Team a game

Then you can start to figure out together which picture belongs to which person. When a correct guess is made, that person needs to share their story with the group. Do this over video conference with an app that allows screen sharing like Google Meet or Zoom, so the speaker can include video for the storytelling and everyone can connect the name, face and story. In this collaborative ice breaker game, everyone on the remote team is encouraged to name their favorite thing.

This exercise is useful because it can be adapted to align with the meeting goal, work environment or something more personal. Since the participants are all asked to name their favorite thing, there is no risk of getting the answer wrong.

This works well for remote teams, because everyone can participate. Ask team members to find an image online and upload it to a picture sharing site, shared drive or online whiteboard like Miro. Each employee should present their image and a short description to the group. You can use a shared document or an online whiteboard to keep all the lists. Like many other remote team-building activities, this exercise builds empathy and adds context to your everyday work.

Starting from your designated meeting topic, pick a phrase that relates to the central theme. Have participants write down a word that they associate with it. This game allows everyone to share hesitations and expectations, then focus on the task ahead.

They can show their office space, guide the team through their home or a cool co-working space, or, if technology allows, livestream in the city and show the main tourist sights and secret spots. You can use a live streaming service or a social network like Snapchat or Instagram. The result can be really exciting. Building remote team cohesion is more challenging than in an office: you need to make an effort to help employees connect with each other, openly communicate, and build relationships informally.

Slack channels, team lunches, and games are a great way to do this. Instruct each group to find five things that all members have in common. Have the groups share their connections with the rest of the team. The bears are represented with a roar, the ninja is represented by a ninja pose, and the cowboy is represented by positioning fingers in a gun motion. This is an easy way for co-workers to let loose and have some fun. One symbol denotes clucking, and the other denotes clapping.

Shuffle the cards, arranging them in a completely random order. Have the group go through the pattern and try their best to complete it in sync.

For more challenging variations, re-shuffle the cards or make the rhythm faster. This is an icebreaker that is sure to have everyone laughing. It is reminiscent of music class in elementary school, but it also teaches the importance of attention to detail and proper focus. Divide participants into even groups.

Explain the scenario: your group was on a cruise when the ship suddenly set on fire. You have just enough time to grab a few items. As a group, discuss which items on the ship would be most useful, and compile a list of ten items your group would choose to bring. This icebreaker gives participants a glimpse into the thought processes of their colleagues.

The discussions allow participants to get to know one another better, as well. You can do this by removing words and leaving the space blank with only the type of word remaining for example, noun, adjective, verb. Divide participants in groups and have them complete this Mad Lib by asking for the type of word without giving context.

Read the results out loud, knowing that this first round will sound silly. Next, have participants fill in the statement with more accurate words to complete the mission statement. Gather participants in a circle, and have each person draw something of their choosing on a piece of paper. Next, they must pass the paper to the person to their right, who should fold the paper to hide the drawing and write what they think the picture depicts.

This should continue, with each person in the circle reading the description, folding the paper over, and drawing a new picture of what they think the previous person is describing. At the end, each person reveals what their original drawing was supposed to depict. This icebreaker focuses on creativity and individual interpretation. It is sure to be a hit, with far-fetched interpretations leaving the group crying tears of laughter.

Activity name: Have You Ever? Objective: Icebreaker Best for group size : Any group size Time: 15 minutes Materials needed: Spot markers tape, circles. Have participants stand in a circle, with one person standing in the middle. Those who answer yes must move to a vacated spot in the circle. Whoever is left becomes the one to ask the next question. Watch the demo to see how you can more effectively manage your team, projects, and processes with real-time work management in Smartsheet. Watch a free demo.

The activities listed in this section are designed to help improve communication skills between colleagues.

There are a variety of options that range in time from just a few minutes to a couple of hours. These team-building exercises can foster creativity and help strengthen bonds among co-workers. Give a random object to one person in each group. Each person must take a turn going up to the front of the room and demonstrating a use for that object without speaking. The team must then guess what the player is demonstrating. This activity fosters creativity and allows colleagues to work together in a fun, light-hearted environment.

