What is a team building activity?

Team building activities are games, meetings, events or other activities designed to motivate team members to get to know and connect with each other. Businesses often use the team building experience as a way to foster trust, rapport and communication among employees.

Why are team building activities important?

Even though they look like games, team building activities encourage people to work together better in the workplace.

The potential benefits of team building activities include:

• Communication. Requiring thoughtful communication to win the game or solve the problem helps employees refine and carry their new friendships forward.
• Motivation. Participation in team building activities lets employees try new things and refreshes their motivation.
• Problem-solving. Low-pressure opportunities to solve problems as a team help employees develop creative solutions together.
• Trust. Everyone from upper management to entry-level has an opportunity to work together, fostering trust across departments and management tiers.
• Connection. Bringing teams from different areas together bridges gaps between departments and helps teams understand others’ needs and goals.
• Workplace culture. Developing professional relationships and fostering healthy team dynamics promotes a company culture where employees feel safe, valued and recognized.

22 types of team activities for the workplace

Depending on your goals, team building activities can take a variety of forms. Some events develop professional relationships, while others foster learning and growth. Likewise, good team building exercises support employee morale and company workplace culture. Consider these activities when planning small and large events.

Meeting kickoff

Motivate employees to enjoy meetings and share ideas by starting professional gatherings off with a quick game or icebreaker.

• 1. Two truths and a lie. Have everyone share two facts and one lie about themselves, and let the group guess the lie.
• 2. Dinner party. Ask each employee to share one famous figure they’d most like to have dinner with and why.
• 3. Emoji summary. During remote meetings, ask employees to describe their weekends with a series of emojis.

Communication

Employees who work together benefit from thoughtful communication. Develop their interpersonal skills with a team building experience that encourages communication with coworkers.

• 4. Scavenger hunt. Break large groups up into small teams and provide a list of objects to find. The first team to find them all wins.
• 5. Building blocks. Pair up employees and give them a pack of cards, each with a different question on it. Have employees take turns asking and answering questions.
• 6. Circle of appreciation. Place your group in a large circle. Have everyone share something they appreciate about others in the circle.

Problem solving

Figuring things out with teammates requires good rapport so everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas. Use corporate teamwork activities that require working together toward a common goal to foster excellent problem-solving skills.

• 7. Barter puzzle. Give small groups jigsaw puzzles, but remove a couple of pieces and give them to other teams. Ask employees to barter and trade to get the puzzle pieces they need to finish theirs.
• 8. Escape room. Visit an escape room for a fun off-site adventure. These spaces let teams solve a mystery together in a fun, low-stakes environment.
• 9. Office debates. Encourage employees to debate a lighthearted topic, such as pineapple on pizza or their favorite toaster pastry. Let everyone else ask questions and judge answers.

Creative thinking

Encouraging employees to find creative solutions to problems can support innovation and output across teams. Use these employee team building activities to encourage creative thinking.

• 10. What’s my name?: Give each employee a note card bearing a famous person’s name. Have them ask each other questions to figure out who they are.
• 11. Design battle. Provide small groups of employees with a product or service. Ask them to create a poster for it that reflects your company values.
• 12. Idea day. Solicit creative ideas for updating processes and procedures. You can also accept ideas for new products and services or even novel business concepts.

Employee bonding

Authentic professional relationships help employees feel safe and satisfied at work. Morale building exercises such as these encourage them to share more with peers and leadership.

• 13. Community service. Perform community service tasks together with employees. Ask them for input when choosing a cause.
• 14. Coffee break. Treat your team to a coffee. Give remote teams gift cards to their preferred local cafes, and ask them to bring their order to virtual meetings.
• 15. Whose Fact Is It Anyway?: Grab index cards, a bucket and pens, and ask employees to write down a fact about themselves on the cards and toss them in the bucket. Let each one draw out cards and read them aloud while everyone guesses whose fact it is.

Company culture

Formal events aren’t necessary for team activities in the workplace. In fact, many activities may not look like a team bonding activity at all. Put morale building opportunities in place every day with activities like these.

• 16. Book clubs
• 17. Mentoring
• 18. Fantasy football tournaments (or fantasy leagues based on other interests)
• 19. Holiday gift exchanges
• 20. Off-site lunches
• 21. Charitable volunteering
• 22. Sponsored sporting events

How to create a team bonding activity

Bonding activities bring your team together to build camaraderie, improve skills and have fun. Managers can host these events to better prepare teams for shared challenges and conflicts. Use this list to plan and organize your next bonding event.

