team building activities for work problem solving

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22 Unbeatable Team Building Problem Solving Activities

Problem-solving is a critical skill for professionals and with team building problem-solving activities, you can sharpen your skills while having fun at the same time.  

Updated: March 1, 2024

In the professional world, one thing is for sure: problem-solving is a vital skill if you want to survive and thrive. It’s a universal job skill that organizations seek in new potential employees and that managers look for when considering candidates for promotions.  

But there’s a problem. 

According to Payscale, 60% of managers feel that new grads entering the workforce lack problem-solving abilities – making it the most commonly lacking soft skill.  

Problem-solving skill needs to be practiced and perfected on an ongoing basis in order to be applied effectively when the time comes. And while there are tons of traditional approaches to becoming a better problem-solver, there’s another (much more interesting) option: team building problem-solving activities. 

The good news? This means learning and having fun don’t have to be mutually exclusive. And you can create a stronger team at the same time. 

16 In-Person Team Building Problem Solving Activities for Your Work Group  

1. cardboard boat building challenge, 2. egg drop , 3. clue murder mystery, 4. marshmallow spaghetti tower  , 5. corporate escape room, 6. wild goose chase, 7. lost at sea  , 8. domino effect challenge, 9. reverse pyramid  , 10. ci: the crime investigators, 11. team pursuit, 12. bridge builders, 13. domino effect challenge, 14. hollywood murder mystery, 15. code break, 16. cardboard boat building challenge, 6 virtual team building problem solving activities for your work group  , 1. virtual escape room: mummy’s curse, 2. virtual clue murder mystery, 3. virtual escape room: jewel heist, 4. virtual code break  , 5. virtual trivia time machine.

• 6. Virtual Jeoparty Social

There are a ton of incredible team building problem solving activities available. We’ve hand-picked 16 of our favorites that we think your corporate group will love too. 

Split into teams and create a cardboard boat made out of just the materials provided: cardboard and tape. Team members will have to work together to engineer a functional boat that will float and sail across water without sinking. Once teams have finished making their boats, they will create a presentation to explain why their boat is the best, before putting their boats to the test. The final challenge will have teams racing their boats to test their durability! Nothing says problem-solving like having to make sure you don’t sink into the water!

Every day at work, you’re forced to make countless decisions – whether they’re massively important or so small you barely think about them.  

But your ability to effectively make decisions is critical in solving problems quickly and effectively.  

With a classic team building problem solving activity like the Egg Drop, that’s exactly what your team will learn to do. 

For this activity, you’ll need some eggs, construction materials, and a place you wouldn’t mind smashing getting dirty with eggshells and yolks.  

The goal of this activity is to create a contraption that will encase an egg and protect it from a fall – whether it’s from standing height or the top of a building. But the challenge is that you and your team will only have a short amount of time to build it before it’s time to test it out, so you’ll have to think quickly! 

To make it even more challenging, you’ll have to build the casing using only simple materials like: 

• Newspapers 
• Plastic wrap
• Rubber bands
• Popsicle sticks
• Cotton balls

Feel free to have some fun in picking the materials. Use whatever you think would be helpful without making things too easy! 

Give your group 15 minutes to construct their egg casing before each team drops their eggs. If multiple eggs survive, increase the height gradually to see whose created the sturdiest contraption.  

If you’re not comfortable with the idea of using eggs for this activity, consider using another breakable alternative, such as lightbulbs for a vegan Egg Drop experience. 

With Clue Murder Mystery, your team will need to solve the murder of a man named Neil Davidson by figuring out who had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit the crime.

But it won’t be easy! You’ll need to exercise your best problem-solving skills and channel your inner detectives if you want to keep this case from going cold and to get justice for the victim.

Collaboration is critical to problem solving. 

Why? Because, as the old saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This expression reflects the fact that people are capable of achieving greater things when they work together to do so. 

If you’re looking for a team building problem solving activity that helps boost collaboration, you’ll love Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower.  

This game involves working in teams to build the tallest possible freestanding tower using only marshmallows, uncooked spaghetti, tape, and string.  

The kicker? This all has to be done within an allotted timeframe. We recommend about thirty minutes.  

For an added dimension of challenge, try adding a marshmallow to the top of the tower to make it a little more top heavy.  

Whichever team has the highest tower when time runs out is the winner! 

If you’ve never participated in an escape room, your team is missing out! It’s one of the most effective team building problem solving activities out there because it puts you and your colleagues in a scenario where the only way out is collaboratively solving puzzles and deciphering clues.  

The principle is simple: lock your group in a room, hide the key somewhere in that room, and have them work through challenges within a set time frame. Each challenge will lead them one step closer to finding the key and, ultimately, their escape.    

At Outback, we offer “done-for-you” escape rooms where we’ll transform your office or meeting room so you don’t have to worry about:

• Seeking transportation for your team 
• Capacity of the escape rooms  
• High costs 
• Excessive planning  

That way, you and your team can simply step inside and get to work collaborating, using creative problem solving, and thinking outside the box.   

In this smartphone-based scavenger hunt team building activity , your group will split into teams and complete fun challenges by taking photos and videos around the city. Some examples of challenges you can do in this activity are:

• Parkour:  Take a picture of three team members jumping over an object that’s at least waist-high.
• Beautiful Mind:  Snap a photo of a team member proving a well-known mathematical theorem on a chalkboard.
• Puppy Love:  Take a photo of all of your team members petting a stranger’s dog at the same time.

It takes a ton of critical thinking and problem-solving to be crowned the Wild Goose Chase Champions!

Can you imagine a higher-pressure situation than being stranded at sea in a lifeboat with your colleagues? 

With this team building problem solving activity, that’s exactly the situation you and your group will put yourselves. But by the time the activity is over, you’ll have gained more experience with the idea of having to solve problems under pressure – a common but difficult thing to do. 

Here’s how it works. 

Each team member will get a six-columned chart where: 

• The first column lists the survival items each team has on hand (see the list below) 
• The second column is empty so that each team member can rank the items in order of importance for survival  
• The third column is for group rankings  
• The fourth column is for the “correct” rankings, which are revealed at the end of the activity 
• The fifth and sixth columns are for the team to enter thee difference between their individual and correct scores and the team and correct rankings 

Within this activity, each team will be equipped with the following “survival items,” listed below in order of importance, as well as a pack of matches:  

• A shaving mirror (this can be used to signal passing ships using the sun) 
• A can of gas (could be used for signaling as it could be put in the water and lit with the pack of matches) 
• A water container (for collecting water to re-hydrate ) 
• Emergency food rations (critical survival food) 
• One plastic sheet (can be helpful for shelter or to collect rainwater) 
• Chocolate bars (another food supply) 
• Fishing rods (helpful, but no guarantee of catching food) 
• Rope (can be handy, but not necessarily essential for survival) 
• A floating seat cushion (usable as a life preserver)  
• Shark repellant (could be important when in the water) 
• A bottle of rum (could be useful for cleaning wounds) 
• A radio (could be very helpful but there’s a good chance you’re out of range) 
• A sea chart (this is worthless without navigation equipment) 
• A mosquito net (unless you’ve been shipwrecked somewhere with a ton of mosquitos, this isn’t very useful) 

To get the activity underway, divide your group into teams of five and ask each team member to take ten minutes on their own to rank the items in order of importance in the respective column. Then, give the full team ten minutes as a group to discuss their individual rankings together and take group rankings, listed in that respective column. Ask each group to compare their individual rankings with those of the group as a whole. 

Finally, read out the correct order according to the US Coast Guard, listed above.  

The goal of this activity is for everyone to be heard and to come to a decision together about what they need most to survive.  

If your team works remotely, you can also do this activity online. Using a video conferencing tool like  Zoom , you can bring your group together and separate teams into “break-out rooms” where they’ll take their time individually and then regroup together. At the end, you can bring them back to the full video conference to go through the answers together. 

Many problems are intricately complex and involve a ton of moving parts. And in order to solve this type of problem, you need to be able to examine it systematically, one piece at a time.  

Especially in the business world, many problems or challenges involve multiple different teams or departments working through their respective portions of a problem before coming together in the end to create a holistic solution. 

As you can imagine, this is often easier said than done. And that’s why it’s so important to practice this ability.  

With a collaborative team building problem solving activity like Domino Effect Challenge, that’s exactly what you’ll need to do as you and your group work to create a massive, fully functional chain reaction machine. 

Here’s how it goes. 

Your group will break up into teams, with each team working to complete their own section of a massive “Rube Goldberg” machine. Then, all teams will regroup and assemble the entire machine together. You’ll need to exercise communication, collaboration, and on-the-fly problem solving in order to make your chain reaction machine go off without a hitch from start to finish. 

Being a great problem-solver means being adaptable and creative. And if you’re looking for a quick and easy team building problem solving activity, you’ll love the reverse pyramid. 

The idea here is simple: break your group out into small teams and then stand in the form of a pyramid.  

Your challenge is to flip the base and the peak of the pyramid – but you can only move three people in order to do so.  

Alternatively, rather than doing this activity with people as the pyramid, you can do another version –  the Pyramid Build  – using plastic cups instead.   

This version is a little bit different. Rather than flipping the base of a pyramid to the top, you’ll need to build the pyramid instead–but in reverse, starting from the top cup and working down. 

With this version, you’ll need 36 cups and one table per group. We recommend groups of five to seven people. Give your group 20 to 30 minutes to complete the activity. 

To get started, place one cup face down. Then, lift that cup and place the subsequent two cups underneath it. 

The real challenge here? You can only lift your pyramid by the bottom row in order to put a new row underneath – and only one person at a time can do the lifting. The remaining group members will need to act quickly and work together in order to add the next row so that it will balance the rest of the pyramid. 

If any part of your pyramid falls, you’ll need to start over. Whichever team has the most complete pyramid when time runs out will be the winner!  

The value of being able to approach problems analytically can’t be overstated. Because when problems arise, the best way to solve them is by examining the facts and making a decision based on what you know. 

With CI: The Crime Investigators, this is exactly what your team will be called upon to do as you put your detective’s hats on and work to solve a deadly crime. 

You’ll be presented with evidence and need to uncover and decipher clues. And using only the information at your disposal, you’ll need to examine the facts in order to crack the case. 

Like many of our team building problem solving activities, CI: The Crime Investigators is available in a hosted format, which can take place at your office or an outside venue, as well as a virtually-hosted format that uses video conferencing tools, or a self-hosted version that you can run entirely on your own.  

Each member of your team has their own unique strengths and skills. And by learning to combine those skills, you can overcome any challenge and solve any problem. With Team Pursuit, you and your team together to tackle challenges as you learn new things about one another, discover your hidden talents, and learn to rely on each other.

This team building problem solving activity is perfect for high-energy groups that love to put their heads together and work strategically to solve problems as a group.

Collaborate with your colleague to design and build different segments of a bridge. At the end, see if the sections come together to create a free-standing structure!   

Together as a group, see if you and your colleagues can build a gigantic “chain-reaction” machine that really works!

In smaller groups, participants work together to solve the challenge of creating sections of the machine using miscellaneous parts, and at the end, you’ll have to collaborate to connect it all together and put it in motion.

The case is fresh, but here’s what we know so far: we’ve got an up-and-coming actress who’s been found dead in her hotel room following last night’s awards show.

We have several suspects, but we haven’t been able to put the crime on any of them for sure yet. Now, it’s up to you and your team of detectives to crack the case. Together, you’ll review case files and evidence including police reports, coroners’ reports, photo evidence, tabloids, interrogations, and phone calls as you determine the motive, method, and murderer and bring justice for the victim.

You’ll need to put your problem-solving skills to the test as you share theories, collaborate, and think outside the box with your fellow investigators.

Using Outback’s app, split up into small groups and put your heads together to solve a variety of puzzles, riddles, and trivia. The team who has completed the most challenges when time is up, wins!

Can you stay afloat in a body of water in a boat made entirely of cardboard? Now that is a problem that urgently needs solving.

With this team building problem solving activity, you and your colleagues will split into groups and create a cardboard boat made out of just the materials provided – cardboard and tape.

Team members will have to work together to engineer a functional boat that will float and sail across water without sinking. Once teams have finished making their boats, they will create a presentation to explain why their boat is the best, before putting their boats to the test. The final challenge will have teams racing their boats across the water!

If you and your team are working remotely, don’t worry. You still have a ton of great virtual team building problem solving options at your disposal.

In this virtual escape room experience, your team will be transported into a pyramid cursed by a restless mummy. You’ll have to work together to uncover clues and solve complex challenges to lift the ancient curse.

You’ve probably never heard of a man named Neil Davidson. But your group will need to come together to solve the mystery of his murder by analyzing clues, resolving challenges, and figuring out who had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit a deadly crime. 

This activity will challenge you and your group to approach problems analytically, read between the lines, and use critical thinking in order to identify a suspect and deliver justice.  

If you and your team like brainteasers, then Virtual Escape Room: Jewel Heist will be a big hit.  

Here’s the backstory.

There’s been a robbery. Someone has masterminded a heist to steal a priceless collection of precious jewels, and it’s up to you and your team to recover them before time runs out.

Together, you’ll need to uncover hidden clues and solve a series of brain-boggling challenges that require collaboration, creative problem-solving, and outside-the-box thinking. But be quick! The clock is ticking before the stolen score is gone forever.

With Virtual Code Break, you and your team can learn to be adaptive and dynamic in your thinking in order to tackle any new challenges that come your way. In this activity, your group will connect on a video conferencing platform where your event host will split you out into teams. Together, you’ll have to adapt your problem-solving skills as you race against the clock to tackle a variety of mixed brainteaser challenges ranging from Sudoku to puzzles, a game of Cranium, riddles, and even trivia. 

Curious to see how a virtual team building activity works? Check out this video on a Virtual Clue Murder Mystery in action. 

Step into the Outback Time Machine and take a trip through time, from pre-pandemic 21st century through the decades all the way to the 60’s. 

This exciting, fast-paced virtual trivia game, packed with nostalgia and good vibes, is guaranteed to produce big laughs, friendly competition, and maybe even some chair-dancing. 

Your virtual game show host will warm up guests with a couple of “table hopper rounds” (breakout room mixers) and split you out into teams. Within minutes, your home office will be transformed into a game show stage with your very own game show buzzers! 

And if your team loves trivia, check out our list of the most incredible virtual trivia games for work teams for even more ideas.

6.  Virtual Jeoparty Social

If your remote team is eager to socialize, have some fun as a group, and channel their competitive spirit, we’ve got just the thing for you! With Virtual Jeoparty Social, you and your colleagues will step into your very own virtual Jeopardy-style game show—equipped with a buzzer button, a professional actor as your host, and an immersive game show platform! Best of all, this game has been infused with an ultra-social twist: players will take part in a unique social mixer challenge between each round. 

With the right team building problem solving activities, you can help your team sharpen their core skills to ensure they’re prepared when they inevitably face a challenge at work. And best of all, you can have fun in the process. 

Do you have any favorite team building activities for building problem-solving skills? If so, tell us about them in the comments section below! 

Learn More About Team Building Problem Solving Activities  

For more information about how your group can take part in a virtual team building, training, or coaching solution, reach out to our Employee Engagement Consultants.     

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I love how this blog provides a variety of problem-solving activities for team building. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to foster teamwork and collaboration!

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15 Team Building Problem Solving Activities for Work

Some employers focus more on practical skills than problem-solving abilities. However, no team can overcome various challenges without solving problems together. As such, problem-solving skills are critical whether you work in a physical office or remotely.

If an entire team cannot work together, their synergy crumbles, and all other teams are affected equally.

One fun and exciting way to bring together a successful team and promote creative problem-solving is by holding team-building problem-solving activities.

These team-building activities boost communication skills, critical thinking, and collaboration in various games, mental tests, and situations.

If you want to learn more about how we can help upgrade your next team building activity, book a demo with us and explore our various options and activities.

From competitive yet creative challenges to exciting races across an office room or city, our guide to these team-building games will help bring team members closer and boost problem-solving processes for everyone.

1. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Whenever a problem comes up at work, every team member has various creative solutions that reflect their strengths and abilities.

However, the Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower requires unified critical thinking and communication skills for an entire team to win.

How the Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower Challenge Works

This fun game uses only four construction materials: marshmallows, uncooked spaghetti pasta, tape, and string.

As the name suggests, this game has one goal: build an entire random structure using these four materials and ensure it does not break apart afterward . The group with the sturdiest and most functional design wins the game.

From the premise alone, this game already sounds like an interesting problem. The difference in the marshmallow’s softness and the pasta’s rigid shape makes combining both items into one unified build a unique challenge.

Additional rules, like a height and time limit, may be added to increase teamwork . Some players can even receive limits, such as using only a set number of pasta and marshmallows to build a free-standing tower.

All the teams must work together and use creative problem-solving to build the structure. The group members pitch various unique ideas to build the structure, and team dynamics are tested as they race to finish building within the time limit.

Every member gets to help out, increasing speed and precision. Whether it is to think of the initial design or to ensure every marshmallow keeps multiple pasta noodles together, everybody has to use their skills with speed and accuracy to ensure a win.

How Building Marshmallow Towers Strengthens Collaboration

With this team-building activity, every material used to combine everything matters . If one part falls apart, the team must redo everything and start again.

Despite this, their collaboration increases as everyone tries to reason with one another to combine all ideas into one . They will have to check that everyone suggests an idea, helps in the building, and does not clash with others over their design ideas.

More than racing against other teams while building the tower, it allows all teams to implement combined ideas.

Each player contributes their idea for the structure — such as the areas where the marshmallows go and how to construct it best so it does not fall over. When the real challenge of constructing their build idea starts, players are tested on how well they follow team instructions .

As they synchronize as a group and use their problem-solving abilities, all group members gain more creative thinking abilities while having fun. This game even brings out the leadership skills in everyone, as each team player guides and helps one another while building the tower.

Their communication and collaboration skills strengthen, boosting the company culture and forming new bonds. Every group ends the game with more respect, understanding, and knowledge of the creative talents and logical ideas of other people in the team.

2. Egg Drop

What better way to spend a day with your coworkers than with an egg-throwing competition? The egg drop is a classic team-building activity that tests critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills.

While some may have experienced playing this fun game during their school years, it remains one of the best team-building problem-solving activities that can carry over to your working life.

Like the Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower challenge, this game tests your physics skills while pushing your creative ideas to the limits to ensure the egg does not break.

How to Play the Egg Drop Challenge

To play the egg drop challenge, every team member must help make a contraption that protects only one egg . The contraption may be any shape or size as long as it only uses the given materials and does not crack the egg when released from a certain height.

Each team will be given thirty minutes to an hour to brainstorm and construct a shape housing the egg. After giving a signal, each team drops their contraption from a higher level to the ground. A judge checks for an unbroken egg to decide the winning team.

The egg drop team-building game requires eggs, basic construction materials, and outdoor free space for team-building activities. It is recommended that the outdoor space is more on a grassy area to make the activity less messy.

However, a concrete space provides an exciting twist to the existing challenge if you want to test each team’s construction and building skills.

These are the common construction materials needed for the egg drop game:

• Plastic wrap
• Rubber bands
• Popsicle sticks
• Cotton balls

While these are commonly used, the decision over what materials to use is in the hands of the team leader. What matters is that the team uses their best construction and brainstorming skills to protect the egg while working with their creative abilities.

Why the Egg Drop Game Helps Team Harmony

With their leader’s direction and the team’s collective creative thinking, this team-building exercise tests the creativity of everyone in the team and helps develop problem-solving skills.

Will they use geometric shapes or be more creative?

The possibilities for what structure they can build to encase an egg are endless. Since they can build in so many ways, every member has the chance to contribute, strengthening team synergy and self-confidence.

As they use these basic construction materials and work together to protect the egg, each moment helps improve team collaboration and critical thinking .

Not only are the teams working better together, but they also discover new skills within themselves. With their logical thinking and creative talents strengthened, all members learn to work efficiently while forming bonds with each other.

3. Minefield

Another popular option for team-building problem-solving activities is playing Minefield. This exciting game requires small teams, such as two team members each, to work together and get from one end of a room to another without bumping into “mines.”

How to Play Minefield

This game starts with team members filling an empty room with objects that work as “mines” or things you cannot touch . These mines can be anything, from a stack of books to a chair.

After putting the objects around the room, players must go through the room without walking into the obstacles. The goal locations may be from one end of the room to another or in a different direction, adding to the challenge.

When you form two teams (or more), only one person per team wears a blindfold. The non-blindfolded team member must guide the blindfolded member with their directions to get through the mine-filled room before the other teams.

After the two teams complete the challenge, the other team member gets to wear the blindfold. The “mines” can be rearranged or changed into larger objects to increase the challenge.

You can even shorten the time limit to make things more exciting or change the goal location entirely. Another fun idea is to swap teams after each player gets to navigate through the mines, strengthening the skills of a larger group while providing a thrilling experience.

Why Is Minefield a Good Team-Building Game?

This problem-solving exercise tests how well each team member communicates with the other. Since only one person can direct the other, the blindfolded member must use their listening and creative problem-solving skills to win the game.

The other exercises their coaching and leadership skills. This added skill is especially beneficial to team members who are soft-spoken or do not have as much leadership experience.

The minefield game makes team-building problem-solving activities more fun and thrilling. It also boosts the decision-making muscles of each team on how to best communicate directions to one another.

These are skills they can use for various work-related conflicts over time. It is also fun to build happy memories and trust as players struggle not to bump into the mines and listen to the instructions of their teammates.

4. Reverse Pyramid

While building a pyramid out of plastic cups from the bottom upwards is easy, have you ever tried building an entire pyramid from the top downwards?

Now, you can try making a reverse pyramid with this challenging and creative team-building activity.

How to Do the Reverse Pyramid Game

The Reverse Pyramid game requires five to seven team members to construct a pyramid out of plastic cups, but with a twist: they need to start from the top and only move its base to add new levels.

To add to the challenge, only one person at a time can move the plastic cups and build the pyramid. Other team members must act quickly and hold the plastic cups in place so they do not fall over .

Such a unique challenge causes everyone to cooperate, think quickly, and move as one to win the game.

With the added challenge of the lighter weight of a plastic cup and limited movements, everyone will surely face a challenging yet rewarding experience.

If any part of their pyramid falls, they must start over . With the added pressure from a time limit and competition from other teams, the patience and ability of everyone involved to solve problems quickly is tested.

After building the reverse pyramid, a judge checks each team’s area to see which group managed to keep theirs standing.

How the Reverse Pyramid Game Strengthens Adaptability

These creative problem-solving activities measure how well every team member adapts to a challenging situation. Additionally, it tests how efficiently everyone communicates and collaborates to succeed.

Since no more than one person can move the plastic cups on the bottom row, everyone must agree on the responsibilities of each member, building their leadership skill and team synergy.

Not only does it push their team-building problem-solving skills, but it also encourages them to work fast and rely on the strengths of fellow teammates.

Even if some high-pressure moments show weaknesses, the team helps one another continue and do their best to win. As every second passes, you see how each team learns to work together on the spot to match the abilities of others.

This strategy carries over past the game and into their work as the team unites to help each other during challenging moments and stressful situations . With their adaptability increased, working as a united team becomes easier than before the challenge.

Despite the limitations, every team learns to grow from their mistakes and work efficiently. Even as parts of the pyramid fall, strong teams can power through it rather than blaming each other for such mistakes.

Whether they win or not, all team members end the game feeling more mentally stimulated and closer to their team. By understanding their roles, they gain more confidence.

5. Cardboard Boat Building Challenge

While most team-building activities gain their challenging nature from time or material limitations, what happens when team members need to adjust and work with natural challenges that are out of their control?

The cardboard boat-building challenge pushes everyone to solve problems most creatively and functionally. After all, how often do you get to build a boat out of cardboard while including all of the structural ideas your team comes up with?

What Is the Cardboard Boat Building Challenge?

To play the cardboard boat-building challenge, all team members must construct a boat that floats and sails across a body of water using only one large piece of cardboard and tape .

With the added difficulty of the water current and cardboard quickly falling apart when wet, this problem-solving challenge will test every player’s creativity and building skills.

