35 Team-Building Activities and Games That Will Excite Your Whole Crew
It's one task to build a team of motivated, talented and hardworking individuals that bring different strengths to the table. It's another task to keep that curated team both motivated, challenged and engaged on the job so that they stick around for the long haul. That's where team-building activities and games enter the equation.
Sure, some folks may initially roll their eyes at the thought of engaging in icebreaker games to get to know their fellow coworkers better or having to spend time with their work crew outside of working hours. However, having your staff participate in regular team-building activities has shown positive benefits.
Benefits of Team-Building Activities
Some of the benefits of team-building activities include:
increase collaboration efforts among workers
improved communication
increased productivity
increased motivation
It does not matter what kind of budget you have or the number of individuals you are trying to accommodate. There's something on this list for teams of every size, location and background! Between indoor games that can be played at the office or offsite activities, these 35 team-building activities will excite the whole team.
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35 Best Team-Building Activities and Games
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1. Scavenger Hunt
The awesome part about scavenger hunts is how creative you can get with them. Split up into teams and hide clues around the office or your city or town. You may be surprised at how quickly the competitive spirits come out!
2. Two Truths and a Lie
This is one of the most simple team-building activities or icebreakers you can do with your team, whether you work in an office or remote setting. Everyone comes up with three "facts" about them—two being truthful, and one being made-up. Everyone else has to guess which is the lie.
3. Murder Mystery Party
Murder mystery games are all the rage these days. Not only are there establishments that host murder mystery parties, but there are also games you can buy at the store. It's a role-playing game where everyone dresses up and acts as a certain character in the storyline while they work to solve the mystery together.
4. Ropes Course
Ropes courses are one of the most popular team-building activities out there due to the communication and collaboration efforts that need to be performed throughout. Most ropes courses offer both beginner and advanced options with varying moderate challenges that accelerate team performance factors.
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5. Escape Room
If you have a smaller team, booking an escape room is an effective team-building activity that can really translate back to the office. Unveil clues and riddles to try to get out of the room you're locked in before your hour is up! Reserve a nice spot for dinner afterward.
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6. Workout Challenge
Looking to cultivate a healthier environment for your team? Come up with a workout challenge for a set number of weeks. Make sure there's a worthwhile prize at the end!
7. Sports League
If you have athletic individuals on your team, why not join a sports league? Games are typically hosted once a week, and they're a fun way to get some exercise in. Check out your local adult sports leagues to see what's available in your area. Some of the most popular are soccer, flag football and kickball.
8. Never Have I Ever
Everyone gathers in a circle and starts with ten fingers up. Taking turns, each teammate shares something they've never done. For example, they may say, "Never have I ever gone skydiving." Anyone that's gone skydiving would then put a finger down, and the game continues until the last person remains.
9. Hangman
Everyone's likely played Hangman at least once in their lives. Have you considered playing hangman for team-building, though? Split up coworkers into separate teams and have them work together. This is a simple team-bonding activity that can be done during your lunch hour, especially since everyone likely already knows the rules.
10. Lunch & Learn
Invest in your team's education and growth by hosting a lunch & learn. Have a prominent figure in your industry give a lecture or teach for your lunch hour. To entice folks further, make sure you choose a delicious restaurant to cater the event.
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11. Blind Drawing
Blind drawing is a fun team-building activity for smaller teams. Ultimately, the team has to instruct their artist to draw an item just by describing it. The team whose drawing is closest to the actual item wins!
12. The Perfect Square
Divide everyone into teams of four to six individuals and have them form a circle. With everyone's eyes closed, one person receives a rope and blindly passes it around to each member in an attempt to form a square with the rope. The team works together to try to form their square and checks the results after.
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13. The Egg Drop
You may have seen the egg drop activity being performed on the popular TV show, Modern Family. It's a team-building activity that takes a couple of hours, but can be done at the office. Split everyone up into groups of two or three. Each team receives an egg and ample material to build a protective shield for the egg. After the designated time, each team drops the egg from a few stories up to assess who built the strongest shields.
14. Obstacle Course
If a scavenger hunt is fun, an obstacle course is the next best thing. All you need is some space and some loops to jump through—literally. You can put something more low-key together inside, or find a large field for an outdoor setup.
15. Penny For Your Thoughts
Gather a jar full of pennies with years on them and have everyone draw a coin. For whatever year is on the coin, team members have to share a significant memory that happened to them that year.
16. Show and Tell
Remember how exciting show and tell was when you were a little kid? Cultivate that same feeling with team show and tell. Span it out over the course of a set amount of days or weeks, depending on how many teammates you have. Allow each individual to bring in and share something of their choice with the group. Give plenty of time for interaction and questions!