1. Establish clear goals for the event

First, create a goal for your event by determining what you want to achieve from the team building experience. Consider the following:

• When to schedule the event and what the venue will be
• The number of team members who will be able to attend the event
• What types of activities the team will be doing
• How the event will benefit the team

Understanding the goals of the team bonding activity helps you determine other aspects, including making the event mandatory or voluntary. Once you’ve set the plans, share this goal statement with attendees to motivate participation.

2. Plan ahead

Give yourself enough time to plan the event and secure the location, vendors and budget approval. Depending on the type of event and team member availability,, you may need anywhere from a few weeks to several months to plan.

3. Get help from others

Many employees may want to help you make this event a success, including:

• Other managers. Colleagues may have already held events for their teams, so ask for advice or assistance.
• Interested team members. Consider emailing teams to gauge interest in using or developing their organization, planning and leadership skills to help.
• Human resources. For skill-building-based events, HR administrators may already have resources or contacts you can use.
• Internal event planners. If your company has an event planning, marketing or public relations team, enlist their knowledge and experience in holding events.

Also, consider hiring a professional event planner to help.

4. Identify participants and their needs

Consider conducting a survey to gather the following information from team members and better determine the event’s goals:

• Professional needs. If you’re planning a skill-boosting event, consider areas where each team member could improve. If you’re looking to build soft skills like communication, you could plan communication workshops like role-playing scenarios or public-speaking exercises. For hard skills, you could plan a technical training session like coding challenges.
• Personal preferences. Some people enjoy friendly competition, while others enjoy teamwork. Ask team members about their hobbies, interests and preferences for activities you’re considering.
• Scheduling. For both voluntary and mandatory events, consider PTO, family and medical leave and workplace commitments when deciding the date and time.

5. Create a realistic budget

If you’re planning a multi-day event or one outside driving distance, include airfare and overnight accommodations in your budget. Be mindful of details that can impact your budget:

• Transportation and parking. Determine if you need to provide transportation, such as renting a bus, or if team members should plan to transport themselves. Consider paying employees for any parking or public transportation fees.
• Venue. If you’re renting a public or private indoor space, budget for it. Some public outdoor spaces cost nothing to use, but you may need to secure reservations or permits.
• Activity vendors. If you hire a corporate teamwork activities consultant, you must pay them for their time, expertise and resources. In some cases, you may also pay for their transportation.
• Food and drink. Decide if you want participants to bring their food. For mandatory events or those outside work hours, consider catering or paying for all employee meals.

6. Find a location

Choosing a location depends on the type of employee team building event you’re planning. Consider these factors when looking for the ideal location:

• Indoors vs. outdoors
• Size of the event
• Amenities you require
• Accessibility for employees
• Restrooms access
• Parking and transportation
• Weather forecasts

7. Decide on the activities

The team building experience you choose depends on how much time you have. For example, use complex, involved morale building activities for weekend retreats and incorporate a quick team building exercise series into an hours-long event. Look at these qualities when picking the activities that best suit your team.

• Community involvement
• Getting out of comfort zones
• Improving job-related skills
• Developing key soft skills
• Building rapport
• Having a fun, relaxing time

8. Make an agenda

Write out a schedule for the whole event, including:

• Arrival and travel time
• Activity timelines
• Mealtimes
• Breaks
• Travel to and from overnight accommodations
• End of the event

Provide this agenda before the event so everyone knows what to expect.

9. Get feedback from participants

Feedback helps you identify success and areas for improvement. It also helps you understand the event’s impact on team members. Gather this information by incorporating a feedback survey into or after the event.

Taking time to invest in a team building experience can make a difference in forming a successful workplace dynamic. These team activities for the workplace provide insight into how your employees work together.

FAQs about fun team building activities

How can you promote inclusion in your team building activities?

Team building activities encourage connection and collaboration among your employees, but they can be counterproductive if they exclude team members. Ensure team building activities remain accessible and inclusive to everyone with these strategies:

• Avoid hosting activities that rely on physical ability for participation.
• If your activity involves physical participation, such as a sport, provide accessible options for all team members.
• Maintain employees’ boundaries and workplace safety policies. Some games, such as those that invade personal space, may not be appropriate.
• Ensure team building activities represent the values and identities of every team member, such as celebrating holidays from different cultures or religions.

What are the main barriers to effective teamwork?

While team activities in the workplace are always important, they can be especially relevant if your business faces any of the following challenges:

• Communication failures
• Leadership issues
• Ineffective conflict resolution
• Lack of trust

How can team building exercises be successful?

Creating fun, engaging team activities for the workplace builds trust between members. Through these exercises, employees get a break from routine and pressure, freeing them up to form stronger bonds and learn new ways to work together.