Group games teach teamwork

This is a great mood booster — by lifting each other up, the energy just starts to vibrate in the room. Everyone likes to be recognized. Ice breakers for meetings that give people the chance to celebrate success can be key in setting a great tone for the meeting to come. Meetings can sometimes become useless because attendees come in stressed about the topic and distracted as result. You can reduce this tension by opening with a mindfulness exercise. Good icebreakers help set the mood, and by taking a moment to be mindful, your team can be more productive.

The reflection can be led by questions such as what energy level have they arrived with? What is on their mind that is unrelated to this meeting? After everyone is done, they should rip up their answers and discard them. Team icebreakers that focus on setting the right tone and ask everyone to arrive in the room are some of the best ice breakers out there.

What are you bringing to the meeting teampedia opening team check-in. Ice breaker games are not only useful at the beginning of meetings or getting to know new people. They are also a great way to support team building, by creating a positive atmosphere, helping people relax and break down barriers. Team icebreakers such as those below are great for enhancing team building and empowering everyone in the group to move forward together. The Four Quadrants one of the tried and true team building icebreakers to break the ice with a group or team.

It is super easy to prep for and set up — you only need large sheets of paper flipcharts or similar and markers. They should draw the answers in each quadrant. Afterwards they can show each other their drawings and discuss the creations.

Questions can cover topics like current challenges, stressors, defining moments, moments of pride, fears, desired outcome for the current gathering etc. Team icebreakers that encourage openness are great for team building and ensuring everyone in a group is heard! The Four Quadrants is a tried and true team building activity to break the ice with a group or team.

It is EASY to prep for and set up. Separate people into same sized teams. Each group has the same amount of time to complete the puzzle. The secret twist is to switch up a few pieces with the other groups beforehand!

Fun icebreakers can help keep a team on their toes and encourage creative thinking — try ice breakers for meetings that include an edge of competitiveness and fun to really liven things up. The goal is to finish before the others — so they must figure out collectively how to convince other teams to give up pieces they need. This can be through barter, merging or changing teams, donating minutes etc.

This is a longer game, but one that is worth doing, since it encourages teamwork on several levels — internally and externally too. Two people should sit facing away from each other. One receives a picture of an object or phrase. Without saying directly what they see, they should describe it to their pair without using words that clearly give it away. Their pair has to draw the specific picture. The game requires two people to sit facing away from each other, where one team member is given a picture of an object or word.

Without specifying directly what it is, the other person must describe the image without using words that clearly give away the image. This is a great game to develop verbal communication and remember that icebreaker games for work do not need to reinvent the wheel to be effective. BackBack Drawing communication collaboration trust ice breaker teampedia action.

Everyone has great memories from childhood scavenger hunts. It is a no-brainer then to recreate this experience as one of your icebreaker activities for adults. You can do this indoors at the office or outside if the weather is nice. They require a wide range of skills and thinking and diverse personalities to be completed successfully. This is a great energiser that requires players to move about as they build an imaginary electric fence.

The fence can be represented by a rope or a shoe string tied between two objects. It should be about waist high. They must also be touching a teammate with at least one hand at all times. This ice breaker activity requires quick brainstorming, problem-solving and negotiating other ideas. Make sure that people who are uncomfortable with physical contact have an option to not participate but still feel involved in the brainstorming part.

Inclusive games make for some of the best ice breakers: be sure to bare this in mind when deciding on icebreaker games for work or your next meeting. The object of this ice breaker game is to introduce event participants to each other by co-creating a mural-sized, visual network of their connections.

They will also need a substantial wall covered in butcher paper to create the actual network. Then they find the people they know and draw lines to make the connections. This is one of our favourite ice breakers for meetings, particularly if those involved in the meeting are distributed in interesting ways. Low-tech Social Network gamestorming ice breaker opening. The object of this game is to introduce event participants to each other by co-creating a mural-sized, visual network of their connections.

Ice breaker games usually all have a strong aspect of teamwork and collaboration as people work together in groups to accomplish a challenge or solve a puzzle. Therefore these team icebreakers can also be used as part of team building events and team development workshops.

They are meant to fast-track group familiarity and increase the socialization process in a new or existing environment. With increased social interaction, people naturally learn how to work together more productively — the mood can warm up between colleagues who are normally highly formal with each other. The best ice breakers have the power to strengthen coworker bonds, stimulate better brainstorming sessions, and create an atmosphere of inclusivity. In eighteen minutes, teams must build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow.

