Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

Online chess club
Virtual team building

Online chess club

You might be surprised how many workforces enjoy a game of chess!Creating an online chess club is easy and free. Schedule regular games throughout the year and reward the winner with a small prize like a voucher or cash bonus - monetary rewards are a great incentive for driving online social interaction.

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Virtual team building

Online chess club

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You might be surprised how many workforces enjoy a game of chess!

How to play online chess club

Creating an online chess club is easy and free. Schedule regular games throughout the year and reward the winner with a small prize like a voucher or cash bonus - monetary rewards are a great incentive for driving online social interaction.

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Salt and pepper pairs
Team building games

Salt and pepper pairs

In this activity, you’ll break everyone into pairs of 2. Each group is labeled with one side of a pairing - salt and pepper, macaroni and cheese, Batman and Robin, etc. Each team member should have their item name taped to their back. Have everyone scatter, and then start asking questions of their colleagues to figure out what each one is. Only then can they figure out what they might be and who they belong with. When everyone is properly grouped into their pairs, the exercise is over.

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Team building games

Salt and pepper pairs

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How to play Salt and pepper pairs

In this activity, you’ll break everyone into pairs of 2. Each group is labeled with one side of a pairing - salt and pepper, macaroni and cheese, Batman and Robin, etc. Each team member should have their item name taped to their back. Have everyone scatter, and then start asking questions of their colleagues to figure out what each one is. Only then can they figure out what they might be and who they belong with. When everyone is properly grouped into their pairs, the exercise is over.

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Custom Word Search
Office games

Custom Word Search

Word searches are common fun for people of all ages, but they can really help with word-play. A word search is perfect if you want to use a handout with a group. You can also play via teleconference using a whiteboard feature. Research some options online to come up with a personalized word search with words that apply to your business or industry.

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Office games

Custom Word Search

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How to play Custom Word Search

Word searches are common fun for people of all ages, but they can really help with word-play. A word search is perfect if you want to use a handout with a group. You can also play via teleconference using a whiteboard feature. Research some options online to come up with a personalized word search with words that apply to your business or industry.

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Poetry Improv
Office games

Poetry Improv

Here is an exercise that will challenge participants and help them to think on the spot. Start by picking a poetry style, like a sonnet, haiku, or limerick.

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Office games

Poetry Improv

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Here is an exercise that will challenge participants and help them to think on the spot. Start by picking a poetry style, like a sonnet, haiku, or limerick.

How to play:

1. Give everyone vocabulary words to use within the poem.

2. Set a timer for five or ten minutes for the groups or individuals to complete their verses. You can also do this online via meeting software by using breakout rooms to work in private.

3. Have your brilliant poets read the masterpieces aloud.

You might want to come up with some extra fun by having judges rate poems, or coming up with awards for the best poem, worst poem, most creative, etc. If you want to enhance the improv component, have players finish each others’ phrases on the spot.

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‘My perfect vacation Is…‘
Virtual team building

‘My perfect vacation Is…‘

This short game encourages everybody to listen and pay close attention to their partner. Split your team up into pairs and ask them to go away and explain their perfect vacation, imaging that time and money were no object. Then, each person needs to have a go at explaining their partner's dream holiday to the rest of the team.

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Virtual team building

‘My perfect vacation Is…‘

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This short game encourages everybody to listen and pay close attention to their partner.

How to play ‘My perfect vacation Is…‘

Split your team up into pairs and ask them to go away and explain their perfect vacation, imaging that time and money were no object. Then, each person needs to have a go at explaining their partner's dream holiday to the rest of the team.

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Typing speed race
Virtual team building

Typing speed race

You would be surprised how competitive colleagues become over a typing speed race. This game is a great way to kick off the fun. The best way to play the game is for the competitors to take turns completing a typing test and sharing their screen as they do so. This way, spectators can cheer them on as they type.

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Virtual team building

Typing speed race

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You would be surprised how competitive colleagues become over a typing speed race. This game is a great way to kick off the fun.

