Teambuilders
Goal: Strengthen team bond through teamwork, communication, and leadership.
Back2Back
Supplies: clipboards for all, pencils, printed drawings for each pair
Number of people: Any amount
Give everyone a clipboard and pencil
Break participants into pairs
Give one person in each pair a blank piece of paper and the other a simple drawing (car, duck, Ferris wheel, etc.)
The participant with the drawing must describe the drawing to their partner using only descriptive language (ex: draw a small semi-circle in the upper right hand side). They cannot say what the picture is.
The other partner will attempt to draw the picture using their partner’s instructions.
The goal is to draw the picture as closely to the original as possible.
If time permits, switch roles and give pairs new pictures
Back Up
Supplies: None
Amount of people: 6-20
Each participant finds a partner closest to them in size.
The partners will lock arms with their backs to one another.
With arms remaining locked at all times, the partners will sit down on the ground, kick their legs out straight, and try to stand back up.
Then groups of four will try the same thing.
Then groups of eight, sixteen, etc.
Big News
Supplies: Giant pen/marker (alternative option: tape a large marker to a pole or yard stick), bungee cords/rope, large paper
Amount of People: 4-10
Lay the paper on the floor
Have participants stand around the edge of the paper
Tie the ropes to the over sized marker had have each participant hold their own piece.
Participants must work together to write out a message provided by the leader
Participants can only touch their own piece of rope
The message should be written by all participants manipulating their rope to move the marker appropriately.
Keep the message short and simple
Birthday Boggle
Participants must line in birthday order (Month and day, you can also add year if you desire) without speaking.
Supplies: None
Amount of People: 7-50
Blindfolded Dodgeball
Supplies: small balls, blindfolds
Amount of People: 12-30
Have the facilitator serve as the referee
Split participants into two teams.
Within the teams, have participants designate “players” and “helpers”
The players are blindfolded and are tasked with throwing balls at their opponents.
The helpers guide the players towards balls and verbally tell them where to aim in order to hit an opponent.
Play a regular game of dodgeball until everyone on one team is out.
Players get out if they are hit by a ball before the ball hits the ground
If a player catches a ball in the air, the player who threw the ball is out
Building Blocks
Supplies: two identical sets of LEGOs, blindfold
Number of people: 6-15
Participants will work together to create an exact replica of a prebuilt Lego structure.
Participants will each be given a unique additional challenge.
Ex: blindfolded, no speaking, can’t touch the Legos, can’t look at the example, etc.
Place the example Lego structure across the room hidden behind a board or curtain.
Only one person can go see the example Lego structure at a time and they cannot speak until they return to the group.
Participants cannot bring Legos with them to see the example.
The group has 15 minutes to complete their replica.
Coin A Teambuilder
Supplies: Coins, small paper, pens
Amount of people: 10-50
Give everyone a coin, small piece of paper, and pen
Coins must be dated within the person’s lifetime
Ex: 2007 is good, 1851 is not
Instruct participants to look at the year printed on their coin and write a fact about themselves on the piece of paper of something that happened during that year.
Split the group into two teams.
Fold papers and collect them in two different bowls based on teams.
Have the teams group together and give each the other team’s bowl filled of facts.
Teams must collectively determine which fact belongs to each member of the opposing team.
After about 7 minutes, bring everyone back together and elect a team captain to read out the facts and who the team guessed the fact belonged to.
The team to guess the most facts correctly wins
Cooperative Musical Chairs
Set up a circle of chairs.
Play music as the participants circle around the chairs. When the music stops, everyone must sit in a chair.
Take away a chair after each round.
Unlike the typical musical chairs, the person left standing is not out! Instead, someone must make room for that person. Then remove another seat and start again. People will end up sharing chairs, on each other’s laps, and etc.
Supplies: 1 chair per participant
Amount of People: 3-7
Hula-Hoop Relay
Everyone stands in a circle and joins hands.
Loop the hula-hoop in the middle of two participants’ arms.
Everyone must step through the hula-hoop without breaking releasing hands the hula-hoop has traveled around the entire circle.
Make a time goal to beat to give the group a goal.
