Are you a team strategist looking to engage your team members with new, refreshing, and exciting routines to make them more satisfied and productive? Or are you an HR manager looking for strategies to improve your workplace atmosphere? These 67 team-building activities will help you achieve your goal. 

Team-building activities are activities that members of your team or employees engage in to grow interpersonal relationships, boost morale, encourage cooperation, and minimize workplace inefficiency. Your team will undoubtedly get exhausted sometimes and may even burn out, which is why team-building activities are vital.

The team-building activities we will show you, ranging from indoor fun group activities and games to serious activities like debates, conferences, and therapy sessions, can be done in any workspace and will work whether you are a small, mid-sized, or large corporation. In addition to ensuring optimum work performance, they will help your team members learn, bond, and relax.

Let’s dive right in.

Benefits of Team Building Activities

Team building activities help build your team in numerous ways. These engaging activities can help your team members discover their potential and learn how to work well together through digital devices and real life.

Team-building activities can help create a better working atmosphere and promote teamwork, especially in a workspace where workers find it hard to sync. When your team members do tasks together, it can help clear up negative emotions and feelings they might have towards each other. 

67 Team Building Activities

So, what are some of these activities you can do as a team? Let’s check them out.

We have listed our top 67 team-building activities, from fun games and lighthearted activities to more serious activities that can help your team members develop themselves and improve their skill sets. 

1. Human Knot

This 5-10-minute game is just as it sounds. In this game, teammates come to an open space, form a circle facing inwards, and then join their left hand and right with someone other than the person at their immediate right or left. 

This activity aims to unravel the knotted circle of joined hands while twisting, turning, and passing through each other’s hands. 

2. Perfect Square

To play this game, team members blindfold themselves and form a circle facing inwards, holding a piece of rope after they have assigned a leader who won’t be blindfolded. 

The players then step back a little and try to form a perfect square on the ground with the ropes while blindfolded. The assigned leader guides them while they do this.

3. Two Truths, One Lie

In this game, members of a match sit together and form a circle. Then, following the circle, each player takes turns to tell three facts about themselves, one of which is a lie. The point of this activity is for listeners to figure out the lie among the three facts mentioned by a player.

4. Office Debates

In this activity, your team members gather in an event or presentation room—ideally with a board. Then, two members debate an interesting topic head-to-head. Votes then determine the winner.

5. Community Service

Community service is one of the best activities your employees can bond over while helping their surroundings and those around them. You can organize your team members to clean the local beach, sanitize the block, visit an orphanage, etc. 

This activity teaches your employees the noble act of helping others even if they won’t get any reward.

6. Attending Conferences 

By attending conferences and seminars together, your team members can build their skill sets and improve their understanding of the work they’re involved in. Q and A sessions will also help different people share unique ideas that will benefit the whole team. Another great thing about attending conferences is that they can provide a nice break from your work environment and help workers maintain a strong sense of workplace culture and enthusiasm.

7. Field Day

For field day, you can have up to 20 players grouped into 2, 3, or 4 teams and make them compete against one another. In this activity, teammates try out various field games like tug-of-war, split team mug, sac race, and watery slip ‘n’ slide.

8. Pair Up

This is a fun game that involves writing famous pairs of anything, e.g., ‘king and queen’ or ‘mom and dad’, on two individual papers or sticky notes. Then, stick the notes at the back of every player involved. The purpose of this game is for players to figure out what is written on their backs and find their other pair. The first players to pair the right phrases win the game.

9. Three-Question Mingle

This involves writing down three questions on three papers. Each player puts down their questions and then starts mingling until they find a partner. Afterward, each member in a pair asks and swaps questions with the other player. At the end of the game, players are asked what they learned about each other.

10. Scavenger Hunt

This is a fun activity involving team members looking for items you’ve hidden. To play this game, create small teams and develop good scavenger hunt ideas or challenges. Players are to complete and find all hidden items as quickly as possible. The first team to find all the items and complete all the challenges wins the game.

