seen.

If you want to test your team's presentation skills and see how they react in fast-paced or high-pressure situations, play PowerPoint Karaoke (also called Powerpoint Roulette or Battledecks). Groups are given a set of slides that they haven't seen before and must give a presentation based on those slides.

This is a more intense version, but you can adjust it so that groups are given a few minutes to view the slides and prepare before giving the presentation. It requires groups to think quickly and work together to pull off a difficult task with a short time to plan.

Follow Up Questions:

• What was the hardest part about presenting?

• Was this more difficult than a regular presentation? Why or why not? 

• Who do you think did the best presentation? 

#36 Slideshow

Time: 30-50 Minutes

Number of Participants: 6-50 People

Items Needed: None

Goal: Act out a impromptu slideshow 

Similar to Power Point Karaoke, slide show is a improv game which involves a group presentation. One person in a team will tell a story of an adventure or process. This could be anything from traveling through the jungle or navigating around a city to building a house or planning a large dinner party.

The other team members must act as the slideshow or visuals for the presentation. With each section that the presenter says they must demonstrate the scene. Add in random props to make it more exciting. 

Slideshow sparks creativity and pushes members to think on their feet. It also shows how they support each other throughout the process.

Follow Up Questions:

• Did you enjoy the activity?

• What was the best moment? 

• How did you use team work in your presentation? 

#37 Culture or Common Book/ Pizza Toppings

Time: Long Term

Number of Participants: Unlimited

Items Needed: Notebook, Pens

Goal: Get to know employees over a long term period of time

Some businesses may do team-building activities once for new employee orientation or once or twice a year for a company retreat. Although team-building activities help to bring your group together, you don't have to limit them to only one time a year. Doing team-building games more often prevents your team from drifting apart over time.

Companies like Zappos have incorporated a culture book. It is a long-running team-building activity that can be done every day. In a common area like a break room, leave a book with markers or pens. On each page, you can leave a prompt or ask a question for each day. Encourage employees to leave quotes from movies they are watching or books they have recently read. 

This can also be done virtually in work chat apps like Slack by using Geekbot's Pizza Toppings preset, which brings up a fun question for your team to answer once a week

#38 All Adrift

Time: 40 Minutes

Number of Participants: 8-16 People

Items Needed:  Team Brief, scoring sheet

Goal: Rank items given based on a hypothetical scenario.

 Want to see how your team makes decisions? Set up a hypothetical scenario, in which an accident strands the group in a body of water. The traditional team brief in All Adrift is that your boat catches on fire and you have to abandon it. You only have a few minutes to grab items. Some examples are: First Aid Kit, rope, canned food, water, a bucket, a knife, a compass and a blanket. 

First, individuals should write down the items that they would grab from 1-10 in the order of most important. Then as a team, they have to decide and agree on which 10 are the top priorities.

Groups should have about 30 minutes to complete the entire activity and come to a consensus. There is also a scoring sheet that they should use to rate their decisions. All Adrift helps you see that you can often make smarter decisions as a team with combined knowledge than on your own.

These activities may give you the inspiration and motivation to build stronger and more successful company teams. But, remember there are other opportunities to bond your team, so don't stress too much about planning out everything in exact detail. 

It could be as simple as holding monthly team Happy Hours. Focus on creating shared memories and finding common ground.