Whoever can build the tallest structure that holds for 10 seconds wins. How to play: Write down lots of different movie genres on slips of paper and jumble them in a cup. Divide your team into smaller teams of people; have each team choose a slip of paper at random. The most compelling short film wins! Write out a list of pairings—salt and pepper, cat and mouse, Sonny and Cher—with one part of the pair written on one sheet of paper, and one sheet of paper for each person.
Now, the team must work around the room, asking questions to figure out what person or thing is listed on their back and who might be the other person in their pair. Once a pair has found each other, have them sit down and ask each other questions about themselves. Self-expression, artistic expression. Helps team members understand how others see themselves. How to play: Have each person draw a self-portrait anonymously. Collect the portraits, put them up on the wall, and have the team guess which is whose.
Once the right person is guessed, have them describe why they drew themselves the way they did. Teamwork, communication skills. Break down barriers by appointing a lower-level person team leader.
Materials: Basic sculpting or painting materials; a random but distinctive sculpture, object, or photograph. How to play: Split into teams of people. Once the peekers rejoin their team, they have 5 minutes to describe to their teammates what the secret object looks like while their team recreates it best they can. Exactly what it sounds like.
Step outside to do some team building in the fresh air. Breaks the ice, helps learn names, exercises memorization skills. How to play: Have about people stand in a circle.
Increase difficulty by increasing speed and the number of balls in the circle. How to play: Divide the team into pairs and have one of each pair blindfolded. Layout objects in a random pattern in a sort of obstacle course, using 2 distinctive objects for the start and finish marks.
The goal is for the blindfolded person to make it out the other side without having touched any of the objects. The first person to finish wins! The first team to check off all the tasks wins! Number of Participants: People. Items Needed: Tent Pole or similar the stick must be long, thin, and light. Goal: The group must lower the stick until it is touching the ground. Split your group into two lines facing each other. Ideally, you should have an even number of people on both sides, however it is still possible to play with an uneven number.
Ask your group to raise their arms and point their index fingers out. Lay the magic cane or helium stick across their fingers. The stick should be at the chest level height of the tallest participant to start.
Once the stick is laying across participants fingers, tell them that their challenge is to lower this stick to the ground. Everyone's finger must remain in contact with the stick at all times during the challenge. If it slips, they have to start from the beginning. Pinching or grabbing the stick with other fingers is considered cheating. Everyone must be standing on their feet when you start.
It sounds like a simple task, but it is deceptively challenging. At first, people will likely lift the stick or set it off balance. This can lead to confusion or perhaps even frustration among the team.
The tendency of the stick to float can lead group members to begin blaming others for the group failure. However, the group won't be able to succeed unless they shift from blaming to asking questions. The more open-minded and collectively responsible the group is, the more quickly they'll succeed. This simple activity encourages communication and problem solving, since every member of the group is needed to complete the task.
It also reinforces the idea that everyone is equally important, valuable and necessary for the team to succeed. Follow Up Questions:. Time: 20 Minutes. Items Needed: At least 3 puzzles with 50 pieces or fewer. Goal: The group must complete a puzzle.
Split team members into equal groups of 4 or 5 people though not ideal, it is possible to play with groups of 3. Give each group a different jigsaw puzzle. It is their tasks to solve the puzzle, however, there is a catch. Each puzzle has had pieces of the other puzzles mixed in at random. Explain to all the groups that other teams may have the pieces they need.
Members have to strategize, assign roles and barter with other teams to get pieces they need to complete their puzzle first. This activity offers a dual challenge: firstly they need to solve the puzzle in a short period of time, secondly they need to convince the other team to trade them the necessary pieces.
This is a particularly good activity if you want to strengthen your sales team or get team members to practice negotiating and strategizing skills. Did you assign people on your team specific roles? Was there a leader? A negotiator? Did you plan at the beginning? Did the plan change as time passed?
Items Needed: Rope, shoe string, or pole. Goal: The entire team must cross over the top of the "electric fence. In this activity, you will create an "electric fence" that teams must cross over without touching.
To create the fence, tie a rope or shoe string to two chairs or other objects. The rope should be elevated to about waist-height. Position the team on one side of the rope. To get from one side to the other, members must go over, not under, one at a time. They also must be touching another member of the group with at least one hand at all times.
Participants should not make any contact with the electric fence at anytime. If they violate a rule, they must start the exercise all over again. Because of the physical nature of this game often team members will need to lift each other over the rope it is not well suited for people with back, knee, or ankle injuries.
This activity motivates people to brainstorm ideas, problem solve and put their proposed plans into action. It also requires a high degree of trust and communication due to its physical demands. What was one positive thing you learned about your teammates in the course of this exercise? Time: 25 minutes. Items Needed: Paper, writing utensils, A selection of everyday items bottle cap, coin, key etc. 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 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.
Time: 30 Minutes. Number of Participants: 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. 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.
Time: Minutes. 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 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.