11. Office Trivia

This game involves dividing teammates of a workstation into a group of two. Then, each group answers a list of questions about work or an exciting topic assigned to them. The group with the most correct answers wins the game. This is a fun game that also incites good competitive spirit.

12. Water Balloon Dodgeball 

Water balloon dodgeball is a game that involves two teams and a large bucket of water balloons on each side of a rectangular field. The goal is for one team to eliminate the other using the water balloons under a time limit. 

13. Ongoing Tournament 

In this activity, you can set up a long-term game or challenge for months or even years. It could include a group chess tournament or a challenge on the first to lose the most weight in a year.

14. Laser Tag

To play laser tag, team members engage in a competitive battle mode like a deathmatch or a capture-the-flag game. Each player has a weapon and sensor that represents their life in battle. 

Players attempt to hit the sensors of the enemy team to “kill” them. Depending on the game, the team to accomplish the goal wins.

15. Won in 60 seconds

This game involves players or groups competing in a challenge for just 60 seconds. These challenges are often casual, fun, and engaging, such as using chopsticks to transfer beads from one bowl to another or bouncing a ping-pong ball into cups.

16. The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race is a fun racing activity with a twist. To play this game, two or more groups of teams engage in a race and then set difficult challenges at different intervals. The first team to finish the race while overcoming all the challenges wins.

17. Lip Sync

This is an exciting activity in which team members lip-synch while recording. Players can wear costumes and props and even choreograph moves to spice up the activity. Lip-syncing promotes creativity, coordination, and effective teamwork.

18. Escape From Pompeii

Escape from Pompeii is a fun game where team members try to escape a mock volcanic eruption to survive on a raft. To play this game, build a raft and add stone-like structures to the field area. Afterward, you and the team should climb on the raft and try to get to the end post while avoiding the lava on the floor using the stone structures along the way.

19. Water Gunfight

Water gun fights are always fun and exciting and can be played by a large team in an open field or recreational park. To play this game, inform every team member to bring spare clothes. Then, fill some water guns and place them randomly on the open field. Then, divide your members into two groups and make them distinguishable (e.g., with different colored jerseys). At the start of the game, each member receives a gun and begins firing at the opposite team to eliminate them.

20. Bubble Football

In this exciting game, players enter an inflated ball that looks like a zorb while playing football. Everyone, including other members, can play this game, which is very safe and engaging. Bubble football makes players feel confident while playing, knowing they can’t get bruised when they fall.

21. Memory Wall

This fun activity spreads positivity and good vibes around the workspace. In this activity, players are handed a pen and sticky notes to write down a pleasant memory they share with someone. Then, the player and their memory partners make some drawings about their favorite memories together. The drawings are then pinned to a board in the office.

 22. Minefield

This is a great game for honing communication and listening skills. In this game, different objects are placed all over the floor. Then, a player from each team wears blindfolds to get to the finish line without touching any of the objects. Other players stay at the starting line, giving verbal instructions to lead their teammates. Even if both players touch an object, the player who first reaches the finish line wins.

23. Shout Outs

This is an excellent activity where one employee or worker can appreciate himself or herself daily. The employee does this by enthusiastically calling out his or her accomplishments and those of his or her colleagues to build morale and promote encouragement.

24. The Communication Game

The communication game is accessible in which a team lines up vertically in a straight line and performs a short mime. The first person who conducts the mime taps on the shoulder of the person in front, who does the same movement. This goes on until the progression or rhythm reaches the last person. If the starting moves match the moves of the previous player, then the team wins.

25. Blind Drawing

In this game, players form pairs and sit back to back. One is given a pen and paper, while the other is provided an image of an object. The player with the image tries to describe it to the other player with the pen and paper so they can draw it. The players are challenged to analyze their communication skills to accomplish the task.

26. Office FM

Office FM is a fun activity in which players contribute songs to a shared playlist. You can select different themes weekly and allow all employees to contribute a song or track related to that theme. This helps boost engagement, morale, and collaboration between teammates.