Assign an observer who notes team dynamics, keeps time, and gives direction Have the group form a circle and give one person the tennis ball. This activity is a great kick-off to a team meeting where you want to create an atmosphere of innovative thinking and teamwork. Also, the observer can ask debriefing questions, such as:. Divide players into pairs or teams. Give each team a list of tasks to complete - these tasks can range from silly for example, take a selfie with a stranger to extremely challenging for example, find and take a picture with a local celebrity , and award points based on difficulty.

Whoever has the highest number of points, wins. Scavenger hunts are a fun way to get colleagues to work together in an environment outside of the office. This game was developed in Great Britain for training air traffic controllers on communication skills. Divide your group into teams of ten or fewer people with one set of blind-shape blocks for each group. Groups sit in a close circle with each participant blindfolded.

Two pieces have been removed from the set and the remaining pieces are distributed. The mission is for the group to establish the color and shape of the two missing pieces. The only question the facilitator answers is about the color of each piece. In a debriefing afterward, the group discusses the strategies they used for organizing the information and how they developed a common meaning.

Divide participants into equal groups, ensuring that at least one member of each group has a smart device with GPS capabilities. Teams will have one hour to find as many geocaches as they can. Explain to the group that geocaching is like a scavenger hunt, but you use GPS coordinates to find items. Have teams reveal their findings at the end of the activity.

This modern take on a scavenger hunt fosters teamwork while allowing colleagues to get to know one another better. It is a fun, exciting adventure that will leave participants with lasting memories. Activity name: The Mine Field Objective: Communication Best for group size : Small group even numbered Time: minutes Materials needed: Bottles, cans, cups, or other handheld objects, blindfolds. Find an open space, such as a park or empty parking lot. Participants must be paired into teams of two, and one member of each team must wear a blindfold.

This exercise emphasizes the importance of utilizing supreme communication strategies and listening effectively. It teaches that trust and communication are key aspects of success.

Activity name: Blind Drawing Objective: Communication Best for group size : No limit, but requires a minimum of four people Time: minutes Materials needed: Pictures, pen, paper. Divide the group into pairs.

Each pair needs to sit on the floor, back-to-back. One person will have the pen and paper, and the other will have a picture. The person with the pen and paper draws what is being described to them.

This game showcases the importance of communication, while also sharing how interpretation plays a role in situations. It promotes listening and patience, while also offering plenty of laughs! Participants start by thinking of each person on their team and writing down their greatest strengths and contributions. They keep these secret. Each person then looks into the mirror, without conversation, for 30 seconds.

At the end of the 30 seconds, they silently write down what they saw in the mirror, what they thought about what they saw, and what they felt about what they saw. This is also secret. Then play a video from the Dove Self-Esteem Project. Get a volunteer to compile the list and send it to everyone so they can print it and keep it in a prominent place.

This will help team members be encouraged and reminded of their strengths, value, and contributions during difficult days. Divide players into groups of four or five and give each group the same amount of supplies. The teams must work together to create the highest structure they can, using only the tape, marshmallows, and spaghetti noodles provided. It allows natural leaders to step forward and showcase their skills. Have the group count to ten — with a twist.

Only one person can talk at a time, no one can say two numbers in a row, and no gestures or cues are allowed. If any of these rules are broken, the group must start over. This game requires a lot of patience and attention, and encourages participants to work together as a team to figure out a way to complete the task.

Divide participants into two groups, and have each group stand in a straight line facing one another. Have each person hold out their right index finger, which they will use to hold the stick. This is a quick game that encourages active participation and teamwork. It requires everyone to work together toward a single goal. Objective: Communication, Teamwork Best for group size : Small or medium groups Time: 30 minutes Materials needed: Sheets of paper, pencils.

Without letting the rest of the players see, they must do their best to describe the sheet, while everyone else tries to recreate the sheet based on the descriptions given. This activity is a fun, light-hearted way to show how perception is an important aspect of communication. Gather your team for what they believe to be just another staff meeting.

Create a long document filled with mind-numbing, jargon-filled speech that talks vaguely about company goals. However, sprinkle in some sentences that say something else entirely. These sentences should contain instructions or information that they will be quizzed on later.

Begin reading the document to your team in a monotone. The goal is to get them to tune you out. When you are finished, hand out paper to each team member.

