Team-building activities are where team members participate in various games and activities together.
Team-building activities aren’t just for fun. They also bring positive energy, improve communication, boost morale, and provide a fresh perspective for employees, managers, and business owners.
Let’s understand what types of team-building activities are available out there.
Let’s look at some different team-building activities to encourage collaboration and strengthen team bonds. These activities can truly change the dynamics of a team.
These activities boost communication and help the team convey their ideas, listen appropriately to each other and work together efficiently.
Trust-building activities help people be more open and reliable and increase their bonding with each other.
This activity helps employees to develop creativity, adaptability and critical thinking to face challenges in business.
This activity helps the team see options and quickly make fast and smart choices.
This activity helps team members improve their skills while getting closer to their co-workers. It also helps build self-assurance, boost output, and encourage learning.
This indoor team-building activity provides a controlled, cosy setting to work together and tackle problems.
This activity helps lower stress and improve the mental health of the employees. It also encourages employees to get more involved and improves teamwork.
| Goal | To join forces to track down hidden items or finish specific tasks based on hints.. |
| What You’ll Need: | Hints written beforehand Small objects to hide (chips, messages, or stuff related to the company) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 1-2 hours |
| Who Can Play: | Small or big groups (split into teams of 4-6 team members) |
| Goal | To build a protective structure to keep an egg from cracking when it falls from a height. |
| What You’ll Need: | Raw eggs A set amount of materials (paper, tape, straws, rubber bands, cotton, etc.) |
| How Long It Takes: | 45-60 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 3-5 members |
| Goal | To try to grab the other team’s flag while guarding their own. |
| What You’ll Need: | Two flags (can be coloured cloth, t-shirts, or real flags) A big outdoor area |
| How Long Does It Take: | 45 minutes to 1 hour |
| Who Can Play: | Two teams (5-10 people per team) |
| Goal | To wear a blindfold and move through an obstacle course with help from their teammates’ spoken directions. |
| What You’ll Need: | Blindfolds Cones, chairs, ropes, or any items to make obstacles |
| How Long Does It Take: | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Pairs or small teams |
| Goal | To compete by pulling a rope in opposite directions until one drags the other past a marked point. |
| What You’ll Need: | A sturdy rope A marker (chalk line, cone, or flag) |
| How Long Does It Take: | 15-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Two teams (5-8 members per team) |
| Goal | To throw a water balloon back and forth without bursting it. |
| What You’ll Need: | Water balloons |
| How Long Does It Take: | 30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Pairs (any number of teams) |
| Goal | To work together to unravel a mystery by following hints and cracking puzzles.. |
| What You’ll Need: | Prepared clues Small items (maps, keys hidden messages) |
| How Long Does It Take: | 1-2 hours |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 4-6 people |
| Goal | To untangle themselves from a knot without breaking their hand-to-hand connection. |
| What You’ll Need: | Nothing |
| How Long Does It Take: | 15-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 6-10 individuals |
| Goal | To join forces to crack puzzles and “break free” from a sealed room before time runs out. |
| What You’ll Need: | A reserved escape room location OR Homemade setup with brain teasers, padlocks, and secret hints |
| How Long Does It Take: | 45-60 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Small crews of 3-6 people |
| Goal | To try to spot the false statement among the three facts a team member shares. |
| What You’ll Need: | Nothing |
| How Long Does It Take: | 15-20 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Small groups with 3-6 people |
| Goal | To challenge each other to answer general or company-specific questions. |
| What You’ll Need: | A set of trivia questions A buzzer or any sound-making object |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 2-5 people |
| Goal | To join forces to finish a jigsaw puzzle in a set time. |
| What You’ll Need: | A big jigsaw puzzle (500+ pieces) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-60 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Teams of 2-6 people |
| Goal | To build a visual display of shared memories and good moments. |
| What You’ll Need: | Sticky notes or a whiteboard Markers and pens |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Small groups or the entire team |
| Goal | To describe an image while their partner draws it without seeing it. |
| What You’ll Need: | Paper and pens Pre-selected images |
| How Long Does It Take? | 20-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Pairs or teams of 2-4 people |
| Goal | To untie themselves from a knot without letting go of their hands. |
| What You’ll Need: | Nothing |
| How Long Does It Take? | 15-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 6-10 people |
| Goal | To start casual chats and build relationships over food. |
| What You’ll Need: | Food or snacks |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-60 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Small groups or whole team |