27. After-work Running Club

After a very stressful work day, running or jogging is a way to destress and have something to look forward to. You can run, create a running club with your team members, and cover laps without necessarily racing. You can use an open field, a park, or a quiet street and run with your team members.

28. Employee Beach Day

You can schedule Employee Beach Day, during which you visit the beach and relax on the shore with your team members. You can plan for days during the weekend when all employees will be free and also plan extracurricular activities you’ll do at the beach. 

29. Ziplining 

You can take your employees ziplining at a popular park or resort. They’ll ride over spectacular scenery and make happy memories together. This activity allows employees to subconsciously support their team members’ success, promoting camaraderie.

30. Guess The Emoji Board

Guess the emoji board is a fun guessing game for your employees. Players send messages to other team members containing their recently used emoji. Every other player then tries to guess which emoji boards belong to whom.

31. Spelling Bee

Organizing spelling bees for your team members will help them flex their spelling skills and learn exciting and challenging words. You can divide a team into two groups and have them compete against each other. The team that spells the most words correctly wins.

32. Teaching new skills

Instead of engaging in games, you can organize tutorial sessions once in a while to teach your employees new skills. These could be work-related or personal skills like cooking, design projects, art contests, etc. These will help your employees have fun or learn new skills they can use outside of work.

33. Book Discussions 

Like teaching new skills, this is another educational activity in which members of a team or all the employees in a workspace come together to discuss a particular book that everyone has read. To play this game, choose an exciting book and set a deadline for everyone to gather and discuss it.

34. Picnics

Few things bond people like good food and fantastic scenery. A picnic can achieve both. Your team members can bring food to share, books to read and discuss, and games for everyone to play. A picnic in a beautiful park will help your employees relax and bond. 

35. Birthday Line-up

This is a fun activity that can be done in the office to encourage engagement. Birthday lineups involve getting all team members to line up according to their birth dates (from the earliest to the latest). The fun part is that players can’t talk to themselves; they only use gestures and hand signals to communicate their birth dates. 

36. Treetop Adventure 

Treetop adventures and games can boost your teammates’ confidence and help them overcome their fear of heights. While tethered securely, your team members play games high in the trees and compete to outdo each other.

37. Common Factor

This activity helps teammates bond with common interests or characteristics. Ask questions to everyone or organize different games for your team members to choose from. People with similar interests will give similar answers or choose similar games and can bond and build relationships. 

38. Shredded

This activity involves team members working in groups to create industry products from random elements in the office. For example, the tech department might devise a solution to a new problem. Different groups engage in this exercise and work on the best results to avoid being shredded by the competition.

39. Work Therapy Sessions

Sometimes, taking a break from work is necessary to maintain a healthy work-life balance. You can organize therapy sessions or invite professional therapists to discuss with your team members and help them open up and work on their mental health.  

40. Campfire

Campfires are a timeless activity that groups can bond over, especially during the colder winter. Plan a location and date, organize food and drinks, and provide accommodation or tents if you plan to stay the night. Your team members can have group discussions, listen to music, play games, and unwind.

41. What’s My Name

You can play this game by writing the names of famous personalities on sticky notes or paper and placing the notes on each person’s forehead. No one will tell them who they represent. After this, ask them to go around the room, interacting with each other to figure out what they represent by stereotypically treating everyone according to the given name. 

This game makes us understand how we treat people based on stereotypes and characteristics. It can also be an opportunity to interact with unknown people with whom they previously haven’t had the chance.

42. Charades

It is an extremely familiar game that is great for team bonding while promoting healthy and fun competition. You start by dividing everyone into small teams, and then one team selects a player who has to convey the title of a film by acting (speaking or pointing at objects is against the rule). The film titles would be selected from a pre-selected collection of chits created by each team. If their team correctly guesses the movie title, they win; if not, the other team wins.

