5 games to boost team spirit in the workplace
Team building games are a fun and creative way to connect your team and work together. Whether you meet virtually or in the office, doing activities together can energise your team and brighten up your days.
Finding the right exercise can be difficult. Not all team building games are suitable for all teams. That’s why we’ve put together a list of 5 of our favourite team building activities that are both exciting and insightful.
Treasure hunt
This team-building activity is a classic that encourages teams to work together creatively.
Divide the group into two teams of equal size and give them a list of objects to find and bring back. It’s up to you to decide whether the players’ field of action is limited to the office or whether they can go outside it. You can also set a time limit so that all the groups are back within a reasonable time, whether they have found all the items or not. The first team to collect all the items on the list wins!
Objective: The treasure hunt is a fun activity that teaches people to work as a team. This exercise can be made more fun by including riddles or clues to find their way to the treasures.
Truth and lies
No tools are required for this team building game. So it can easily be played anywhere, anytime.
This game can be played by 2 people or even in a group. Each person in turn has to state four facts about themselves, 3 of which are true and 1 of which is a lie. The instruction is to phrase the lie realistically rather than making it sound hard to believe and easy to guess. Once the facts have been stated, the other people have to identify which of the 4 statements is a lie. Once the guessing is done, the correct answer is finally revealed.
Objective: A game that works wonders for new or even geographically dispersed teams. It’s an excellent exercise for getting to know your colleagues better, especially those who are introverts and remain an enigma to the rest of the team.
Blind drawing
A team activity that encourages communication and, above all, listening. Blind drawing is deceptively simple, but so effective.
It’s a game played in pairs. The two players sit back to back. Only one of them receives a photo. The other is given a blank sheet of paper and a pen. The team-mate with the photo must not show the picture to the other. Instead, he must describe the image without using words that give it away, while the other person must draw what is described. After a predefined lapse of time, the game ends and the two team members can compare the original image and the drawing.
Objective: This is an exercise in communication and language. The final drawing rarely resembles the image, but it’s a great way of showing participants the huge difference between instructions and their interpretation.
The bomb disposal expert
To practise this activity, you’ll need to choose an open space such as a car park or a park.
Prepare an enclosed area with tape and mark the start and finish points. Along the route, place objects and sheets of paper at random. Divide the group into teams of 2 or 4 people and blindfold one of the players. The blindfolded teammate must cross the area, pick up the objects and avoid stepping on the sheets of paper, which are mines. All this under the guidance of the other team members.
Objective: This game develops communication and mutual trust. Players learn to be clear in their advice and explanations.
The human knot
Participants are invited to stand in a circle facing each other, shoulder to shoulder. Each member is asked to extend their right arm and grasp the hand of someone standing on the other side of the circle. The same thing is repeated with the left arm. Be careful, the players must hold the hands of two different people who are not their direct neighbours. The aim of the game is to untangle the human knot without breaking the circle.
Objective: An excellent game for thinking and, above all, learning to listen to your partners.