| Goal | To check off experiences or facts about coworkers in a bingo-style game. |
| What You’ll Need: | Custom bingo cards with fun statements (e.g., “Owns a dog,” “Plays an instrument”) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 20-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 5-10 people |
| Goal | To act out words or phrases for others to guess.. |
| What You’ll Need: | Prepared words or phrases for act. |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Teams of 2-6 people |
| Goal | To face off in various board games.. |
| What You’ll Need: | Board games such as Chess, Monopoly, Uno, or Scrabble |
| How Long Does It Take? | 1-2 hours |
| Who Can Play: | Teams of 2-4 players |
| Goal | To learn and chat by reading the same books. |
| What You’ll Need: | E-books or real books A way to video chat (like Zoom or Google Meet) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 1 hour each time (every week or every other week) |
| Who Can Play: | As many team members as want to |
| Goal | To grasp each other’s strong points and character traits.. |
| What You’ll Need: | Web-based quiz tools (16Personalities, DiSC, StrengthsFinder) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To play online card games for light competition. |
| What You’ll Need: | Sites like PlayingCards.io, Uno Online, or CardzMania |
| How Long Does It Take? | 20-40 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Small groups of 2-6 people |
| Goal | To spark laughter and share personal stories in an entertaining manner. |
| What You’ll Need: | Video conferencing platform |
| How Long Does It Take? | 15-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To let team members glimpse into each other’s home lives in a laid-back setting. |
| What You’ll Need: | Video call platform |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To promote relaxed non-work chats over coffee.. |
| What You’ll Need: | Video conferencing software Coffee or drink of choice |
| How Long Does It Take? | 15-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Two people or small groups |
| Goal | To push your team to list 47 Indian states in 5 minutes.. |
| What You’ll Need: | Online quiz platforms (Kahoot, Google Forms) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 10-15 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Individuals or small teams |
| Goal | To debate interesting or thought-provoking topics. |
| What You’ll Need: | Video conferencing platform Pre-selected debate topics |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 2-4 people |
| Goal | To ask the team to decide which one should “stay”(pancakes or waffles.) |
| What You’ll Need: | Online meeting platform |
| How Long Does It Take? | 10-20 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To present team members with made-up work situations. |
| What You’ll Need: | Video call software Ready-made work situations |
| How Long Does It Take? | 20-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Small groups or whole team |
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| Goal | To help team members connect. |
| What You’ll Need: | Timer or stopwatch Fun or work-related icebreaker questions |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To add some friendly rivalry to the workplace with fun office challenges.. |
| What You’ll Need: | Office items like paper, chairs, and rubber bandsAwards or prizes for winners |
| How Long Does It Take? | 45-60 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | 4-10 people on each team |
| Goal | To encourage teamwork by completing a puzzle quicker than the rival team. |
| What You’ll Need: | Big puzzles (500+ pieces) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 3-6 individuals |
| Goal | To boost leadership and problem-solving through a survival-themed challenge.. |
| What You’ll Need: | Outdoor area Essential survival gear (ropes, tarps, water bottles) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 60-90 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | 4-8 people in each team |
| Goal | To enhance communication and trust through guided navigation. |
| What You’ll Need: | Blindfolds Obstacle course setup (cones, ropes, chairs) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Pairs or teams of 3-5 people |
| Goal | To increase creativity and team bonding through an entertaining performance. |
| What You’ll Need: | Music playlist (most popular track you can choose) Microphone (if available) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-60 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Individuals or teams of 2-5 people |
| Goal | To encourage teamwork and strength in a competitive challenge. |
| What You’ll Need: | A sturdy rope A marked tug-of-war area |
| How Long Does It Take? | 15-20 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 5-8 people |
| Goal | To nurture trust and support among team members. |
| What You’ll Need: | Safe open area |
| How Long Does It Take? | 10-15 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Pairs or small groups |
| Goal | To get team members to share fun or interesting facts about themselves. |
| What You’ll Need: | A set of fun and work-related questions A timer |
| How Long Does It Take? | 15-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | 4-10 people in each round |
| Goal | To contribute to enjoyment and connection through song and performance. |
| What You’ll Need: | A karaoke application (Smule, YouTube, or Zoom screen-share with lyrics) Mic (optional) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-60 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To spark creativity and teamwork through a drawing game. |