43. Don’t Smile

The “Don’t Smile” game is an effective way to ease employee stress and anxiety. It’s a simple and entertaining game in which everyone sits or stands in a circle and stares at each other for as long as they can without smiling. The last person not to laugh wins the game. The game is designed to encourage people to laugh and ease group tensions. 

44. Flip It Over

This game is intended to help people cultivate problem-solving, creativity, communication, and team-building skills. It requires a tarp or a piece of cloth the size of a tablecloth and asks groups of 6-10 individuals to gather together on top of the tarp. The objective is that they have to flip the cloth over by standing on the other side of the fabric. The only condition is that they can only use their feet, and their feet cannot touch the ground. 

It forces people to work together as a team, and everyone has an important role to play. The game requires everyone to think creatively and logically to flip the cloth without going against the rules. The lessons learned from this game are highly relevant to self-improvement in the workplace.

45. Helium Stick

A great team-building exercise that enhances teamwork and communication skills among mid-sized groups. You only need a light bamboo stick or a cane for this game. To play this, there need to be two groups, each consisting of an even number of individuals, to stand facing each other and hold their arms in front of them while pointing with their index fingers. Then, lay the cane down on their index fingers while ensuring it is horizontal and touching everyone’s fingers. 

The challenge is to lower the stick to the ground without dropping it and only with the index finger. Teams will be disqualified if any team member changes fingers or is responsible for the stick to fall. 

This game fosters cooperation among themselves and working together to solve the problem. 

46. Egg Drop

The egg drop is the ideal team-building game for large groups. The game requires everyone to split into small groups of 4-5 members, and each team will be provided with an egg, straws, duct tape, newspapers, and other random objects. The challenge is to create a structure with the given materials that enables the egg to withstand a drop from a certain height, around 6 feet. 

The teams will be given a time limit, within which they’ll have to develop a unique structure that can save the egg from the fall. After that time, each team will come forward to drop the egg with their structure from a height of 6 feet. After every team has their chance, the winning team will be declared based on the egg’s survival or with the least amount of damage. This game encourages creativity and decision-making skills. 

47. Lost At Sea

This extensive game relies heavily on communication skills among team members. First, a team needs at least five members and a ‘Lost at Sea’ chart and pens. The teams will be given a backstory of their friends lost at sea with only one lifeboat. Most of the resources are lost to the sea, except 15 items that are vital to their survival. The challenge is to rank these items in order of importance, with one being the highest and 15 the lowest. 

Give each member the ‘Lost at Sea’ chart with six columns. The 1st column lists the 15 items in random order. The 2nd column will have spaces against each item for the participant to put their rank. The 3rd column will again have space for teams to rank the items. The 4th column will have the correct order of items (provided by the US Coast Guard). The 5th column will calculate the difference between the individual and the correct score. The team with the lowest total score (the lowest difference between their and correct scores) will win. 

Both individuals and teams will be given 10 minutes to rank the items. For teams to rank, they must reach a consensus on which items to rank higher or lower. This ensures that everyone collaborates and communicates to convey their perspective. 

48. Barter Puzzle

For this game, you need to split people into groups of 3-4 and give each group a jigsaw puzzle with the same difficulty level. The twist of this game is that some pieces of the puzzle will be mixed randomly with the other team’s puzzle. 

The teams must complete the puzzle within one hour by negotiating, bartering, or trading with team members for the puzzle pieces. The first team to complete the puzzle will win the game. This allows every team to work together for mutual benefit and enhances everyone’s communication and negotiating skills. 

49. Spectrum Mapping

To begin this game, you need a whiteboard and sticky notes. Write a problem on the whiteboard and ask the employees to write their solutions on the sticky notes. Map each solution on the whiteboard as a spectrum based on different factors like soft to aggressive, safe to risky, easy to complex, etc. Use the sticky notes to mark the position of the solutions on the spectrum on the whiteboard. This will help you and everyone identify the ideal solution most employees find. 

