Team building is incredibly important for businesses and workplaces, especially in industries that require communication and collaboration. Team building events give employees an opportunity to get to know each other through a memorable activity.
Team building activities can pay off in creating a cohesive workplace. The comfort and communication gained from icebreakers and team building activities can help them solve everyday workplace issues. This can also translate into boosting the performance of your team because a positive work culture has been established.
Check out our round-up of favorite team-building activities.
Salt & Pepper Team Building Activity
This is a great ice breaker activity to kick off your event if you have an even number of people in your group.
Necessary Materials:
- Tape
- Pen
- Small Pieces of Paper
Write out well-known pairs on the pieces of paper, such as salt and pepper. Write salt on a piece of paper and pepper on another. Then, tape a word to each person’s back without letting them see the word.
Then, everyone has to mingle and ask yes or no questions to help them figure out what their word is. Once they’ve determined what their word is, they can go find the other half of their pair and introduce themselves. Then they can go sit down and find three things they have in common. If they have nothing in common, they should try to find three interesting facts about each other.
Afterward, go around the room and have everyone introduce their partners and what they have in common, or three interesting things about each other.
Concentration
This fun activity requires no materials, just people who are keen on details. Have everyone stand in two lines facing each other. There should be an even amount of people in each line.
One line will go first, studying the people in the other line. Then, they’ll close their eyes. While their eyes are closed, the other line will change ten things about themselves in total. This can include putting someone’s hair into a ponytail, taking off jewelry, putting on a jacket, etc.
Finally, the people in the first line open their eyes and try to spot all the changes. Once they’ve figured out all the changes, it’s the other line’s turn to cover their eyes and guess.
The Human Knot
If you have a group larger than six people and less than 15, you can create a human knot. Have your team gather in a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder. Then, everyone puts their right hand in and grabs someone else’s hand in the circle. Repeat with the left hand.
For this to work, make sure that no one is holding the hand of the person next to them and that everyone is holding two different people’s hands.
Now for the fun part… Have the group try to untangle themselves without letting go of anyone’s hand. This gives everyone a chance to communicate and laugh as they bend and contort themselves to untangle the human knot.
2 Truths & A Lie
This icebreaker is an oldie but goodie. Have everyone in the group take a moment and think of two truths about themselves and one lie. However, make sure that the lie and the truths are not obvious. Then have everyone go around the room and say their two truths and a lie. Then the rest of the room gets to guess which one is a lie.
You can also make this a networking session. After everyone has gone around the room and said their two truths and a lie, have everyone mingle with each other and ask questions to determine the truths and the lie. Then bring everyone back together and guess which was the lie.
Air Bands
Have you ever watched a lip sync battle? Take your team-building session up a notch and have a battle of the air bands.
Necessary Materials
- Speakers
- A device that plays music
Have everyone get into groups of 3-4 people and assign band roles, like a main singer, drummer, and guitarist. Then they get to pick a song, choreograph and rehearse a performance to it. Finally, each group performs for your entire team. Have everyone vote on their favorite performance at the end.
Bonus Tip for Team Building
Here is our final tip team building activities… Do it in an interesting location. Hosting team-building exercises in the office keeps them in their work-mode mindset. Get them out of the office and immerse them in an environment that’s new to them.
And what environment could be newer and exciting than a newly remodeled cruise boat? With Lake Coeur d’Alene cruises, you can charter a boat for your team activities and create a memorable experience.