Supplies: Hula-Hoop
Number of People: 10-100
Human Knot
Supplied: None
Number of People: 6-15
Have group members stand shoulder to shoulder in a circle. Instruct the members to put their right hand in and grasp the hand of someone across from them (not beside them). The members should now put their left hand in and grasp the left hand of someone across from them (not the same person they have holding your right hand!) Now the members must get out of the knot without someone letting go of the hands
Infinity Bridge
Supplies: bulletin board paper, scissors, tape
Number of people: 4-15
Participants are given a long piece of bulletin board paper, a pair of scissors, and tape
The goal is to get from point A to point B. All participants must be standing on the paper at all times and the entire team has to cross the finish line at the same time
Be sure to give yourself a long space (like a hallway) to complete this task
Extra challenge:
Participants cannot just cut out pieces of paper, tape them to their shoes, and walk to the finish line together
They all try this one, it technically works but it's too easy!
Give the participants a time limit
Possible solutions:
Cut pieces of paper, the first participant to go place them along the path and hops towards the finish line. Second in line follows behind along the same path holding a longer piece paper and lays it down right in front of the finish line. As participants hop down the path, they end on the long paper and wait for the rest of the team. Once everyone has made it, they step over the finish line together.
Tape the ends of the paper together to make one large circle. Participants stand inside and simply roll down to the finish line
I've always wanted to see a small group try this one but no one ever does!
Labyrinth
Supplies: Tape/Chalk
Amount of People: 2-25
Create a 10x10 grid on the floor using duct tape or sidewalk chalk.
Mark the starting square with an ‘S.’ Each square needs to be big enough for a person to stand within it. You can use a smaller group for an easier task.
Only one participant may enter the labyrinth at a time, testing each square to discover the correct path. After each move the game leader indicates if they are standing on the correct path or have made an incorrect move.
With a correct move the participant can continue. However, with an incorrect move they have to return to the beginning of the labyrinth and cannot go again until all the other team members have taken their turn.
The group cannot use any external items (i.e. coins, phones, paper) to mark the correct path. Good communication, listening skills, cooperation and organization between the group is required to complete the labyrinth.
Debrief once task is complete.
Lost My Marbles
Break participants into teams
Instruct teams they have 15 minutes to build the longest (not tallest) structure using anything they can find
The structure needs to allow a marble to roll down. If the marble falls or gets stuck, that is where the structure ends
Teams cannot use the marble to test while building
Supplies: anything and everything! Plus a marble
Number of people: 6+
Machines
Supplies: pre-written machines
Amount of People: 15-100
Split participants into even teams. Each team picks a paper randomly. Different “machines” are written on the papers (ex: roller coaster, toaster, vacuum, etc.).
As a team, participants must act out their machine for the other teams to guess. Everyone in the team must have a roll. Allow approximately five minutes for teams to brainstorm.
Teams take turns acting out their machine while others guess what they are.
Magic Carpet
Have all participants stand on the “magic carpet.”
Instruct the participants that they must flip the carpet completely without any team members stepping off.
Supplies: Carpet/Blanket
Amount of People: 7-20
Mine Field
Supplies: Duct Tape, Blindfolds
Number of People: 2-10
Use the duct tape to create a long rectangle on the floor. Create an exit at the end of the rectangle. Roll up large piece of duct tape and place them throughout the rectangle to serve as mines.
Players partner up. One player puts on the blindfold while their partner gives them verbal instructions on how to get from start to finish.
Switch roles
Number Lumber
Supplies: Items of different shapes and sizes, paint/sharpies, blindfolds
Number of People: 2-10
Find objects and paint a different number on each item
Write the number on a large piece of masking tape and tape it to the object if you don't want to ruin it with paint
Designate a space for the activity
Ex: a small empty room, create a square on the ground with tape
Spread the items throughout the space
One participant with be blindfolded while the other team members direct them to find a specific number
Only the blindfolded participant can be in the play space
Other team members can move around the edges of the space to get a different viewpoint
Extra challenge:
Split group into two teams and blindfold two participants
Make it a race to find the number
Parachute Plunge
Supplies: sheet/table cloth/bulletin board paper, paint/markers, scissors, small colored balls (lights balls are best)
Amount of People: 2-10
Cut small holes throughout the sheet. Be sure the holes are large enough to fit the balls through
Paint the outer edge of each hole with a different color
Participants hold an edge of the sheet and manipulate it to have the colored balls fall into the matching color hole
Start with one ball
i.e. place the blue ball on the sheet . By lifting the sides of the sheet, the group has to get the blue ball into the blue hole
Try 2, 3, 4+ balls simultaneously. If a ball falls in the wrong hole, the team must start over
Pat On The Back
Supplies: printed hand prints, tape, and markers
Amount of People: 5-30
Give everyone a piece of paper with an outline of a hand on it and a marker. Tape one piece of paper to everyone’s back.