The game moderator can encourage participants to exercise their creative thinking skills, consider the movements of the water, and build a functional cardboard boat within a time limit.

With just a few materials, everyone must provide ideas, agree on a final design, and help each other create the boat. Not only will they have to face the strength of the water, but they also have to race against time and other teams to construct a functional boat .

Regardless of whether one team member suggests the most unusual idea or the most functional one, each team has complete freedom to decide what their boat will look like.

After finishing the boat, they explain to the other groups why their boat is the best before testing it on the water.

You may add additional criteria to pick the winner, such as the best-designed boat or the boat that lasts the longest before falling apart.

Why the Cardboard Boat Building Challenge Promotes Collaboration

This fun problem-solving activity has everyone collaborating and doing their best to help the team.

From brainstorming the best design that lasts on the water to using the limited, weak materials to build the boat, everyone plays their part to ensure the team’s success.

Every small win they have strengthens their bonds and improves the overall company culture.

Afterward, each group can carry these learned skills to their work. They will know how to work better together when a new challenge arises.

Collaboration is more than simply working together to reach a goal. Thanks to the cardboard boat-building challenge, every member understands how their teammates collaborate and how they can use these abilities to help the entire company.

6. Lost at Sea

If the last team-building game had each player working together to build a boat, how challenging would it be to be stuck on a boat with your team members?

This next team-building activity will simulate an interesting situation that will have everyone thinking outside the box.

What is the Lost at Sea Game?

The Lost at Sea team-building activity is an exciting game with one main goal: letting every team member decide on the most essential survival items while on a stranded boat.

This game pushes everyone to solve problems logically, individually, and as a group while surviving on the open water.

Playing Lost at Sea requires everyone to have a chart, writing materials, and their imagination. It is a relatively quick yet fun mental challenge that provides insight into how different employees prioritize the same materials for survival.

How to Play Lost at Sea

The game starts with all team members receiving a six-column chart. If you are setting up this game, check that everyone receives a copy of it and a pen first before starting. Here are the details included in the chart:

• First Column: This column includes various survival items that team members must use. The complete list will be included below.
• Second Column: This column should remain empty so that team members can rank the items in the first column in order. The order should go from the most important survival item to the least important.
• Third Column: This column is meant for the team’s overall ranking, where they combine individual rankings and put them into an order that everyone agrees on.
• Fourth Column : This column is used to write the correct ranking in order of importance. Specific criteria from the US Coast Guard determine the most essential survival items for getting help.
• Fifth and Sixth Columns: These two columns are reserved for the team members to note the difference between their individual and correct scores from the ranking by the US Coast Guard.

Using their problem-solving skills, each member needs to analyze various items and imagine how they would use them if stuck at sea.

These are the survival items that team members must work with and note in the correct order of importance:

• Pack of Matches: Though some believe a pack of matches would be useless out on the sea, it has many benefits if paired with good problem-solving skills. Additionally, this item helps keep you warm during cold evenings out in the open water.
• Shaving Mirror: When a mirror is faced towards the sun, its light reflects onto the mirror and acts as a signaling beacon to passing ships.
• Can of Gas: While some believe it useless, it is incredibly helpful with a lit match. By causing a large flame and using it like a torch, calling for help to ships passing by significantly boosts survival.
• Water Container: As many people lost in the sea die quickly from dehydration, having a water container with you helps collect rainwater and stay hydrated.
• Emergency Food Rations: These quick meals fight off starvation, especially when lost at sea for a long time.
• Plastic Sheet: Plastic sheets are a great alternative to a water container as they help collect rainwater and provide shelter.
• Chocolate Bars: Other than being a necessary food supply, the sugar within chocolate bars provides a quick boost of energy that keeps a survivor going while waiting for help.
• Fishing Rods: While this item helps catch food, the chances of successfully catching fish are small, especially without bait or fishing experience.
• Rope : Though rope may be helpful to repair the surface or boat you are standing on, it does not guarantee survival and sees little usage.
• Floating Seat Cushion: If your raft or boat sinks, a floating seat cushion may be helpful as a life preserver.
• Shark Repellant: Shark repellents are useful for protecting yourself in the open sea, but the chances of running into sharks or even having shark repellents are minimal.
• Bottle of Rum : Rum helps clean wounds, which is crucial, especially at sea. While it may also be a way to combat dehydration, rum may not be the best choice to keep you hydrated for a long time.
• Radio: Radios help you call for help from nearby ships or coast guards, but there may also be a high chance that you are out of their range. The radio may also break easily, especially when surrounded by water.
• Sea Chart or Map: Though helpful, sea charts or maps are useless without navigational equipment. Without knowing your direction, these items are more useful for building a fire.
• Mosquito Net: This net would be useless unless you are near an area with many mosquitos.

The first step to playing this game is dividing everyone into groups of five. After each member gets a paper and pen with the listed materials, give them ten minutes to rank each item depending on how useful they are for survival.

After ten minutes, let them discuss their rankings with their group. The group then combines individual rankings into their group ranking. Afterward, show each team the correct order listed above and explain the reasons why.

This team-building game may also be played virtually. Using video conferencing platforms, remote teams can be divided into small teams, and their ranking can be decided individually and as a group.

How the Lost at Sea Game Impacts Communication

The Lost at Sea game helps encourage participants to think logically yet creatively while boosting their communication abilities.

Since the game requires you to explain why you ranked various materials in such an order, it increases confidence in presenting thoughts and opinions.

This game also teaches team members to boost their listening skills while collaborating.

Do you want to experience fun and customized team building activities? Book a demo to see how we can improve your next team building sesssion.

Book a demo with us

7. Escape Room

Imagine being stuck in an eerie room with your coworkers, with puzzles and cryptic escape instructions.

With an added time limit challenge and a prize for the winning team, members need to use the best of their problem-solving skills to survive an escape room .

What Are Escape Rooms?

Escape rooms are popular team-building activities that strengthen teamwork, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. These rooms often have a dark, foreboding design, such as an abandoned basement or a broken, horror house-esque bedroom.

Each team is placed inside a room where they must solve puzzles, decipher codes, and use clues to figure out ways to escape before the timer ends. You can add a competitive factor by pitting two teams together and seeing which group escapes first.

Escape rooms combine exciting challenges and problem-solving opportunities, from challenging logic puzzles to math equations. These unique rooms have a variety of themes, puzzles, and limitations that let everyone exercise their brain and work fast.

Escape room puzzles are popular among players for various difficulty levels . They may sometimes be as simple as memorizing a number pattern or as tricky as using answers from previous puzzles to decode them.

The best part about escape rooms is that they can also be done as a virtual team-building activity. A virtual escape room mimics the challenge, suspense, and intrigue of an in-person escape room but with the added element of it all being completely online.

The virtual escape room experience allows remote teams to collaborate outside work and encounter problem-solving games and puzzles.

The remote team strengthens their collaboration skills while trying to escape and work in the same direction.

The Benefits of Escape Rooms

As every team faces a puzzle, they hear and experience each member’s logical and creative ideas.

Since everyone tries to solve puzzles differently, the team must communicate and learn the most efficient way to solve the puzzle while combining solutions from everyone.

Such a challenging situation often happens in our real working lives, especially when faced with difficult team decisions or deadlines.

By knowing the logical and creative strengths of each team member when faced with an unforeseen situation, everyone is better prepared for when real-life puzzles come their way. This strengthened teamwork is incredibly important for any company to survive.

Whether these problem-solving games are done as a virtual team-building activity or in-person, everyone plays a vital role in the group’s success, enhancing company culture and friendships.

8. Code Break

While escape rooms combine our innate sense of survival in unfamiliar territory with challenging puzzles, Code Break is a fun team-building activity filled with brainteasers, interesting trivia, and tricky codes.

How to Play Code Break

In Code Break, teams must finish fun problem-solving activities like deciphering codes, answering trivia questions, and unlocking riddle answers within a time limit.

You can make Code Break even more exciting with a time limit and sought-after prize . As every team player works together to determine the meaning of a code and answer riddles, they learn to listen to one another and discover how each person views puzzles differently.

Why Is Code Break Great for Team Building?

These team-building exercises simultaneously test everyone’s mental skills, creativity, and logic capabilities while strengthening collaboration and quick thinking within a team.

Even a remote team can enjoy the fun with a virtual code break. Like the in-person equivalent of the game, virtual code break provides challenging problem-solving group activities requiring the input and cooperation of everyone involved.

By understanding how each player understands the challenge and uses creative thinking to solve it, they work better as a team by complementing the strengths and weaknesses of everyone involved.

If you want to test logic skills, then this is the team-building problem-solving activity for you.

9. Murder Mystery

Suppose escape rooms and code-breaking games get your excitement flowing.

In that case, murder mysteries are thrilling team-building problem-solving activities that combine suspense, logic, and teamwork into one gruesome mystery.

The Murder Mystery Game Defined

In a murder mystery game, a group is given key details about an unsolved murder case . These murders are sometimes explained in gruesome detail, so ensure that team players can handle the suspense before splitting into groups.

Using various pieces of evidence like coroner reports, police statements, witness testimonials, and possible suspects, each member must review the case details and work together to determine the culprit.

Each member gets to see how their teammate views and makes inferences about the situation. Not only do they need to name a suspect, but they have to figure out how the murder happened and its motive.

A significant aspect of murder mystery games is that they can also be done as a virtual team-building game. A virtual murder mystery tests collaboration as the team races toward the truth and solves a gruesome mystery before the time runs out.

How Murder Mysteries Increase Critical Thinking

These problem-solving group activities put collaboration and critical thinking skills at the forefront.

By roleplaying as investigators, the thrill of chasing after the suspect and solving the case brings everyone together to agree on the correct answers.

Whether done virtually or in person, murder mystery problem-solving activities allow everyone to flex their logical thinking muscles, listen to everyone’s opinions, and agree on the actual suspect.

10. Wild Goose Chase

Have you ever wanted to explore a city and solve puzzles like “The Amazing Race” but do not want the added pressure of a time limit as you go around?

With team-building activities like Wild Goose Chase, you experience a combination of an escape room, code break, and scavenger hunt in one fun package.

How to Do the Wild Goose Chase Challenge

Armed with a list of items or places to take pictures of , each team must work together to solve puzzles and codes that block directions.

A wild goose chase event can start from within your office and extend to your surrounding city. As each team goes from one location to another, they must finish a set of problem-solving activities to proceed.

For example, they will have to take a photo of a nearby building from a particular viewpoint with a specific group pose.

They could solve a puzzle detailing where to go next or decipher a code that explains the group activities required to reach the next spot.

You can even increase the fun and challenge by setting up a points system for groups to reach every location or various fun prizes whenever they answer a puzzle.

Another idea is to instruct everyone to take videos instead of photos for more funny moments between players.

Wild Goose Chase Benefits

With the Wild Goose Chase game, teams boost their collaboration and relationship.

Whether they need to take a funny photo or search for a hidden spot in the city, these problem-solving group activities mix the thrill of an adventure with newfound knowledge for their office or city.

Whichever additional feature you add, each player will have fun unlocking new locations and creating enjoyable memories with everyone while exploring a city.

11. Shrinking Vessel

As a child, you may have played musical chairs at least once.

Team problem-solving group activities like the Shrinking Vessel game work similarly, where everyone aims to stay within a “safe spot” as the areas around them shrink gradually.

Shrinking Vessel Game Mechanics

This exciting problem-solving game only needs a rope or string. First, you will have to gather everyone into teams. Each team will have to stand together and be surrounded by the rope.

After a minute passes, the rope or string is adjusted to be smaller than before. This smaller space forces everyone to stick closer together until the circle is so small that all players must start thinking of creative ways to stay within the circle.

Whether some players carry the others or keep one foot in the circle and the other raised above the rope, every team has to think of a unique problem-solving way to keep everyone inside and not lose the challenge.

Adaptability With the Shrinking Vessel

As the shrinking vessel game tests teamwork and collaboration skills, it also increases adaptability .

Adapting to various situations and challenges in the workplace is a vital skill for any employee, but the best solutions come from teams working together to face these issues.

Throughout the game, everyone shares their ideas about keeping their teammates in their safe spots without falling over themselves.

As the circle shrinks around them, they must think quickly and work with the challenge to keep everyone within the circle. This quick-thinking ability helps in adapting to real-life difficulties and work conflicts.

This game gives more opportunities for funny memories with all the teams and teaches everyone to work as one unit and help each other succeed.

Thanks to this exciting problem-solving activity, everyone reaches the end feeling more appreciation for one another and a stronger sense of community.

12. Dumbest Idea First

All the team-building activities we discussed up until now required at least one material.

However, the Dumbest Idea First game is a unique challenge that does not require physical materials or preparation. Instead, it only needs a mix of humor, creativity, and logic to win.

How to Play Dumbest Idea First

This unique problem-solving game requires players to form teams and solve problems with the most unusual, useless, or dumb ideas.

The team with the dumbest idea out of everyone else wins the challenge, especially if their idea actually ends up solving the problem.

This game is perfect for teams without thinking of logically intricate or complicated solutions to various problems. It is a hilarious game that makes everyone see solutions to different issues with an entirely new perspective , opting for more funny than practical solutions.

For example, the situation concerns leaving your home to go to the office, but you forget to bring your wallet.

Team players will have to think of unusual answers to solve this problem, like doing an “invisible wallet song” where you chant for your wallet to magically appear in your pocket on your way to work.

After everyone gives their idea, compile all the dumb answers within a list and run through them to decide which idea may realistically solve the problem . You may also choose a winning idea depending on how much it makes everyone laugh.

Why the Dumbest Idea First Game Matters

As everyone laughs at each other’s ideas, the creativity and communication between the team strengthen.

It gets everyone to think outside the box and go beyond what basic logic and common sense tell them. Additionally, it puts a spotlight on the creative ideas of each member.

The Dumbest Idea First game may be part of virtual team-building activities, where a remote team uses video conferencing programs to discuss hilarious problem-solving ideas.

13. What Would X Do

Suppose the murder mystery game had teams roleplaying as detectives. What Would X Do is an exciting problem-solving activity that lets everyone act like a famous Hollywood celebrity, writer, or musician.

However, it is not just a roleplaying game. What Would X Do pushes everyone to solve various challenges simultaneously without breaking character .

What Would X Do? Rules and Benefits

Each person and their celebrity character is given a specific challenge or problem. As their character, they have to solve it with key characteristics that the celebrity they chose will do.

Let us say that a player chooses to act like Tom Cruise and is faced with a situation where they are stuck in an office building with no escape.

They could suggest ideas similar to Mission Impossible, acting out lines Cruise said or daring actions he would make to get out. The main rule is that their solutions have to explicitly match their character .

As everyone acts like their celebrity and gives answers to the problems, the team decides which person acted out their celebrity the best or used the specific talents of their celebrity to solve the problem best.

With many possible celebrity options and unusual situations to give players, this problem-solving game is a huge favorite among many.

It teaches everyone to go beyond conventional ideas and think like their character, adapting quickly to limitations, boosting self-confidence, and increasing creativity.

14. Domino Effect Challenge

Have you ever seen videos where a machine is set to produce a chain reaction through different triggers and points?

Those are called Rube Goldberg machines, and with strategic team-building activities like the Domino Effect challenge, players work together to build their machines.

What Do You Need to Play the Domino Effect Challenge?

The Domino Effect challenge requires deep collaboration, teamwork, and problem-solving to build a structure that produces a chain reaction.

Everyone works together for a shared goal, whether to get dominoes moving together to form a particular shape or create intricate designs and words.

Materials used in the domino effect challenge may range from various things. Some players use smaller items and more straightforward mechanics, while more skilled teams include a wider range of materials and goals for their chain reaction to reach.

Every team must work together to brainstorm the best design their structure can have and how the chain reaction does not stop.

You can add an extra challenge by setting a time limit for everyone to adapt and work better under pressure or a smaller space to place their designs.

After everyone completes their structure, each team presents what they built and demonstrates the chain reaction. The team with the most intricate, structurally sound, and best-designed Rube Goldberg machine wins the challenge.

How the Domino Effect Increases Collaboration

This team-building game is more than just building machines and winning prizes.

Whether a team wins or loses, the Domino Effect perfectly symbolizes how team collaboration is essential to reach any goal using each member’s talents, strengths, and innate skills.

Teams composed of employees who have not previously worked together complete the challenge, feeling closer and more in tune with one another.

Everyone gains a new perspective on how each person strategizes, conceptualizes, and applies various ideas to one working product.

15. Bridge Builders

Among the various team-building activities discussed on this list, the Bridge Builders problem-solving challenge is one of the many activities that take creative inspiration from real-life items.

Bridge Builders Game Definition and Mechanics

Bridge Builders requires teams to come together and build different bridge segments, connecting one or multiple points.

Using only a few materials, such as straws or popsicle sticks, each team must construct a sturdy bridge that does not fall over after a few minutes.

These bridges face challenges similar to those of the Domino Effect or Cardboard Boat Building. Not only are teams limited to weak materials , but they also face a time and space limit.

After each person builds their segment of a bridge, they bring their portion to their team and combine it into one free-standing bridge.

To ensure the bridge works properly, every player must do their best to work with a unified structure while adding their creative ideas.

How the Bridge Builders Game Affects Team Creativity

Rather than hindering teams, these problem-solving challenges further boost their creative and teamwork skills.

Teams may have many possible strategies to build a bridge while working with these limitations. They could focus more on functionality than design or find a way to include more features without affecting the size and weight of the bridge.

Whichever way the teams decide to put their problem-solving skills to good use, the bridges that come from this challenge take many forms.

Regardless of whether they look like an architectural model or are as simple as bridges get, what matters is that each team learns to work and collaborate .

The problem-solving techniques required for the Bridge Builders challenge affect each player long after the game.

As everyone works as one to build the best bridge, all players learn how every person tackles the same problem, which is something they can apply to work-related issues.

Key Takeaways on Team Building Problem Solving Activities

Various businesses and employees strive to provide problem-solving strategies for their audience. However, they may sometimes forget that the employees themselves need fun, collaborative, and creative challenges to enhance company culture and productivity .

Problem-solving is extremely important in any office, regardless of rank or niche. Conflicts and challenges appear randomly. As such, it’s important to ensure that everyone knows how to solve these issues accurately and responsibly and keep the company working smoothly.

By holding team-building problem-solving activities once in a while, either physically or virtually, you help foster better collaboration and teamwork skills while increasing friendships and happy memories.

Morale increases as everyone collaborates with fun games, challenges, and prizes. 

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17 team building problem-solving activities that actually work

Wouldn’t it be great to go to work every day and everything just … works? While that’s a lovely daydream, in reality, we face challenges from time to time.

And when it comes to challenges, one thing remains true: Having a team you can rely on makes whatever it is way easier to deal with. 

It’s time to support your team in their personal growth and work on those problem-solving skills. The best way to do that is through some targeted team building activities . 

We’ve compiled a list of the best problem-solving activities, sorted by duration and your team’s needs. Bonus point: A lot of them are free !

Effective team building problem-solving activities

One of the most daunting aspects of team building is looking up ideas for things to do, not knowing whether they work. So we did the hard part for you and hand-picked the best team building activities to overcome obstacles. 

1. Improve collaboration with Work Buddy

Price: 14-day free trial, afterwards 7€ per user

Time : 15-20 minutes

Best for: Improving collaboration through understanding other team members' work preferences

Work Buddy is an innovative way to get teams on the same page! It's a fun and interactive quiz that helps team members understand each other better, leading towards improved collaboration. Through this session, you'll gain insights into your colleagues' working style - hours they prefer communicating during, their long-term goals, and more - which can help create stronger relationships within the workplace for more effective achievement of shared objectives. Work Buddy is free to try .

2. Practice to become a Communication Master

Best for: Exploring and understanding communication biases in the team

You're not alone if you've noticed misunderstandings or inefficient communication in your team. According to a recent study, 86% of knowledge workers report experiencing communication issues at work . Shortcomings in communication are estimated to lead to losses in profit of more than one trillion $ each year in the US alone.

Communication Master is an activity that helps your team practice explaining ideas in a clear and efficient way. It's challenging and fun, and you can try it for free .

3. Follow the GROW process

Price: Free

Time : 2-3 hours

Best for: Taking a tried and tested approach to problem-solving

Arguably the best way to tackle organizational problems is by applying a model already tried and tested in business coaching. The GROW model is precisely that. GROW is an acronym in which each letter represents a step in the problem-solving process.

How it works:

• G - Goal: Align on the goal(s) you want to achieve. Be as precise as possible and include numbers, time frames, etc. 
• R - Reality: Observe where you are on the journey to achieve your goal. What still lies ahead of you?
• O - Obstacles & Options: Which obstacles does your team currently face, and which challenges do you anticipate in the future? Consider various approaches to overcoming the (possible) roadblocks.
• W - Way forward: Write down concrete action steps that you will take moving forward, including responsibilities and timelines.

Watch this role play video to see how you can put GROW into action.

4. Assess personality types

Price: Free Time: 60-90 minutes

Best for: Increasing empathy and enhancing teamwork

If your teammates constantly clash with each other, chances are they have different personality types. Understanding differences within your team is critical for good collaboration and teamwork, the pillars of successful problem-solving. To get going, take a personality test together and learn about each other's strengths and weaknesses. Have a follow-up discussion to talk about how you can collaborate better in the future. 

Question starters for your discussion:

• Were you surprised by your results?
• Where does your personality benefit your work?
• How can you balance out each other's weaknesses?  
• How can you build on each other's strengths?
• Have you found a new appreciation for your teammates?

5. Have a well-being talk

Price: Free Time: 60 minutes ‍

Best for: Making sure your team is mentally prepared to tackle problems

If you feel like your team is lacking motivation and not on the top of their game, it may be time for a well-being check-in. Have an open conversation about mental health and your employees' feelings. Identify triggers for stress in the workplace; these typically include: 

• Content of the job 
• Role within the organization
• Professional development
• Work relationships
• Company culture
• Working conditions
• Personal reasons

Once you have identified the most prominent issues, create an action plan to improve your team’s mental well-being. If you need help facilitating this, Confetti offers a Mental Health Workshop led by a professional expert.

6. Online hackathon

Price: Free 

Time: 24-48 hours

Best for: Boosting teamwork and innovation; Solving a specific problem in your organization

A hackathon is an event in which people of different disciplines come together to solve a common, real-world problem. It is the perfect activity for quickly innovating processes within your organization. Hosting a hackathon online allows you to invite team members from all around the world.

There are already great resources about organizing virtual hackathons available. To get you going, here’s a quick rundown on the most important steps:

• Settle on the problem that your team should tackle, develop the deliverables, and invite industry experts to serve as a jury
• Choose a video conferencing platform so the participants can stay in touch throughout the hackathon
• Divide your team into smaller action teams. This works best if you involve different departments to mix and match different strengths and skillsets
• When the day of the hackathon arrives, hold a kick-off meeting to explain the process of the event 
• Have fun and get excited about great results

Leah Buchholz

Remote Expert & Jr. Content Marketer

Large groups

Prep required

Share fun facts and bond with a team quiz

Have your participants choose from a list of questions they’d like their coworkers to answer about them, before watching as they guess the right answer.

share-fun-facts-and-bond-with-a-team-quiz

Run a guided recognition activity

run-a-guided-recognition-activity

Organize a virtual cooking class

Hire a professional chef to help your team cook a delicious lunch or dinner. May be difficult for co-workers with families. To find providers and get tips, read our blog about virtual cooking classes.

organize-a-virtual-cooking-class

Hire a stand-up comedian

hire-a-stand-up-comedian

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Table of contents

Discover virtual team building with Gomada

Gomada auto-generates the optimal activity sequence for your team. All you need to do is schedule the activity.

Virtual team building problem-solving activities

If your team is working in a remote or hybrid setting and you’re looking for some fun games that strengthen problem-solving skills, the following activities are a match.

Related : The best team building software tools & apps.

7. Yes, and …

Time: 5-15 minutes

Best for: A quick game to foster creativity and flexibility

One of the best ways to strengthen your team’s ability to think quickly and adapt to unknown scenarios is through improv games. This one is perfect for beginners as it doesn’t require any acting, and your team can participate from the comfort of their home office chairs. 

