Team building activities are an indispensable part of any organization. For any organization or business to thrive in today’s time, it is crucial to have a culture that promotes teamwork and bonding. Team building activities are not just about fostering camaraderie, they also boost morale, enhance communication, and improve productivity in the workplace. When your employees are in sync with each other then your organizational goals are easier to achieve.
With this objective in mind, every organization aims to promote team building at their workplace and have a culture that promotes team camaraderie. Think team games, events, activities and all this seems to take a toll on your mind as you might feel that there is a lot to prepare if you have to conduct any such activity in your organization.
In today’s time-stapped situation, we bring to you 21 ideas for your team building activities that you can conduct in your office easily. Most of them do not need any elaborate props or prep work. You can easily conduct them in your office on a low budget and within a small time frame.
1. What’s My Name?
Objective: It helps to make people aware of how they stereotype and categorize people based on characteristics. It gets people to interact with other team members with whom they have never interacted earlier.
You would need some Post-it notes and markers. Write the names of famous personalities (celebrities, sports, characters) on sticky notes or post-its. Now stick the note on each participant’s forehead where they cannot see it while others can read and see. Ask them to go around the room and ask people questions and answer theirs. They have to treat each other in a stereotypical way based on the name on their sticky note.
It is a great icebreaker and team building activity where teams get to know each other. It also shows the way people treat each other based on assumptions and stereotypes. How they are played out unconsciously in our minds and are responsible for our behavior towards each other.
2. Charades
Objective: A fun and classic activity that helps to break the ice with your team members. It is ideal for new joiners and team building corporate activities.
One of the very old, easy, and popular activities that is a great team building activity for any company that requires just paper chits. You may play ‘Charades’ with any type of category instead of the movie names written on them. Give it a workplace twist by using ‘office jargon’ or ‘workplace processes’, or even ‘inside jokes’ whatever works for your team members and you are good to go. Divide participants into 2 teams, where one member from each team selects a player who picks up a chit and enacts the word written on it to their team members to guess. On guessing it correctly they gain a point or lose one if it’s incorrect.
Charades is a great fun activity that helps team members to bond closely as they indulge in non-verbal communication and try to understand each other. It helps the teams to express themselves while having fun at the same time.
3. Human Knot
Objective: Encourage teams to communicate, cooperate, and practice problem-solving within a limited time frame.
This team building activity does not require any props. You may divide the participants into groups of 10-12 each and make them stand in a circle facing each other. Then ask them to grab someone’s hand from the circle using only their left hand while the right one is in the air. Give them a few minutes to do so. Once everyone has done that, ask them to untangle the knot using one hand only within a specific time. The team that completes it at the earliest is the winner.
This helps the team to think of creative ways in a limited time frame. They come together, support each other, and get the work done within limited time and resources.
4. Two Truths and a Lie
Objective: Helps team members to know each other closely and break the ice.
Another classic activity that does not require any props or preparation. It is one of the team building activities that could be done in a virtual setup as well.
Each participant shares 3 statements about themselves with the entire group. These statements would include 2 truths and one lie. The team has to guess the lie. It is a fun and interesting game as the participants try to understand each other closely and bond over the fun conjectures about each other.
It helps to form team bonding and connectedness in a better way.
5. Don’t Smile
Objective: This corporate team building activity is also a great stress buster and especially helpful when onboarding new employees.
You can conduct it without any props. Ask the participants to sit or stand in a circle. Then all they have to do is stare at each other till they can without smiling. The one who manages to keep a straight face amidst all the stares is the winner!
It is a really simple way to encourage your team to relax and ease without the need for an elaborate plan, props, or preparation.
6. Pitch It
Objective: A perfect team building activity that is easy to conduct both in the office premises as well as virtually, ‘pitch it’ is especially great for sales teams.
You may use any objects around you as props. Ask each participant to pick up any object around them. They have to sell that object to other team members. Each participant gets 2-3 minutes to do their sales pitch and then another 1 minute to answer the questions. Once everyone has presented, ask them to vote for the best pitch.
It is a fun and simple way for your team to enhance their creative thinking, communication, and presentation skills.
7. Skill Share Sessions
Objective: This corporate team building activity promotes learning and knowledge sharing among peers.