Give the group about 10 minutes to write nice messages on each person’s paper. These messages can be simple (i.e. you’re smart!) or specific (i.e. you’re my role model! Thanks for all your help with my incident last night!).
Everyone should write something kind on each person’s hand.
Participants get to keep their “pat on the back” to look back on for encouragement.
These are personal and do not get shared unless the individual choses to do so.
Perfect Playlist
Have all participants write down 1-3 songs that describe them. These can be songs that make them happy, describe their personality, or describe a personal goal they have.
Have everyone take turns sharing what songs they chose and why.
The group leader can save these songs and burn the playlist to CDs as a staff gift
Supplies: Paper and Pens
Amount of People: 5-25
Pieces Of The Puzzle
Supplies: puzzle pieces (about 1-2 per person)
Amount of People: 7-30
You can do this with a pre-made puzzle, or use a large unwanted poster and cut into several pieces depending on the number of players.
Hide pieces throughout the space while participants are out of the room.
When a participant finds a piece, they are to bring it to the work station to fit it together with the other pieces.
Once they have found where that piece fits, they are to go back and search for another piece of the puzzle.
The goal is to find all the pieces and have the puzzle be fully assembled.
Bonus: write a message on the back of the puzzle to be revealed
Pipeline
Supplies: Paper Towel Tubes/Pool Noodles, Bucket, Small Ball
Number of People: 5-25
Provide each participant a piece of the slide. PVC pipes, paper towel tubes, and pool noodles all work. The these into pieces about a foot long with an open face. You can change the size lengths to make the activity more difficult.
Set out props so that the distance from the boundary marker (the start) to the bucket (the goal) is 3–5 steps more than the number of participants (i.e., 12 people = 15–17 paces). Adding an obstacle in the path to the container adds more of a challenge.
Place the pipe sections and balls in the start area and assemble the group within this designated “work area.”
The only tools available to the team are the pipe sections. NO other props should be used.
All members of the team must start behind the boundary marker until the ball has been dropped into the first pipe section. Once the object is in the pipe, people are free to move anywhere.
The ball may never stop, roll backward, be dropped and hit the ground, or touched by anyone after the first person places it into a pipe section.
When a person has an object in the pipe, they may not move their feet, though they can move their arms and hands.
Once the object has left the pipe, they are free to move anywhere.
The goal is to get the ball to roll through the pipeline and drop into the bucket.
Your group can add difficulty by placing multiple balls in the pipeline at once.
Return The Eggs To Their Nest
Place two plates in the starting area (1 for each team) and the other two at an ending point (hiding the ending plates is a fun twist).
Break participants into two teams
Participants have to return all of their ping pong balls (eggs) to their nests (plates) by placing the ping pong balls on a spoon and holding the spoon in their mouth.
Only one team member can leave the starting point at a time.
If the “egg” drops at any point, it must return to the starting point
First team to return all eggs to nest safely wins.
Supplies: 10 ping pong balls (can use real eggs if you wanna get messy), spoons for each person, 4 small plates
Number of people: 6+
Riff-Off
Supplies: paper and pen
Number of people: 7-100
Divide participants into even teams.
The facilitator will the give the teams a word (ex: “summer”, “love”, “baby”, etc.) and the team will have three minutes to brainstorm as many songs as they can that contain each of the given words.
The facilitator will read off the words one at a time and the teams will take turns singing the songs they wrote down. A song cannot be sung more than once. If a song is sung and another team had written the same one down, they need to cross it off. Singing the same song results in the team being disqualified. All participants must give a solid effort in singing or the entire team is disqualified.
The last team standing wins the round. The teams that winds the most rounds, wins the game.
