During the winter months, it’s natural for everyone to start to feel a little dull at work. Luckily, there are plenty of great corporate team-building activities out there that can help boost moods and create friendships!
Our Favorite Team-Building Activities
- Two truths, one lie can reveal interesting facts about your co-workers
- Egg drop demands some exceptional teamwork
- “Anyway, whose office is it?” is a great virtual exercise
- Murder mysteries can help in relationship building
- Back-to-back drawing is a creative take on Pictionary
- Ultimate cook-offs treat your brain and stomach
- Ice cream socials, because who doesn’t love dessert?
- Laser tag can bring out some genuine fun!
- Daredevil uses communication skills to see who comes out on top
- Icebreaker quizzes are always a classic
- Night of office games brings everyone together
- Guess the object helps inspire creative thinking
Here are some of the best team-building activities that I personally love to use during my emcee shows. Give them a shot!
See Related: 10 Audience Participation Games For Your Next Corporate Event
#1. Two Truths, One Lie
Team building activities are essential for improving morale and boosting employee engagement. In fact, team bonding is the lifeblood of any organization.
Your employees need to feel connected with both the company mission and each other to truly succeed. And team building events or activities are one way to get there.
If you’re looking for a fantastic team-building activity to enjoy with your team, returning to the basics is always smart. Two truths and a lie is a classic game that you’ve probably already played at one point or another.
And it’s an exciting way to get to know each other on a deeper level while having some fun. Include it during your next team-building event!
#2. Egg Drop
Here’s another game you likely played in your past, probably at a school or summer camp. The egg drop is a traditional game that is a perfect team-building activity, even outside corporate events.
Don’t remember how to play? All you need are some uncooked eggs and materials to make structures. It’s a much more hands-on game than other icebreakers, so your team will have a blast!
Divide your employees into teams, and give each team instructions on how to build a structure to protect their egg. Everyday objects like tape, cardboard, newspaper, and straws are all fair game for your structure materials.
The structure needs to be built around the egg, as the entire thing will be dropped from a certain height. If the egg survives (doesn’t break), that team wins or progresses to the next round.
It’s a game to see who can keep their egg from breaking. It may sound simple at first, but I’ve seen firsthand how even the most straightforward games can transform any corporate event.
May the best team win!
#3. Anyway, Whose Office Is It?
In an increasingly remote world, it would make sense that not all of our team-building activities can be in person. You need to be able to adapt to accommodate your unique team!
Companies often host virtual corporate events to treat remote workers to great team-building exercises. So, if you’re looking to find a way to create some positive memories and enjoy team camaraderie, here’s a fun activity you can try.
All you need to do is have each of your employees send a photo of their working-from-home station. Then, everyone needs to guess whose desk is whose!
Or, you can make it more challenging by opting for photos of people’s coffee mugs, view from their window, or desktop backgrounds.
#4. Murder Mystery
Murder!
Just kidding. But alerting your team to a vicious crime that just (theoretically) took place can help awaken everyone’s senses and get them ready to work together.
Murder mystery events are some of the best ways to build morale while enjoying some prime team-building exercises. And there are so many ways to make it your own!
A great murder mystery game requires plenty of preparation, but it’s so rewarding in the end. First, knowing how many people will attend is important, so you know how many characters to curate. Everyone needs a unique role, and that’s the most enjoyable part!
It can be challenging for a bunch of grown-ups to stay in character. So, announce a negative consequence if anyone breaks character.
This consequence could be anything from wearing a silly hat to being on snack duty. Anything your team doesn’t like is perfect for this!
#5. Back-To-Back Drawing
If you’ve ever played Pictionary, you’re ready for this great team-building game.
Back-to-back drawing is a fun take on a traditional game that is a bit more physical. You can play indoors or outdoors, making it perfect for any event setting.
Here’s how to play.
How To Play
Start with some pieces of paper with various images on them. You can either head to a stock photography site or print shapes on paper. Think the Statue of Liberty or a Formula 1 car.
Then, divide everyone into teams of two. Have them sit back-to-back and give one person the paper with the images and the other a blank piece of paper with a pen.
The game’s objective is to have one member draw the image using only verbal cues and hints from the other member who has the image. The one describing the image cannot say what it is; they can only give general instructions on how to draw it.