You may conduct these on a regular basis where your team members share their skills/knowledge with others. This would require informing and planning in advance. It could even be non-work related like yoga or therapeutic art to destress and connect with each other better. This corporate team building activity could also be done virtually.
It brings people and teams together where everyone feels valued as they share a skill that they are good at with others.
8. Tied Together
Objective: Enhance problem-solving and listening skills through this corporate team building activity.
You would require string, cloth strips or shoelaces for this team building game. Make the participants stand or sit in a circle. Tie their hands with the neighbor’s hand and then give them a task to accomplish within a set time period. The task could be – building a tower or paper cups, wrapping a present, pouring a cup of water for everyone, build a puzzle together.
This team building activity is super fun and promotes creative thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving in an exciting way.
9. Themed Day
Objective: To infuse creativity and enhance team spirit through this corporate team building activity. It could be done virtually as well.
You would have to inform the participants a few days in advance so that they could arrange their costumes or related props for the day. As per the organisation’s time and budget, you could arrange for the theme day preparation. You may also organize a photoshoot or a rampwalk for people to showcase their costumes and let their hair down.
This team building activity encourages creativity, a sense of community, and fun.
10. Volunteer Together
Objective: Corporate activities that encourage empathy and sharing build stronger bonds among team members.
You can organize a volunteer day for your team where they participate in a local project or any charity event like a plantation drive, blood donation, fundraising exhibition, or book sale. You may also offer volunteering services like teaching a skill or giving back to society on a regular basis through collaboration with any NGO. The volunteer activity could also be done virtually where you could share a skill with a group of students from marginalized communities or whosoever needs it.
Such activities foster empathy and a sense of community service in the teams.
11. Winsome/Lose
Objective: Out of the different team building activities that have been discussed so far, it is one corporate team building game that propels people to have a more positive perspective.
It doesn’t require any preparation. Divide the participants into pairs where one partner shares a negative life experience with the other one. Now the other partner tells the same story while they highlight the positive aspects of the story.
This team building activity promotes listening skills and fosters a more positive perspective toward hardships. It could also be done virtually.
12. Office Trivia
Objective: It promotes a spirit of competitiveness and fun and tests company knowledge.
You would need to prepare the questions in advance and would need some stationary supplies like a whiteboard, marker, and question cards to conduct this corporate team building game. You can divide the participants into teams of 3-5 each and ask them questions related to the organization, business, office culture, and department terms/jargon. The one with the maximum no of correct answers wins. You could also conduct this corporate team building activity virtually.
It helps to get the team interested about the organization and its history. It also promotes a healthy sense of competition along with team spirit.
13. Suddenly
Objective: To make the teams practice quick thinking and find innovative ways to handle challenges.
Everyone sits in a circle facing each other. Now start the team building activity by narrating a story. After speaking 3 sentences stop and say ‘suddenly’ and then pass it over to the next person who would continue the story they also add 3 sentences to it and say ‘suddenly’, thus passing it to the next person. In this way, everyone adds their own style and twist to the story until you finish it with either the last participant or wish to have another round as per the group’s need.
This team building activity could also be done virtually very easily. It makes everyone put on their thinking caps and be creative. You would witness some really crazy stories tumbling out during this corporate team building game.
14. Photo Finish
It is a simple and quick team building activity that encourages team building and coordination.
You would need a camera, masking tape, or rope for this activity. Divide participants into teams of 5 or more. Create a finish line with the help of a masking tape or the rope. Now ask the participants to come together to cross the finish line. The challenge here is that everyone has to do it at the same time. While participants are crossing the line take pictures and check if it qualifies for a photo finish. You may increase the difficulty level by asking participants to walk briskly or run to the finish line and continue taking pictures. The team that does it together is the winner.
It is an exciting corporate team building activity that generates a lot of enthusiasm and encourages coordination at the same time.
15. Office Olympics
Objective: To inject fun and creativity into your workplace and a spirit of fun among your teams to destress.
Bet you haven’t heard of this type of Office Olympics ever! One where paper planes fly, chair dances happen, hop skip races are run. Well, we are talking about letting your hair down for a day and arranging an ‘Olympic’ event in a casual and fun way. You would need stationary, some string and paper tape. You could conduct competitions or sports with your own versions like paper airplane content, chair dancing competitions where people sit and dance on their chairs, races with both feet tied together, or some quick puzzles. The fun and energy abound during this version of the Olympics which is one of the super fun corporate team building games.