How to play typing speed race

The best way to play the game is for the competitors to take turns completing a typing test and sharing their screen as they do so. This way, spectators can cheer them on as they type.

Once they’ve completed the test, their scores are entered into a league table. Fancy upping the stakes? Encourage the team to ‘place bets’ on who they think will be the fastest before starting the competition.

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Impromptu Shark Tank
Office games

Impromptu Shark Tank

If you’re building a multi-day agenda and have a couple hours to kill, put together a short-notice shark tank. The key is not to give too much notice - remember, these activities don’t require prep work and the last minute nature of idea generation is sure to lead to more creativity and laughter. Have small teams brainstorm and come up with a few ideas, and then present their best idea to a panel of judges who will decide if it’s worth investing in.

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Office games

Impromptu Shark Tank

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How to play Impromptu Shark Tank

If you’re building a multi-day agenda and have a couple hours to kill, put together a short-notice shark tank. The key is not to give too much notice - remember, these activities don’t require prep work and the last minute nature of idea generation is sure to lead to more creativity and laughter. Have small teams brainstorm and come up with a few ideas, and then present their best idea to a panel of judges who will decide if it’s worth investing in.

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Creativity contest
Workplace competitions

Creativity contest

If you really want to encourage creativity, pick a theme and ask everyone to make something related to it. There’s so many directions people can go in, which makes this extra fun! You may decide to give people supplies in advance or pick one type of material for them to use. If you have a large group, perhaps you want to take a team-based approach to increase collaboration and bonding. Allow everyone to come up with their own work of art, and have a panel of judges pick the one that is most creative.

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Workplace competitions

Creativity contest

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How to host Creativity contest

If you really want to encourage creativity, pick a theme and ask everyone to make something related to it. There’s so many directions people can go in, which makes this extra fun! You may decide to give people supplies in advance or pick one type of material for them to use. If you have a large group, perhaps you want to take a team-based approach to increase collaboration and bonding. Allow everyone to come up with their own work of art, and have a panel of judges pick the one that is most creative.

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Failure Analysis Workshop
Goal setting activities

Failure Analysis Workshop

Ready to turn setbacks into stepping stones? Welcome to the Failure Analysis Workshop, where we don't just talk about success – we dissect failure, pull it apart, and find the golden nuggets within. Participants gather around the metaphorical "lessons learned" table, discussing past hiccups, pitfalls, and fiascos. Make people understand that learning from failures isn't just a skill; it's an art. This exercise transforms the not-so-great moments into valuable insights, fostering a positive attitude toward setbacks. It’s also the perfect chance to learn from past mistakes in order to prevent future mishaps, a perfect aim for goal-setting! Top Tip for Facilitator: Be the guide, not the judge. Encourage participants to share openly and guide the discussion towards extracting lessons rather than dwelling on the negatives. The goal here is not just to analyze failure but to turn it into a powerful tool for future success.

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Goal setting activities

Failure Analysis Workshop

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Ready to turn setbacks into stepping stones? Welcome to the Failure Analysis Workshop, where we don't just talk about success – we dissect failure, pull it apart, and find the golden nuggets within. Participants gather around the metaphorical "lessons learned" table, discussing past hiccups, pitfalls, and fiascos.

Make people understand that learning from failures isn't just a skill; it's an art. This exercise transforms the not-so-great moments into valuable insights, fostering a positive attitude toward setbacks. It’s also the perfect chance to learn from past mistakes in order to prevent future mishaps, a perfect aim for goal-setting!

Top Tip for Facilitator:

  • Be the guide, not the judge.
  • Encourage participants to share openly and guide the discussion towards extracting lessons rather than dwelling on the negatives.
  • The goal here is not just to analyze failure but to turn it into a powerful tool for future success.