Give each team two minutes to draw each shape, and the team that gets the most shapes right wins!
Bonus: 8 Types Of Motivational Speakers You Should Consider
#6. Ultimate Cook-Off
Everyone can get on board with team-building activities that incorporate food. The way to people’s hearts is through their stomachs!
So, give the people what they want.
A cook-off is a tasty and fun way to get everyone interacting and working together. Divide everyone into multiple teams and give them a good category they need to whip up. It could be something simple, like any side dish, or you can get creative.
You can also add a fun twist by picking a single ingredient each team must use, regardless of their food category. Think Oreos or pickles. The weirder, the better.
#7. Ice Cream Socials
I don’t know about you, but I remember attending ice cream socials at elementary school before the school year began. It’s truly a classic way to socialize and it’s great for helping people on your team interact without getting too involved.
Not everyone is a fan of hands-on activities, so giving them a peaceful setting to get to know others can be ideal at times. Plus, everyone loves ice cream, and it’s easy to put together.
You really can’t go wrong with this one!
#8. Laser Tag
Some of the best team-building activities really get the adrenaline flowing. And that’s where laser tag comes into play.
Your team members can genuinely bond when they’re having fun together. All of the best memories of our lives come from places of pure enjoyment!
So, treat your team to some collaborative memories they are sure never to forget. Laser tag is fun for everyone, and that’s what makes it such an excellent choice for a team-building activity.
Plus, your employees can effortlessly exercise their leadership skills and team strategy. It’s a win all around.
#9. Daredevil
Here’s another simple but effective game that will get everyone’s blood racing in a positive and fun way. Daredevil is a game that pits two teams against each other, and the team with the best communication skills comes out on top.
Here’s how to play.
How To Play
Set up an area littered with objects like shoes, books, or water bottles with a large basket in the center. Divide everyone into two teams, and ensure that the number of things in the play area is at least twice the number of players on each team.
One person from each team will be blindfolded. Then, as you call out objects, they will race against the clock to pick up the objects and put them in their respective baskets in the room’s center.
The blindfolded members can only rely on their teammates’ instructions to find the objects (including information like the object’s shape, size, texture, etc.) The team to get the object first into the basket wins that round.
Keep going until each person has a chance to be blindfolded. The team with the most points wins!
#10. Icebreaker Quizzes
Everyone knows icebreakers are the best way to get people accustomed to one another. Though they can seem cliché, you shouldn’t ignore their efficiency!
Simple icebreaker quizzes are easy to implement into your employees’ work days frequently, and you don’t need to wait for a grand company event to use them. Icebreakers are perfect for helping your team slowly grow familiar with each other comfortably.
You can even use online icebreaker quizzes for remote teams if you’re looking for a great way to ensure everyone gets access to fun quizzes each week.
#11. Night Of Office Games
Want to spark some friendly competition without going over the top? Office games are perfect for team bonding and team building. It’s a classic you really can’t go wrong with.
For an in-person team, enjoying a board game night is perfect for spending quality time in an enjoyable atmosphere. Have each person bring their favorite board game from home, and then let everyone enjoy them!
Is your team remote? You can still have a fun game night. Online games are perfect for connecting with team members that might be separated by distance.
Plus, so many games online are free or easy to play while still being fun! It’s easy to find games that everyone can get on board with this way (pun intended).
#12. Guess The Object
Have you ever heard of charades? Here’s a simple take on a classic game to make it more interactive and creative. Guess the object is a short game you can play with any number of employees, so it doesn’t matter how big your team is!
It works great as an opener and is a simple game that encourages people to participate. Here’s how to play.
How To Play
Start with one volunteer from the group. Show this person an ordinary object in the room or a photo you have on your phone.
This person needs to act out this object to the group without speaking. The rest of the group must guess the object (which is pretty much the same objective as charades) to win.
Other people can volunteer to act out an object until everyone has gone.
Wrapping Up
Many games out there are perfect team-building activities to implement at your next meeting or event. These are only a few of my favorites, but be creative, and the world will be your oyster!
Keep Reading: How To Use Pathos In Public Speaking
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Adam Christing has been called “The Tom Brady of emcees.” He has hosted more than 1,000 company meetings, special events, gala celebrations, and more. He is the author of several books and founder of CleanComedians.com. For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