This game allows you to gauge the inclination and preference of different employees towards their work and how they approach a problem. It can also give insights into other perspectives among themselves. 

50. Back of the Napkin

This game tests teams’ problem-solving ability and innovativeness (ideally around 3-4) with 6-24 participants. To make this interesting, group players who have yet to work together. Now, come up with a bunch of open-ended questions related to business or a similar field. The teams must devise the solution to the given problem by writing it on the napkin. Evaluate all the solutions and pick the best one as the winner. 

51. Frostbite

This is a situation-based game in which people are divided into 4-5 groups. The context is that each group is a team of explorers in the Arctic Ocean who need to work together to build a shelter to survive. However, the team leader has been struck by frostbite and can’t move, while the other team members are blinded by snow. 

The objective is for each group to build a shelter using the available tools (cardboard boxes, tent materials, staplers, etc.) while remaining blindfolded within a set time. The team leader will not participate but will direct the teammates verbally to help them build the tent. The first team to make the shelter wins. 

This game tests team members’ trust in their team leader. The members are wholly blindfolded and must trust the leader to guide them into making the tent. It fosters both leadership skills and trust among employees. 

52. Tied Together

To start, have all participants (around 10-12) stand in circles, facing inwards. Then, ask them to hold their hands on their sides and tie them to their neighbors’ hands. Once everyone is tied up, present them with tasks they must complete within a set time, like wrapping a present, pouring a glass of water, or building a LEGO set together. 

This game focuses on teamwork and listening to each other’s opinions. 

53. Coin Logo

This game tests the employees’ creativity and artistic ability. The participants will be divided into groups of 3-6 people and instructed to create their logo based on a coin in front of them within one minute. Once they are done, ask them what the logo means and its significance.

54. Sell It

This is the perfect game for sales or marketing teams as it can enhance their sales pitch and communication. Each participant can pick random objects around them and give the other team members a sales pitch. Each participant will be given 5 minutes to prepare a sales pitch and a minute to present. The pitch with the highest vote of approval will win the game. 

55. Magazine Story

This is a great team-building activity that mixes fun and creative thinking. It teaches team cohesion and collaboration among participants. To begin with, divide employees into groups of 3-6 participants and ask them to create a magazine story about their organization or any other project. Provide them with a magazine template, cutouts, and any other resources they might need. All the teams have to finish the task within 60-90 minutes. The team with the best magazine story will win. 

56. Shark Tank

This game is a mockup of the famous entrepreneurial TV show “Shark Tank.” You can be the investor evaluating different business ideas and sales pitches. Form different groups of 2-6 members and ask them to develop a business idea and pitch it. The pitch must include a business name, brand logo, financial data, and marketing plan. Then, each team will pitch their idea to the investors and engage in realistic business conversations. 

This game aims to foster an entrepreneurial spirit among the employees, enhance creativity and unconventional thinking, and improve communication skills. 

57. Make Your Own Movie

This game taps into each employee’s underlying creative aspect. The intent is to create a short movie by collaborating and utilizing team members’ different skill sets. Start by dividing teams of at least 8 participants and electing a team leader, who’ll then designate roles for his/her team members. Instruct the teams to pick a movie idea, theme, and script for the short movie of around 6-7 minutes. The deadline can be 6-8 hours. The best short film will win a prize. 

This might be a long game, but it can be a break from the usual work environment and allow everyone to harness their creative abilities. 

58. Winner/Loser

This is a therapeutic game in which employees are divided into pairs. One person narrates one of their negative life experiences to their partner, while the other retells the same story with a positive spin, highlighting the silver linings in that experience. The partners switch roles and do the same. After the game, everyone will know a positive aspect of their negative experiences, which can help them get closure. 

59. Mystery Dinner

This game aims to get your employees out of their comfort zone and actively communicate with each other. This game is exclusively conducted on Hubspot and is a real team bonding experience. You have to select a date and place and invite groups of people from every team for dinner. The company will incur all the expenses. The mystery is that employees only know the time and place of dinner, but then, on the day, they’ll be sent an email instructing them with whom they’ll be going for dinner.