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Employee Appreciation Day
Gratitude exercises

Employee Appreciation Day

Hosting a company-wide employee appreciation day is an idea to show employees gratitude and recognition for their hard work, dedication, and contributions to the organization. It's an opportunity for employers to express their appreciation and for employees to feel valued and motivated. Here are some ideas and suggestions for celebrating Employee Appreciation Day: Write personalized thank-you notes to each employee, highlighting their contributions and efforts. Offer gift cards to employees to take themselves to lunch or coffee. Hand out employee awards that highlight outstanding employees with awards or certificates, such as "Employee of the Month." Host a company-wide employee breakfast where employees can relax and bond with one another. Take the day off for team-building activities that encourage employee bonding and camaraderie. Take the day off to volunteer day and use all that appreciative energy to do some good. Volunteer for a charitable cause or support a community project as a team-building activity. Acknowledge each employee's unique interests and preferences, which can make the recognition more meaningful. Share employee accomplishments on social media, the company website, or a company newsletter to highlight their contributions. Employee appreciation day is all about celebration and showing gratitude and should be made an ongoing practice within the workplace to maintain a positive and motivated workforce.

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Gratitude exercises

Employee Appreciation Day

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Hosting a company-wide employee appreciation day is an idea to show employees gratitude and recognition for their hard work, dedication, and contributions to the organization. It's an opportunity for employers to express their appreciation and for employees to feel valued and motivated.

Here are some ideas and suggestions for celebrating Employee Appreciation Day:

  1. Write personalized thank-you notes to each employee, highlighting their contributions and efforts.
  2. Offer gift cards to employees to take themselves to lunch or coffee.
  3. Hand out employee awards that highlight outstanding employees with awards or certificates, such as "Employee of the Month."
  4. Host a company-wide employee breakfast where employees can relax and bond with one another.
  5. Take the day off for team-building activities that encourage employee bonding and camaraderie.
  6. Take the day off to volunteer day and use all that appreciative energy to do some good. Volunteer for a charitable cause or support a community project as a team-building activity.
  7. Acknowledge each employee's unique interests and preferences, which can make the recognition more meaningful.
  8. Share employee accomplishments on social media, the company website, or a company newsletter to highlight their contributions.

Employee appreciation day is all about celebration and showing gratitude and should be made an ongoing practice within the workplace to maintain a positive and motivated workforce.

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Password
Office games

Password

Next up is the lesser-known, but fun guessing game "Password". It's known for keeping your employees on their toes in an amusing and challenging way.

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Office games

Password

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Next up is the lesser-known, but fun guessing game "Password". It's known for keeping your employees on their toes in an amusing and challenging way.

How to play:

  1. Choose a password and write it down.
  2. Players take turns giving one-word clues to help others guess the password.
  3. Clues cannot contain any part of the password.
  4. If someone guesses the password correctly, they get a point.
  5. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

So why is this game perfect for the office? For starters, it's a great way to get people thinking creatively and working together. Plus, it's an easy way to inject some energy into meetings or downtime without spending a lot of time or money.

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Phrase ball
Large group games

Phrase ball

This game is a fun and energetic game that gets the blood pumping, and its team members get to know each other in an informal way, which is essential to boosting workplace morale.

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Large group games

Phrase ball

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This game is a fun and energetic game that gets the blood pumping, and its team members get to know each other in an informal way, which is essential to boosting workplace morale.

How to play:

Stand in a group, and the first player answers one of the written prompts on the ball after reading it aloud, so the group knows what they’re answering. After they finish, they call out the next person's name to that they will be throwing the ball (they wouldn’t want to hit an unsuspecting player in the face), and they do the same as the first player.

The game continues until everyone has a chance to answer a question.

Materials you’ll need Enough space for people to gather comfortably and throw a ball.

How many people: An icebreaker thumbnail or a DIY version can be a soccer ball with phrases written on it.