It helps your team to destress and form closer bonds with each other.
16. Desk Swap
Objective: It encourages interaction among team members and helps to know each other better.
You do not need any props for this. It is a simple corporate activity where you could assign team members a different desk for a day. It is especially helpful for joinees in the department who hesitate to interact or reach out to others. This team building activity is bound to spark new conversations and people who hesitated earlier have a better chance to interact with their counterparts. Keep an eye out for new insights and conversations.
17. Team Lunches
Objective: To encourage team bonding and connect with each other.
Universally, nothing brings people together like food. If there is one factor that always helps break the ice then it is food and people bonding over it irrespective of culture, or designation. You do not need any preparation for it except to ask your team to come together and sit for an informal lunch where they can share their food. It could also be done as a periodic activity. Your team members can relax, bond over food, and chat.
It is a great way to form a personalized connection with the team and bond over food and an informal chat.
18. Looking Back
Objective: To get to know team members more closely and foster personalized connections with each other.
This corporate team building game is like no other and promises to bring in warmth, personal connection, and lots of bonding among the team members. You do not need any props except that you would ask your team members to bring a photo or show it virtually. To conduct this team building activity ask every participant to bring a photo that represents a memorable moment in life. Ask everyone to sit together. Each participant shows their picture and shares the story behind it. Expect laughter, nostalgia, and emotions to flow throughout this activity.
It not only brings back a surge of memories and nostalgia but people get to know each other more closely with this team building activity that could also be done virtually.
19. Team Workout
Objective: It promotes physical fitness and team spirit.
This is one corporate team building activity that would energize your team and is also a great corporate activity for stress management.
You would have to arrange space and props like Yoga mats or other simple equipment like weights or fitness accessories to conduct this activity. You could also ask participants to bring their own stuff. Arrange a fitness session, yoga, pilates, or any indoor activity that could be done together as a group in the office. You could also ask fitness enthusiasts from among your employees to volunteer if they wish to conduct such a session. It helps to build leadership and confidence in them as well.
This team building activity is a great way to bond, energize, destress, and have some ‘team time’ together.
20. Office Met Gala
Objective: Encourage team members, acknowledge and recognize their efforts, and boost their morale while keeping it fun and exciting.
You could conduct your own version of awards like the Met Gala by creating categories that are light-hearted and fun like the ‘Best Coffee Brewer’ award ‘Most Likely to Arrive First’, or ‘The One Who Brightens Your Day’. Not only is this a great way to foster team camaraderie it also helps to acknowledge people for their personal traits that go unnoticed.
This team building activity could also be done virtually and is a great one for keeping things fun, exciting, and light-hearted.
21. World Cafe
Objective: To promote interaction and a diverse range of ideas among the team members.
This is one corporate team building activity that holds a lot of potential and could be used to develop different skill sets. You would need a setup of tables and chairs and club them together like a cafe. Divide your participants into groups of 4 or 5 people each as per the table setup and assign a table to each group. Give each table a topic to discuss, once they are done with it move them to a new table with a different topic. This continues till all the participants have visited all the tables and get to know the discussions in each group. Finally, conclude with a larger group discussion where they share their insights and ideas together on each topic. This activity would take a good amount of time and is a reliable method to brainstorm or discuss topics that your teams might have been contemplating or stuck at for since long.
It helps to bring it different perspectives through this kind of discussion and brainstorming. It also promotes communication and cohesiveness among the team members.
Your guide to 21 easy to do team building activities is above. You could conduct such activities in your office at a short moment’s notice or without any elaborate preparations. Incorporating such activities into your workplace would significantly contribute to an environment that strengthens employee relations and promotes a positive work environment. Corporate team building activities that are engaging, inclusive, and aligned with your organizational goals foster team coordination like no other.
These ideas cater to different preferences and requirements, whether you are looking forward to an icebreaker a more structured event, or something that aligns with your team’s struggle at the moment. You can always layer up or down the activities according to your needs. One of the biggest advantages of team building games is that they can be adapted into various modes as per the goals. These activities could be converted and used in virtual mode as well, where you would need a platform that supports them. When you invest in corporate team building you not just care for your team and employees but you are eventually investing in your organization and its growth.
Explore these activities, let your teams have fun with them, and watch them build a thriving organization as you revel in their teamwork!