This game allows employees to meet employees from other teams with whom they never had the chance to talk or bond. 

60. Sneak A Peek

The game highlights how individual role impacts a team’s overall success. Before the game begins, you must create a sculpture or a LEGO set and hide it from the teams. Now, divide people into teams of 2-8 participants and provide each team with enough building materials used to construct the sculpture. Ask one member from each team to take a peek into your sculpture for 10 seconds. Then, that member will return to their team and instruct them to build the same sculpture. The team with the exact match to the sculpture you made will win the game. 

61. Team Emblem

Create groups of 3-5 members and ask them to collaborate to create a unique emblem for their team using materials like watercolors, markers, cardboard, etc. The symbol must represent their team and have a meaning.

The game builds a collective sense of unity among the team members and improves collaboration.

62. Suddenly

This game forces the participants to think on their feet when unforeseen developments or changes arrive. To play this game, ask everyone to gather in a circle. Select any random person from the group to narrate only the first three lines of a story and then end it with “suddenly.” After that, the next person would have to continue with the story with the same rules. It makes everyone think creatively while collaborating to concoct a story everyone can make up. 

63. Buckets and Balls

This game is fun, engaging, and chaotic. It requires participants to divide into small groups of 3-6 members. Then, they must stand in front of each other at a distance of around 10-12 feet. There will be a starting line at each end, behind which all the members will stand; a bucket filled with tennis balls will be placed for both teams. Their task is to run to the other end and fill the bucket with their team’s balls without touching them. The team with the most balls in the bucket will win the game.

Buckets and Balls emphasize team communication and how receptive people can be to guidance. 

64. Photo Finish

It is an easy team-building game that requires good coordination among team members. To play this game, create a finish line with duct tape and ask participants to divide themselves into teams of 4-5 people. The challenge is that each team will have to reach the finish line at the same time, where a photo snap will be taken to evaluate if all the team members reached the finish line at the same time. Continue this process for each team until you find a winning team that pulls it off. You can ask participants to run or fast walk toward the finish line to make this game more fun and chaotic.

This game implies that team coordination is necessary to achieve a similar goal. 

65. Escape Room Challenge

This fun and exciting game focuses on employees’ problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, communication, and coordinating skills. You have to pre-book an escape room for your employees and group them into teams of 4-6 participants. Set the timer to 60 minutes and brief all the teams that they are on a mission and must escape the room by solving critical puzzles that lead them to the escape door. If any team gets stuck, then they can ask for hints. The team that escapes the room within a set time will win. 

66. Cooking Competition

Cooking competition helps foster teamwork, creativity, and time management by showcasing participant’s culinary skills. For this game, you need to divide the participants into teams of 3-5 people and give them the same ingredients to prepare a meal of their own choice. Set a timer for 1-2 hours and start the cooking competition. After the time ends, each team will present their dishes to a panel of judges for tasting. The team that managed to produce the best dish within time will win.

67. Group Mural Paintings

To enhance creativity and teamwork for your employees, you can arrange a competition where each team (consisting of about 5-10 members) paints a mural by mutually discussing and agreeing on a theme. All the teams will be given the necessary materials like paintbrushes, paints, a big canvas or wall to paint, etc., and a set timer for 2-4 hours. Each team member will contribute their ideas to the painting that mixes the team’s vision with their individuality. 

There are no winning or losing teams in the competition, and at the end, all the mural paintings will be showcased at the workplace for team bonding.

Key Takeaway 

Your team members will do the best work and produce the best results in sync. As humans, we work best with people we know and understand. So whether you have new employees in your organization or team morale is dying down from routine, engaging them in the team-building activities we discussed above will help them bond, connect, and evolve into an unstoppable powerhouse that’ll smash through company goals.  If your team is large, don’t worry; our article, 30 Must-Try Team Building Activities For Large Groups, will help you better engage with and manage your team.

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