To play the game, one person begins to tell a story, and the rest of the team has to build on it by replying with "yes, and". One after the other, everyone contributes one or two sentences, but people have to react quickly to keep the flow of the story going. 

You can determine the order in advance, for example, by first name or age, or keep it open to increase the difficulty level.

8. Flash of genius

Time: 15- 20 minutes

Best for: Quick thinking, boosting creativity, healthy competition

Have you ever had a flash of inspiration at a random moment? The one that prompts you to jot down your brilliant idea on a piece of paper or a napkin? That’s what this game is all about.

Before the game starts, you have to prepare several problem statements. These can be real, like ‘A team from another department constantly messes up your work. What do you do?’ or imaginative, such as ‘Aliens have landed on planet earth and kidnapped humans. What do you do?’. During the session, the participants then need to develop solutions to these problems. 

• Split the team into small groups and ask everyone to write down their approaches on a digital collaboration board 
• After two minutes of brainstorming, every team gets one more minute to decide on their number one solution
• For the finale, everyone presents their approach to the rest of the group

9. Codenames

Time: 15-30 minutes

Best for: Thinking outside the box, risk evaluation, communication

​​Codenames was initially released as a card game but is now also available as an online version. In this game, two teams must try to identify agents hiding behind codenames. 

• The playing field consists of 25 cards labeled with codenames (random words)
• Both teams assign one spymaster who gets to see under which cards the agents for their team are hiding. The spymasters take turns giving their team members clues to find the right cards, but with one big restriction – they can only say one word.
• The goal is to find all the right words before the other team finishes.

To be the fastest team, it is useful to give clues that connect different terms, but players have to be careful not to guess the cards that belong to the other group. Thus, the participants must find the right balance between risk-taking and passing on an opportunity to score.

10. Domino effect

Price: 0- 29€/person

Best for: Collaborating asynchronously and working together on one goal

The idea behind this activity is simple; you knock over one object that sets a second in motion, which is followed by a whole chain of reactions. What makes it difficult is that the team has to create this domino effect without being in the same place. Therefore, each team member has to create one part of the process and film it.

This is what it looks like: 

• Person 1 begins the series by knocking over a random object and making a video of it; let’s say they choose a ball that knocks down a book
• They inform person 2, who creates a video of a book falling onto a bottle. 
• Then, person 3 has to start their video with a bottle falling on the object of their choice and so on.
• In the end, all videos are cut together. 

The activity requires strategic thinking and good communication to have a consistent string of domino effects and is perfect for teams who work across different time zones. You can either set it up yourself or get a professional agency to support you.

11. Escape room

Price: 0-30€/person

Time: 15-90 min.

Best for: Refining attention to detail and logical thinking with a gamified experience

If you’re not already familiar with the concept of escape rooms, you’re missing out! In short, your team has to solve various puzzles and riddles while following a mystery tale. Only if they find the hidden clues will they reach the solution and escape the room. 

This makes escape rooms an excellent problem-solving team building activity for adults. Participants have to practice their patience and logical thinking. Virtual escape games usually take place over a video conferencing tool so participants can discuss their ideas as the game proceeds. One of our favorite escape room experiences is this Sherlock-inspired detective story.

12. Panel of Experts

Time: 15-30 min.

Best for: Helping team members to step out of their comfort zone through improvisation

Panel of Experts is another improv game that is great for fostering creativity and spontaneity as your team will have to create dialogues without any prior preparation and script.

How it works: 

• You determine one show host and two to four ‘experts’; the rest of the team will act as an audience. 
• Everybody in the audience can call in a topic they would like the group to discuss for two minutes. Collect all ideas and agree on a topic to start with.
• The actors now have to engage in a conversation in their respective roles. 
• After each round, assign the roles to new team members.

Your team will have collaboratively put up some entertaining scenes, and who knows, maybe you will discover some actual special-interest knowledge.

13. Sort the group

Time: 10-15 minutes

Best for: Improving communication; Getting to know your team

Sort the group exercises are exactly what they sound to be: As a team, you have to get in order following different attributes like height, age, duration at the company; you name it. The difficulty lies within the fact that you aren’t allowed to talk or write. Team members have to develop other ways to communicate and get in order.

Pro tip: You can open a shared document, write down the names of the participants and rearrange them until everyone agrees on the final result.

Trust Activity

Ups & Downs

Core dimension

What cheers us up and tears us down can be very different. Get to know your team’s motivators and demotivators.

Offline problem-solving activities for team building

If you’re pumped to do some team building in person , we’ve picked the right activities for you.

14. The minefield

Price: 0-10€

Best for: Practicing communication and listening skills and advancing trust between team members

This classic team building activity works very well to build trust in your team without the awkwardness of trust falls or entangling human knots. You’ll have to prepare a playing field beforehand, consisting of a starting and finishing line, and put some obstacles (e.g., bottles) in between. 

• Divide the team into several small groups. Each team lines up at the edge of the playing field.
• Each participant is given a blindfold to put on when it is their turn. You can use face masks or anything else to cover the eyes.
• After giving the go, the groups must try to guide their 'blind' teammates through the minefield using verbal instructions alone. If a person touches an object, they have to start over. If they make it through the minefield, the next person can start. 
• The fastest team wins. 

Pro tip: To make the game more difficult, you can rule that players cannot give directions (front, side, back) but must think of a code to guide their teammates.

15. Picking up trash

Time: 30 minutes - 3 hours

Best for: Teams looking to make a real impact beyond simple games

What better way to connect with your team than simultaneously doing something great for the environment? Have your team walk around the area around your office and pick up trash together. Afterward, you come together and brainstorm ideas on how to tackle the garbage problem. Maybe your neighborhood could profit from some more trash cans? Higher fines for littering? A better deposit system? Get creative!

You can also turn it into a challenge. To do so, divide your crew into smaller groups and assign each one the task of collecting as much rubbish as they can. After some time, you evaluate who had the most original approaches and picked up the most trash. 

Either way, you train your problem-solving skills on a real-world issue and do some good for nature.

16. Speed-dating

Time: 10-20 minutes

Best for: Fostering 1:1 conversations around work issues

While speed dating is best known for finding new romantic partners, it can also be applied to the working environment. 

Here is how it works:

• Divide the team into two groups, one of which positions itself in an inner and the other in an outer circle. There should always be two people facing each other. If you’re an uneven number, create one pair that always moves together.
• A game leader asks a question for which both partners have one minute to answer.
• Then the inner circle moves so that two new team members are facing each other.
• The game ends when everyone has returned to their original partner.

Some questions to inspire your own:

• If you could change one thing in your workday, what would it be?
• Would you rather have more time or more money? Why?
• What would you do if your laptop suddenly just stopped working?

17. Scavenger hunt

Price: Varies

Time: 2-3 hours

Best for: Fostering cross-team collaboration and boosting team morale

Another classic team-building activity that is great for promoting problem-solving. You have to work together as a team to find clues that will ultimately lead you to a goal. 

As far as preparation goes, you will have to decide between setting up the activity yourself or a professional provider. Depending on which option you choose, you will have to invest more money or time (yes, we are referring to the last game here). Either way, your joint search will have your team think outside the box and socialize with others. 

What are the benefits of problem-solving team building activities for businesses?

Problem-solving is an essential skill for every team. In particular, strengthening your team member’s decision-making and adaptability skills will ensure that your daily operations run a bit smoother; say a new process isn’t going as planned, or an essential co-worker falls sick, your team will be able to handle it. You also set out your organization for success when facing more drastic challenges, such as, uh, a global pandemic or changes in the company’s strategy. 

Some of the skills your team will improve on when regularly engaging in problem-solving team building activities are:

• Out-of-the-box thinking
• Communication
• Creativity 
• Flexibility
• Collaboration

Using team building problem-solving games

Investing time into team building activities that support problem-solving is the best way to empower your team in their abilities to overcome work challenges. Whether you’re an experienced leadership team looking to boost your decision-making and critical thinking skills or a young team working on collaboration and communication , these activities set you up for success. 

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Are you looking to enhance your or your team’s problem-solving abilities? Engaging in activities specifically designed to stimulate your and your team’s critical thinking skills can be an excellent way to sharpen your problem-solving prowess. Whether you enjoy puzzles, brain teasers, or interactive challenges, these activities provide an opportunity to overcome obstacles and think creatively.

By immersing yourself in problem-solving activities, you can develop valuable strategies, improve your decision-making abilities, and boost your overall problem-solving IQ.

One key aspect of successful problem-solving is ensuring clear and effective communication, such as when teams use critical tools available online. For example, testing emails for deliverability and using an email spam checker to avoid spam filters can improve team efficiency. Try Maileroo’s free mail tester to validate your email campaigns effectively. Get ready to unlock your full potential and tackle any challenge that comes your way with these exciting activities for problem-solving.

In this article, we will explore activities for problem-solving that can help enhance your team’s problem-solving skills, allowing you to approach challenges with confidence and creativity.

What Are Problem Solving Activities?

Problem-solving activities or problem-solving exercises are interactive games requiring critical thinking to solve puzzles. They enhance teamwork & critical thinking. Examples include building towers, navigating simulated challenges, and fostering creativity and communication.

For instance, imagine a team working together to construct the tallest tower using limited materials. They strategize, communicate ideas, and problem-solve to create the best structure, promoting collaboration and inventive thinking among team members.

Some widely practiced problem-solving activities include:

• A Shrinking Vessel: Teams must fit into a shrinking space, testing their cooperation and adaptability.
• Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower: Participants build a tower using marshmallows and spaghetti, promoting creative engineering.
• Egg Drop: Protecting an egg from a fall challenges problem-solving skills.
• Desert Island Survival: Teams simulate survival scenarios, encouraging creative solutions.
• Rolling Dice: A simple yet effective game involving chance and decision-making.
• Build a Tower: Constructing a stable tower with limited resources fosters teamwork and innovation, etc.

13 Easy Activities For Problem-Solving Ideas to Enhance Team Collaboration

Team building activities offer a great opportunity to test problem-solving abilities and promote effective collaboration within a group to problem solving group activities. By engaging in these activities, teams can break the monotony of the workplace and create a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

Here are nine easy-to-implement activities that can bring substantial change to your team culture and overall workplace dynamics.

#1. Crossword Puzzles

Objective: To enhance problem-solving skills, vocabulary, and cognitive abilities through engaging crossword puzzles. 

Estimated Time: 15-20 Minutes 

Materials Needed:

• Crossword puzzle sheets
• Pens or pencils
• Distribute crossword puzzle sheets and pens/pencils to each participant.
• Explain the rules of crossword puzzles and the goal of completing as many clues as possible within the given time.
• Participants individually or in pairs work on solving the crossword puzzle by filling in the correct words.
• Encourage critical thinking, word association, and collaborative discussions for solving challenging clues.
• At the end of the time limit, review the answers and discuss any interesting or challenging clues as a group.
• Enhanced Problem-Solving: Participants engage in critical thinking while deciphering clues, promoting effective problem-solving skills.
• Vocabulary Expansion: Exposure to new words and phrases within the crossword improves vocabulary and comprehension.
• Cognitive Stimulation: The mental exercise of solving the puzzle stimulates the brain, enhancing cognitive abilities.
• Team Collaboration: If done in pairs, participants practice collaboration and communication to solve clues together.
• Achievement and Motivation: Successfully completing the crossword brings a sense of accomplishment and motivates individuals to explore more puzzles.

Tips for Facilitators:

• Provide varying levels of crossword puzzles to accommodate different skill levels.
• Encourage participants to share strategies for solving challenging clues.
• Emphasize the fun and educational aspects of the activity to keep participants engaged.

#2. A Shrinking Vessel

Estimated Time: 10-15 Minutes

• Materials Needed: A rope and a ball of yarn
• Prepare the Setting: Lay a rope on the floor in a shape that allows all team members to stand comfortably inside it. For larger teams, multiple ropes can be used, dividing them into smaller groups.
• Enter the Circle: Have all team members stand inside the rope, ensuring that nobody steps outside its boundaries.
• Shrinking the Circle: Begin gradually shrinking the rope’s size, reducing the available space inside the circle.
• Adapt and Maintain Balance: As the circle shrinks, team members must make subtle adjustments to maintain their positions and balance within the shrinking area.
• The Challenge: The objective for the team is to collectively brainstorm and find innovative ways to keep every team member inside the circle without anyone stepping outside.
• Collaboration and Communication: The activity promotes teamwork and open communication as participants strategize to stay within the shrinking circle.
• Adaptability: Team members learn to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances, fostering agility and flexibility.
• Creative Problem-Solving: The challenge encourages inventive thinking and brainstorming to find unique solutions.
• Trust Building: By relying on each other’s actions, participants build trust and cohesion among team members.
• Time-Efficient: The short duration makes it an ideal icebreaker or energizer during meetings or workshops.
• Observe and Facilitate: Monitor the team’s dynamics and offer guidance to encourage equal participation and effective problem-solving.
• Encourage Verbalization: Prompt participants to voice their ideas and collaborate vocally, aiding in real-time adjustments.
• Debrief Thoughtfully: Engage the team in a discussion afterward, reflecting on strategies employed and lessons learned.
• Emphasize Adaptability: Highlight the transferable skill of adaptability and its significance in both professional and personal contexts.

#3. Human Knots

• Objective: Improving Collaboration & enhancing Communication Skills

Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes

• Materials: None required

Procedure: 

• Organize your team into a compact circle. For more sizable teams, subdivide them into smaller clusters, with each cluster forming its own circle. 
• Direct each individual to grasp the hands of two other people in the circle, with the exception of those positioned directly adjacent to them. This action will result in the formation of a complex “human knot” within the circle. 
• Present the challenge to the group: to unravel themselves from this entanglement while maintaining their hold on each other’s hands. If preferred, you can establish a specific time limit. 
• Observe the team members collaborating to unravel the knot, witnessing their collective effort to devise solutions and free themselves from the intricate puzzle.
• Team Cohesion: The activity encourages team members to interact closely, promoting bonding and understanding among participants.
• Effective Communication: Participants practice clear and concise communication as they coordinate movements to untangle the knot.
• Problem-Solving: The challenge stimulates creative thinking and problem-solving skills as individuals work collectively to find the optimal path for untangling.
• Adaptability: Participants learn to adapt their actions based on the evolving dynamics of the human knot, fostering adaptability.
• Trust Building: As individuals rely on each other to navigate the intricate knot, trust and cooperation naturally develop.
• Set a Positive Tone: Create an inclusive and supportive atmosphere, emphasizing that the focus is on collaboration rather than competition.
• Encourage Verbalization: Urge participants to articulate their intentions and listen to others’ suggestions, promoting effective teamwork.
• Observe Group Dynamics: Monitor interactions and step in if needed to ensure everyone is actively engaged and included.
• Reflect and Share: Conclude the activity with a debriefing session, allowing participants to share their experiences, strategies, and key takeaways.
• Vary Grouping: Change group compositions for subsequent rounds to enhance interactions among different team members.

#4. Egg Drop

Helps With: Decision Making, Collaboration

• A carton of eggs
• Construction materials (balloons, rubber bands, straws, tape, plastic wrap, etc.)
• A suitable location for the activity
• Assign each team a single egg and random construction materials.
• Teams must create a carrier to protect the egg from breaking.
• Drop the carriers one by one and increase the height if necessary to determine the most durable carrier.
• The winning team is the one with the carrier that survives the highest drop.
• Decision Making: Participants engage in critical decision-making processes as they select construction materials and determine carrier designs.
• Collaboration: The activity necessitates collaboration and coordination among team members to construct an effective carrier.
• Problem-Solving: Teams apply creative problem-solving skills to devise innovative methods for safeguarding the egg.
• Risk Management: Participants learn to assess potential risks and consequences while making design choices to prevent egg breakage.
• Celebrating Success: The victorious team experiences a sense of accomplishment, boosting morale and promoting a positive team spirit.
• Provide Diverse Materials: Offer a wide range of construction materials to stimulate creativity and allow teams to explore various design options.
• Set Safety Guidelines: Prioritize safety by specifying a safe drop height and ensuring participants follow safety protocols during construction.
• Encourage Brainstorming: Prompt teams to brainstorm multiple carrier ideas before finalizing their designs, fostering diverse perspectives.
• Facilitate Reflection: After the activity, lead a discussion where teams share their design strategies, challenges faced, and lessons learned.
• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize the significance of teamwork in achieving success, acknowledging effective communication and cooperation.

As a teamwork activity, Egg Drop can help team members solve problems through collaboration and communication.

Each team can design and customize their own balloons and can display their team logo, slogan, or elements related to team culture through custom balloons . Awards can also be set up, such as the most creative balloon design, the strongest frangipani structure, etc., to increase the motivation for competition and participation. 

After the activity, team sharing and feedback can be conducted to allow everyone to share their learning experience and feelings about teamwork.

This combination allows team members to experience the importance of teamwork in creativity and practice, and strengthen team cohesion by completing challenges and sharing experiences.

#5. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Helps With: Collaboration

Estimated Time: 20-30 Minutes

Materials Needed (per team):

• Raw spaghetti: 20 sticks
• Marshmallow: 1
• String: 1 yard
• Masking tape: 1 roll
• Tower Construction: Instruct teams to collaborate and utilize the provided materials to construct the tallest tower possible within a designated time frame.
• Marshmallow Support: Emphasize that the tower must be capable of standing independently and supporting a marshmallow at its highest point.
• Prototype and Iterate: Encourage teams to engage in prototyping and iteration, testing different design approaches and refining their tower structures.
• T eamwork and Communication: Promote effective teamwork and communication as team members coordinate their efforts to build a stable and tall tower.
• Evaluation Criteria: Evaluate each tower based on its height, stability, and the successful placement of the marshmallow at the top.
• Collaboration: Participants collaborate closely, sharing ideas and working together to design and construct the tower.
• Innovative Thinking: The activity encourages innovative thinking as teams experiment with different strategies to build a stable tower.
• Time Management: Teams practice time management skills as they work within a specified time limit to complete the task.
• Problem-Solving: Participants engage in creative problem-solving to address challenges such as balancing the marshmallow and constructing a sturdy tower.
• Adaptability: Teams adapt their approaches based on trial and error, learning from each iteration to improve their tower designs.
• Set Clear Guidelines: Clearly explain the materials, objectives, and evaluation criteria to ensure teams understand the task.
• Foster Creativity: Encourage teams to think outside the box and explore unconventional methods for constructing their towers.
• Emphasize Collaboration: Highlight the importance of effective communication and teamwork to accomplish the task successfully.
• Time Management: Remind teams of the time limit and encourage them to allocate their time wisely between planning and construction.
• Reflect and Share: Facilitate a discussion after the activity, allowing teams to share their design choices, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Objective: To engage participants in the strategic and analytical world of Sudoku, enhancing logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. 

Estimated Time: 20-25 Minutes 

• Sudoku puzzle sheets
• Pencils with erasers
• Distribute Sudoku puzzle sheets and pencils to each participant.
• Familiarize participants with the rules and mechanics of Sudoku puzzles.
• Explain the goal: to fill in the empty cells with numbers from 1 to 9 while adhering to the rules of no repetition in rows, columns, or subgrids.
• Encourage participants to analyze the puzzle’s layout, identify potential numbers, and strategically fill in cells.
• Emphasize the importance of logical deduction and step-by-step approach in solving the puzzle.
• Provide hints or guidance if needed, ensuring participants remain engaged and challenged.
• Logical Thinking: Sudoku challenges participants’ logical and deductive reasoning, fostering analytical skills.
• Problem-Solving: The intricate interplay of numbers and constraints hones problem-solving abilities.
• Focus and Patience: Participants practice patience and attention to detail while gradually unveiling the solution.
• Pattern Recognition: Identifying number patterns and possibilities contributes to enhanced pattern recognition skills.
• Personal Achievement: Successfully completing a Sudoku puzzle provides a sense of accomplishment and boosts confidence.
• Offer varying levels of Sudoku puzzles to cater to different skill levels.
• Encourage participants to share strategies and techniques for solving specific challenges.
• Highlight the mental workout Sudoku provides and its transferable skills to real-life problem-solving.

Helps With: Communication, Problem-solving, & Management

• A lockable room
• 5-10 puzzles or clues
• Hide the key and a set of clues around the room.
• Lock the room and provide team members with a specific time limit to find the key and escape.
• Instruct the team to work together, solving the puzzles and deciphering the clues to locate the key.
• Encourage efficient communication and effective problem-solving under time pressure.
• Communication Skills: Participants enhance their communication abilities by sharing observations, ideas, and findings to collectively solve puzzles.
• Problem-solving Proficiency: The activity challenges teams to think critically, apply logical reasoning, and collaboratively tackle intricate challenges.
• Team Management: The experience promotes effective team management as members assign tasks, prioritize efforts, and coordinate actions.
• Time Management: The imposed time limit sharpens time management skills as teams strategize and allocate time wisely.
• Adaptability: Teams learn to adapt and adjust strategies based on progress, evolving clues, and time constraints.
• Clear Introduction: Provide a concise overview of the activity, emphasizing the importance of communication, problem-solving, and time management.
• Diverse Challenges: Offer a mix of puzzles and clues to engage various problem-solving skills, catering to different team strengths.
• Supportive Role: Act as a facilitator, offering subtle guidance if needed while allowing teams to independently explore and solve challenges.
• Debriefing Session: Organize a debriefing session afterward to discuss the experience, highlight successful strategies, and identify areas for improvement.
• Encourage Reflection: Encourage participants to reflect on their teamwork, communication effectiveness, and problem-solving approach.

#8. Frostbite for Group Problem Solving Activities

Helps With: Decision Making, Trust, Leadership

• An electric fan
• Construction materials (toothpicks, cardstock, rubber bands, sticky notes, etc.)
• Divide the team into groups of 4-5 people, each with a designated leader.
• Blindfold team members and prohibit leaders from using their hands.
• Provide teams with construction materials and challenge them to build a tent within 30 minutes.
• Test the tents using the fan to see which can withstand high winds.
• Decision-Making Proficiency: Participants are exposed to critical decision-making situations under constraints, allowing them to practice effective and efficient decision-making.
• Trust Development: Blindfolding team members and relying on the designated leaders fosters trust and collaboration among team members.
• Leadership Skills: Designated leaders navigate the challenge without hands-on involvement, enhancing their leadership and communication skills.
• Creative Problem Solving: Teams employ creative thinking and resourcefulness to construct stable tents with limited sensory input.
• Team Cohesion: The shared task and unique constraints promote team cohesion and mutual understanding.
• Role of the Facilitator: Act as an observer, allowing teams to navigate the challenge with minimal intervention. Offer assistance only when necessary.
• Clarity in Instructions: Provide clear instructions regarding blindfolding, leader restrictions, and time limits to ensure a consistent experience.
• Debriefing Session: After the activity, conduct a debriefing session to discuss team dynamics, leadership approaches, and decision-making strategies.
• Encourage Communication: Emphasize the importance of effective communication within teams to ensure smooth coordination and successful tent construction.
• Acknowledge Creativity: Celebrate creative solutions and innovative approaches exhibited by teams during the tent-building process.

#9. Dumbest Idea First

Helps With: Critical Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Activity

Estimated Time: 15-20 Minutes

Materials Needed: A piece of paper, pen, and pencil

• Problem Presentation: Introduce a specific problem to the team, either a real-world challenge or a hypothetical scenario that requires a solution.
• Brainstorming Dumb Ideas: Instruct team members to quickly generate and jot down the most unconventional and seemingly “dumb” ideas they can think of to address the problem.
• Idea Sharing: Encourage each participant to share their generated ideas with the group, fostering a relaxed and open atmosphere for creative expression.
• Viability Assessment: As a team, review and evaluate each idea, considering potential benefits and drawbacks. Emphasize the goal of identifying unconventional approaches.
• Selecting Promising Solutions: Identify which seemingly “dumb” ideas could hold hidden potential or innovative insights. Discuss how these ideas could be adapted into workable solutions.
• Divergent Thinking: Participants engage in divergent thinking, pushing beyond conventional boundaries to explore unconventional solutions.
• Creative Exploration: The activity sparks creative exploration by encouraging participants to let go of inhibitions and embrace imaginative thinking.
• Critical Analysis: Through evaluating each idea, participants practice critical analysis and learn to identify unique angles and aspects of potential solutions.
• Open Communication: The lighthearted approach of sharing “dumb” ideas fosters open communication, reducing fear of judgment and promoting active participation.
• Solution Adaptation: Identifying elements of seemingly “dumb” ideas that have merit encourages participants to adapt and refine their approaches creatively.
• Safe Environment: Foster a safe and non-judgmental environment where participants feel comfortable sharing unconventional ideas.
• Time Management: Set clear time limits for idea generation and sharing to maintain the activity’s energetic pace.
• Encourage Wild Ideas: Emphasize that the goal is to explore the unconventional, urging participants to push the boundaries of creativity.
• Facilitator Participation: Participate in idea generation to demonstrate an open-minded approach and encourage involvement.
• Debriefing Discussion: After the activity, facilitate a discussion on how seemingly “dumb” ideas can inspire innovative solutions and stimulate fresh thinking.