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Mock TED Talk
Goal setting activities

Mock TED Talk

Imagine standing on that iconic red circle, sharing your most audacious goal with the world as if you've already aced it. In this activity, participants channel their inner TED speaker and deliver a brief presentation that could rival the real deal. Public speaking about your goals isn't just about eloquence; it's about fostering confidence, celebrating achievement, and nurturing a positive mindset. Get ready to captivate your audience – even if it's just your team – and let your goals take center stage in the spotlight! Top Tip for Facilitator: Remind the employees it's about sharing dreams, victories, and the occasional stumble. As the facilitator, be the hype person, the supportive audience member, and the constructive critic all rolled into one. Let the stage be a place where authenticity shines, and goals take center stage with a side of passion!

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Goal setting activities

Mock TED Talk

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Imagine standing on that iconic red circle, sharing your most audacious goal with the world as if you've already aced it. In this activity, participants channel their inner TED speaker and deliver a brief presentation that could rival the real deal.

Public speaking about your goals isn't just about eloquence; it's about fostering confidence, celebrating achievement, and nurturing a positive mindset. Get ready to captivate your audience – even if it's just your team – and let your goals take center stage in the spotlight!

Top Tip for Facilitator:

  • Remind the employees it's about sharing dreams, victories, and the occasional stumble.
  • As the facilitator, be the hype person, the supportive audience member, and the constructive critic all rolled into one.
  • Let the stage be a place where authenticity shines, and goals take center stage with a side of passion!

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Speed connections
Small group games

Speed connections

Time to network, fast! In speed connections, team members pair up and exchange quick introductions within a time limit. Once time’s up, they move to the next person and repeat. It’s fast-paced, fun, and perfect for breaking the ice.This activity is ideal for fostering connections in the workplace, especially when there are new faces around. It helps people practice communication skills and learn interesting things about each other—all in a short time. Plus, it’s a great way to add a burst of energy to the day.

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Small group games

Speed connections

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Time to network, fast! In speed connections, team members pair up and exchange quick introductions within a time limit. Once time’s up, they move to the next person and repeat. It’s fast-paced, fun, and perfect for breaking the ice.

This activity is ideal for fostering connections in the workplace, especially when there are new faces around. It helps people practice communication skills and learn interesting things about each other—all in a short time. Plus, it’s a great way to add a burst of energy to the day.

How to play:

  • Pair up and introduce yourselves to each other.
  • Set a time limit (e.g., 1-2 minutes per conversation).
  • When time’s up, switch partners and repeat.

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Treasure mountain
Virtual team building

Treasure mountain

Treasure Mountain can be played with teams of 4-6 people, a team captain is chosen to enter the game and share his/her screen with the rest of their team. The teams then race against the clock, completing challenges and solving riddles in the pursuit of gold.

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Virtual team building

Treasure mountain

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How to play Treasure mountain

Treasure Mountain can be played with teams of 4-6 people, a team captain is chosen to enter the game and share his/her screen with the rest of their team. The teams then race against the clock, completing challenges and solving riddles in the pursuit of gold.

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Suggestion box raffle
Workplace competitions

Suggestion box raffle

If you’re looking for ways to improve morale and enhance communication, try having everyone write down some thoughts. Many times, people don’t want to take the time to do so (or they’re nervous to share their real opinions). Incentivize idea-sharing by holding raffles on various entries. Have everyone write their idea, question, or discussion item down on a piece of paper and put them all in a box. Pick a few entries at random and hand out prizes accordingly.

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Workplace competitions

Suggestion box raffle

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How to play Suggestion box raffle

If you’re looking for ways to improve morale and enhance communication, try having everyone write down some thoughts. Many times, people don’t want to take the time to do so (or they’re nervous to share their real opinions). Incentivize idea-sharing by holding raffles on various entries. Have everyone write their idea, question, or discussion item down on a piece of paper and put them all in a box. Pick a few entries at random and hand out prizes accordingly.

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Pitch tournament
Sales team games

Pitch tournament

An important part of selling is understanding customer needs: what they want or what drives them to buy something. Help your team to hone these skills by pitching items to you or another panel of judges. Pick a few regular objects, such as things from around the office. Then, pair people up (or work as individuals if your group is already small) and have them take turns pitching the item to your judges. Give everyone a few minutes to come up with a unique presentation and make sure they understand the product. Add a prize for the winner to up the ante a bit.