Ex: “Baby”
Team 1 sings Baby by Justin Bieber
Team 1: Baby by Justin Bieber, Rock-a-by Baby
Team 2: Baby by Justin Bieber, Santa Baby, Baby it’s Cold Outside
Team 3: Hit Me Baby One More Time, Rock-a-by Baby, Hey Baby
Team 2 sings Santa Baby
Team 1: Baby by Justin Bieber, Rock-a-by Baby
Team 2: Baby by Justin Bieber, Santa Baby, Baby it’s Cold Outside
Team 3: Hit Me Baby One More Time, Rock-a-by Baby, Hey Baby
Team 3 sings Hit Me Baby One More Time
Team 1: Baby by Justin Bieber, Rock-a-by Baby
Team 2: Baby by Justin Bieber, Santa Baby, Baby it’s Cold Outside
Team 3: Hit Me Baby One More Time, Rock-a-by Baby, Hey Baby
Team 3 sings Rock-a-by Baby
Team 1: Baby by Justin Bieber, Rock-a-by Baby
Team 2: Baby by Justin Bieber, Santa Baby, Baby it’s Cold Outside
Team 3: Hit Me Baby One More Time, Rock-a-by Baby, Hey Baby
Team 2 sings Baby it’s Cold Outside
Team 3 has no songs left and is eliminated
Team 1 has no songs left and is eliminated
Team 2 wins
Simple Knot
Supplies: None
Amount of People: 10-50
Instruct all participants to stand in a circle facing inwards.
Next have everyone cross their arms and hold hands with the people standing next to them.
As a group, everyone needs to find a solution to return to their original circle (holding hands comfortably).
Participants cannot let go of their hands but they are allowed to adjust their grips to prevent injury.
Solution:
Everyone twist under their arms so they are facing outside of the circle with their arms uncrossed.
Two people hold their arms up and everyone else walks under to turn the circle facing inwards once again.
Taps
Supplies: pre-written prompts
Number of People: 7-50
Everyone sits in a circle with their eyes closed.
The facilitator selects 1-2 participants to begin. The facilitator reads a prompt and the “tappers” lightly touch the shoulder of anyone who the statement applies to (ex: tap someone who made you smile this week).
After a few statements, replace the tappers so that everyone in the group has the chance to both give and receive recognition.
The Voting Game
Supplies: Prompts
Amount of People: 6-30
Prepare a variety of "most likely" prompts ahead of time.
Place cut, folded prompts in a bowl.
Participants take turns picking and reading prompts.
After each prompt is read, the reader will ask for each participants vote on which group member the prompt most reflects.
Ex: "Most likely to order a pizza with an outragous topping."
Votes
Winner reads next prompt
Traffic Jam
Supplies: Small Hoops/Chalk/Tape
Amount of People: 6-12
Place circles in a straight line on the ground using either small hoops, chalk, or tape. There should be one more circle than the number of participants.
Participants split into two teams and everyone stands in a circle on either the right or left depending on their team.
Ex: team 1 stands on the right single file facing the middle and team 2 stands single file facing the middle on the left.
The objective is to switch teams, so left has to go right and vice versa.
There are 5 rules to be followed:
You may only go forward.
You may not overtake your team member.
Only one person at a time may do a move.
You cannot have more than 1 person in a circle.
You may not overtake more than 1 person at a time.
If the group grows frustrated, consider providing a hint:
Count the hoops from 1-9 (1-13 depending on how many hoops you have).
The next clue can be "odds and evens"
The solution happens to be that the teams are considered odd and even.
Ex: The first person on team 2 steps into the open hoop, this is hoop 5 and hence odd, which means that all of team 2 can only use odd hoops and all of team 1 use the even hoops.
Zombie Apocalypse
Supplies: Paper, Pen
Amount of People: 7-30
Team leader reads: “The apocalypse is among us and zombies are roaming freely. One bite and you are infected; there is no cure. You now need to build your ideal team for survival.”
Teams can vary in size depending on number of participants. Teams should not be large.
Ex: 7 participants = teams of three, 25 participants = teams of 7
Groups that already know each other well can be left to create their teams at this point.
Groups that do not know each well yet can be given a template for them to fill in team.
Ex: Leader, Weapons Expert, Cook, Doctor, Brain, Lookout, etc.
Everyone shares the teams they constructed.