This activity encourages out-of-the-box thinking and creative problem-solving. It allows teams to explore unconventional ideas that may lead to unexpected, yet effective, solutions.

#10: Legoman

Helps With: Foster teamwork, communication, and creativity through a collaborative Lego-building activity.

Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes

• Lego bricks
• Lego instruction manuals

Procedure :

• Divide participants into small teams of 3-5 members.
• Provide each team with an equal set of Lego bricks and a Lego instruction manual.
• Explain that the goal is for teams to work together to construct the Lego model shown in the manual.
• Set a time limit for the building activity based on model complexity.
• Allow teams to self-organize, build, and collaborate to complete the model within the time limit.
• Evaluate each team’s final model compared to the manual’s original design.
• Enhanced Communication: Participants must communicate clearly and listen actively to collaborate effectively.
• Strengthened Teamwork: Combining efforts toward a shared goal promotes camaraderie and team cohesion.
• Creative Problem-Solving: Teams must creatively problem-solve if pieces are missing or instructions unclear.
• Planning and Resource Allocation: Following instructions fosters planning skills and efficient use of resources.
• Sense of Achievement: Completing a challenging build provides a sense of collective accomplishment.
• Encourage Participation: Urge quieter members to contribute ideas and take an active role.
• Highlight Teamwork: Emphasize how cooperation and task coordination are key to success.
• Ensure Equal Engagement: Monitor group dynamics to ensure all members are engaged.
• Allow Creativity: Permit modifications if teams lack exact pieces or wish to get creative.
• Focus on Enjoyment: Create a lively atmosphere so the activity remains energizing and fun.

#11: Minefield

Helps With: Trust, Communication, Patience

Materials Needed: Open space, blindfolds

• Mark a “minefield” on the ground using ropes, cones, or tape. Add toy mines or paper cups.
• Pair up participants and blindfold one partner.
• Position blindfolded partners at the start of the minefield. Direct seeing partners to verbally guide them through to the other side without hitting “mines.”
• Partners switch roles once finished and repeat.
• Time partnerships and provide prizes for the fastest safe crossing.
• Trust Building: Blindfolded partners must trust their partner’s instructions.
• Effective Communication: Giving clear, specific directions is essential for navigating the minefield.
• Active Listening: Partners must listen closely and follow directions precisely.
• Patience & Support: The exercise requires patience and encouraging guidance between partners.
• Team Coordination: Partners must work in sync, coordinating movements and communication.
• Test Boundaries: Ensure the minefield’s size accommodates safe movement and communication.
• Monitor Interactions: Watch for dominant guidance and ensure both partners participate fully.
• Time Strategically: Adjust time limits based on the minefield size and difficulty.
• Add Obstacles: Introduce additional non-mine objects to increase challenge and communication needs.
• Foster Discussion: Debrief afterward to discuss communication approaches and trust-building takeaways.

#12: Reverse Pyramid

Helps With: Teamwork, Communication, Creativity

Materials Needed: 36 cups per group, tables

• Form small groups of 5-7 participants.
• Provide each group with a stack of 36 cups and a designated building area.
• Explain the objective: Build the tallest pyramid starting with just one cup on top.
• Place the first cup on the table, and anyone in the group can add two cups beneath it to form the second row.
• From this point, only the bottom row can be lifted to add the next row underneath.
• Cups in the pyramid can only be touched or supported by index fingers.
• If the structure falls, start over from one cup.
• Offer more cups if a group uses all provided.
• Allow 15 minutes for building.

Teamwork: Collaborate to construct the pyramid.

Communication: Discuss and execute the building strategy.

Creativity: Find innovative ways to build a tall, stable pyramid.

Clarify Expectations: Emphasize the definition of a pyramid with each row having one less cup.

Encourage Perseverance: Motivate groups to continue despite challenges.

Promote Consensus: Encourage groups to work together and help each other.

Reflect on Failure: Use collapses as a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and improving.

Consider Competitions: Modify the activity for competitive teams and scoring.

#13: Stranded

Helps With: Decision-making, Prioritization, Teamwork

Materials Needed: List of salvaged items, paper, pens

• Present a scenario where teams are stranded and must prioritize items salvaged from a plane crash.
• Provide teams with the same list of ~15 salvaged items.
• Instruct teams to agree on an item ranking with #1 being the most important for survival.
• Teams share and compare their prioritized lists. Identify differences in approach.
• Discuss what factors influenced decisions and how teams worked together to agree on priorities.
• Critical Thinking: Weighing item importance requires analytical thinking and discussion.
• Team Decision-Making: Coming to a consensus fosters team decision-making capabilities.
• Prioritization Skills: Ranking items strengthen prioritization and justification abilities.
• Perspective-Taking: Understanding different prioritizations builds perspective-taking skills.
• Team Cohesion: Collaborating toward a shared goal brings teams closer together.
• Encourage Discussion: Urge teams to discuss all ideas rather than allow single members to dominate.
• Be Engaged: Circulate to listen in on team discussions and pose thought-provoking questions.
• Add Complexity: Introduce scenarios with additional constraints to expand critical thinking.
• Highlight Disagreements: When priorities differ, facilitate constructive discussions on influencing factors.
• Recognize Collaboration: Acknowledge teams that demonstrate exceptional teamwork and communication.

Now let’s look at some common types of problem-solving activities.

Types of Problem-Solving Activities

The most common types of problem-solving activities/exercises are:

• Creative problem-solving activities
• Group problem-solving activities
• Individual problem-solving activities
• Fun problem-solving activities, etc.

In the next segments, we’ll be discussing these types of problem-solving activities in detail. So, keep reading!

Creative Problem-Solving Activities

Creative problem solving (CPS) means using creativity to find new solutions. It involves thinking creatively at first and then evaluating ideas later. For example, think of it like brainstorming fun game ideas, discussing them, and then picking the best one to play.

Some of the most common creative problem-solving activities include:

• Legoman: Building creative structures with LEGO.
• Escape: Solving puzzles to escape a room.
• Frostbite: Finding solutions in challenging situations.
• Minefield: Navigating a field of obstacles.

Group Problem-Solving Activities

Group problem-solving activities are challenges that make teams work together to solve puzzles or overcome obstacles. They enhance teamwork and critical thinking.

For instance, think of a puzzle-solving game where a group must find hidden clues to escape a locked room.

Here are the most common group problem-solving activities you can try in groups:

• A Shrinking Vessel
• Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower
• Cardboard Boat Building Challenge
• Clue Murder Mystery
• Escape Room: Jewel Heist
• Escape Room: Virtual Team Building
• Scavenger Hunt
• Dumbest Idea First

Individual Problem-Solving Activities

As the name suggests, individual problem-solving activities are the tasks that you need to play alone to boost your critical thinking ability. They help you solve problems and stay calm while facing challenges in real life. Like puzzles, they make your brain sharper. Imagine it’s like training your brain muscles to handle tricky situations.

Here are some of the most common individual problem-solving activities:

• Puzzles (jigsaw, crossword, sudoku, etc.)
• Brain teasers
• Logic problems
• Optical illusions
• “Escape room” style games

Fun Problem-Solving Activities

Fun problem-solving activities are enjoyable games that sharpen your critical thinking skills while having a blast. Think of activities like the Legoman challenge, escape rooms, or rolling dice games – they make problem-solving exciting and engaging!

And to be frank, all of the mentioned problem-solving activities are fun if you know how to play and enjoy them as all of them are game-like activities.

Team Problems You Can Address Through Problem Solving Activities

Fun problem-solving activities serve as dynamic tools to address a range of challenges that teams often encounter. These engaging activities foster an environment of collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, enabling teams to tackle various problems head-on. Here are some common team problems that can be effectively addressed through these activities:

• Communication Breakdowns:  

Activities like “Escape,” “A Shrinking Vessel,” and “Human Knots” emphasize the importance of clear and effective communication. They require teams to work together, exchange ideas, and devise strategies to accomplish a shared goal. By engaging in these activities, team members learn to communicate more efficiently, enhancing overall team communication in real-world situations.

• Lack of Trust and Cohesion:  

Problem-solving activities promote trust and cohesiveness within teams. For instance, “Frostbite” and “Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower” require teams to collaborate closely, trust each other’s ideas, and rely on each member’s strengths. These activities build a sense of unity and trust, which can translate into improved teamwork and collaboration.

• Innovative Thinking:  

“Dumbest Idea First” and “Egg Drop” encourage teams to think outside the box and explore unconventional solutions. These activities challenge teams to be creative and innovative in their problem-solving approaches, fostering a culture of thinking beyond traditional boundaries when faced with complex issues.

• Decision-Making Challenges:  

Activities like “Onethread” facilitate group decision-making by providing a platform for open discussions and collaborative choices. Problem-solving activities require teams to make decisions collectively, teaching them to weigh options, consider different viewpoints, and arrive at informed conclusions—a skill that is transferable to real-world decision-making scenarios.

• Leadership and Role Clarification:  

Activities such as “Frostbite” and “Egg Drop” designate team leaders and roles within groups. This provides an opportunity for team members to practice leadership, delegation, and role-specific tasks. By experiencing leadership dynamics in a controlled setting, teams can improve their leadership skills and better understand their roles in actual projects.

• Problem-Solving Strategies:  

All of the problem-solving activities involve the application of different strategies. Teams learn to analyze problems, break them down into manageable components, and develop systematic approaches for resolution. These strategies can be adapted to real-world challenges, enabling teams to approach complex issues with confidence.

• Team Morale and Engagement:  

Participating in engaging and enjoyable activities boosts team morale and engagement. These activities provide a break from routine tasks, energize team members, and create a positive and fun atmosphere. Elevated team morale can lead to increased motivation and productivity.

The incentives of event prizes can further stimulate the enthusiasm and participation of team members. The choice of prizes is crucial, as it can directly affect the attractiveness and participation of the event. Among them, Medals are essential prizes.

Medals are symbols of honor awarded to winners and represent the value and achievement of an event.

Medals also have a motivational effect, they encourage team members to pursue higher achievements and progress.

Medals are artistic and aesthetic. They are usually designed by designers according to different occasions and themes and have high collection value.

By incorporating these fun problem-solving activities, teams can address a variety of challenges, foster skill development, and build a more cohesive and effective working environment. As teams learn to collaborate, communicate, innovate, and make decisions collectively, they are better equipped to overcome obstacles and achieve shared goals.

The Benefits of Problem Solving Activities for Your Team

#1 Better Thinking

Problem-solving activities bring out the best in team members by encouraging them to contribute their unique ideas. This stimulates better thinking as team managers evaluate different solutions and choose the most suitable ones.

For example, a remote team struggling with communication benefited from quick thinking and the sharing of ideas, leading to the adoption of various communication modes for improved collaboration.

#2 Better Risk Handling

Team building problem solving activities condition individuals to handle risks more effectively. By engaging in challenging situations and finding solutions, team members develop the ability to respond better to stressful circumstances.

#3 Better Communication

Regular communication among team members is crucial for efficient problem-solving. Engaging in problem-solving activities fosters cooperation and communication within the team, resulting in better understanding and collaboration. Using tools like OneThread can further enhance team communication and accountability.

#4 Improved Productivity Output

When teams work cohesively, overall productivity improves, leading to enhanced profit margins for the company or organization. Involving managers and team members in problem-solving activities can positively impact the company’s growth and profitability.

How Onethread Enhances the Effect of Problem Solving Activities

Problem-solving activities within teams thrive on collaborative efforts and shared perspectives. Onethread emerges as a potent facilitator, enabling teams to collectively tackle challenges and harness diverse viewpoints with precision. Here’s a comprehensive view of how Onethread amplifies team collaboration in problem-solving initiatives:

Open Channels for Discussion:

Onethread’s real-time messaging feature serves as a dedicated hub for open and seamless discussions. Teams can engage in brainstorming sessions, share insightful observations, and propose innovative solutions within a flexible environment. Asynchronous communication empowers members to contribute their insights at their convenience, fostering comprehensive problem analysis with ample deliberation.

Centralized Sharing of Resources:

Effective problem-solving often hinges on access to pertinent resources. Onethread’s document sharing functionality ensures that critical information, references, and research findings are centralized and readily accessible. This eradicates the need for cumbersome email attachments and enables team members to collaborate with precise and up-to-date data.

Efficient Task Allocation and Monitoring:

Problem-solving journeys comprise a series of tasks and actions. Onethread’s task management capability streamlines the delegation of specific responsibilities to team members. Assign tasks related to research, data analysis, or solution implementation and monitor progress in real time. This cultivates a sense of accountability and guarantees comprehensive coverage of every facet of the problem-solving process.

Facilitated Collaborative Decision-Making: Navigating intricate problems often demands collective decision-making. Onethread’s collaborative ecosystem empowers teams to deliberate over potential solutions, assess pros and cons, and make well-informed choices. Transparent discussions ensure that decisions are comprehensively comprehended and supported by the entire team.

Seamless Documentation and Insights Sharing:

As the problem-solving journey unfolds, the accumulation of insights and conclusions becomes pivotal. Onethread’s collaborative document editing feature empowers teams to document their discoveries, chronicle the steps undertaken, and showcase successful solutions. This shared repository of documentation serves as a valuable resource for future reference and continuous learning.

With Onethread orchestrating the backdrop, team collaboration during problem-solving activities transforms into a harmonious fusion of insights, ideas, and actionable steps.

What are the 5 problem-solving skills?

The top 5 problem-solving skills in 2023 are critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and data literacy. Most employers seek these skills in their workforce.

What are the steps of problem-solving?

Problem-solving steps are as follows: 1. Define the problem clearly. 2. Analyze the issue in detail. 3. Generate potential solutions. 4. Evaluate these options. 5. Choose the best solution. 6. Put the chosen solution into action. 7. Measure the outcomes to assess effectiveness and improvements made. These sequential steps assist in efficient and effective problem resolution.

How do you teach problem-solving skills?

Teaching problem-solving involves modelling effective methods within a context, helping students grasp the problem, dedicating ample time, asking guiding questions, and giving suggestions. Connect errors to misconceptions to enhance understanding, fostering a straightforward approach to building problem-solving skills.

So here is all about “activities for problem solving”.No matter which activity you choose, engaging in problem-solving activities not only provides entertainment but also helps enhance cognitive abilities such as critical thinking, decision making, and creativity. So why not make problem solving a regular part of your routine?

Take some time each day or week to engage in these activities and watch as your problem-solving skills grow stronger. Plus, it’s an enjoyable way to pass the time and challenge yourself mentally.

So go ahead, grab a puzzle or gather some friends for a game night – get ready to have fun while sharpening your problem-solving skills!

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Top 15 problem-solving activities for your team to master

May 27, 2022 - 10 min read

Some people see problems as roadblocks, others see them as opportunities! Problem-solving activities are a great way to get to know how members of your team work, both individually and together. It’s important to teach your team strategies to help them quickly overcome obstacles in the way of achieving project goals.

In this article, you’ll explore 15 problem-solving activities designed to enhance collaboration and creativity. Additionally, if you want to discuss the insights and outcomes with your team after the activities, you can use Wrike’s actionable meeting notes template. This template allows you to record meeting discussions, assign action items, and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

The importance of problem-solving skills in today’s workplace

According to a 2019  report by McKinsey , soft skills are increasingly important in today's world — and problem-solving is the top area in which skills are lacking. A company or team’s success weighs heavily on the willingness of managers to help employees improve their problem-solving abilities. Team building activities targeting focus areas like communication and collaboration, adaptability, or strengthening decision-making techniques help.

All problem-solving processes start with identifying the problem. Next, the team must assess potential courses of action and choose the best way to tackle the problem. This requires a deep understanding of your team and its core strengths. A problem-solving exercise or game helps identify those strengths and builds problem-solving skills and strategies while having fun with your team.

Problem-solving games aren't for just any team. Participants must have an open mind and accept all ideas and solutions . They must also have an Agile mindset and embrace different structures, planning, and processes. Problems usually arise when we least expect them, so there's no better way to prepare than to encourage agility and flexibility.

Another aspect to keep in mind when engaging in problem-solving games and activities: There are no winners or losers. Sure, some games might end with a single winner, but the true goal of these exercises is to learn how to work together as a team to develop an Agile mindset. The winning team of each game should share their strategies and thought processes at the end of the exercise to help everyone learn.

Here’s a list of fun problem-solving activity examples to try with your team. From blindfolds to raw eggs, these problem-solving, team-building activities will have your team solving problems faster than Scooby and the gang.

Classic team-building, problem-solving activities

1. a shrinking vessel.

Helps with: Adaptability

Why adaptability is important for problem-solving: Adaptability is highly associated with cognitive diversity, which helps teams solve problems faster , according to the Harvard Business Review. Innovation and disruption are happening faster than ever before . People, teams, and organizations that can adapt will come out on top.

What you’ll need:

• A rope or string

Instructions:

1. Using the rope, make a shape on the floor everyone can fit into.

2. Slowly shrink the space over 10-15 minutes.

3. Work together to figure out how to keep everyone within the shrinking boundaries.

2. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Helps with: Collaboration

Why collaboration is important for problem-solving: “Collectively, we can be more insightful, more intelligent than we can possibly be individually,” writes Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline . We can solve problems better as a team than we can alone, which means developing your team’s collaboration skills will lead to better problem-solving outcomes.

What you’ll need (per team):

• 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti
• 1 roll of masking tape
• 1 yard of string
• 1 marshmallow

1. The goal of this exercise is to see which team can use the materials provided to build the tallest tower within an allotted time period. The tower must be able to stand on its own.

2. To make this exercise more challenging, try adding a marshmallow to the top of the tower. This team problem-solving exercise helps people think on their toes while building camaraderie and leadership.

3. Egg Drop

Helps with: Collaboration, decision-making

Why decision-making is important for problem-solving: Making decisions isn’t easy , but indecision leads to team paralysis, stagnant thinking, and unsolved problems. Decision-making activities help your team practice making quick, effective choices. Train your team’s decision-making muscles and they will become more adept at problem-solving.

• A carton of eggs
• Basic construction materials such as newspapers, straws, tape, plastic wrap, balloons, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, etc., tarp, or drop cloth
• A parking lot, or some other place you don’t mind getting messy!

1. Each team gets an egg and must select from the construction materials.

2. Give everyone 20-30 minutes to construct a carrier for the egg and protect it from breaking.

3. Drop each egg carrier off a ledge (i.e. over a balcony) and see whose carrier protects the egg from breaking.

4. If multiple eggs survive, keep increasing the height until only one egg is left.

4. Stranded

Helps with: Communication, decision-making

Why communication is important for problem-solving: More employees work remotely than ever before. Good communication skills are vital to solving problems across  virtual teams . Working on communication skills while your team is together will help them solve problems more effectively when they’re apart.

Here's the setting: Your team has been stranded in the office. The doors are locked, and knocking down the doors or breaking the windows is not an option. Give your team 30 minutes to decide on ten items in the office they need for survival and rank them in order of importance. The goal of the game is to have everyone agree on the ten items and their rankings in 30 minutes.

Creative problem-solving activities

Helps with: Communication

What you'll need:

1. Divide everyone into small teams of two or more.

2. Select an overseer who isn't on a team to build a random structure using Lego building blocks within ten minutes.

3. The other teams must replicate the structure exactly (including size and color) within 15 minutes. However, only one member from each group may look at the original structure. They must figure out how to communicate the size, color, and shape of the original structure to their team.

4. If this is too easy, add a rule that the member who can see the original structure can't touch the new structure.

• A lockable room
• 5-10 puzzles or clues (depending on how much time you want to spend on the game)

1. The goal of this exercise is to solve the clues, find the key, and escape a locked room within the time allotted.

2. Hide the key and a list of clues around the room.

3. Gather the team into the empty room and "lock" the door.

4. Give them 30 minutes to an hour to find the key using the clues hidden around the room.

7. Frostbite

Helps with: Decision-making, adaptability

• A blindfold
• 1 packet of construction materials (such as card stock, toothpicks, rubber bands, and sticky notes) for each team
• An electric fan

Instructions:  Your employees are Arctic explorers adventuring across an icy tundra! Separate them into teams of four or five and have them select a leader to guide their exploration. Each team must build a shelter from the materials provided before the storm hits in 30 minutes. However, both the team leader’s hands have frostbite, so they can’t physically help construct the shelter, and the rest of the team has snow blindness and is unable to see. When the 30 minutes is up, turn on the fan and see which shelter can withstand the high winds of the storm.

8. Minefield

• An empty room or hallway
• A collection of common office items

1. Place the items (boxes, chairs, water bottles, bags, etc.) around the room so there's no clear path from one end of the room to the other.

2. Divide your team into pairs and blindfold one person on the team.

3. The other must verbally guide that person from one end of the room to the other, avoiding the "mines."

4. The partner who is not blindfolded can't touch the other.

5. If you want to make the activity more challenging, have all the pairs go simultaneously so teams must find ways to strategically communicate with each other.

9. Blind Formations

1. Have the group put on blindfolds and form a large circle.

2. Tie two ends of a rope together and lay it in a circle in the middle of the group, close enough so each person can reach down and touch it.

3. Instruct the group to communicate to create a shape with the rope — a square, triangle, rectangle, etc.

4. If you have a very large group, divide them into teams and provide a rope for each team. Let them compete to see who forms a particular shape quickest.

Quick and easy problem-solving activities

10. line up blind.

1. Blindfold everyone and whisper a number to each person, beginning with one.

2. Tell them to line up in numerical order without talking.

3. Instead of giving them a number, you could also have them line up numerically by height, age, birthday, etc.

11. Reverse Pyramid

Helps with: Adaptability, collaboration

1. Have everyone stand in a pyramid shape, horizontally.

2. Ask them to flip the base and the apex of the pyramid moving only three people.

3. This quick exercise works best when smaller groups compete to see who can reverse the pyramid the fastest.

12. Move It!

• Chalk, rope, tape, or paper (something to mark a space)

1. Divide your group into two teams and line them up front to back, facing each other.

2. Using the chalk, tape, rope, or paper (depending on the playing surface), mark a square space for each person to stand on. Leave one extra empty space between the two facing rows.

3. The goal is for the two facing lines of players to switch places.

4. Place these restrictions on movement:

• Only one person may move at a time.
• A person may not move around anyone facing the same direction.
• No one may not move backward.
• A person may not move around more than one person on the other team at a time.

13. Human Knot

1. Have everyone stand in a circle, and ask each person to hold hands with two people who aren’t directly next to them.

2. When everyone is tangled together, ask them to untangle the knot and form a perfect circle — without letting go of anyone's hand.

Our last two problem-solving activities work best when dealing with an actual problem:

14. Dumbest Idea First

Helps with: Instant problem-solving

1. "Dumb" ideas are sometimes the best ideas. Ask everyone to think of the absolute dumbest possible solution to the problem at hand.

2. After you have a long list, look through it and see which ones might not be as dumb as you think.

3. Brainstorm your solutions in Wrike. It's free and everyone can start collaborating instantly!

15. What Would X Do

1. Have everyone pretend they're someone famous.

2. Each person must approach the problem as if they were their chosen famous person. What options would they consider? How would they handle it?

3. This allows everyone to consider solutions they might not have thought of originally.

Looking for more team-building and virtual meeting games? Check out these virtual icebreaker games or our  Ultimate Guide to Team Building Activities that Don't Suck.