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Sales team games

Pitch tournament

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How to play Pitch tournament

An important part of selling is understanding customer needs: what they want or what drives them to buy something. Help your team to hone these skills by pitching items to you or another panel of judges. Pick a few regular objects, such as things from around the office. Then, pair people up (or work as individuals if your group is already small) and have them take turns pitching the item to your judges. Give everyone a few minutes to come up with a unique presentation and make sure they understand the product. Add a prize for the winner to up the ante a bit.

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‘Healthy together‘ challenge
Virtual team building

‘Healthy together‘ challenge

For remote teams, staying fit and healthy can be a challenge. No longer do we need to walk or cycle to work, we just roll out of bed and place ourselves at our desks.Sometimes, a little healthy competition is enough to give people the incentive they need.

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Virtual team building

‘Healthy together‘ challenge

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For remote teams, staying fit and healthy can be a challenge. No longer do we need to walk or cycle to work, we just roll out of bed and place ourselves at our desks.

Sometimes, a little healthy competition is enough to give people the incentive they need.

How to play the ‘Healthy together‘ challenge

‍To play this game, think of a challenge like ‘run 1 kilometre every day.’ Everybody needs to prove that they completed the challenge each day (by showing a GPS route, for example). Every time the challenge is completed/failed it gets marked on a calendar. At the end of the month, the team member with the most completed days wins a prize!

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Communication style quiz
Conflict resolution activity

Communication style quiz

In this activity, we'll help you and your colleagues discover your communication styles and discuss how to adapt them to improve workplace communication. So, grab your pens and let's get started!

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Conflict resolution activity

Communication style quiz

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In this activity, we'll help you and your colleagues discover your communication styles and discuss how to adapt them to improve workplace communication. So, grab your pens and let's get started!

Materials needed:

  • Communication style quiz questionnaires (don't worry, we've got those ready for you).
  • pens or pencils
  • A flipchart or a whiteboard.
  • Colorful markers.
  • A cozy meeting space where you can comfortably chat.

Instructions:

  1. Let's kick things off by talking about why effective communication is so vital in the workplace.
  2. Remember, understanding your communication style can make your interactions with colleagues and bosses much smoother.
  3. Here come the questionnaires! Take one and answer the questions honestly, without overthinking. Your responses are just for you.
  4. You've got 15 minutes to complete the quiz
  5. After collecting your completed questionnaires, we'll calculate your scores using the quiz key.
  6. Then, we'll group you into different communication style categories, like assertive, passive, aggressive, or passive-aggressive.
  7. Now, it's group time!

Chat about:

  • What makes your communication style unique?
  • How does it influence your daily work interactions?
  • What are the strong suits and potential pitfalls of your style?
  • Share real-life stories where your style worked like a charm or, well, maybe not so much.

Wrap things up with some key takeaways from your discussion.

Remember, being self-aware and flexible with your communication is the name of the game.

Go forth and apply your newfound wisdom to combat common workplace issues!

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Group exercise
Team energizers

Group exercise

Some of the best energizers are also the simplest. Case in point? Exercise. Well-known to perk you up, improve your mood, and make you feel more alert, getting the body moving can work wonders in the workplace.

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Team energizers

Group exercise

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Some of the best energizers are also the simplest. Case in point? Exercise. Well-known to perk you up, improve your mood, and make you feel more alert, getting the body moving can work wonders in the workplace. There are all sorts of ways to use exercise to your advantage too.

How to do group exercise

  • Go for a short walk as a team each afternoon
  • Encourage everyone to do some simple stretches/exercises at their desk
  • Go into the hallway and run relay races together
  • Clear a space and run around the office for 5 minutes, dropping to the floor to do certain exercises (e.g. push-ups, squats, or burpees) every 20 seconds

However you incorporate exercise into the workday, it’s almost guaranteed to have positive effects on people’s energy levels. Stress relief, improved physical health, and stronger social ties are a few other benefits to look forward to.