Then, ask them to write down what they thought you talked about. If your real sentences contained random information, quiz them on that. Discuss who heard what, and see who was able to actively listen.

It shows the importance of listening to verbal and nonverbal communication. They can discuss why they tuned you out, and what you could have done to keep them interested. Activity name: Blindfold Retriever Objective: Communication, Teamwork Best for group size : Small or medium groups Time: minutes Materials needed: Blindfolds, miscellaneous objects.

Divide the group into smaller teams of three or four. One team member should be blindfolded as teammates verbally guide them around the room to find certain objects.

Participants take turns being blindfolded and guided. This activity highlights the importance of communication and careful listening. It is a fun way to get teams working together and strategizing with one another.

Have all players stand in a circle, then throw the beach ball or balloon into the center of it. Together, as a team, the players must prevent the ball from touching the ground and try to get as many hits as possible. No one can touch the ball twice in a row.

This game encourages teamwork while also relying on strong communication skills. It is a fun way to get employees thinking about the importance of communication and goal setting. Blindfold all participants. Without being able to see, they must work together to put up a tent. For larger groups, divide into smaller groups and use multiple tent sets or assign areas of focus. This challenge is a great way to promote effective communication skills in a fun, lighthearted environment.

It allows leaders to rise to the occasion and fosters trust in one another. Have participants stand in a circle, then throw a couple of juggling balls into the circle. As a rhythm begins to form, add more juggling balls and have the team work to maintain the juggling pattern. As you work as a team, brainstorming sessions often sway towards the vocal and dominant personalities even though other team members have valuable ideas, too.

Instruct them to write down three truths and one lie. The lie should be believable to some extent i. Go around the group, one at a time, and have them read the truths and lie in random order. When they are finished, the team should discuss which they think are the truths and which are the lies. Extroverts have no difficulty in making themselves known, but introverts often remain an enigma, bowled into silence.

This exercise gives them equal footing to reveal facts about themselves as well as expose the assumptions others have made. Participants learn about others and also learn about themselves through the lies they thought were true. Break your team into groups of equal members. Give each team a distinctly different jigsaw puzzle of equal difficulty. Explain that they have a set amount of time to complete the puzzle as a group. Explain that some of the pieces in their puzzle belong to the other puzzles in the room.

The goal is to complete their puzzle before the other groups, and that they must come up with their own method of convincing the other teams to relinquish the pieces they need, whether through barter, exchange of team members, donating time to another team, a merger, etc.

Whatever they choose to do, they must do it as a group. Purpose: This exercise is time-consuming, but it accomplishes creative teamwork on several levels. As a team, they must build the puzzle. As a team, they must find a way to convince the other teams to help them. In other words, they must solve both the puzzle and the problem of getting their pieces back.

Talk about team bonding, huh? Divide your team into equal groups. Create a specific project with clear restrictions and a goal. For example, you might have your team create a device that involves movement without electricity, and moves a golf ball from point A to point B.

The challenge is completely up to you. Then give each team the same supplies to work from, or create a pile of available supplies in the middle of the room. Give them a specific time to complete the project, making sure to mention that they can only use what is available, though how they use it is completely up to them. The final reveal is a fun event, and a great opportunity for your team to compete.

Purpose: Problem solving as a team, with a strong mix of creativity, is exactly what this exercise accomplishes. It also brings an element of fun and maker-ism into the mix, with the added twist of learning how to solve a problem with reduced options. In the book Weslandia by Paul Fleischman, the young boy Wes creates his own language, culture, and economy one summer.

A new startup created a small economy and ended up having a great deal of fun as well as learning about what motivated other team members. Get your team together and decide if you want to create an economy or some mini-aspect of larger society. Set up the rules you will abide by, leaving enough wiggle room to experience problems that need group agreement to solve as the system is put into action.

There are rewards and penalties. Some team members will reveal themselves to be rule-abiders and others as creative rule-benders.

The team will quickly learn how others work, solve, and think outside of the typical work-related realm. This will bring new understanding to work-related projects that need solutions. This team-building exercise takes place not in one sitting, but over time. Make a large, blank journal or scrapbook available in the break room or other common areas. The book may have prompts on each page, asking questions or suggesting things to write or draw.