Additional resources on problem-solving activities

• Problem-Solving Model : Looking for a model to provide a problem-solving structure? This detailed guide gives you the tools to quickly solve any problem.
• The Simplex Process:  Popularized by Min Basadur's book, The Power of Innovation , the Simplex Process provides training and techniques for each problem-solving stage. It helps frame problem-solving as a continuous cycle, rather than a “one and done” process.
• Fun Problem-Solving Activities and Games : Looking for more ideas? Check out this list of interesting and creative problem-solving activities for adults and kids!
• The Secret to Better Problem-Solving:  This article provides tips, use cases, and fresh examples to help you become a whiz at solving the toughest problems.

How to organize problem-solving activities with Wrike

If you want to make problem-solving activities more effective, consider using team collaboration software such as Wrike. 

Wrike’s pre-built actionable meeting notes template helps you keep track of meeting discussions, assign action items, and keep everyone in the loop. It’s an effective tool to streamline your problem-solving sessions and turn insights into real projects.

Brianna Hansen

Brianna is a former Content Marketing Manager of Wrike. When she’s not writing about collaboration and team building games, you’ll find her in the kitchen testing out the latest recipes, sharing her favorite wine with friends, or playing with her two cats.

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23 Problem-solving games for busy work teams

Problem solving is a skill that can serve almost anyone, in any role, in any industry. The ability to think critically, and resolve issues is a welcome talent that is helpful for every organization. How can you encourage such thinking in your team? In this article, we are talking about our favorite problem-solving games, activities, and exercises for work. Use these activities to sharpen the reasoning and decision-making skills of your department or your entire company. Without further ado, let’s dive into the best problem solving games for getting the most of your next work event. 

In-person problem solving games

If you have the opportunity to get your team together in person, that’s a gift! Perhaps you are planning a company retreat or a department-wide in-person meeting. Whatever the circumstances, in today’s more digital workspace, it’s not always easy to have everyone in the same room. When you actually do, make the most of it! These activities are set up for in-person groups. They are part team-building activity, part icebreaker, and all fun! All of these activities are guaranteed to get people thinking, communicating, and having fun. If you have a particularly big group, you may want to browse our article on large group games too. 

1. Treasure hunt

Similar to a scavenger hunt, a treasure hunt is a lot of fun but with a bit more intention. Rather than collecting a random list of items, participants use clues to find more prompts and hints, until the group solves a mystery (or finds a treasure). You can also create a treasure map if you want to play into the “pirate” fantasy a little more. The important thing is that only clues point toward the next stop - areas of the map should not be spelled out, but involve some problem solving and critical thinking to figure out what the clue means. 

2. Story challenge

For the language lovers on your team, try this version of an ongoing story icebreaker. To play, each person receives a number of words (a word bank) that they can use to create a story. Then, everyone reads their piece out loud or presents it to the group. To come up with the words available for each person, you can use a random word generator online, or get creative. For example, consider instructing participants that they can only use words from the company website, or from the emails they received in their inbox yesterday. 

3. Moral dilemma

Similar to a “ would you rather ” game, this activity centers on ethical dilemmas. Players should try to flex their moral problem-solving muscles by tackling a social issue. For example, Scruples is a popular board game that can be played. Or, you can look online for versions of games like Dilemma or Quandary. This is a great way to learn more about your colleagues while getting a peek at the way they think. 

4. Build a shelter

How would you survive if you were stranded in an isolated place with a blizzard coming? Use this activity to find out! As an added complication, you can pretend that everyone is blinded by frostbite (by using blindfolds). The team leader must give the group instructions for building a shelter that can withstand the arctic winds. To play, you need a large space and some supplies. Then, select a leader (who can see) and blindfold everyone else. You’ll also need a large fan. The leader guides everyone in putting together their shelter (remember, while blindfolded). When everyone feels confident that their shelter is up to the test, turn on the fan and see if the structure can withstand the wind! This game is sure to lead to a lot of laughs and you’ll be surprised at some of the clever ideas that people come up with. This is also a powerful exercise for effective leadership - it’s not easy to reach a goal with a group that is blindfolded! Check out our article on team activities especially for leadership as well.

5. Improv games

You may think of improv games as more of an icebreaker activity, but the truth is there is a lot of brain power that goes into well-done improv. Look for ways to add both logic and entertainment to your next improv effort. Consider scenarios like banned words, where people cannot use a certain list of words, or “miracle cure”, where one person shares a problem they’re having and the other person must come up with the solution on the spot. Both are fun and easy ideas that don’t require anything but willing participants! If you need some other quick and easy team building activities , make sure to follow our blog. 

6. Spaghetti tower

In this classic team building game, users try to build a tower using uncooked pasta noodles and marshmallows. The instructions are simple: use the tools at your disposal to design and build the tallest tower in order to win the challenge. You can judge on height alone, or weigh other factors like innovation, number of towers, or stability. For more simple team building activities , make sure to follow our blog. 

7. What would you do?

Another classic icebreaker, this game involves coming up with some scenarios that require brain power to address. Here are some prompts you can use with your group: 

• What would you do if you were at the zoo and all the animals escaped? 
• What would you do if you were the first person to find out about an upcoming zombie apocalypse? 
• What would you do if you were in line for a really important item, and a person cut in front of you, getting the last item? 
• What would you do if you were invited for dinner at the home of someone you really needed to impress, and the food was terrible? 
• What would you do if an imposter that looks and acts just like you infiltrated your organization? How can you convince everyone that you’re the “real” you?

8. “MacGyver” challenge

MacGyver is an older television program where the hero escaped sticky situations by improvising tools made of unlikely materials. You can recreate this set-up in your event space or office. To play, challenge participants to use 3-5 items to reach a desired end result. For example, something like “a way to pick the door lock” or “escape vehicle” are fun options. You can either set out some various equipment, or have people collect their own based on what they can find around the office. Note: if you are doing this in a conference room or other rented space, it makes sense to have a table set up with random odds and ends for people to pick from. 

9. Egg drop challenge

This one will take you back to high school physics class! Break a larger group into smaller teams and challenge them to come up with a container that will protect an egg even when it’s dropped from up high. You can either let people know far enough in advance that they can discuss, design, and collect materials; or you can have supplies ready and have everyone build their creation on the spot. If you go that route, you’ll want to provide a variety of boxes, packing supplies, rubber bands, fabric, etc. Then set up a ladder and have each team drop their container and see if their egg remained intact. 

10. Shrinking circle

Adaptability and flexibility are huge in the business world. One way to focus on both of those items is by playing this simple and silly game. Start out by using a rope to create a large circle that everyone can fit in. Then, every few minutes, make the circle a bit smaller. Depending on how large the circle is in the first place, you can take away an inch or a foot each round. The challenge is for everyone present to stay inside the circle. This will require some serious innovation once the circle gets small, and lots of laughs almost always ensue. Note: People are likely to end up touching each other in this exercise. It’s difficult not to once the space gets small, like a game of Twister. You know your colleagues best - if that level of closeness would make anyone uncomfortable, it’s probably best to try a different exercise. 

Out-of-the-office problem-solving activities

Everyone once in a while, it can be really valuable to get out of your usual work environment and into a new mental space. If your team is planning a multi-day retreat, don’t be afraid to include an organized activity that will help everyone to think more critically. Most towns have at least one option for getting your group together and learning some new ways to problem solve. Do some research on what you have available locally, or work with an organization like Surf Office who can plan your next retreat - including the fun elements that your employees will be talking about for months to come! If you know that you can’t get out of the office right now, stick to this list of indoor team building activities . 

11. Escape room

The goal of an escape room is to follow a series of clues and take on some challenges in order to unlock the space that everyone is locked in. There are usually 5 - 10 puzzles that teams will work together to figure out. Typically finishing one leads to another clue, so that participants can move onto the next phase. Only when they’ve successfully completed all of the tasks can they find the key and escape. While you can definitely set up an escape room on your own, we think it’s worth finding a local version in your town (or wherever your retreat is taking place). These are professionally set up and usually in really cool spaces like an underground bunker or a historic building. An escape room is a good excuse to get out of the office and spend time with coworkers in a new environment. 

12. Murder mystery

These story-based games have people take on a role in a pretend scenario. They may take on a role like detective, dinner guest, or even killer in their dinner. Most of the time the games involve reading lines from a script, searching for clues, or even solving some simple challenges to move onto the next phase. Participants have to pay attention to conversations and context clues in order to get an understanding of who the killer might be. Observation and logic are key to catching the killer. Some murder mysteries involve getting dressed up and having a nice dinner, so if you’re looking for an idea for a big night out capping off your next retreat, this is perfect. 

13. Ax throwing

What do axes have to do with problem solving? You might be surprised. This is definitely an activity you’ll want to go to a professional venue for. Ax throwing outfits have everything you need, plus the right safety precautions. They have everything set up with the proper distances, buffers between throwing stations, safe ax materials, etc. Plus, many of them offer food and drinks! Ax throwing can help with problem solving because most people don’t excel at it their first time. It takes some practice and careful consideration to figure out where to stand, the best stance, the force of the throw, etc. As you take turns, you’ll make adjustments and also consider new methods based on observing your teammates. The more you watch and the more you try, the better you’ll get. In fact, instead of having people compete against each other, we suggest having the team compete against themselves, aiming for a higher total score in their second or third consecutive game. This activity allows you to observe others and then optimize - essentially learning from each other. 

14. Paper boat race

If you are able to visit a location by water, you can try this really fun activity. In this fun and creative exercise, participants build a small boat with paper (and other supplies) and then race them in a small body of water like a pond or stream. The boats are usually made by folding paper into a boat shape, but you can also try offering cardboard, balloons, popsicle sticks, or other crafty materials. You’ll also want to supply materials for decorating so that everyone can really have their creation stand out. Obviously the person who reaches the finish line first is the winner, but you can offer a few other prizes just for fun, like most beautiful boat or best effort. Make sure to check out our article on other creativity and innovation games , too. 

Problem-solving puzzles

When it’s just not possible to get everyone together, you can still encourage your team to put on their thinking caps and hone their skills. There are tons of critical thinking games, puzzles , and even apps that people can use to practice problem solving. You can encourage your team members to play these games in their spare time, or even set up a competition where people log minutes playing such games or using the apps. If you’re feeling really generous, give everyone a small stiped to be used on a problem solving app of their choice. This special touch makes a nice addition to a holiday gift, too!

Sudoku has become one of the most popular problem solving games for adults. There are dozens of free app options, as well as paperback books that you can pick up. The goal of this game is to fill each box on a 9×9 grid so that every row, column, and letter contains each number from one to nine. It sounds tricky - and it is - but players tend to find it addicting and the game has grown a huge following in recent years. Encourage people to play on their own by downloading an app or purchasing a puzzle book, or as a team by having the puzzles available in your office or at your next event. 

16. Crossword puzzles

These classic word games have players fill out words based on clues. Words interconnect, and people must think critically about the context clues of what they’ve filled out so far. These puzzles are super versatile and one of the best things about them is that you can make them yourself so they are themed. You can use an online crossword puzzle maker to create a custom puzzle with clues about your business or other relevant subjects. For your next event, it might be fun to have a custom crossword puzzle about your company history or trivia! 

17. Tic-tac-toe tournament

It sounds a little silly, but tic-tac-toe requires more brain power than one might think. Set up an ongoing tic-tac-toe board in your office and encourage people to use it on their breaks or when they have a few minutes to kill. You can set up a scoreboard and keep track of the leader; it’s a lot of fun to see the rankings change and to challenge the top performers. If you need an even simpler version of the same concept, simply set up the Connect Four game board in your break room and let people have at it! 

Problem-solving for virtual teams 

If your team is a bit scattered, it doesn’t mean that you can’t practice solving challenges together. In our digital world, there are plenty of options for online activities that teams can work on either independently or as a group. In the section above, we shared some ideas for independent work. These ideas are designed to bring your team together, no matter where they are. Set a time and have everyone hop onto your preferred communication tool, and then work together tackling these challenges. 

18. Virtual hackathon

A hackathon normally refers to an event where participants have a set amount of time to design and pitch a new product or solution. It’s normally used in the tech space for pitching things like new apps, but you can apply the concept in lots of other ways too. In this online version, teams work with each other using virtual meeting software and pitch ideas to a panel of judges. This type of event requires some advance notice for the participants, as they’ll want to collect a team and come up with some designs. If you want to raise the stakes, offer a prize for first place.

19. Online escape room

Just like an in-person escape room, in an online version people must solve a variety of puzzles in order to make it “out”. Digital escape rooms normally come in one of two ways: in a Zoom “room” led by a host, or in a choose-your-own-adventure style via Google Forms or other websites. To play virtually, staff will enter the meeting and follow the prompts they get, and it might involve screen sharing some Google tools to work on puzzles together. Because of the platforms and tools that may be involved, this activity is better for teams who are a bit more tech-savvy and comfortable with online meetings, apps, etc. 

20. Survival plans

Prioritizing is an important mental exercise. You can work on this with a game about survival. Have everyone imagine they are stranded on a desert island, and they must decide the correct order to perform life-saving steps in. Have this list handy, and ask everyone to pair off or get in small groups and number the list according to the best likelihood of survival: 

• Set up shelter
• Look around the island
• Signal for help
• Create weapons for self-defense
• Build a raft for water
• Start a fire
• Select a group leader
• Find other survivors
• Anything else you think of! 

The catch is that everyone must agree on the order of events!  That will typically involve discussion and coming to some sort of consensus. Once everyone is done with the exercise, have them present to the larger group and explain their reasoning. This exercise is good for team-building, communication, and problem resolution. Plus, you will be better prepared if you ever get stuck on a deserted island! 

21. Online role-playing games (like Dungeons and Dragons)

Seeing how people react in real-world situations is a really interesting way to get to know them better. Find an online game that has real-world actions and consequences, like Dungeons and Dragons. Or, you can make things even simpler by hopping on a Zoom together and reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book aloud, with the reader getting group consensus before making a decision. The important part is the discussion that will occur before choosing the next action. This is helpful for bonding and also helps you to see how your colleagues tick. These activities can be difficult to organize for big groups, so if you have a substantial team, try some of these team building activities for large groups instead. 

22. Google Docs story

Similar to an ongoing story icebreaker, this game is easy to do online as people have time. You start by creating a Google Doc that everyone on the team has access to. Then, have people go into the Doc and add to the story that’s developing. If you want, you can pick a prompt to kick things off - or you can just let the first person get creative and go for it! The more specific or bizarre the scenario, the more creative and clever people will have to get to add their portion. 

23. Model UN

Chances are you might be familiar with this concept from high school. Fortunately, adults can have a lot of fun with it too. You can play this virtually as long as everyone is a strong communicator. Each participant should take on the role of an international diplomat, and work together to form alliances and solve crises. Come up with a potential scenario that the UN must work through. Consider things like a global food shortage, natural disaster, or cyber-security threats. If your group is particularly large, you can have multiple people assigned to a country and they will have separate roles. If politics is a sensitive topic on your team, you might want to tweak this exercise to be focused on a business and treat participants like board members - or even a musical group! 

Set the tone of your next company retreat

These problem solving games and activities are great virtually any time - there is something for everyone, whether you’re remote or in person, on a large team or a small one. One of the best ways to implement a problem solving exercise is at the beginning of a team retreat. If you have organized a large meeting or team building event, consider getting things started with such an activity. Many of these problem solving games will get everyone thinking and make people more comfortable, plus a lot of them also serve as a form of icebreaker.

The next time you plan a work retreat , consider including a few of these on the agenda to set the tone for a fun, energizing event. Need help ensuring that your retreat is, in fact, fun and energizing?

Let Surf Office help ! We can help with organizing your next team retreat or all-company meeting so that you can focus on the fun.

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17 Team Building Problem Solving Activities & Exercises

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Whether you work in an office or online, it is important to establish a strong foundation as a team. Good communication and collaboration skills are essential for any successful team, but problem-solving skills are what will help you through the tough times.

Life is unpredictable, which is why problem solving skills are critical to learn , starting at a young age. They help us deal with the curveballs that will inevitably be thrown our way from time to time… without spiraling off course into a panic .

Table of Contents

What Are Problem Solving Skills?

Problem-solving skills are the ability to identify and solve problems creatively and effectively . They involve analyzing a situation, coming up with a plan of action, and then following through with that plan. These types of skills are important in both personal and professional life.

In your personal life, you will no longer have the same constant helping hand or be able to make excuses as you could in childhood . When something happens, you will need to be able to figure out a way to fix it yourself. In your professional life, being able to solve problems quickly and efficiently will make you an invaluable asset to any team.

Why Problem Solving Activities Are Important In the Workplace

There are many benefits to having strong problem solving skills in the workplace. For one, it can help improve morale among team members. When everyone is working together to solve a problem, it can create a sense of camaraderie and teamwork .

It can also help hold team members accountable for their actions. If a problem arises, everyone will need to work together to solve it instead of placing the blame on one person. This will help create a more cohesive team that is better able to handle difficult situations.

Finally, problem solving skills can help improve productivity in the workplace. When problems are solved quickly and efficiently, it allows the team to move on to other tasks more quickly.

17 Problem Solving Activities

Activity #1. brainstorming.

This is a great activity for getting the creative juices flowing. Get your team together and have them come up with as many ideas as possible for solving the problem at hand. The more ideas, the better!

One way to start may be to ask everyone to write down their ideas individually, then have each person share their idea with the group. Once all the ideas are on the table, you can start to narrow down which ones are the most feasible.

Activity #2. Role-Playing

If you are ready to get the team members to think outside the box, have them take on different roles and come up with solutions from those perspectives. The roles can be anything from a customer to a company CEO.

Write down roles on a piece of paper and put them in a hat or bowl. Have each team member draw a role and then have them work on coming up with solutions from that perspective.

Activity #3. Logic Puzzles

These types of puzzles are great for testing your team’s critical thinking skills. There are a variety of different logic puzzles available online or in puzzle books .

Logic puzzles can be a great team-building activity as they require everyone to work together to find the solution.

Activity #4. Word Association

This is a simple but effective way to get ideas flowing. Write down a list of words or phrases related to the problem and then have your team come up with solutions based on those words.

Let's take the word “online safety” for example. Some potential solutions could be creating strong passwords, using two-factor authentication, or avoiding phishing scams or unnecessary social media use at work .

Activity #5. Debate

This activity will help get the team thinking about the issue from different angles . Have each team member take a side of the debate and then have them argue their points.

After everyone has had a chance to speak, have the team come to a consensus on the best solution.

Activity #6. Process Mapping

This activity is great for visual learners. Get a whiteboard or large piece of paper and map out the steps that need to be taken to solve the problem. This will help the team see the issue as a whole and spot any potential roadblocks.

Activity #7. Mind Mapping

This is similar to process mapping but is more focused on coming up with ideas. Write down the main issue in the center of the paper and then have team members come up with ideas that branch off from that.

Activity #8. Fishbone Diagram

If you are looking for another visual activity that can help a team see the different factors that contribute to a problem, try the fishbone diagram. Draw a large fish skeleton on a whiteboard or piece of paper and then have team members add in the different factors that contribute to the problem.

Activity #9. 5 Whys

Have the team start with the main issue and then each person takes turns asking “why” until you get to the root cause of the problem. Five times is usually sufficient to solve most problems. This is very effective for uncovering hidden problems.

One example may involve sales:

The problem is that our sales are down:

• Why? Because we’re not getting enough foot traffic in the store.
• Why? We’re not advertising enough.
• Why? We don’t have the budget for it.
• Why? There is too much inventory loss/theft.
• Why? High employee turnover.

Activity #10. Scenario Planning

Think ahead and prepare for potential problems in the future. Have the team come up with different scenarios that could happen and then brainstorm solutions for each one. A perfect example may be different ways to escape the building in the event of an emergency.

One approach can involve escape routes, another can focus on the steps needed to shelter in place, and the last can highlight who is responsible for what during an evacuation.

Activity #11. SWOT Analysis

Before coming up with solutions, it is important to understand the different factors that could impact them.

The SWOT analysis activity will help the team identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats associated with the problem. This will help them come up with more informed solutions and deeper thinking.

Activity #12. Reverse Brainstorming

To prevent boredom, do what you can to get the team to think outside the box. Instead of brainstorming ways to solve the problem, have them come up with ways to make it worse. It may sound counter-productive but it can help the team see the issue from a different perspective and come up with more creative solutions.

Reverse brainstorming works by having the team come up with as many bad ideas as possible. Once they have exhausted all the ways to make the problem worse, they can then start thinking of ways to fix it.

Activity #13. Problem Solving Workshop

This is a more structured way of approaching problem solving as a team. It involves breaking the team into small groups and having each group come up with solutions to various specific problems.

Once all the groups have had a chance to share their ideas, the team can then vote on the best solution. You may want to start with a problem not directly related to the job and have the teams solve it. Next, ask them how the same approach can be used at the job. An example of this may include the team solving a Rubik’s Cube and then asking them how they can apply that same level of critical thinking to their work.

Now let's think about how to do team building and problem solving for the increasing number of people working remotely. Team building remotely may have its unique challenges but it is not impossible.

Remote Problem Solving Activities

Activity #14. coffee chat.

This is a great way to get everyone on the team introduced to each other, especially if you have new members coming on board. Set up a time for everyone to jump on a video call and chat over coffee (or tea!). This can be done weekly or monthly, depending on the size of the team. It is a great way to informally chat about issues and concerns and can get the ball rolling on real solutions.

During the early days of the pandemic, my writing group set aside the writing topic for a session and decided to do an online happy hour with great success. We got to chat about other issues not directly related to writing and we all got useful insights.

Activity #15. Show and Tell

Who says team building problem solving activities can't be fun? This is a nice way for everyone to get to know each other on a personal level. Have each team member choose an item from their home that has special meaning to them and do a “show and tell”. Ask if each person can find an object related to helping them do their job or something completely unrelated. This is a great way to build rapport, get to know each other on a personal level, and of course – solve certain problems.

For example, someone may demonstrate hand exercises or stretching techniques to help with issues that stem from sitting at a desk or typing all day.

Maybe people in the group struggle to use a certain design program or add attachments to emails. Someone can use screen share to show an easier way to do something that has stumbled their colleagues.

Activity #16. Virtual Office Tour

Another way to get everyone acquainted with each other and the idea of working from home is to do a virtual office tour. This can be done by having each team member give a quick tour of their home office (or workspace). This is also a great way to get everyone comfortable with using video conferencing if they are not already. The reality is, everyone is not accustomed to working from home yet and a virtual tour from someone more experienced may help ease anxiety and provide peer-to-peer teaching. I

Activity #17. Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt can either be done in person or online. If you are doing it remotely, you can use a program like Zoom to break everyone into small groups. Give each group a list of items they need to find and set a time limit. The first team to find all the items (or the team with the most items) wins.

You can make the scavenger hunt related to work or you can make it more general. If you want to make it work-related, you can have teams find things like “a picture of someone wearing a hard hat” or “an item that starts with the letter E”. If you want to make it more general, you can have teams find items like “a picture of a pet” or “an item that is green”.

Final Thoughts about Problem Solving Activities

There are many benefits in the workplace to executing problem solving activities, whether in person or remotely. You can even conduct team building activities outdoors for a nice change of pace.

Team building exercises like these can help build rapport, provide peer-to-peer teaching opportunities, and help with critical thinking skills .

The most important thing is to find something that works for your team and that everyone is comfortable with. And with a little creativity, you can find ways to build your team no matter where they are located. You don’t need to be in close proximity to grow closer .

If you have children, you may want to check out 11 Fun Problem Solving Activities for Kids and 21 Fun Team Building Activities for Kids , as it’s never too young to teach this valuable skill.

Escape The Room in Atlanta

15 Team Building Problem Solving Activities to Unleash Your Crew’s Inner MacGyver

• jerome Bilaos
• March 14, 2024

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Building a strong team isn’t just about casual Fridays and shared snacks. It’s about fostering collaboration, communication, and the ability to tackle challenges together. 

Enter the world of team building problem solving activities, where fun and games become the ultimate training ground for a cohesive and resourceful crew.