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Post-it note art show
Team building games

Post-it note art show

Teams are given the challenge of creating an office mural using only Post-it notes, with the mural reflecting a work-related theme. It’s easy to organize: grab some packs of colorful Post-its, assign a theme, and watch as creativity takes off. This is a fun way to encourage teamwork while bringing some color and personality to the office walls.

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Team building games

Post-it note art show

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How to play Post-it note art show

Teams are given the challenge of creating an office mural using only Post-it notes, with the mural reflecting a work-related theme. It’s easy to organize: grab some packs of colorful Post-its, assign a theme, and watch as creativity takes off. This is a fun way to encourage teamwork while bringing some color and personality to the office walls.

Top tip: Don’t stress over artistic skill! Even if it looks like a kindergarten project, it’s all about having fun together. Bonus points for those who incorporate inside jokes into their murals!

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Group Art Project
Meeting icebreakers

Group Art Project

‍If you want to be a little more active and collaborative, try coordinating an art project like a mosaic for the group. An activity like this can cater to people who are more introverted and not naturally chatty. First, provide everyone with a workspace and the proper materials. Choose different mediums like paper, paint, magazines, glass pieces, or even computer graphics you printed. Come up with some guidelines such as “draw a team crest” or “come up with a goal for your team”. Then set a timer for a specific amount of time and let everyone create their art! You can have everyone do this as a large group or break people into smaller groups. If there are smaller groups, allow everyone to show off their creation to the larger group. If you need more ideas for icebreakers for introverts, check out our past post.

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Meeting icebreakers

Group Art Project

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How to play Group Art Project

If you want to be a little more active and collaborative, try coordinating an art project like a mosaic for the group. An activity like this can cater to people who are more introverted and not naturally chatty.

First, provide everyone with a workspace and the proper materials. Choose different mediums like paper, paint, magazines, glass pieces, or even computer graphics you printed. Come up with some guidelines such as “draw a team crest” or “come up with a goal for your team”. Then set a timer for a specific amount of time and let everyone create their art! You can have everyone do this as a large group or break people into smaller groups. If there are smaller groups, allow everyone to show off their creation to the larger group. If you need more ideas for icebreakers for introverts, check out our past post.

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Safety obstacle course
Safety games

Safety obstacle course

Set up an obstacle course that includes various safety challenges (e.g., wearing PPE, using a fire extinguisher, performing first aid). Employees navigate the course individually or in teams, and the fastest time wins.This activity adds a physical element to safety training, making it dynamic and memorable. It promotes hands-on practice of essential safety skills while providing a fun and exciting challenge. Encouraging a bit of healthy competition boosts engagement.

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Safety games

Safety obstacle course

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How to play:

Set up an obstacle course that includes various safety challenges (e.g., wearing PPE, using a fire extinguisher, performing first aid). Employees navigate the course individually or in teams, and the fastest time wins.

This activity adds a physical element to safety training, making it dynamic and memorable. It promotes hands-on practice of essential safety skills while providing a fun and exciting challenge. Encouraging a bit of healthy competition boosts engagement.

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Wordwheel
Wordplay games

Wordwheel

Letter game masters will enjoy this one. Wordwheel is a vocabulary game that really gets your brain into gear. Wordwheel relies on quick thinking and seeking the jackpot word. You need to look up some 9-letter words beforehand. These words will be used inside your wordwheel.

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Wordplay games

Wordwheel

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Letter game masters will enjoy this one. Wordwheel is a vocabulary game that really gets your brain into gear. Wordwheel relies on quick thinking and seeking the jackpot word. You need to look up some 9-letter words beforehand. These words will be used inside your wordwheel.  

How to Play:

Draw a wheel on the board that has 8 segments on the outside, and one circle in the middle for the 9th key letter. 2 teams need to create as many as possible using the middle letter and any of the others. Set a timer and see how many words your teams come up with. Remember: there is one 9-letter word that’s worth 5 points, so encourage your teams to find this one too!

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