The marshmallow needs to be on top. It emphasizes group communication, leadership dynamics, collaboration, innovation and problem solving strategy. Fun icebreakers for meetings can be hard to find — The Marshmallow Challenge is one of those icebreaker games for work that feels almost like play. The Marshmallow Challenge was developed by Tom Wujec, who has done the activity with hundreds of groups around the world.

Ice breaker ideas that are fun, well designed and have a proven track record are definitely worth a try. Marshmallow challenge with debriefing teamwork team leadership collaboration.

Visit the Marshmallow Challenge website for more information. This version has an extra debriefing question added with sample questions focusing on roles within the team. This fun activity could be used as an icebreaker both for people who have just met and for already existing teams. Breaking people up into groups, each one needs a fresh egg, some straws, masking tape and other items for creating a package to protect the egg. Using the raw materials provided, the team goal is to build a structure that will support a free falling egg dropped from a predetermined height e.

Get to know you games with an element of danger are always fun ice breakers for meetings. This is a method that shows and fosters team communication, collaboration and strategic thinking as well. Egg drop teampedia collaboration teamwork ice breaker team. This fun activity could be used as an icebreaker for people who have just met but it can be framed as a method that shows and fosters team communication, collaboration and strategic thinking as well.

Line up people in two rows facing each other. Introduce the Helium Stick and ask participants to hold their index fingers out. The goal is to lower the Stick to the ground in a way that no one lets go of it at any time. Pinching, grabbing or holding on properly to the Stick is not allowed. If the group makes a mistake, they start from the beginning. With the right group, Helium Stick is one of the most fun icebreakers out there. Helium Stick teampedia team teamwork ice breaker energiser.

A great and simple activity for fostering teamwork and problem solving with no setup beforehand. Blindfold your seated participants. Leave the circle and ask them to form a perfect square from the rope without looking.

When people think they are finished, they can remove their blindfolds to see the result. Blind Square is one of the icebreaker games you can use to highlight leadership and communication — some people will want to take charge, while others are more comfortable following direction. Also, it can be repeated after the first try to see if they can improve their collaboration. Blind Square — Rope game teamwork communication teambuilding team energiser thiagi outdoor.

When the correct game is chosen, everyone benefits from the energy they bring to any meeting or event. Divide your classroom into two groups. These two groups are competitors.

They both stand in a defined place. The teacher reduces the standing area with, for example, a rope or small traffic cones.

The students have to find a way to all fit in the limited area. As a teacher, you keep pushing their limits by reducing the area. For this classroom team building game, students need to be flexible and balanced. Provide a chair for every student. All the chairs should be lined up on one single line. Every student stands on a chair. Now, the teacher asks them to go stand in a certain order. With this team building exercise, the students get to know each other better in an interactive way.

Working together is crucial. If you want to make it more challenging, you can set a time limit. Around Halloween or Christmas, you could get your students to cook and decorate. They have to organize a classroom party. They are responsible for decorations, for the food, and for the games. Divide your students into 3 groups.

They have to work in teams to create the best classroom party ever: One team designs the Halloween or Christmas food and buffet, one team does the craftwork for decorations, and one team prepares the classroom games that will be played that day.

They become true event-planners. Divide your classroom into 3 teams. Each team stands on a blanket, leaving about a quarter of the blanket space.

Now, the three teams have to turn over the blanket without leaving it. This means they have to work together to end up standing on the other side of the blanket. Create a class movie. Again, this team building activity for students requires them to split up in groups. Plenty to do for all the students in your classroom. Use your benches, chairs, and dustbins as obstacles in your classroom. Divide your students into small groups of 2. If someone stops, the ball will drop.

This game relies on constant communication to achieve its final goal. Was there any forms of communication that worked better than others? Did you assign a leader formally or informally? Did that help or hinder your progress? Time: 25 Minutes. Items Needed: Items that can be used as platforms milk crates, fabric square, tires, baseball base , 2 ropes or 4 cones. Goal: Cross the floor or ground by maneuvering across different objects. If the phrase "the floor is lava! Lava Flow, also called River Crossing, is a game in which a group must cross the river of lava by jumping and maneuvering across different objects.

It's the team's task to figure out how to get the entire group from one side of the lava field to the other without touching the ground. The group should be given a limited number of objects, 2 or 3, that way they have to be moved and shared each time someone crosses.

If someone touches the floor at any point, then they will get burnt and must start over. The first team to cross the river with all members intact are the winners. Time: Hours.