| What You’ll Need: | Whiteboard and markers (or an online sketch tool like Skribbl.io) A set of words or phrases to illustrate |
| How Long Does It Take? | 30-45 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 3-5 individuals |
| Goal | To strengthen relationships between team members through sharing personal stories and experiences. |
| What You’ll Need: | A small personal item (picture, showpiece, idol, book, etc.) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 15-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members. |
| Goal | To boost creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving through an exciting engineering task. |
| What You’ll Need: | 20 sticks of spaghetti 1 meter of tape 1 meter of string 1 marshmallow |
| How Long Does It Take? | 20-30 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Teams of 3-5 people |
| Goal | To boost creativity and quick thinking by connecting words. |
| What You’ll Need: | None (just words and fast reactions!) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 5 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To promote team connections through entertaining and unexpected questions. |
| What You’ll Need: | A set of “Would You Rather” questions |
| How Long Does It Take? | 5 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To push teamwork by turning the classic game of charades upside down.. |
| What You’ll Need: | A list of words or phrases to act out |
| How Long Does It Take? | 5 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Teams of 3-5 people |
| Goal | To promote teamwork through a fast puzzle-solving challenge.. |
| What You’ll Need: | A small jigsaw puzzle (or a digital puzzle on an app) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 5 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Teams of 2-4 people |
| Goal | To spark creativity and storytelling skills using only emojis. |
| What You’ll Need: | Chat app (Slack, Teams WhatsApp) or a whiteboard |
| How Long Does It Take? | 5 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To build confidence and self-expression by showcasing hidden talents. |
| What You’ll Need: | None (unless talents require props) |
| How Long Does It Take? | 5 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To spark quick thinking and fun talks. |
| What You’ll Need: | A list of rapid-fire questions |
| How Long Does It Take? | 5 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Any number of team members |
| Goal | To boost teamwork and quick thinking. |
| What You’ll Need: | None |
| How Long Does It Take? | 5 minutes |
| Who Can Play: | Groups of 3-5 people |
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| Make it relevant to your business | Avoid forced bonding |
| Keep it simple and fun | Don’t make it too competitive |
| Encourage participation, not pressure | No long, exhausting sessions |
| Mix things up – indoor & outdoor | Skip anything that makes people uncomfortable |
| Tie it to a purpose – teamwork, stress relief etc. | Don’t ignore team dynamics |
| Promote real connections | Never make it feel like extra work |
| Involve every department | Don’t let one person dominate |
| Take feedback seriously | Avoid budget-heavy plans |
| Lead by example | Understand that every team is different. |
| Make it a habit. Do this monthly or quarterly | Don’t forget to follow up |
Not all team-building exercises work well. Some seem forced, while others don’t lead to real improvements at work. If you want your team-building efforts to pay off, here’s how to do it right.
Before you plan any activity, ask yourself:
Not every group enjoys physical tasks, and not every person does well in brainstorming sessions.
Get everyone involved. Give out roles or pick activities that need input from all team members.
Repeating the same activity every time gets boring. Good leaders keep things exciting, so combine indoor and outdoor activities, and experiment with different formats.
Many team-building activities involve competition, but too much competition can backfire and create tension, so get people working together.
Many leaders make the mistake of returning to work without discussing what people learned from an activity.
A strong team culture doesn’t appear out of thin air. It grows through repeated interactions and shared experiences. Sometimes, sharing a meal or a coffee chat works wonders.
Structure and ground rules help to keep team-building activities productive.
Strong leaders know how to build strong teams through hiring right, developing talent, and managing smart.
This 3-day program gives you the exact steps to master people management.
Principia, a consulting and research firm, employed about 20 remote workers and freelancers in various locations. While remote work offered flexibility, it also resulted in:
Because Principia had never brought in a training expert before, they looked online and discovered Lyndon Friesen, a Skill Development Facilitator.
After the training, Principia noticed significant changes in their team:
We covered all kinds of team-building activities to overcome challenges facing by team & now you can try with your team to build a culture of teamwork, strengthen collaboration, and avoid internal competition.
As a leader or business owner, you must consider team growth as a core part of business growth because, as Michael Jordan said, “Talent wins the game, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”
None can destroy iron, but its own rust can! Likewise, none can destroy a person, but their own mindset can.
Former chairperson of the Tata Group
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