Activities for Small Teams to Boost Teamwork and Cohesion (64 Suggestions)
Tighten the bonds between your team with these engaging exercises, suitable for both in-person and remote settings!
Icebreaker Games
Human Knot
Team members form a circle and intertwine hands to create a human knot. Working together, they must untangle themselves without letting go. This activity fosters trust and communication skills.
Truth or Lie
Each participant shares three statements about themselves, two truths, and one lie. The team then works together to identify the untruth. This game encourages storytelling and active listening among team members.
Name Bingo
Participants receive bingo cards featuring various characteristics or experiences. They circulate the room, locating individuals who fit each description, filling their card, and competing for the win.
Two Truths and a Lie (Virtual Edition)
Players submit their statements online, and the group picks a random participant for each round. The selected participant's true statements are displayed anonymously, leaving the team to determine the lie.
Problem-Solving Challenges
Marshmallow Challenge
Give teams spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. They'll work together to build the tallest freestanding structure possible, utilizing resourcefulness, creativity, and collaboration.
Egg Drop (Remote Edition)
Send teams materials to protect an egg, such as straws, securing tape, and newspapers. They'll design and construct a device to prevent the egg from cracking when dropped from a predetermined height.
Tower of Cards
Using only playing cards, shape the tallest tower possible. Communication, patience, and teamwork are crucial for stabilizing the tower successfully.
Puzzle Relay Race
Divide teams into smaller groups for a timed puzzle-solving challenge. Each participant works on the puzzle for a limited time before passing it along to the next one. The first team to complete the puzzle wins!
Trust-Building Exercises
Trust Walk
Partnered team members: one sighted, one blindfolded. The sighted guide supports the blindfolded team member as they navigate an obstacle course or predefined path, promoting trust and listening skills.
Trust Fall
A team member stands on an elevated surface and falls backward, trusting their teammates to catch them. This activity emphasizes support and camaraderie among team members.
Human Pyramid
Teams create a human pyramid, balancing on each other's shoulders or backs. Success relies on trust, communication, and coordination among team members.
Minefield
Participants navigate a minefield, marked with obstacles, blindfolded while being guided by their teammates. This exercise requires active listening, collaboration, and assistance.
Communication Activities
Blindfolded Obstacle Course
Teams navigate obstacles while guided by their teammate, emphasizing active listening, clear communication, and trust.
Charades
Teams take turns playing charades, acting out words or phrases without speaking, requiring non-verbal communication skills, creativity, and teamwork.
Blind Drawing Challenge
Participants are paired up, with one describing an image or object to their partner who must draw it without seeing it firsthand. This activity focuses on active listening, describing objects, and developing an artistic bond.
Physical Challenges
Relay Races
Teams compete in relay races consisting of various tasks or stages. The objective is to complete each section as quickly as possible and pass the baton.
Outdoor Survival Challenge
Equip teams with basic resources and challenge them to overcome various outdoor obstacles, such as building shelters, starting fires, or finding food and water.
Water Balloon Toss
Teams compete in a game of catch, tossing water balloons to each other, aiming to catch and keep them intact. The goal is to maintain the balloons for as long as possible.
Hula Hoop Challenge
Teams engage in various hula hoop-focused activities, such as passing hoops without letting go, keeping multiple hoops spinning simultaneously, or performing tricks and choreography.
Creative Tasks
Group Painting or Artwork
Collaborative artwork projects encourage team members to share ideas, skills, and creativity to produce a unified and striking visual piece.
Balloon Tower
Using balloons and other materials, teams build the tallest tower possible. This task requires planning, creativity, and teamwork.
T-shirt Design Contest
Teams showcase their originality and artistic skills by designing, creating, and presenting unique T-shirt designs.
Tower Building with Spaghetti and Marshmallows
Teams construct the tallest and sturdiest tower using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows, testing engineering skills, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork.
Competitive Games
Capture the Flag
Teams work together to capture the opposing team's flag while protecting their own. This game encourages collaboration, quick thinking, and strategy.
Dodgeball Tournament
Two teams face off in an intense dodgeball match, requiring agility, coordination, and team-based decision-making.
Minute to Win It Challenges
Teams engage in a series of timed challenges using everyday objects to test creative thinking, coordination, and quick problem-solving skills.
Chess or Checkers Tournament
Teams participate in chess or checkers tournaments, demonstrating strategic thinking, patience, and problem-solving abilities.
Outdoor Activities
Scavenger Hunt
Teams search for specific items hidden throughout an outdoor environment, which requires strategic thinking, cooperation, and a sense of exploration.
Canoeing or Kayaking
Participants navigate rivers or lakes in canoes or kayaks, promoting teamwork, communication, and coordination.
Group Hiking or Nature Walk
Explore beautiful landscapes together as a team, fostering camaraderie, appreciation for nature, and group leadership skills.
Water Relay Races
Teams compete in water-based relay races, such as swimming, paddling, or using water buckets, highlighting teamwork, camaraderie, and sportsmanship.
Virtual/Remote Team Building
Virtual Escape Rooms
Teams collaborate online to solve puzzles and clues to escape a virtual escape room, promoting problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Online Trivia Quizzes
Compete in online trivia games, testing team members' knowledge, research skills, and reaction times.
Remote Fitness Workouts
Participants join virtual fitness classes together, promoting camaraderie and health through exercise.
Online Murder Mystery Game
Teams work together to uncover the culprit in a murder mystery game, enhancing communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
Cultural and Social Engagement
Themed Costume Party
Team members dress up based on a given theme and engage in a virtual party. This activity encourages creativity, fun, and cross-cultural exchange.