Items Needed: Scavenger hunt list, smartphones optional. Goal: Gather as many items on the list within a set period of time. Scavenger hunts are one of the oldest ways to get people to interact and collaborate. But, there are still one of the most effective and fun. Smartphones and apps have made it possible to do scavenger hunts anywhere. You can even add in photo or video challenges and share an album within the organization.

You can do a simple scavenger hunt and keep it in the office or take it outdoors, which can be much more exciting.

Create a list of items that groups must collect or tasks that they have to complete. They can be goofy, as long as it's possible to complete. Some examples are: "Take a selfie with someone wearing a cat shirt" or "Grab a take-out menu and a fortune cookie from a Chinese restaurant. Time: 40 Minutes. Goal: Get everyone through a web of rope without touching the rope. Do you remember all those spy movies with the intricate laser security systems people had to maneuver through?

Spider Web is kind of like that. Create a maze of lines and shapes by stringing twine between vertical 2 poles. The end result should resemble a spider's web with some larger, easier holes and some smaller more difficult gaps. Teams must cross the spider web to reach the other side without touching the string or going in the same shapes as anyone before them. The challenge gets harder as more people cross to the other side and requires everyone to remember and communicate with each other.

Goal: Submerge a ballon in a bucket of water using only the supplies given. Balloon in water is a great way to see how your team solves problems together, particularly when faced with limited resources. Each group must immerse an inflated balloon in a bucket of water for a minimum of 5 seconds.

They can only use the provided materials to complete the activity. The brick goes in the bottom of the bucket of water. Teams have a minute to strategize and flesh out their plan and only 5 minutes to do the activity. Only the provided materials can be used during the challenge. The 3 binder clips and inflated balloon given to the team cannot be altered in any way. Before starting the activity, the team has one minute to plan and they have to plan without touching the materials.

After planning, the team is given 5 minutes to execute their plan. The balloon must be fully immersed in the water before the 5 minutes is over. The balloon must remain immersed for at least 5 seconds, and the team must notify the trainer s when they are ready to be timed.

Goal: Teams must retrieve a ping pong ball from the pipe by filling it up with water and floating the ball to the top. This game can get a little messy, so it's recommended for outside. Leaky Pipe is a highly interactive activity that requires groups to work fast and efficiently together. You'll need water, buckets, several cups, 2 pipes with holes drilled in them, and 2 ping pong balls.

To win, teams must retrieve a ping pong ball from the pipe by filling it up with water and floating the ball to the top. Participants will need to work together using the cups to carry the water from the bucket to the pipe, relay race style with cups of water to fill it. The pipe has holes drilled in it, so they will have to plug the holes as the water gets higher. To complete the challenge, each team will receive a bucket of water which is placed 10 metres away from the pipe and several cups.

Remember to set a countdown, so they are racing against the clock. Items Needed: Ball Goal: Have every participant say their name. For new groups, check out an icebreaker and memory game called Group Juggle. Participants form a large circle facing each other.

If you have a large group, break into groups so there are no more than 20 people in each. Throw a ball to one person. They will throw it to someone else, but must say that person's name first. The ball goes around the group like that until a pattern starts.

Once the group seems comfortable, throw in more balls to increase the difficulty. Time: 50 Minutes. Items Needed: Bags, Random objects. Goal: Create a 10 minute skit based on random items in a bag. Acting and improv exercises can be a humorous and energizing way to bring your team together. Grab Bag Skits is a short activity in which teams will get out of their comfort zones by creating fun skits.

Split the group into teams of 3 to 8 and have each team choose a bag. They don't know what is inside, but it is stuffed with unrelated and random objects. Each team is given 10 minutes to put together a 2 to 3 minutes skit that uses each of the items. Every person in the group must take on a speaking role. Encourage groups to be as creative as possible.

For example, they can use an apple as a meteor or a paintbrush as a witch's broom. Each team will preform their skit for the group. Although some individuals may be more introverted, Grab Bag Skits can encourage them to get out of their comfort zone and connect with colleagues. Goal: Have the team correctly line up in order of a specific criteria. Ask the group to line themselves in order based on certain criteria. Make it more challenging by setting a rule that members can't speak to each other.

You can do this as a get-to-know-you-better activity. Some examples are by:. As members move around the room to organize themselves in order, you'll notice how they communicate to complete the task and who takes on the role of organizers or leaders.

Follow Up Questions. Time: 25 minutes to an hour. Items Needed: Smart phone one per each participant. Goal: To make others laugh while collecting 7 cards to win the game.