In this blog, we’ll explore the significance of team building problem-solving activities and provide a comprehensive guide to some impactful exercises.

Why Problem Solving Team Building Activities Rock

Team building problem solving activities have numerous benefits. Here are few reasons why they rock and why they should be a part of every work culture: 

1. Enhancing Communication Skills

Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful teamwork. Problem-solving activities require team members to communicate clearly, share ideas, and actively listen to one another. 

These activities provide a platform for improving both verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

2. Building Trust and Collaboration

Trust is the foundation of any strong team. Problem-solving activities create opportunities for team members to collaborate in solving challenges. 

As each of the team members contributes their unique skills and perspectives, it builds trust through shared accomplishments.

3. Boosting Creativity and Innovation

Problem-solving activities often involve thinking outside the box and buzzing your team’s brains. 

These exercises encourage creative thinking, helping teams explore innovative solutions to complex issues. 

This fosters a culture of continuous improvement, resilience, and adaptability to changing circumstances.

4. Strengthening Team Dynamics

Understanding each team member’s strengths and weaknesses is crucial for effective collaboration. 

Team building problem solving activities allow individuals to showcase their skills, and teams can identify and leverage the diverse talents within the group. 

This understanding strengthens team dynamics and cohesion. Individuals can show better outcomes at workplaces knowing the forte of other colleagues.

5. Improving Decision-Making Skills

Teams often face decisions that require quick thinking and consensus. Problem solving exercises simulate real-world scenarios, providing a safe environment for teams to practice decision-making under pressure. 

It’s all about dealing with the unexpected. This experience can translate into improved decision-making skills in the workplace, and bounce back setbacks.

Effective Team Building Problem Solving Activities

Ready to unleash the problem-solvers within? Here are some activity ideas to get you started:

1. The Classic Egg Drop

This timeless challenge is a test of ingenuity and resourcefulness. Teams are asked to build contraptions to protect a raw egg from a dramatic fall from a height using limited materials (such as straws, tape, and paper). 

This exercise encourages problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration as teams work together to engineer a successful solution.

Don’t forget to have fun! The wackier the design, the more laughter (and learning) ensues.

2. Marshmallow Tower Mayhem

Provide each team with spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. The challenge is to build the tallest freestanding structure that can support the marshmallow on top. 

This team building problem solving activity promotes creativity, collaboration, and strategic thinking as teams must balance the structure’s height and stability.

3. Blindfolded Drawing or Maze 

Pair team members, and have one wear a blindfold while the other describes an object without explicitly naming it. The blindfolded person then attempts to draw the object based on the description. 

You can take the blindfolded activity up a notch, guide a blindfolded teammate through a maze by verbal instructions. 

Both the activities enhance communication, active listening, clear direction-giving, and emphasize trust within pairs.

4. Human Knot

Looking for a team building activity with no setup, equipment, or costs? Try the human knot! 

In a circle, each team member grabs hold of someone else’s hand, creating a “human knot.” The challenge is to untangle the knot without letting go of each other’s hands. 

This activity requires problem-solving, communication, strategic thinking, as well as movement coordination to unravel the knot effectively.

It can be a great ice breaker especially if you have new colleagues joining your team. 

5. Build-A-Bridge

How strong can your team get with limited resources? To challenge, provide teams with limited materials (such as newspaper, tape, and popsicle sticks) to construct a bridge that can support the weight of an object (e.g., a book or a small toy). 

This engineering challenge promotes creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving as teams design and build a functional bridge.

6. Team Olympics

Organize a series of mini-games or challenges that require teamwork and problem-solving skills. 

Examples include relay races, puzzle-solving competitions, and memory challenges. With these team building problem solving activities for adults, teams earn points for successful completion, fostering healthy competition and team spirit.

7. Problem-Solving Scavenger Hunt

The good old scavenger hunt can make your team think on their feet while having fun! 

Design a scavenger hunt with clues that lead to various problem-solving challenges. Teams must decipher the clues, navigate through different locations, and solve the presented problems to advance. 

This activity combines problem-solving with teamwork and adaptability fostering camaraderie.

8. Memory Wall

This activity is much more team building – it creates a sense of fraternity. Create a “memory wall” with images or quotes related to the team’s achievements, milestones, and shared experiences. 

As a team-building activity, members collaboratively add to the wall, reflecting on their collective journey and reinforcing a sense of identity and unity.

9. Collaborative Storytelling

Have each team member contribute a sentence or paragraph to create a collaborative story. The challenge is to maintain coherence and creativity as the story unfolds. 

This activity promotes communication, creativity, and adaptability as team members build on each other’s ideas.

10. Escape Room Extravaganza

This is my personal favorite group problem solving activity that unravels the inner Sherlock, keeps participants walking on a tightrope, and promotes creative thinking, all while fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared accomplishment. 

Escape rooms require teams to solve puzzles and riddles within a set timeframe to “escape” a locked room. 

You can either transform your office into a thrilling escape room with puzzles, riddles, and hidden clues or visit one for an immersive experience. 

Virtual Problem Solving Activities for Groups

Are you managing a virtual team? The geographical distances cannot exclude your team from bridging the gap and building the same level of connection and resilience.

The power of virtual tools and platforms opens up a whole new world of team building puzzles designed to connect and challenge your distributed crew. 

Here are some ideas to get you started:

11. The Digital Escape Room

There are platforms online that offer escape rooms with immersive storylines, challenging puzzles, and collaborative gameplay. 

Teams must work together, communicate effectively, and think outside the box to solve the mysteries and “escape” within the time limit.

12. The Global Scavenger Hunt

Embrace the online landscape! Create a list of challenges that involve searching for specific information, images, or videos on global websites. 

Teams can compete or collaborate to be the first to complete the tasks, adding a layer of virtual exploration and cultural awareness.

13. The Collaborative Canvas

Platforms like Miro or Mural offer virtual whiteboards where your team can brainstorm, create mind maps, and build ideas together in real-time. 

Whether it’s crafting a new marketing campaign or designing a team mascot, this visual space fosters collective thinking and creative expression.

14. The Online Game Show Challenge

Inject some lighthearted competition with trivia quizzes, virtual charades, or collaborative problem-solving games like Kahoot! 

These team building problem solving activities encourage quick thinking, communication, and a little friendly rivalry, breaking the ice and building camaraderie.

15. Virtual Coffee Breaks

Schedule informal virtual coffee breaks or “happy hours” where team members can connect casually. 

Encourage discussions about non-work-related topics to strengthen interpersonal relationships and foster a positive team culture.

Beyond the Activity

Remember, successful team building extends beyond the initial activity. Here are some tips to maximize the impact:

• Debrief and reflect: Don’t just jump back into everyday routines. Take time to discuss the lessons learned, challenges faced, and how the activity applies to real-world work.
• Rotate roles and teams: For ongoing engagement, switch up activity formats and encourage different team members to take on leadership roles.
• Celebrate successes: Recognizing achievements, big or small, reinforces positive behavior and keeps the team motivated.
• Connect to real work: Tailor activities to address actual challenges or projects your team is facing. This fosters a sense of purpose and immediate application of skills.
• Accessibility is key: For virtual events, choose platforms and activities that everyone can access and use comfortably.

Final Words 

Whether your team thrives in the physical realm or across digital landscapes, remember, the greatest challenges are overcome not alone, but together. 

Engaging team-solving problems foster creative thinking, open communication, and a spirit of collaboration. You can empower your crew to reach new heights and achieve the seemingly impossible.

And speaking of the impossible, have you ever dreamed of cracking codes, deciphering cryptic clues, and escaping before the clock runs out? 

At Paranoia Quest , our escape rooms, Atlanta , you can turn that dream into a reality! 

Our immersive escape rooms offer heart-pounding challenges, mind-bending puzzles, and an unforgettable team-building experience. 

So, if you’re looking to unleash your inner MacGyver and forge closer bonds with your colleagues, gather your crew and book your escape with us. The ultimate adventure awaits!

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38 Team Building Problem-Solving Activities

In our Management Training we often stress that a strong team is essential for achieving organisational goals, improving productivity and creating a positive work environment, and team building activities are one of the essential tools that really can make this a reality!

Designed to be interactive and fun, they encourage employees to work together and solve problems – increasing creativity and collaboration across your workplace.

So, whether you are looking to improve communication, or are just looking to build stronger teams within your organisation, these 38 engaging problem-solving activities are a sure-fire way to help you achieve your goals.

32 In-Person Team Building Problem-Solving Activities

If you want to implement more team-building activities, problem-solving activities, and other communication exercises into your team strategy, these 32 in-person options are all great ones to start with:

1. A Shrinking Vessel

The shrinking vessel helps you and your employees work on adaptability and learn to solve problems faster, especially in high-pressure situations.

This game involves using a rope or string to create a circle on the floor. Everyone stands inside the circle. Then, you will gradually shrink it, and everyone must work together to stay inside.

2. Blind Formations

Blind formations is another group activity that involves a rope. Instead of focusing on adaptability, though, this game helps you and your employees develop better communication skills.

For this activity, you’ll just need a rope and a blindfold for each team member.

The group will don their blindfolds and stand in a circle. Then, you’ll tie the ends of the rope together to form a circle that everyone reaches down and touches.

Once everyone has their hands on the rope, you will call out shapes (square, triangle, etc.), and the group must work together to form that shape.

3. Bonding Belt

The bonding belt activity allows your employees to work on communication and problem-solving.

For this activity, divide the team into groups of five. Then, bind each group with rope or tape.

Once everyone has been bound together, each group must move from one point to another as quickly as possible. Use a stopwatch to track each group’s time as accurately as possible.

4. Cardboard Boat Building Challenge

The cardboard boat-building challenge gives team members a chance to get creative and think outside the box (or boat).

The goal is simple: Use cardboard and tape to create a boat that floats across a body of water without sinking.

In addition to building such a boat, each team must also deliver a presentation explaining their reasoning for creating the boat the way they did. Then, they’ll put it in the water and test its functionality.

5. Clue Murder Mystery

Everyone loves a good murder mystery, and Clue is the ultimate murder mystery game!

When playing Clue, you and your team members will collaborate and analyse a collection of clues to determine which character committed a murder.

It sounds simple at first. However, this game requires critical thinking, effective communication, and problem-solving to discover the correct answer.

6. Corporate Escape Room

Depending on where your business is located, you might have easy access to a corporate escape room.

Corporate escape rooms are businesses that allow customers to work together — while locked in a specially decorated room — to solve clues and figure out how to get out of the room as quickly as possible.

Many escape rooms have fun themes, from Sherlock Holmes-style murder mysteries to fantasy. Regardless of the theme, though, this activity allows everyone to work on collaboration, communication, and problem-solving.

7. Crack The Case

Crack the case is another version of a murder mystery game.

This activity is similar to Clue, but it allows in-person and remote employees to work together with the help of video conferencing platforms. Your team members can collaborate to review case files, discuss clues, and solve the mystery.

8. Create Your Own

If you really want to challenge your employees’ creativity, task them with creating their own team-building activity.

Divide your team into smaller groups. Then, assign each group to develop an activity that is unique to the business and aligns with its mission and values.

Not only does this challenge encourage team members to think outside the box and communicate effectively, but it also provides an opportunity for them to reflect on the company values and what they mean to them.

9. Dog, Rice, And Chicken

Dog, rice, and chicken is a silly problem-solving game that encourages your team members to let loose and blow off some steam.

One team member plays the role of the farmer, and the other team members are villagers. The farmer has three items: a dog, rice, and a chicken, which they must take across the river on a boat one at a time.

The villagers must work together to advise the farmer and propose the best way for them to transport the items without the dog eating the chicken or the chicken eating the rice.

10. Domino Effect Challenge

The domino effect challenge requires team members to create a fully functioning chain reaction machine. Divide the team into groups, then ask each group to design and build one part of the machine.

This game puts employees’ communication and collaboration skills to the test, as well as their ability to adapt and solve problems quickly.

11. Dumbest Idea First

This is another fun game for employees who need to stop taking themselves so seriously. It doesn’t require any equipment and encourages employees to think quickly on their feet.

The instructions for this game are simple. Ask everyone to think of the dumbest solution to a problem you’re trying to solve at the office.

After each person shares their ideas, you might find that there are actually some good ones that you and your employees can implement.

12. Egg Drop

The egg drop activity is useful in various situations, not just in science class. The egg drop activity challenges employees to work together to create a vessel that will support an egg and prevent it from breaking when it’s dropped from a great height.

This activity encourages problem-solving, communication, creativity, and collaboration. It also gives employees a chance to break out of their daily routine and do something with their hands.

13. End In Mind

Sometimes, you and your employees have to work backwards to find a solution. End in mind challenges team members to do precisely this.

For this activity, you’ll need to write down the steps, dates, and milestones involved in completing a specific project. Write each one down on a separate piece of paper.

Tell employees what the end result is. Then, encourage them to rearrange the pieces of paper in order, working backwards to figure out how the project was completed.

Can’t make it to a corporate escape room? No problem!

You can play Escape at your office easily. All you need is a room that locks, the key, a rope, and a series of puzzles or clues.

Use the rope to “lock” employees in the room after hiding the key. Then, challenge them to complete the puzzles or solve the clues to find the key and “escape.”

15. Frostbite

Frostbite helps your employees develop their problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Crank up an electric fan to mimic an icy tundra. Then, tell your employees that they are Arctic explorers.

Divide them into groups of four or five, then ask each group to appoint a leader. The goal is for each team to build a shelter out of construction materials (paper, cardboard, toothpicks, rubber bands, etc.) with a 30-minute time limit.

There’s a catch, though. The leader has frostbite on their hands and can’t help, and the rest of the team members have snow blindness and can’t see.

While wearing blindfolds, the team members will have to listen to the leader’s instructions to build a reliable shelter.

16. Human Knot

Human knot encourages employees to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems creatively.

Stand in a circle, then ask each employee to grab the hands of two people not directly next to them. After everyone has found two hands to hold, the goal is to untangle the human knot (without letting go of any hands) and stand in a circle once more.

17. Legoman

This is another activity that allows your team members to be creative, think outside the box, and have some fun.

Divide the group into small teams of at least two people. Then, select one person to create a random structure out of Lego bricks in a 10-minute period.

When this person is finished, the other teams must replicate the structure in just 15 minutes. However, only one person gets to look at the structure. They must then relay information to their team members(s) and help them replicate it perfectly.

18. Line Up Blind

Here’s another activity that involves a blindfold!

For this activity, everyone is blindfolded. You’ll go around the room and assign each person a number.

When you’re finished, instruct the group to line up in numerical order without talking. You can also ask them to line up based on other factors, like height, age, etc.

19. Lost At Sea

Lost at sea challenges your employees’ problem-solving abilities in stressful situations. Each person receives a six-column chart that includes the following:

• Column 1 features a list of survival items
• Column 2 is empty; each team member will rank the survival items in order of importance
• Column 3 is reserved for group rankings
• Column 4 is dedicated to the “correct” rankings (revealed at the end of the activity)
• Columns 5 and 6 allow team members to enter the difference between individual and correct scores, as well as the team and correct rankings.

Form groups of five. Then, ask each team member to rank items in order of importance individually.

Give the team 10 minutes to discuss their individual rankings and create a group ranking. When the 10 minutes are up, you’ll read out the official correct order, which goes as follows:

• Shaving mirror (to signal passing ships using the sun)
• Can of gas (for signalling if it’s poured in the water and lit with matches)
• Water container (for collection and re-hydration)
• Emergency food rations (essential for survival)
• One plastic sheet (for shelter or rainwater collection)
• Chocolate bars (additional food)
• Fishing rods (helpful for catching food)
• Rope (helpful but not essential for survival)
• Floating seat cushion (potential life preserver)
• Shark repellent (for safety)
• Bottle of rum (for cleaning wounds)
• Radio (helpful if you’re within range)
• Sea chart (worthless without navigation equipment)
• Mosquito net (not very useful unless you’re shipwrecked)

20. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

The marshmallow spaghetti tower activity encourages team members to work together, be creative, and communicate effectively. Each team will need the following:

• 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti
• 1 roll of masking tape
• 1 metre of string
• 1 marshmallow

Give each team a specific amount of time to build the tallest tower using the materials provided. It must be able to stand without help.

21. Minefield

Grab the blindfolds and challenge employees’ communication with the minefield game.

Lead everyone into an empty room or hallway. Place everyday office items throughout the room or hallway. Divide the group into pairs and blindfold one member.

The non-blindfolded member must verbally guide their partner from one end of the room to the other without hitting any “mines.”

22. Move It!

This activity gets your employees away from the desk and working together to solve problems.

Divide the group into two teams. Line them up front to back, so they’re facing each other.

Use chalk, tape, or rope to mark a square for each person to stand on. Leave an empty space between the facing rows.

The facing players must switch places. However, there are rules:

• Only one person can move at a time
• A player cannot move around anyone facing the same direction
• No one can move backwards
• A player cannot move around more than one person on the other team at a time.

23. Organisational Jenga

If you have access to a Jenga game, grab it and use it to develop communication and collaboration skills.

Label each block in a hierarchical order that aligns with your company’s hierarchy. Then, challenge team members to play the game as they normally would.

This activity emphasises the importance of the entire organisation working together to survive and thrive.

24. Reverse Pyramid

This activity doesn’t require any equipment. You just need your employees, who will stand in a pyramid shape.

Challenge them to flip the base and point of the pyramid by moving just three people.

25. Scavenger Hunt

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt to build a team. Divide your team into groups, then give each group a list of items to find and bring back within a set time period.

Whether you limit them to the office or set them loose in the neighbourhood, this activity is sure to get people talking and laughing.

26. Stranded

Instead of being locked in a room, your team is now locked in the office and unable to escape. Give them 30 minutes to decide which 10 items they need to survive and rank those items in order of importance.

27. Team Pursuit

Team Pursuit is an app-powered game that allows team members to learn more about each other and their unique talents. They’ll complete challenges by taking photos or videos or typing messages into the app.

Whichever team completes the most challenges before the timer goes off is the winner.

28. The Barter Puzzle

For this activity, you’ll need a collection of jigsaw puzzles with the pieces mixed up.

Divide the group into teams of five, and challenge them to compete to finish a puzzle first. They’ll need to negotiate, barter, and assign tasks to find all the pieces for their puzzle.

29. The Crime Investigators

This game is another murder mystery-style activity. Tell your team about a crime that has occurred. Then, challenge them to review evidence, decipher clues, and figure out who’s guilty.

30. Web Of Wools

Grab a spool of yarn or string for this fun and engaging activity.

Divide the group into two teams. Then, assign each team to entangle themselves using yarn or string. Then, tell the teams to switch webs.

One team member on each team will be blindfolded and tasked with untangling the web. They must take instructions from their other team members to solve the puzzle.

31. What Would X Do

This activity gives employees a chance to think creatively and have fun at the same time. Assign everyone to pretend they’re a famous person. Then, ask them how they would solve a particular problem if they were that person.

32. Wild Goose Chase

Wild Goose Chase is a smartphone-based scavenger hunt. Split the group into teams. Then, send them out into the city to take fun photos and videos suggested by the app.

6 Virtual Team Building Problem Solving Activities

Even if you manage a remote team, you can still use virtual team-building and problem-solving activities to bring team members closer together. Here are 6 suggestions that you can try during your next virtual group gathering:

1. Clue Murder Mystery

For many of us, Clue was our first introduction to the world of murder mysteries. You don’t have to gather around a board to play it anymore, either.

Virtual Clue brings your employees together to solve a murder mystery, analysing clues to identify the person with the means, motive, and opportunity to commit the crime. This game is a fun way for employees to work on their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

2. Code Break

Virtual Code Break gives your employees a chance to overcome interesting challenges and strengthen their problem-solving skills.

You can use video conferencing tools to work with team members and complete all kinds of puzzles and games, from Sudoku to Cranium. You can even work together to solve virtual jigsaw puzzles!

3. Escape Room: Jewel Heist

Escape rooms are all the rage these days for team-building activities. You don’t have to all be trapped in the same room together to enjoy them though.

Many virtual escape rooms exist for remote teams, including Escape Room: Jewel Heist.

When playing this game, you and your team will work together to recover stolen jewels before time runs out. You’ll have to use your problem-solving skills and creative thinking to solve the puzzle and escape.

4. Escape Room: Mummy’s Curse

Mummy’s Curse is a virtual escape room that traps your team in a pyramid with an awakened and agitated mummy. You’ll have to collaborate to solve clues, complete challenges, and lift the curse to escape the pyramid.

5. Jeopardy Social

Virtual Jeopardy Social puts you and your employees into your own game show. You even get a buzzer button to answer questions and a professional actor to host the vent.

In addition to answering questions and trying to score the greatest number of points, Virtual Jeopardy Social also incorporates social mixer challenges into each round. These challenges allow you and your employees to get to know each other better and develop stronger relationships.

6. Trivia Time Machine

Trivia games are popular team-building activities, and you and your employees can participate even if you can’t gather at a local pub together.

For example, Outback Time Machine takes participants back to the 1960s and features a series of fun, nostalgic questions that will get everyone talking and laughing. The virtual game show host also splits the group into teams and warms guests up with mixers to get everyone more comfortable.

Why Are Team Building Problem-Solving Activities Necessary?

Team-building activities, problem-solving exercises, and other group activities offer numerous benefits, regardless of the type of business you run. The following are some of the greatest advantages you and your employees can enjoy:

Get To Know Each Other Better

It’s remarkable that you can work next to someone everyday for years and still know next to nothing about them.

When you create opportunities for your employees to participate in team-building activities, you make it easier for them to get to know each other in a low-stress environment.

Playing games and solving puzzles together allows employees to learn more about each other’s personalities, their approach to difficult situations, and how they communicate.

Improve Communication

Speaking of communication, team-building activities also gives all employees a chance to work on their communication skills.

When team members collaborate to solve problems or complete a task, they get better at presenting issues, asking questions, and developing solutions. All of these insights help employees better understand each other when dealing with work-related tasks.

Improve Teamwork And Team Performance

Better communication leads to improved collaboration and teamwork.

If your employees know how to communicate with one another, it’s easier for them to come together and get things done. They’ll likely face fewer roadblocks along the way to completing projects and will have better attitudes throughout the process, too.

Foster Friendly Competition

Problem-solving and team-building activities might seem frivolous at first. However, they actually create friendly competition, which can help to motivate employees and push them to challenge themselves.

Contests and challenges can also help employees to feel more confident in themselves and their skills. If they’ve doubted their abilities, taking a break and engaging in a fun, competitive activity can motivate them and encourage them to trust themselves in the future.

Increase Innovation And Creativity

Many managers and team members notice that team-building activities and problem-solving challenges help them to be more innovative and creative. These activities allow them to practice thinking outside the box and looking at situations in a new way.

Create Better Company Culture

According to 57 per cent of UK adults, workplace culture matters more than salary when it comes to job satisfaction. Your company culture will suffer if your workplace is focused on productivity and task completion 24/7 and you never make room for fun.

Company culture doesn’t just make your existing employees happier, either. When you strive to improve company culture, you can also enhance your business’s reputation and attract talented job seekers in the future.

Increase Engagement And Improved Morale

When you enhance communication, strengthen relationships between employees, and improve the company culture, you’ll notice that employee engagement increases and morale improves.

Happy employees are productive employees who want to put their best foot forward each day.

If you invest in your employees’ well-being and provide opportunities for them to work together, solve problems, and have fun, they’ll thank you by being more invested in their responsibilities and producing better results.

Show Appreciation

Nearly 75 per cent of UK employees say they deserve more recognition for their work.

Regular team-building and problem-solving activities give you a chance to show appreciation to your employees. For example, you can use these events as a way to celebrate team members who have just met a milestone or accomplished a major goal.

Identify Leadership Potential

When you host team-building activities for adults, problem-solving challenges, and other events, you have opportunities to evaluate employees in different settings and assess their leadership potential.

It’s not always easy to tell who might make a good leader when your employees are going about their everyday tasks. When you put them in a new environment, though, and challenge them to solve a unique problem, you might be amazed at who stands out.

Whether your team gathers in a traditional office or is spread out across the globe, you can use team-building and problem-solving activities to bring them closer together, create a better company culture, and improve productivity and engagement.