Cultural Exchange Day
Celebrate cultural diversity by sharing stories, experiences, and traditions. This activity fosters mutual understanding and tolerance among team members.
Team Movie Night
Watch a movie together via video conferencing or synchronizing playback time. Discussing the movie afterwards can lead to meaningful conversations and bonding.
Virtual Dance Party
Participants showcase their dance moves during a virtual dance party, sharing laughter and energy.
Educational and Skill-Building
Leadership Development Activities
Workshops, speakers, or team-based exercises help team members develop leadership and management skills.
Book Club Discussions
Choose a book to read and discuss as a team, fostering critical thinking, communication, and empathy.
TED Talk Discussions
Watch TED Talks or videos addressing various topics and discuss the concepts presented. The conversations help develop creative thinking and knowledge sharing.
Personality Assessments and Discussions
Engage in discussions about personality assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or DiSC assessment, promoting self-awareness, team cohesion, and growth.
Fun and Entertainment
Karaoke Night
Team members take turns singing their favorite songs during a virtual karaoke party, allowing for laughter, self-expression, and bonding.
Lip Sync Battle
Craft lip-sync routines to popular songs and participate in a virtual lip-sync battle, boosting creativity, teamwork, and camaraderie.
Group Juggling
Learning and performing juggling tricks fosters coordination, focus, and teamwork.
Virtual Comedy Night
Share jokes, funny stories, or perform comedy sketches during a virtual comedy night, stimulating laughter and team bonding.
Mindfulness and Wellbeing
Group Yoga or Fitness Class
Join virtual yoga or fitness classes together to prioritize physical and mental wellbeing.
Group Meditation Sessions
Practice guided meditation sessions as a team, aiding stress relief, focus, and mental clarity.
Virtual Coffee Break
Schedule casual virtual coffee breaks for team members to relax, chat, and build relationships.
Online Brain Teasers
Group discussions about brain teasers and puzzles help develop problem-solving skills and have fun.
Team Collaboration
Team Talent Show
Allow team members to showcase their unique talents and share their passions. Skits, dance routines, or magic tricks encourage creativity, entertainment, and team unity.
Office Olympics
Create a friendly competition with office-themed challenges, such as paper airplane competitions, mini-golf, or treadmill races.
Cook-off Competition
Teams plan and prepare dishes based on a theme or challenge, encouraging culinary creativity and friendly competition.
Scavenger Hunt
Embark on a remote scavenger hunt using online tools, encouraging teamwork and technology utilization.
Virtual Team Bonding
Virtual Bingo Night
Play virtual bingo together, creating a fun and interactive atmosphere for team members to bond.
Online Board Game Night
Choose a board game to play online using multiplayer platforms, promoting critical thinking, strategy, and team bonding.
Remote Karaoke Party
Sing virtual karaoke together through collaborative streaming platforms, developing self-expression, laughter, and camaraderie.
DIY Escape Room Challenge
Collaborate to design and solve virtual escape room puzzles as a team, building problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork skills.
Wrapping Up
Strong teams are built through engaging activities. From icebreakers and communication exercises to trust-building and team collaboration games, these 64 small-group team-building activities bring teams closer together and fortify their bonds. Make time for periodic team-building activities to foster a positive work environment and greater success.
Leadership skills are showcased in several team-building activities, particularly during the charity event planning where participants must display organizational prowess and effective decision making.
Collaboration is essential for success in the Marshmallow Challenge and Egg Drop, where teams must work together to build structures and protect an egg, utilizing their combined resources, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
Teamwork becomes necessary during the Human Pyramid activity and the group painting exercise, as members rely on one another for support and coordination.
Lengthy problem-solving tasks, such as the minefield obstacle course, develop adaptability and quick thinking in team members, who must learn to react and communicate effectively under pressure.
Strategic thinking comes into play in competitive games like Capture the Flag and Chess or Checkers Tournaments, where teams must devise winning strategies and recognize opponents' moves.
Communication skills are practiced and strengthened throughout many of the activities, as team members must share ideas, instructions, and strategies, including in the Trust Walk, Truth or Lie, and Charades.
Developing creativity is crucial for success in the group painting project and T-shirt design contest, fostering self-expression and originality among team members.
Skills such as time management and productivity are emphasized during the relay races, puzzle relay race, and the virtual scavenger hunt, encouraging team members to work efficiently and with focus.
Life experiences and hobbies are shared during cultural exchange days and online trivia quizzes, promoting greater understanding and team bonding.
Team members demonstrate their resilience and camaraderie during tests of endurance, like the outdoor survival challenge, water relay races, and marathon cycle race.
Lifestyle choices have a role in team bonding activities like the virtual yoga or fitness classes and the minefield challenge, as participants work together towards shared wellbeing goals.
Fashion and beauty are celebrated during the T-shirt design contest, where team members express their creativity and individuality through their designs.
Food and drink play a role in bonding experiences like the cook-off competitions and cocktail-making challenges, as team members share their culinary skills and enjoy delicious creations together.
Relationships are strengthened through virtual games like karaoke nights, dance parties, and comedy shows, where team members can relax and bond with one another.
Travel experiences are a significant element of team-building activities, such as group hiking or nature walks, as team members have the opportunity to explore beautiful environments together and build shared memories.
Team members may demonstrate their interests in automobiles during shopping experiences, like the remote carDIY workshop, where they can build and paint small-scale models of their dream vehicles.
By participating in these diverse team-building activities, team members not only strengthen their bonds and skills but also develop a deeper appreciation for one another's unique qualities and interests, creating an even stronger, more cohesive team.
){kind=link}