Evil Apples is a mobile app inspired by the party game, Cards Against Humanity. Other players submit cards anonymously to fill in the blank. The person with the game card chooses the best, and often the funniest response. Players will bond over laughs and may appreciate the creativity of other group members.

You will need to be cautious how you use it some cards can be considered inappropriate or offensive which for many is the fun of the game. However, you can download different decks that are more work-appropriate or use other card apps to create your own decks. Number of Participants: Players. Items Needed: Smart phone or tablet, Jackbox games , video calling software.

Goal: Every player will make a drawing based on a prompt. Players then submit a title for these drawings and try to pick out the real title from the fake ones. Drawful is the perfect solution for remote teams.

It can easily be played over Zoom or other video calling software, as well as in person. In Drawful, each player receives an unusual prompt they need to try and draw on their phone in a limited amount time. After someone finishes and submits their drawing, everyone else submits a title anonymously that could fit the other player's drawing. These titles can be humorous or serious, it's up to each player.

The goal is to find the correct drawing prompt while fooling others into selecting decoy answer. Bonus points are awarded to the decoys that are particularly clever or funny. Create a video meeting with team members and share your screen. Start the game! Every player uses their phone or tablet as a controller, so it's important that everyone has access to a device.

The game will run everyone through the instructions before playing so everyone viewing the screen share will get the gist. Items Needed: Each participant needs a mobile device. Goal: Work together to save the world from a growing pandemic. Based on the cooperative board game, the Pandemic mobile app centres around teams working together to fight and cure deadly diseases. Each player has a specific role that they must fill in order to succeed. Roles can be anything from an engineer building satellites so the CDC can communicate to a scientist collecting data and samples to test for a cure.

The premise for the game is the perfect setup to teach risk management and foster teamwork. It shows that every role is needed to reach the long-term and tough goals. Goal: Score the highest number of points while laying tiles. Another board game turned mobile app, Carcassonne focuses on laying tile to strategically gain control of map's cities, fields and other terrain with the end goal of earning the most points.

The game is best played in groups of four players and as a pass-and-play for teams. Everyone can also play together or remotely on their own device. With each new tile that is laid, individuals must adjust their strategy.

It can get people thinking about how to formulate strategies and use logic to reach long-term goals. Goal: To complete all tasks before being killed by the imposter. Among Us is a multiplayer game that combines strategy with sci-fi.

Individuals are assigned roles: either as one of the crew members on a spaceship whose goal is to complete their assigned tasks or an imposter who poses as a crew member and whose goal is to kill the majority of the crew members while sabotage the mission. Similar to games like Mafia and Werewolf, the crew will gather after a dead body is fond to discuss who everyone believes may be the imposter. At the end of these gatherings, someone will be voted off the spaceship.

Players will find there's a strategy to sticking together with other crew members and collaboration is necessary to complete all tasks and find the imposter. Communication is also key to winning the game. Number of Participants: 2-Unlimited. Goal: Team up and go on quests.

It can be download on Android or iOS devices. People can communicate, barter, form alliances and show what they are capable of when they work as a team. Playing a fantasy multiplayer RPG game may seem like an unconventional way to build your business team, but it can foster real-world teamwork. It also taps into the imagination of your members and their ability to communicate. Team building games and activities for teams with more time available. All activities should take between minutes of participants time.

Items Needed: Anything they could use to build a bridge. Some suggestions: tape, paper, marshmallows, straws, Legos, popsicle sticks or Jenga blocks. Goal: Have two groups independently build bridge halves that must fit together. Here are a few awesome team-based activities and games that your kids will both enjoy and learn a lot from:. Image from Flickr, used with Creative Commons License. One might think that a jump rope is a solo sport or active activity for kids.

It probably makes sense to start small with just two kids. And if there are many kids, then you can try competition, and score each pair of kids on how many successful jumps they land, or how long they can last without getting tangled up. The famous human knot game is often tried with adults in co-working environments, but it is actually quite a fun and useful kids team building game and activity.

Basically, have a group of kids sit together in a circle, ideally a minimum of kids. Have each kid randomly grab lightly! This is a really fun game which borders on strategy and chaos. Obviously it is important to warn the kids to play this game slowly and gingerly, so that no one gets hurt. In some cases, it might be preferred to allow kids to release a wrist in order to properly untangle themselves. This is a great team building game for kids because it forces kids to work together toward a solution that everyone is aiming toward.

To make this kids game even more of a team building activity, you can instruct the kids that they cannot speak — thereby forcing them to strategize with body language, which likely increase the team chemistry that the game sets out to teach. And if there are enough kids, then they can be broken up into two separate teams.