So why not use the 38 activities discussed above as inspiration for your next group gathering? Or get in touch to find out about our Team Building Training where we can cover the techniques required to achieve a great team spirit – whilst delivering the fun!

Alternatively, check out our MBTI Training or DISC Assessments – both great for team building, whilst also giving you the essential tools to understand and work with your team better.

Thanks again

Sean McPheat

Managing Director

MTD Training

• Team Building

Updated on: 29 June, 2023

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Top 10 Team Building Problem Solving Activities

Are you looking for some team building problem solving activities ?

Your employees’ ability to solve problems and make better decisions can highly contribute to creating a happy workplace.

How good is your team of employees at dealing with complex projects or day-to-day life problems?

Perhaps, this is a tough question for you.

So, why don’t you spend a little time with your teams to see how they work together to solve problems?

In this article, let’s see the top 10 problem solving activities that you can try. They will help your employees deal with obstacles and find solutions to any complicated issues.

Here are some of the best team building problem solving exercises that you can conduct with your staff.

If you want to know how you can conduct team building activities, you can read this article for inspiration:  How to Facilitate Team Building Activities in Your Workplace?

So, let’s go!

#1. Brainstorming Session

The goal of this activity is to brainstorm ideas based on a topic through collaboration.

Time: 10-20 minutes

Materials: Paper and pen

Participants: Any number of members per group

Instructions

• Start by giving a topic to each group and instruct them to brainstorm ideas based on that topic.
• Appoint an individual to write down the ideas of each group member.
• Once this is done, check the ideas and share them with everyone.

Identify how each group member felt during the activity and how it can help them with problem solving in their day-to-day life. Also, discuss the importance of finding solutions together.

#2. Code Breaking

The goal of this game is to break the secret code as quickly as possible.

Time: You decide

• Provide a secret code to each team. This secret code can be anything like picture puzzles, logic problems, riddles, etc.

For example,

“Find the two-digit secret number using the following clues:

The secret number is divisible by 4.

The sum of the digits in the secret number is 12.

The tens digit of the secret number is greater than the ones digit.”

• The goal is to break the code fast. Set a time limit to complete the task if required.
• The first team that breaks the code will win the game.

( Note: By the way, the secret number in the above example is 84. Feel free to come up with similar puzzles and challenge your teams to solve them in a very short time. Enjoy!)

Discuss how the employees worked together to solve the challenge. Encourage them to share their ideas and strategies.

#3. Create an Ad

The goal of this game is to create an advertisement for the suggested product. This is one of the problem solving activities to improve the creativity among team members.

Time: 15-30 minutes

Materials: Poster papers and Markers

Participants: 3-8 people in a group

• Divide the participants into small teams.
• Introduce a new product to each team and explain its features as well as benefits.
• Now, instruct them to create an advertisement for this product.
• Then, each team should create an ad script through discussion.

Discuss the strategies and ideas used in creating the ad. How did the employees come up with creative solutions? Encourage them to share their learning points from this game.

#4. Human Knot

The goal of this activity is to create a knot by holding the hands of others and untangling everyone without letting go of their hands.

Time: 10-15 minutes

Materials: None

Participants: 6-12 individuals per group

• Instruct the team members to form a circle by standing shoulder to shoulder.
• Then, each person should lift their right hand and try to catch the hand of another person who is standing across the circle.
• After that, each person should lift their left hand in the air and catch the hand of a different person.
• Make sure that no member is holding the hand of someone who is standing directly next to them.
• Ask the team members to untangle everyone without letting go of their hands.

Discuss how the employees worked together as a team to achieve this goal. What strategies did they use? How did their communication style help them in solving this problem? Encourage the employees to reflect on the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

#5. Inter-Group Problem Solving Challenge

This is one of the interesting problem solving games you can try with your employees. Here each group should create a unique problem and challenge the other groups to solve it.

Materials: None (But can use paper and pen if needed)

Participants: At least 2 people per group

• Divide the participants into small groups.
• Instruct each group to come up with a self-created, unique problem and write it on paper.
• Now, ask each group to share their problems with the other groups and let them find the solution in a given time.
• Finally, find out the best-performing group by evaluating which group created the most complicated problems and which group solved more problems.

Discuss how the groups came up with unique problems and solved the problems created by others. Encourage the group members to appreciate the efforts of each other and think about ways to improve their problem-solving skills in the future.

#6. Jigsaw Puzzle

This activity is to improve the problem solving skills of employees through discussion, negotiation, and collaboration. In this activity, participants are required to complete a puzzle with the help of others.

Materials: Jigsaw puzzle pieces and small bags

Participants: 4 or more people per team

• Have a jigsaw puzzle for each team.
• Split each team into 2 small sub-teams.
• Divide the jigsaw puzzle and put an equal number of pieces into two different small bags.
• Ask each sub-team to choose one bag.
• Instruct each sub-team to assemble the puzzle within a certain time limit.

(Note: Each sub-team may think they are competing against each other, but they can’t complete the puzzle unless they discuss and collaborate with the other sub-team.)

• Allow extra time for each sub-team to discuss, negotiate, and collaborate with the other sub-team and complete the puzzle.

Discuss how the teams communicated and collaborated while working on this activity. Ask them to reflect on their decision-making processes and team dynamics.

#7. Scavenger Hunt

The scavenger hunt is one of the popular problem solving exercises. The goal of this exercise is to find a list of items based on the clues given.

Materials: Clues and a list of items to find

• Split the participants into several groups.
• Give each group a list of items they need to find out along with certain clues.
• Set a time limit for the activity.
• Now, the group members should search for the items based on the clues given and get back within the allowed time limit.

Discuss the decision-making strategies used by the groups during the activity. Also, ask each group to share their experience and what they learned from the activity.

#8. Spider’s Web

The goal of this activity is to move through the spider web from one side to the other without touching it.

Materials: String, rope, or yarn to form the spider web

Participants: Any number of individuals in a group

• Create a spider’s web between two trees using duct tape or Nylon cord.
• Instruct the group members to stand on one side of the spider’s web.
• Now, group members must travel to the other side of the web without touching it. They are not allowed to travel over, under, or around it.
• If somebody touches the web, ask him to go back and restart again.

Figure out the strategies used by each group to solve this problem. Ask them how they came up with the solution and what other solutions could have been used.

#9. The Great Egg Drop

The goal of this game is to build a structure that protects the eggs while dropping from a certain height.

Materials: Cardboard, paper, tape, scissors, and eggs

Participants: Any number of members in a group

• Instruct each group to find several materials to build a structure.
• Give some time for each group to plan their strategy and build the structure by putting the egg inside.
• Once this is done, tell them to drop the structure from at least 10 feet in height.
• Check how many groups have survived their eggs successfully? If there is more than one group, then the one that utilizes fewer materials for building the structure can be declared the winner.

Compare each group’s outcomes and discuss different methods of problem solving. Also, discuss the importance of planning and being mindful of how resources are used.

#10. Toxic Waste

The goal of this activity is to neutralize toxic waste and save the world. Here each team should transfer the toxic waste from the radiation zone to the safe zone without causing any harm to its members.

Materials: Balls, Buckets, and Ropes

Participants: 3-8 members in each team

• Form a circle of 8 feet in diameter with a rope and place a small bucket with balls (toxic waste) in the middle to represent the radiation zone.
• Create a safe zone by placing a large bucket (neutralization bucket) around 30 feet away from the radiation zone.
• Instruct the teams to neutralize the toxic waste by transferring it from the radiation zone to the safe zone within a certain time. They must maintain a safe distance from the radiation zone during this time.
• Now, give the teams two ropes to transfer the toxic waste, and also allow them 5 minutes for planning. Then, they can execute their plans.
• Finally, see the results.

Discuss how each team approached the task and how teamwork played a crucial role in completing it. Also, emphasize the importance of planning before executing any task.

Want Some Unique Team Building Activities?

If you want some unique activities (both in person and virtual) for your employees, you can get my new e-book:

The Busy Leader’s Guide of Unique Team Building Activities: 30 Fully Customizable Exercises That You Can Conduct with Any Group of Employees, Anywhere

Or Want Some Unique Leadership Development Activities?

If you want some unique activities to equip your employees with leadership skills, qualities, and mindset, you can get my new e-book:

The Empowering Guide of Unique Leadership Development Activities: 100 Fully Customizable Exercises That You Can Conduct with Any Group of Employees, Anywhere

Final Words

By engaging in the above activities, employees can develop their problem solving and decision making skills. Thus, it is important to include them in any team building sessions. This will not only help build trust among your employees but will also help them become better problem solvers and more effective communicators. Ultimately, this will lead to stronger teamwork and overall success for the organization.

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25 Team Building Problem Solving Activities

25 problem solving team building activities.

While we are in lockdown (transition to or from) and acclimating to virtual life, these activities will engender trust, create strong bonds, and improve the problem solving abilities of everyone that plays them!

Benefits of Team Building Problem Solving Activities

Problem solving skills are one of the most essential components of a competent workplace. When we attempt to solve problems within a group, we need strong communication skills, adaptability, and collaborative clarity. The team building activities in this list house a smattering of interactive and creative approaches that can help foster these skills in any healthy team. 

Scavenger Hunt

Embarking on a cityHUNT Scavenger Hunt is a thrilling team-building activity designed to enhance problem-solving skills, creativity, and communication. The goal is for each team to navigate a list of items and bring them all back within a set time frame, with the first team to return winning. The experience begins with a Discovery Call to tailor the event to your needs, followed by detailed planning and preparation. On the event day, teams use our state-of-the-art mobile app or receive full support from our Adventure Guides to explore the city, solve riddles, and complete tasks, all while earning points and fostering collaboration.

This cityHUNT Scavenger Hunt not only breaks up the workday with outdoor fun but also promotes critical thinking and effective teamwork. The activity’s customizable nature ensures it fits your team’s unique dynamics and objectives. Post-event, participants can relive the excitement through photos and videos shared in a thank-you email. Book your Discovery Call today and discover why cityHUNT is a top choice for enhancing team dynamics and creating lasting memories.

This cityHunt Scavenger Hunt is a fantastic way to get your group problem solving together!

Making decisions isn’t always easy, but the inability to make decisions can stagnate a team and lead to thought paralysis. Decision-making team-building activities, like the Egg Drop, help your staff make quick and effective choices, often relying on their gut instinct, which is usually spot on.

For the Egg Drop challenge, gather a carton of eggs and various construction materials such as newspaper, tape, and rubber bands. Head to the parking lot or any outdoor space with a safe ledge or platform. Divide your team into smaller groups and give each team an egg and the same set of materials. Set a timer for twenty minutes and let each team design and build their egg carrier. Once the time is up, take turns dropping the eggs from the ledge to see whose design can protect the egg from breaking. Continue this process until only one egg remains unbroken. Afterward, discuss the decision-making strategies and thought processes behind each team’s design, highlighting what worked and what didn’t. This activity not only encourages creativity and quick thinking but also fosters teamwork and problem-solving skills.

A Shrinking Vessel

Adaptability is a crucial aspect of effective problem-solving, enabling teams to navigate shifting needs and unexpected challenges with agility. Teams that excel in adapting on the fly can solve problems more efficiently and innovate even in the midst of a crisis. The “Shrinking Vessel” activity is designed to enhance these skills by putting your team’s adaptability to the test.

To set up the activity, lay a piece of rope or string on the floor to form a large shape that your team can comfortably fit within, such as a circle or rectangle. Over a period of fifteen minutes, gradually reduce the size of the shape by moving the rope or string inward. The challenge for the team is to work together to adjust and stay within the ever-decreasing boundaries. This requires continuous real-time communication and collaboration as team members must strategize and reposition themselves to ensure everyone remains within the shrinking space. The exercise emphasizes the importance of adaptability and quick decision-making, helping teams develop the flexibility needed to thrive under pressure and respond effectively to changing circumstances.

Virtual Team Building 

Remote work can present unique challenges, especially for teams that are accustomed to in-person interactions. Adapting to this new way of working can be daunting, but virtual team building offers a wealth of opportunities to foster connection and collaboration. The virtual world is brimming with engaging activities designed to bring teams together, even when they’re miles apart.

There’s no shortage of virtual team-building options that can be seamlessly integrated into your remote work routine. Virtual scavenger hunts, game shows, trivia competitions, and various team-based challenges can all be conducted via popular virtual conferencing platforms. These activities are not only fun but also serve as effective tools for problem-solving and strengthening team dynamics. For instance, virtual scavenger hunts can be tailored to include items or tasks that are relevant to your team’s interests or current projects, encouraging collaboration and creativity. By leveraging these virtual tools, teams can enjoy interactive and rewarding experiences that help bridge the gap created by physical distance, making remote work both productive and enjoyable.

Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

The Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower challenge might sound like a recipe for chaos, but it’s actually a fantastic exercise in collaboration and creative problem-solving. The goal isn’t to cook anything—just to use dry spaghetti noodles, marshmallows, and a few optional extras like tape and string to build the tallest and most stable tower possible.

This activity underscores the importance of teamwork and innovation. To start, divide your group into teams and provide each with a set of materials: dry spaghetti noodles, marshmallows, and, if you choose, tape and string. Set a specific timeframe for the challenge—typically 20 to 30 minutes is ideal. The teams must strategize and work together to design and construct their towers using only the materials provided. The catch is that the tower must be free-standing and able to support itself without collapsing.

As the teams work, they’ll need to communicate effectively, make quick decisions, and adapt their strategies based on what’s working and what isn’t. This process of trial and error fosters collaboration and encourages creative thinking. At the end of the allotted time, measure the height of each tower to determine the winner.

The Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower exercise not only brings out the competitive spirit but also demonstrates how effective teamwork can lead to innovative solutions and impressive results. It’s a fun and engaging way to build trust and cooperation among team members, proving that with the right mix of creativity and collaboration, even the simplest materials can lead to extraordinary achievements.

Dumbest Idea First

What’s more fun than a dumb idea? For this game, encourage your team to unify and quickly think of the dumbest ideas they can to solve a specific problem. Once accomplished, consult the list and flesh out the ideas that aren’t actually dumb so you can serve up a good solution to your problem. You might find that these so-called “dumb” ideas are actually fairly creative and host some original solutions!

This game helps everyone build strong communication standards and enhances the foundations of decision-making among your employees. It’s imperative that your teams learn proper communication strategies, especially when it comes to problem solving. In our remote-work world, communication skills are extremely important to mitigate frustrations and smooth the channels that lead to impactful problem solving.

To play Stranded:

• Your team is stranded in the office!
• The doors and windows are locked and cannot be opened.
• Give your team half an hour so they can choose up to ten items necessary to survive.
• Rank their ten items in order of necessity.
• The goal of this game is that at the end, each team member of each team will agree on the ten items needed and their ranked order, coming to a conclusion that will rescue them from being stranded.

End in Mind

The “End in Mind” activity is a dynamic problem-solving exercise designed to help your team approach projects from a unique perspective. By starting with the end result and working backward, this activity encourages strategic thinking and creative problem-solving.

Here’s how it works: Begin by defining the final goal or outcome of a project. Present this end result to your team first, then provide a series of milestones, deadlines, and steps in reverse order. The challenge is for the team to piece together these elements to construct a coherent plan that leads from the final goal back to the initial starting point.

The reverse order of the milestones forces team members to consider how each step contributes to achieving the end result. This method encourages them to think critically about each component’s role in the project, identify potential obstacles, and develop innovative solutions to ensure all pieces fit together seamlessly. By analyzing the project in reverse, teams gain a deeper understanding of the dependencies and sequences needed for successful completion.

The “End in Mind” activity not only sharpens problem-solving skills but also enhances strategic planning and foresight. It’s a valuable exercise for developing a comprehensive view of how complex projects come together and for honing the ability to anticipate and address challenges before they arise.

Legoman is an engaging team-building activity that leverages the nostalgia of childhood toys to improve communication and collaboration within your team. This exercise challenges participants to work together, translate verbal instructions into action, and build a shared understanding.

To start, divide your team into small groups of two to three people each. Select a person who is not part of any team to create a random Lego structure within a set time limit of ten minutes. This person will build the model out of sight from the other participants.

Once the structure is complete, each team is given the same ten-minute timeframe to replicate the model. However, there’s a twist: only one member of each team can view the original Lego construct. This person must describe the model to their team without directly showing it, relying solely on their ability to communicate details clearly and accurately. The rest of the team listens and interprets the description to assemble the structure as closely as possible to the original.

This activity highlights the importance of effective communication and listening skills, as well as the need for clear and concise instructions. It challenges team members to collaborate and problem-solve in real-time, fostering a deeper understanding of how well they work together and how they can improve their communication strategies. By using a familiar and playful medium like Legos, the exercise makes learning these essential skills enjoyable and memorable.

This fun game enhances collaboration amongst your staff. Utilizing clues and tools, they will attempt to unlock a room within a given time frame. You will need a room that you can (safely) lock, a key for that room, rope, and a set of puzzles and/or clues.

The basic idea of this game is to solve all the clues presented and find the key so that they can unlock the room. Hide the key somewhere in the room, and make sure that the list of clues and puzzles that lead to the key are solvable and not too obtuse. Once your team is ready to go, you can give your team a time limit to complete the activity.

This game truly shows why team building is important!

Let’s take a break from the communication problem solving activities and play a game that requires decision making and adaptability. To play Frostbite, you will need an electric fan, some card stock/sticky notes/rubber bands, and a blindfold.

Your team is out on an exploration of the arctic. Separate them into groups of about four or five people, and have them choose a leader for the adventure. Your teams need to construct shelters that will protect them from an oncoming storm front that will ruin them in thirty minutes. Like the name of the game, your team leaders are suffering from frostbite, and the rest of the team is blinded because of the snow. Using the provided materials, team leaders and team members must rely on one another to build shelters that can endure the “high winds” when the storm hits (the electric fan). When the time comes, turn on the fan and see whose shelter can weather the storm!

This is another fun adaptability game that encourages collaboration and communication among your staff. To play this game you will need at least one item that can “mark” a space, such as tape, paper, chalk, etc.

• Divide the group into two teams, and align these teams so that they’re facing one another. 
• Using your space marking item, label an area for each person to stand in.
• Make sure you leave some space between the rows of people facing each other.
• To solve the objective, have the two lines of facing team members swap places.

Caveats: Only one person can move at once, moving backward isn’t allowed, a person can only move around the people from the other team one at a time, and a person can’t move around anyone if they’re both facing the same direction.

It’s tough! 

What Would X Do

Is your team stagnating on new ideas? This problem solving activity might stimulate your staff toward innovation.

In order to play What Would X Do, allow your teams to pretend to be someone famous. As a famous person, address an issue at hand. Have them ask themselves, what might they do in this particular situation? What might they consider? What choices would they make? This helps your team consider things in a new light.

Bonding Belt 

For this game, divide your groups into five participants, binding them together with tape or rope in order to limit their movements. You want the teams to go from designated Point A to Point B, and make sure you record the time. Each team will work together in order to beat their previous scores. 

To play Minefield, we are going to place items around the room in a randomized fashion so that the path from one side to the other is properly occluded and confusing. Divide up your team. Blindfold one team and have the other team serve as the guides.

The guide team then navigates the blindfolded team through the minefield, being certain that players don’t touch (any players that touch are out!). This is a team building activity of trust and survival, one that requires concise communication and collaborative problem solving.

Reverse Pyramid

Direct your team to stand together in the shape of a pyramid. What you want to do here is “flip” the base and apex of the pyramid, limiting who can move to only two or three people. Your team will want to work together in order to flip the pyramid successfully, and this game works as a great communicative device that will need a lot of proper decision making. 

The Human Knot is a dynamic and engaging team-building activity that focuses on enhancing group coordination, communication, and problem-solving skills. This classic game is not only fun but also a powerful tool for fostering teamwork and developing collaborative strategies.

To begin, gather your team and instruct them to form a circle. Each participant should reach across the circle to grab the hand of someone who is not directly next to them, ensuring that everyone is connected. Once all members are linked, the challenge is to untangle the knot without releasing anyone’s hands. The group must work together to maneuver and twist their bodies to gradually unravel the knot and restore the circle.

The Human Knot exercise encourages participants to communicate clearly and strategize collectively. As they work through the physical and spatial challenges of untangling themselves, team members must discuss and agree on the best approach to achieve the goal. This requires a high level of cooperation and flexibility, as well as the ability to listen to and incorporate ideas from all team members.

Throughout the activity, team members will learn about the importance of coordination and the value of each person’s input in solving complex problems. The exercise also highlights how diverse perspectives and teamwork can lead to successful outcomes, even in seemingly difficult situations.

Dog, Rice, and Chicken

This is a fun, silly problem solving activity that might help your adult staff cut loose. Direct one team member to play the role of the farmer, and the other team members are the villagers that advise them. The farmer will get three items: a dog, some rice, and a chicken, which they take across a river via boat.

You may have played this game before, or maybe you’re aware of the narrative device: only one item can be taken across at a time, and there are limits. The dog will eat the chicken. The chicken will eat the rice. Your team will have to work together to figure out how to properly bring everything across the river.

Crack The Case

Have you ever played a classic murder mystery group game? These virtual “Whodunnits” force employees to work collectively to crack a case or solve a murder. Remote games are super fun, and everyone from commuters to remote workers to in-house staff can play together.

Virtual Clue Murder Mystery Games use video conferencing platforms and apps to let coworkers solve cases together. They can study case files, look over clues, and work together to parse out motive, method, and everything else behind classic mysteries. It’s a great time.

What Would You Do

This hypothetical question game will favor communication and brainstorming efforts by gathering your team together for a problem solving activity that is intriguing and silly. This game works by asking absurd questions and getting thoughtful answers. 

For example, you could ask someone “If you didn’t have to breathe, what would you do?” or “If you never had to eat, what would you accomplish?” Your hypothetical questions should be fairly optional and open, and they need to get your team talking. Try to come up with an inventive, fun list that garnishes thoughtful responses.

Can You Tell What I Changed?

This great communication-based problem solving activity doesn’t take too long and is fun for everybody. To play it, divvy up your team into groups and have them face each other in a line. Observe the individuals standing across from one another, giving them a minute or so to look. Then have them close their eyes.

Instruct the other line of people to make a bunch of quick changes to their appearances. They can put their hair up or down, take off their jackets, turn out their ties, and whatever else they might come up with in that short period of time. Have the other group open their eyes and identify each change as quickly as they can. Play this game as many times as you want, making it more and more complicated.

This is a fun problem solving activity that makes a great team icebreaker or just a quick break from office work.

Organizational Jenga

Organizational Jenga is a thought-provoking team-building activity designed to illustrate the importance of various departments within a company and how each role contributes to the overall stability of the organization. This game uses the familiar mechanics of Jenga to highlight the interdependence of different teams and the impact of removing key elements from the structure.

To set up the game, you’ll need a Jenga set or some similar blocks, each labeled to represent different departments or roles within your organization, such as HR, management, IT, support staff, and so on. Ensure the number of blocks for each department corresponds to the actual composition of your office.

Divide your team into small groups, giving each group an equal number of labeled blocks. Provide guidelines for the structure they must build, such as specific dimensions or shapes, and set a time limit for the construction phase. Once the structures are built, begin removing blocks in a manner similar to traditional Jenga, challenging the teams to maintain their structure’s stability as pieces are taken away.

This activity is more than just a physical challenge; it serves as a powerful metaphor for organizational dynamics. As blocks are removed, teams will see firsthand how the absence of certain roles or departments can destabilize the entire structure. This emphasizes the critical importance of each role within the company and the potential consequences of losing any individual team member.

Web of Wools

For this game, divide your team up into equal parts. Have your team form up a “web of wools,” one that should be as intricate as they can manage. Using yarn or string, your teams should entangle themselves together. Then switch the teams up so that everyone has a different web. Have one team member on each side be blindfolded and attempt to untangle each web only by the provided instruction of the other team members. Whoever does it first is the winner! 

This is a fairly difficult game that can come with its own unique frustrations. The blindfolded person will have to balance their own preferences and instincts with the instructions of their teammates. This is a great team building activity that balances communication with problem solving.

