Teams work better when they know, like and trust each other.
This week to kick-off our Team Building topic, I’d like to present 15 of my favourite team-building games!
They are broken into 3 sections:
Now let’s go have some fun!
1. The 30 Seconds Left Game Start by asking the group to reflect on the best moments of their lives. Exciting adventures, professional successes, family fun-times, anything. After some time, ask them to filter these experiences and choose the 30 seconds they would re-live if they had only 30 seconds to live. Now, ask each person to share their most cherished moment and why they selected it. This helps to learn about people’s passions, hobbies, values, personalities and loves.
2. The Ten Fingers Game Have everyone sit in a circle or close enough to hear everyone. Tell them to hold up all 10 fingers. The leader starts off by stating one fact about themselves. For example: “I have been to Ayers Rock”. The individuals who haven’t been to Ayers Rock will put one finger down. This continues around the circle, having each person share one fact about themselves until you have gone around the whole group. Who ever has the most fingers left at the end wins!
3. The Silent Interview Game Divide the group into pairs (ideally those who don’t know each other well). From this point forward speaking is not allowed (includes whispering, mouthing words, and making sounds). Partners must tell each other 3 things about themselves without speaking. These can’t be physical characteristics.
Once all of the partners have finished miming to each other, call everyone back into a circle. Ask for each pair to verbally introduce their partner to the group, as well as the three things that they learned (or think they learned).
4. The Office Trivia Game Split up your group into teams and play trivia. You’ll need ~20 questions about your workplace. For example, “What colour are the bathroom tiles?”, “Which month has the most birthdays of employees?”, “Who are the fire wardens?”etc.
5. The Blind Artist Game Divide the group into teams of two and have them sit back to back. One team member will be given a picture of an object or word. Without saying what it is, the person must describe the image without using words that will directly describe it. The other team member must then draw what is being described. Complete one round then swap.
6. The Landmine Game On the floor create a large, enclosed area about twelve feet by seven feet wide using masking tape. Shape it with the thought that people will be making their way from one end to the other. Inside, place some squeaking toys, and twice as many sheets of paper. The sheets of paper are landmines.
The goal is for pairs of two to make it from one side of the area to the other, blindfolded. They can only use the vocal guidance of the players on the outside of the shape. If a player steps on a mine, they become frozen and must wait for the other player to step on a toy to continue. If both players become frozen, the team must restart.
7. The Get Up Game Ask the group to partner up. The pairs sit on the ground with their backs to each other. The partners then reach behind their backs to link arms with each other. When the leader says, “Go,” the partners attempt to stand up without separating. Try not letting the partners talk to make the game harder.
8. The Un-Knotting Game Arrange the team in a circle. Each team member must use his left hand to reach across the circle and take the hand of a team-mate on the other side. Then they must use their right hand to reach across and take the hand of a member across the circle. No one should take the hand of a team member next to him. The group must then untangle the knot without any member letting go of another’s hand.
9. The Blind Waiter Game Teams of six must successfully find, uncork and pour a bottle of wine into five glasses. Each team member can only do one element of the task. Five of the team members must wear blindfolds.
10. The Dominoes Game Teams of 5-6 get together and spend 30 minutes designing a display of toppling dominoes. The idea is to build the most complex, spectacular and dramatic display of toppling dominoes. Once completed, each team must exhibit their design. The game concludes with a display and judging to see which team produced the best toppling dominoes!
11. The Egg Drop Game It’s the classic egg drop game! Split your group into teams to work on a way to protect a raw egg from smashing when you drop it from a height. You’ll need a raw eggs and a range of materials (such as cardboard, tape, scissors, plastic bottles, straws, etc.). Before the demonstration ask each group to share how they came up with their design, their design process and why they think it will succeed.
12. The Turning Over a New Leaf Game Place a large sheet on the floor. Have everyone stand on the sheet. Then have them attempt to turn the sheet over without stepping off. The only rules: no one may step off the sheet.
13. The Shoe Tower Game Break your group into teams. Using the shoes available to their team, they must construct the tallest shoe tower. The team with the tallest tower at the end wins!
14. The Shapes Game Get everyone in a circle around a long piece of string that has it’s ends tied, forming a circle. Have everyone hold the string with both hands at waist height. Without letting go, the team has to form shapes with the string; a square, a triangle, a figure eight, a rectangle, etc.
To up the ante, repeat the game with everyone wearing a blindfold! Make the shapes progressively harder and periodically have them stop and remove their blindfold to see their progress.
If you have questions on this topic or any others, feel free to reach me by email or set up a free one-on-one consultation session.
Thanks for sharing!
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