17. Cooking Class
Hosting a team-building activity is a prime opportunity to allow everyone to learn something new. It doesn't matter if you have level 1 chefs or Gordon Ramsay-level chefs on your team—everyone can benefit from a cooking class.
18. Trivia Night
Trivia nights are a coveted activity across the nation, and many restaurants, bars and breweries alike host weekly trivia nights. Sometimes, they have niche trivia nights, like Disney or The Office trivia. Other times, it's more general trivia. Get your team of trivia smarties ready and assemble.
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19. Volunteer
When individuals gather together for a good cause, it cultivates a positive team atmosphere and camaraderie that can translate into the work setting. Check out local volunteer opportunities with farms, kitchens, shelters or trash cleanups.
20. Rock Band Tournament
For a budget-friendly team-building activity, split everyone up into teams of four. Get the Rock Band video game and equipment set up in a conducive space in your office. Prepare snacks and beverages, and host a rock band tournament near the end of the day on a Thursday or Friday. This can also be done after hours or at someone's house.
21. Board Game Tournament
Who doesn't love board games? OK, some people don't...but if you can get enough folks to buy in, you can host a fun board game tournament with all the classics! Don't forget the snacks. Jenga, Checkers and Scrabble are all great starting points.
22. Self-Defense Workshop
Hosting a self-defense workshop for your team is quick, educational and a great way for everyone to learn together. Have a professional come in and teach your team the basics of self-defense so they're equipped for any situation that may arise.
23. Team Brainstorming Session
A team brainstorming session may not seem like the most exciting team-building activity on the list, but if you're working with a tight budget and a small team, it may be the most impactful. Have everyone come together and share their ideas with efficient discussion for an hour.
24. Karaoke Night
You don't have to live in a bustling city to find a bar or other establishment that hosts a karaoke night. And you don't typically have to make reservations, either! Just get there at an early time, find a comfortable spot that accommodates your group and enjoy an evening of your coworkers' tone-deaf singing.
25. Professional Conferences
Think about the type of industry you're in. Are there any professional conferences that you could consider investing in for your team to travel to? Many professionals feel burnt out and stale in their careers when they lack opportunities for further education and growth. Investing in a professional conference can provide just that.
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26. Sports Game
If you live in a city with a sports team close by, take advantage of it by hosting a night out at a sports game. Typically, you can score deals on group tickets or reserve a spot on the club level.
27. Comedy Show
More often than not, comedy shows are highly interactive. Meaning, the comedians engage with the audience often and are not afraid to call people out—especially if you're closer to the front or in the hot seat. Enjoy a night of laughs with your coworkers and consider getting a bite to eat afterward to recap the night.
28. Team Jeopardy
Team Jeopardy is another fun icebreaker game or team-building activity that can be done in under an hour. Have everyone send in one or two fun facts about themselves and put them on a Jeopardy board. Host a game of Jeopardy where everyone participates and guesses who is the culprit of the fun facts on each space.
29. Field Day
Remember how much fun field day was as a kid in grade school? You may be surprised at how big of a hit an adult field day is. Split up into teams and set up all the games you played as a kid like the three-legged race, obstacle courses and the water balloon toss.
30. Laser Tag
Coordinating a game of laser tag is another guaranteed way to bring out everyone's inner child and competitive spirit. Check with different local laser tag places near you to see what is offered for group deals. Then, get ready for a night of dodging lasers!
31. Paint and Sip
You don't have to be the most artistic bunch to head to a paint-and-sip night. It can be hosted at someone's home, or you can reserve a place. Even if people aren't too excited about the painting part, you may be able to convince them with the wine or beer options!
32. Go-Kart Racing
When in doubt, race it out at the old go-kart tracks! It's every man for themselves out there, but it can be a fun way to let the friendly competitive spirits fly.
33. Apple, Orange, Banana
For a quick and energizing team-building game that can be done at the office within just a few minutes, play Apple, Orange and Banana. Have everyone form a line conjoined with hands atop shoulders. One designated person will yell out the commands as everyone follows while trying to stay in the line. Apple means jump forward, orange means jump backward and banana means jump 180 degrees.
34. Paintball
Throwing out the idea of paintballing may be hit-or-miss, but if you have a lot of competitive people on your team or work in a particularly stressful industry, it may be the team-building activity that is needed. Suit up and prepare to be splattered by your teammates.
35. Coworker Bingo
For another low-budget DIY game, consider coworker bingo to learn more about your team. Create a bingo board of different experiences. When playing the game, everyone goes around and asks each other if they've had any of the experiences on the Bingo card and fill it out accordingly. Just don't forget to call out "Bingo!"