Or, you may have guidelines printed and displayed next to the book i. Leave pens, markers, tape, and other items that your team can use to write and draw in the book. When the book is full, put it on the shelf and get a new one. Purpose: This team exercise creates a living history of your business that you can keep adding to. It is somewhat similar to the Zappos culture book, but allows your team a chance to build it more directly.

This game encourages creativity, collaboration, and recollection. Divide your team into equal sized groups, and send them out with a list of items to locate and bring back. Whether they remain in the office or are to leave the building is up to you. The ultimate goal is to get back first with the most items. You may want to set a time limit so that all groups are back in a reasonable time, whether they found all items or not. A scavenger hunt can be themed, and might involve a variety of clues or other twists that force a team to get creative and work together.

One variation is to make it a digital scavenger hunt in which they must find examples and specific information or web pages online. You may wish to restrict which search engines or methods they use to complete the challenge. Purpose: A scavenger hunt is a fun activity that forces people to work together as a team. It spurs creativity, particularly if clues or riddles are involved. Much like a scavenger hunt, a geocache adventure relies on clues but has the added level of using GPS coordinates to find an item.

Each group will need to have a GPS device that will work for finding geocaches. There are several apps available to use on smartphones that would suffice. You may wish to have a set time in which all groups must return. The clues you hide in specific geographic locations could be part of a larger riddle or message that you wish the teams to have revealed to them. A variation of this might be to use QR codes placed around the office or neighborhood, mixing GPS locations with other clues found in QR codes.

Purpose: This exercise helps team members work together to achieve a specific goal using a specific and narrow process in which close enough is not good enough. It also promotes problem solving in a creative way if riddles and puzzles are involved. If you do this over lunch, be sure to cater food and make it a fun time. Require team members to be present. Have a question and answer session afterwards. Purpose: Most people are eager to let others know interesting things about themselves, but not all team members are able to make that happen.

Most teams are lopsided, with some members dominating discussion. Before your regular staff meeting, break your team into groups. Instruct the groups to find out one commonality among themselves.

It might be a hobby or an interest they all do, or having the same favorite genre of music or favorite food. Once they discover a commonality they can agree on, they create a list of what might be stereotypical qualities of such people. Although it can be tough to figure out how to build team morale virtually, the task isn't impossible. Remote team building games improve the morale of your team and their sense of belonging, which is essential for your team's overall productivity and employee satisfaction.

We've put together a list of exciting team building exercises and games for your remote team to try out. Let's go over them in the next section. When coming up with ways to bond with your team online, Williams suggests assuming that anything is an option. This mindset combats restrictive thinking with games and opens up new realms of possibilities.

Similar to the workings of the hit MTV show "Cribs," you and your team could spend some time showing off your remote work spaces. This game, inspired by the team at Help Scout , is a fun way to get a look into the workspaces of your teammates. To give it a "challenging" aspect, have team members vote on their favorite workspace at the end, and the winner can enjoy the bragging rights of having the most impressive remote work setup. Using a bingo template , create a bingo card and schedule a quick game as a "brain break" for you and your team.

You can make it personalized to fit your company and team like the one below:. Have your teammates submit ideas for Bingo spaces to make it a collaborative process.

You can even offer a prize for the winner, such as an online gift card. Another plus — Bingo is easy enough to build into a routine meeting. To make Bingo work remotely, pick one person to be the moderator. They would call out a random phrase and wait a few seconds for players to search their card for that phrase. If the player has that phrase on their card, they'd use a tool, such as paint, to mark that space.

Once a player has marked enough spaces in a row, they'd announce "Bingo! If the row is vertical, horizontal, or diagonal, and matches the spaces, that colleague wins. Mafia is known by a couple of different names, and is often played by large groups. Essentially, the game is a "whodunnit" mystery-solving challenge. One of the players is a silent "killer," and it's up to everyone else to figure out the culprit.

There's a couple of roles to assign in Mafia to keep organizational structure, like "Doctor," "Townspeople," and "Detective. It can all be played over a video call. Click here for a full run-down of how to play Mafia.