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. Did coming up with a story come naturally or did you find it to be a struggle?
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. 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. 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. Was there anything you picked up on from your partner's non-verbal communication? 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.
Time: 30 minutes. 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. Items Needed: Smartphone. Goal: Guess the word displayed on participants phone. You may have seen "Heads Up!
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. 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. What was the most difficult part about giving instructions? What about receiving instructions? What style of communication was the most effective? What didn't work? Items Needed: Tarp, 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.
Murder in Ancient Egypt is a 90 minute, fully-facilitated event. We provide an energetic host to keep your team engaged, and a co-host that manages the technical aspects. The event is fun, challenging and perfect for groups that want to work both collaboratively and competitively. Learn more about Murder in Ancient Egypt. War of the Wizards is a collaborative storytelling game of wisdom and magic. The story goes that a group of wizards have been at war since ages past, and no-one even quite remembers why.
For example, you may develop a strategy to leap over a wide chasm, or challenge an ogre to a battle of wits. War of the Wizards is a little nerdy, and a whole lot of fun. The group games last for 90 minutes, and are facilitated over video conference by our talented host. Learn more about War of the Wizards. You can play the game multiplayer, with three to 10 players or more if you are feeling audacious. Click image to view the game board. To play Spreadsheet Battleship, each player needs two things: a game board and the placement of ships.
You can use graph paper labelled with letters and numbers for the game board, and either randomly assign battleship placement or let each player choose where to place the ships. Here is a Google Sheets game board you can use. Spreadsheet Battleship game mechanics are a little like Go Fish. The next player then goes in sequence, which could be in order of age or geographic location. Scavenger Hunts can be a fun way for your people to work together.
Virtual scavenger hunts are more difficult to find that team spirit with. You might have game mechanics that have your team searching Google, Wikipedia, YouTube and other sites, without really working together. The solution for successful online scavenger hunts is to throw away the normal and adopt a lightning version instead. For Lightning Scavenger Hunts, fire off a rapid series of clues that have your team members dashing to find objects, solve clues and win points.
For example, you could have everyone grab their favorite mug and award points to the best mug story. The fast paced nature of Lightning Scavenger Hunts is what makes it work for team building online. Here are more virtual scavenger hunt templates.
Lexulous is one of several free team games online that is modelled after Scrabble. The main difference is that Lexulous has eight tiles in play at a time, and the value assigned to each letter is a little different. You can easily include Lexulous in your options for online games to play with coworkers.
You can keep track of points and total scores over a month, and award a Lexulous champion at the end. Your refrigerator may be different. A fun game we could play together is Guess the Refrigerator. To play this game, everyone submits a photo of the inside of their refrigerator to one point of contact. That organizer then posts the photos to a channel where all participants can study the contents and make best guesses at which refrigerator belongs to who. The players submit answers to the organizer, who then tallies up the scores and announces a winner.
Sharing an inside view of your refrigerator takes a degree of vulnerability, which is a factor that contributes to the success of great online games for virtual teams. To play, name one person as the Describer and the other players as Artists. The Describer must explain to the Artists how to draw an item like a sunflower, kite or calculator using only geometric terms.
You can play each round for as long as you like, and three minutes is usually sufficient. At the end of each round, the Describer gets one point for each Artist that guesses the object correctly, and each Artist that guesses correctly also gets one point. Tally up points and award cool prizes to the winner.
Five Clicks Away is a logic game for online team building. To play, you select a starting topic and an ending topic, which you can decide on your own or randomly generate. For example, the starting point could be Blackbeard the Pirate and the endpoint could be grilled cheese sandwiches. Each player must start on the Wikipedia page for the starting point, and in no-more than five clicks reach the end point. The idea is that Wikipedia has so many internal links that you should be able to follow a chain to reach the end point in less than five clicks.
One of my favorite online team building games is a Typing Speed Race with friendly competition. For the Typing Speed Race, you can use a free tool like typingtest. Then, each person posts their test results to Slack, email or another platform. The Typing Speed Race is a great way to encourage friendly competition with remote teams. You can make the experience more collaborative by doing a Typing Speed Relay, which requires forming your people into teams and then adding the cumulative score from each person to create a team total.
With the Typing Speed Race, everyone wins because typing quickly is an important skill for remote work. Chair Up! The game is played over email, messenger or conference call, and is specifically meant to counter the doom and gloom that sometimes guides conversations. For example, you could do yoga sun-salutations, clap your hands, laugh or have a small dance party.
When you work from home, taking care of your health and fitness is especially important. You can do squats and eat well, and also make sure you drink enough water.
Water Shots is a game meant to fortify your team around healthy hydration. Virtual team building games that focus on building healthy habits are a great way to support company culture and development with remote teams. Charades is one of those games that nearly everyone plays at school or home while growing up.
With this proliferation of Charades, Virtual Charades has the advantages of being fairly familiar while also being fun.
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