The Barter Puzzle

The Barter Puzzle is an insightful team-building exercise that challenges your groups to perform under pressure while honing their negotiation and communication skills. This activity is designed to highlight how well teams can collaborate, negotiate, and delegate tasks to achieve a common goal.

To begin, divide your participants into teams of about five people each. Provide each team with a jigsaw puzzle of varying complexity, but with a twist: the puzzle pieces are mixed among all the teams, meaning no single team has all the pieces needed to complete their puzzle. The objective is for one team to be the first to complete their puzzle, but this can only be achieved through negotiation and bartering with the other teams to acquire the missing pieces.

Teams must strategize and communicate effectively to determine which pieces they have and which ones they need. They’ll need to negotiate with other teams to trade puzzle pieces, assign roles within their team, and make decisions about how to best use their resources. It’s crucial that teams work together and avoid having individuals work independently, as the collaborative nature of the task is key to solving the puzzle efficiently.

This activity is a practical way to observe and assess several important skills: negotiation tactics, communication effectiveness, and the ability to function under pressure. It reveals which teams excel at strategizing and working cooperatively, and which may need to improve their communication and negotiation strategies. The Barter Puzzle is not only a fun and engaging challenge but also a valuable exercise in understanding and enhancing team dynamics.

Create your own

This is a unique version of the above games. The point of this game is for the team to brainstorm and come up with their own problem solving activity that is unique to your business and supports your values, ideals, and needs. By conquering this team building game, your team will build creativity and decision making skills.

Give them an hour to craft a team building exercise that is based on problem solving. Divide your staff into teams where they will be encouraged to develop new exercises that fit into your organization. The exercises should be unique, fun, and engaging. Then, have each team show off their created activities to everyone else. Have the others show the pros and cons of the created activities, and discuss how they came to the idea and what the benefits are.

No matter what you decide to play, we are certain that there are enough ideas on this list to get your group up and problem solving together! These team building activities are such a great way to get your team to communicate and negotiate, and best of all these games will bring your staff together during this tumultuous time. Problem solving is one of the backbones of any successful, growing business, and these games are sure to be celebrated by your staff for years.

If you’re looking for ways to bond beyond the rigors of the office, consider these virtual happy hour ideas that will bring your staff together in a relaxing way.

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8 Problem-Solving Team Building Activities

Soft skills are becoming more important in today’s workplace, with problem-solving skills becoming a top area in which skills are lacking. To work effectively as a team, it is important to learn how to overcome different challenges and find the best solution to resolve any issue. 

Our selection of team building activities , not only contributes to building cohesion and communication but they’re also designed to boost your team’s decision-making skills.  Teams will develop the ability to critically assess problems and explore different solutions, rather than getting stuck in the details. 

Developing problem-solving skills is linked to better company performance, as good problem-solving skills will lead to better decision-making. While some people are naturally good at the process of problem-solving, everyone can learn this skill through our selection of team building events .

Why Problem-Solving Skills Are Important in Today’s Workplace

Problem-solving and decision-making team building activities help teams break a problem down into 5 different stages:

• Defining the problem : This very first step involves identifying the issue, and how important it is. 
• Analysing : This step involves analysing the problem, and its nature and asking yourself why it is happening. 
• Describe : Break down the problem in as much detail as possible with the goal of having a clear and comprehensive understanding of what must be done to overcome it.
• Diagnose : Diagnosing the problem involves getting to the root causes. It’s about understanding why the problem exists and what factors or variables contribute to it.
• Test : The testing stage is where you implement potential solutions to the problem. You examine whether the proposed solutions work and if they effectively address the issue. 

Going through this problem-solving process helps a team learn basic strategies they can apply at the workplace and in real-world scenarios. 

When engaging in problem-solving games and activities, it’s crucial to understand that there are no winners or losers. The primary goal is to cultivate teamwork and collaboration.

Benefits of Problem-Solving Team Building Activities

As the team building activities will be set in a relaxed and fun environment, they will put everyone in a positive frame of mind, where participants can express their thoughts with no judgement. 

• Real-World Application : 

Challenges presented in the different problem-solving team-building activities often mimic real-world scenarios. This will allow participants to directly apply the skills developed during the activity to their workplace, making the experience highly practical and transferable. 

• Active Participation and Engagement

Introducing any of these problem-solving team-building games will position participants as active contributors rather than just listening in. 

• Building Better Work Relationships

The addition of decision team building activities helps break up any existing cliques within groups and encourages participants to interact with other people they might otherwise not interact with.  This is an excellent way to help build effective work relationships for the future.

Our Top 8 Problem-Solving Team Building Activities

Here’s our list of fun problem-solving activities to try with your team, ranging from icebreakers to Olympic-style challenges. These team-building exercises aim to boost decision-making skills and foster teamwork, ensuring your team is adept at tackling challenges together.

It’s A Rat Trap!

Participants work together to construct a series of intricate contraptions using giant Meccano-like components. Each contraption is designed to trigger the next in a chain reaction, leading to a captivating finale where a one-ton weight drops onto a model rat. The key to success lies in the precise sequencing and coordination of each device.

This activity encourages group members to engage actively, enhancing their communication, leadership, teamwork, and morale. It’s an ideal team-building exercise for promoting unity within a team as they use their ingenuity to determine the proper order and roles in the contraption’s assembly

Give a Helping Hand – The Hand Project

But Robot Wars is not only about construction; it also involves strategic gameplay. Your team will have to plan the strengths and weaknesses of their own robots and those of their opponents. This strategic element introduces resource management challenges as teams will have to make informed choices about the best components for their robots.

Around the World in 80 Minutes

The time constraint of completing challenges within 80 minutes adds an element of urgency. Teams must manage their time effectively, prioritising tasks and making quick decisions – key aspects of problem-solving in real-world situations where time is often a critical factor.

The Bigger Picture

This resource management aspect encourages participants to make informed choices within constraints – a key aspect of problem-solving.

Build a Bike for Charity

The added element of building a bike will instil a sense of purpose and community among team members. Knowing their efforts will contribute to a charitable cause will foster a sense of fulfilment, along with increasing their Social Responsibility.

Wheels for Walkies

Knowing that your team’s efforts will contribute to improving the lives of dogs and giving them back their freedom, will inspire a sense of purpose and motivation among your team members.

Treasure Hunts

Corporate Treasure hunts involve deciphering clues and navigating through a variety of interesting locations. Your team must use their problem-solving skills to interpret clues, choose the correct path, and navigate efficiently to reach each destination, improving navigational problem-solving skills.

Our treasure hunts incorporate codes, riddles, and puzzles to win different amounts of points. Teams must work together to decode messages and solve puzzles to progress in the hunt. Our questions draw upon all kinds of fine detail and hidden elements within the hunt location, with many clues based on the inscriptions on monuments as well as history, architecture, and modern life.

Choose Team Tactics to Boost Your Team’s Problem-Solving Skills

Our selection of problem-solving team-building activities is designed to boost engagement, uplift morale and improve decision-making in a fresh and different way. Sometimes, they even push colleagues beyond their comfort zones, having the entire group involved in overcoming challenges that can be applied to real-world scenarios. 

With almost 30 years of experience as corporate team-building event specialists, we’re dedicated to adding a refreshing twist to your team dynamics. For more ideas, check out our Top Team Building Activities and Events , and our Leadership Team Building Activities to boost other skills in your team. 

Get in touch with us and book your next problem-solving game today!

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Tina Benson

Tina founded Team Tactics back in 1995, bringing a strong background in sales and sports. Her passion for the events industry is evident, and she is dedicated to maintaining and building relationships with clients, always striving to provide the perfect event for each and every one.

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Fun Team-Building Problem-Solving Activities

Teamwork is what allows organizations to overcome their biggest obstacles and thrive in a crowded global marketplace. As Andrew Carnegie said generations ago, teamwork is what enables “people to attain uncommon results.” When teams work together effectively, they can give their employers a competitive edge and increase their individual and collective levels of success. Even teams that sometimes seem like they’ll work seamlessly on paper fail to meet, let alone exceed, the mark, whatever that goal might be. As a manager, it’s your job to help the team you oversee succeed. One way you can do that is by engaging your team in some fun team-building problem-solving activities.

It’s important to note that the point of those activities isn’t to ensure everyone likes one another. While it would be great if your entire team consisted of friends, the odds are better than not that some team members may simply not like others—and that’s okay! A team doesn’t have to consist of BFFs to be effective and goal-oriented. In fact, the differences that exist between the members of your team will give everyone a chance to learn, gain alternative points of view, and achieve greater effectiveness.

Creative Problem-Solving Activities from Let’s Roam

The experts at Let’s Roam have carefully constructed a series of team-building activities that will help you to build stronger connections, increase productivity, and improve morale. These exercises can be used in the office, or virtually for remote teams, and focus on problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and more. Our planners will work with you to ensure that your next event is a worthwhile endeavor for your staff, so don’t hesitate. Get started today!

The Two Cs: Communication and Collaboration

For the members of a team to work well together, they must know how to communicate and collaborate. Those two critical skills will be the basis for your team’s ultimate success. Luckily, some team-building activities are designed to enhance employee communication and collaboration abilities.

The Best Team-Building Problem-Solving Activities

Can you tell what i changed.

“Can You Tell What I Changed?” is a communication activity that doesn’t take too long. To get started, divide your team into two groups and have each one form a line that faces the other. Give the members in each line the opportunity to observe the individual standing across from them for a minute or two.

Instruct one line to turn around and have the members of the other make five changes to their appearance. Those changes can be as simple as letting their hair out of a ponytail, removing a pair of glasses, and/or taking off a tie. After the members of the second line are done making changes, have the people in the first line turn back around. Ask the members of the first line to identify the changes they recognize.

This activity is a great icebreaker for teams that were only recently put together. It’s also an innovative way to enhance people’s observation skills and to get them to pay attention to things they may overlook otherwise.

Let’s Create a Story for the Ages

Creativity is an important skill that’s often necessary for problem-solving. “Let’s Create a Story for the Ages” is an effective team-building exercise that will enhance your team’s ability to communicate and think creatively.

To prepare for this activity, gather a series of sequential pictures that are big enough for everyone to see. Hang those pictures in the front of the room and have your team sit down where they can see them.

Ask one team member to start a story by coming up with one line about the first picture. Once that person shares the story’s opening line, have another person repeat what was just said and come up with the next sentence. Continue in this manner until your team has told a complete tale that covers all the pictures on display.

A variant of the activity just described is to divide your group into small teams, each consisting of four or five people. Give each of the new teams a piece of paper, pen, and 15–20 minutes to write its own story about the pictures. When the time limit expires, have each team present its story to the rest of the group. After each team has read its tale, allow your whole team to discuss the different interpretations of the pictures.

We Stand Together

“We Stand Together” is a fun, at times guffaw-inducing activity that requires employees to communicate and collaborate to succeed. Divide your team into pairs and have each pair sit back-to-back with their arms linked. The goal of each pair is to then stand up as one without unlinking their arms. Once a duo accomplishes this task, you can assign another pair to the first so that all four can attempt to achieve the same goal together.

Whether they’re working in a pair or foursome, participants will have to communicate and collaborate to stand as one. If anyone is ticklish, be prepared for your whole team to enjoy a few moments of shared laughter, which can truly go a long way in uniting your team.

Activities to Improve Team-Building and Problem-Solving Skills

When you’re confident your team has developed the collaboration and communication skills to succeed as one, it’s time to move on to activities that will help them develop the team-building and problem-solving abilities they’ll need to succeed as a unit. Be sure to pick activities that will help everyone develop the critical talents they’ll need to succeed.

For example, problem-solving requires team members to brainstorm, flex their logical and lateral thinking muscles, actively listen, engage their creativity, and adopt a “what if” mentality. Whereas communication and collaboration are the basis for successful team-building and problem-solving, these other abilities are what your team needs to build on top of that foundation, so to speak.

Build a Campsite

While taking your team on an outdoor retreat may help members develop some team-building and problem-solving skills, that’s not what’s being suggested here. Instead, you can move the furniture in a conference to the side and gather the following items: a small tent, some tennis balls or softballs, and enough chairs and blindfolds for every member of your team.

Divide your team into groups of five or six. Pick one group to kick things off, instructing them to bring their chairs closer to the tent and balls while having the others move their chairs back. The chosen group members should then put on their blindfolds and attempt to make a campsite.

The goal is for them to put up the tent, construct a ring for a campfire using the balls, and position their chairs around the fire ring all while blindfolded. To accomplish this feat, the group will have to work together and solve problems along the way. This activity is fantastic for developing adaptability to challenging conditions.

The Lego Challenge

If you have young kids, then you know that stepping on a Lego without a shoe on isn’t a fun experience. Now, you have reason to go around, collect all those pain-inducing building blocks, and put them to use without feeling guilty. Just be sure you collect enough Legos!

Divide your team into groups under ten. Give each group a set of Lego blocks. Instruct each group to build a structure using their playthings, but only share scant details about what the final structures should look like or what their purpose should be. Give the groups an hour or more to finish their projects depending on how many Legos they have to work with. When the designated amount of time expires, let each group show off its creation and explain what it is. Then, allow your whole team to discuss the various structures, the motivations behind each one, and how improvements might be made.

The goals of this team-building activity are to refine problem-solving techniques improve communication between team members.

Untying the Knot

“Untying the Knot” is a really fun activity to engage your team with. Depending on the size of your team, the whole team can do this as one, or you may have to parcel out members into several groups of ten or less. Assuming your team is small enough to do this together, have everyone stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a circle facing each other. Each person should extend their right hand and take ahold of someone else’s.

Everyone should then do the same with their left hands, making sure they don’t grab the two hands of the same individual who’s across from them. The result will be a hand-holding human knot, which your team members must work together to untangle without letting go of anyone’s hands.

Although this activity may seem simple enough, it will challenge your employees to engage in teamwork before they’re “free.” It will also require some creative thinking and innovative problem solving for the activity to come to an end.

Red Rover Variant

You might remember dashing across the street while trying to avoid being tagged as a kid when you played “Red Rover,” but this variant of the childhood game is comparatively tame and less physically tiring. At least, it’s meant to be tamer and less physically taxing.

Your entire team can do this activity together, or you can break the large group into smaller teams. If you’re dividing your staff into groups, have each one pick a person who’ll act as the “farmer.” The remaining members of each group will assume the role of villagers.

The farmer in each group is responsible for transporting three things to the other side of a figurative river using a boat. A dog, some rice, and a chicken are the things the farmer must get to the other bank. The farmer’s dilemma is as follows:

• The farmer can only transport one thing on the boat
• Leaving the chicken and the dog on the same shore without supervision isn’t feasible because the dog might eat the chicken
• Similarly, the chicken can’t be left unsupervised with the rice because the animal may consume the grain

How will the farmers and their respective villagers complete the task of getting all three items to the other shore with those constraints? After the game, allow some time to come together to assess their approaches and discuss the different outcomes.

If you want to enhance your team’s problem-solving skills with “Egg Drop,” it’s best to warn your employees to dress down a few days in advance of this team-building activity, as things have the potential to get messy. As you may have inferred from the name of this game, you’ll also need to get some eggs to play, as well as a few other supplies.

You’ll divide your team into two or more groups. Each group will be charged with creating some sort of protective packaging for its eggs. The goal is for each group to fashion packaging that will protect the eggs from breaking when they’re dropped from a pre-determined height.

To incentivize your team, designate a reward that the winning group will get to enjoy and tell everyone what the prize is before the competition begins. The team that designs the packaging that keeps the most eggs wins.

If you’re on a tight budget, don’t worry! You can still come up with a prize that won’t cost much, or perhaps won’t cost anything at all. For example, you can let each member of the winning team park in your parking spot for a day. Alternatively, you can let the winning group enjoy an extra day of causal dress the following week.

What Would You Do

While there will be some instances when your team will have a lot of time to solve a problem, it’s likely your employees will have to make decisions fast at other times. To give your team members the chance to practice their quick decision-making abilities, you may want to set aside time for them to engage in an activity called “What Would You Do.”

In this activity, each team member will be given the opportunity to pretend to be the famous person of their choice. Once in that role, the famous individual will be presented with a problem. First, the person must decide if the problem is even worth solving. If it is, the individual must come up with potential solutions in a set period of time. After those solutions are divulged, the team can discuss them and look for possible improvements to each suggested resolution.

Puzzling (AKA “The Barter Puzzle”)

Your employees might find themselves puzzled when they play “Puzzling.” For this activity, you will need to divide your team into smaller groups and come prepared with a different jigsaw puzzle for each group. Before giving each its puzzle, mix a few pieces into the boxes that will be given to other groups.

As each group labors to be the first team to finish its puzzle, its members will eventually realize some key pieces are missing. When the other groups come to the same realization, they’ll need to identify which group or groups have the pieces they need and figure out a way to get them.

The ensuing inter-group bartering may include things like loaning a member to another group. It may also include bribes like buying lunch. Whatever tactics are used, your employees are sure to have a good, collective laugh as they engage their powers of persuasion, teamwork, and problem solving—and there’s nothing puzzling about that, is there?

Escape Room

In recent years, escape rooms have become pretty common and readily accessible in many locations. Even if one isn’t located close to your business, you can create one in your building with just a bit of effort.

The point of an escape room is to challenge the people in the room to work together to find the key and get out of the locked space. Themed escape rooms give you the chance to challenge your team in different ways that are in keeping with various subjects.

For your team to get out of the room, your employees will have to uncover and decipher a series of clues. Every clue will point them in the direction of another hint they’ll need to act upon until they find the final clue that will identify the key’s hiding spot.

Scavenger Hunt

You can involve your team in an indoor or outdoor company scavenger hunt , but this type of activity is even more engaging when you plan it across multiple locations. The goal of a scavenger hunt is for your employees to find sundry items that are either widely accessible or hidden in different places. With each successive discovery, your employees will find a clue that indicates where the next item on their list of things to recover is located.

You can add an element of competition to a scavenger hunt by dividing your team into small groups that will compete to see which group will find all the things on their list first. Heightening that spirit of competition is easy. All you have to do is announce an enticing prize that will be given to the winning group before the hunt begins.

Can You Build It

“Can You Build It” is a game that requires participants to make careful observations, communicate clearly, solve problems, and work as a team. For this game, you’ll need to break out the Legos once again or pick up different materials that can be used to create a structure that you’ll build in advance of your employees engaging in this activity.

To start, hide the structure you built so that no one can see it. Give your team the materials they’ll need to recreate what you made. Allow one person to see your structure. That individual will then describe the structure to the rest of the team and the team will work together to try to recreate it.

If your team fails to make a facsimile of your structure, let someone else take a peek at your creation. Your team will then try to recreate the structure again. The activity will continue in a similar manner until your team successfully and accurately replicates your structure.

This activity engages many of the talents that are necessary for effective team building and problem solving. It requires teammates to trust each other and brainstorm, for example. Communication, observing, and coming up with clever solutions are also required in “Can You Build It.”

That’s One Way to Hula

All you need for “That’s One Way to Hula” is a hula-hoop and some good-spirited employees. For this activity, have your team stand in a circle holding hands. Break the circle by separating two of those joined hands and slip a hula-hoop onto the arm of one of the participants before rejoining their hands. The challenge then becomes for each participant to pass the hula-hoop to a coworker without letting go of the hands the person is holding.

If your team is large, consider separating it into groups. By doing this, you can create a competition to see which group can get the hula-hoop around the entire ring of participants the fastest.

Plan a Fundraiser

While encouraging your team to volunteer is certainly laudable, the problem with doing so is that your team’s success isn’t in the capable hands of its members. If, for example, your team volunteers at an animal rescue, your employees will be told what to do and how and when to do their assigned tasks.

Although volunteering is undeniably worthwhile, rewarding, and necessary for many non-profits, having your team plan a fundraiser may be a better way to give back to others. By planning a fundraiser, your team will have to work together to choose the type of event you’ll host. Your employees will then need to develop a plan to achieve their common objective.

From picking a venue to choosing how to market the fundraiser, deciding who’ll be invited to the event, identifying a realistic fundraising goal, and much more—your team will have plenty to decide and a lot of tasks to execute to pull off a successful event. As is the case with a lot of functions, even ones for great causes, obstacles will probably arise, which your employees will need to come together to overcome.

Social responsibility is one of the key drivers behind employee engagement across industries. Engaging your team with a fundraiser is a great way to improve their team-working and problem-solving abilities while helping them feel more satisfied with their jobs.

As a bonus, putting together a fundraiser can help your business generate some goodwill and increase customer loyalty. Increasingly, consumers are seeking out businesses that share their values. By having your team plan a fundraiser, you can demonstrate that your organization cares about the same things that your ideal customers do.

Team-building and problem-solving activities are a win-win for your team, your business, and your target audience. In addition to facilitating the development of professional skills, these exercises can help you to come away with a clear indication of which team members have the greatest potential to evolve into future team leaders.

Have you utilized team bonding activities? Use the comment section below to let us know which problem-solving activities you have tried and whether or not you experienced positive results.

If you want to start team-building with your employees, don’t hesitate to contact Let’s Roam to help you to plan and customize company events . Whether your group is in an office, remote, or a combination of stationary and virtual teams , our professional guides will help you every step of the way!

Frequently Asked Questions

The expert event guides at Let’s Roam have documented several effective problem-solving exercises . They also offer team-building activities including scavenger hunts , custom trivia , and more.

In addition to facilitating the development of skills such as communication, collaboration, and adaptability, problem-solving exercises can help business managers to identify future team leaders.

You can help your team with a series of problem-solving activities . Plan team-building events that will challenge employees’ collaborative skills, problem-solving techniques, and leadership abilities.

Need help planning a team-building event?

Schedule a quick, complimentary 15 minute chat with an event planner to book your next team building event with breeze., featured products & activities.

81 Insanely Fun Team Building Activities, Games, & Exercises For Work In 2024 (Not “Trust Falls”)

Believe it or not, fun team building activities for work are critically important to the success of your business.

In fact, the personal bonds formed between team members actually give your company a competitive edge.

How does this work?

It’s all about engagement. There’s a pretty clear link between the personal bonds between your team members and their engagement level. A recent Gallup study found that close work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50%, while people with a self-described best friend at work are seven times more likely to be fully engaged at work .

Another Gallup study reported that engaged companies consistently outperform the competition when it comes to things like profits, productivity, and turnover. (Pretty important stuff if you ask us.) And it stands to reason – the closer you are to your co-workers, the happier you’ll be at work, and the more likely you’ll be to sacrifice your discretionary time to help them succeed.

Here’s the best part – team building events don’t have to be boring and lame!

We asked The Assist , a free weekly email for professionals, along with some of the most engaged, tightly knit companies out there to show us how to do team building right. We’ve broken them down into categories to help you decide which ideas might work best for your company!

Page Contents (Click To Jump)

Popular Team Building Activities For Work In 2024

With all sorts of options at your disposal, it can become overwhelming to find the right type of team building event for your group. The popular team building activities in this section are proven crowd favorites guaranteed to drive strong participation and positive results. Bring the energy, roll up your sleeves, and start your next team building adventure with one of these options!

1) Murder Mystery

“Find clues and solve the crime before it is too late.”

Cue The Office theme song… Michael Scott enters… “There’s been a murder…”

In all honesty, Michael was actually on to something! Solving a murder mystery can be a great way to bond with your team. This team building exercise compiles a whole catalog of mystery games and puzzles that are designed for both the physical, hybrid, and virtual workplaces that help to develop teamwork, communication, and culture building.

Skills this work activity develops: Problem-solving, teamwork, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Why we love it: Going with a turnkey event like this means all the details are planned out, and you even benefit from the convenience and added fun of an expert host. You can rest assured that everything won’t just go smoothly, but also that everyone will have an amazing time.

Next step to get started: Start planning your next event with one of these top options:

2) Explore Your City

“Get the office some fresh air.”

A great way to get your office working together over a shared goal is to plan an awesome activity in your city. There are a ton of ways to get people out and about on a nice clear day whether it is via a scavenger hunt, tour of the city, or bar crawl!

SnackNation recently tried an “Amazing Race” type scavenger hunt through Los Angeles where employees split up into teams, solved clues and challenges, and raced to the finish line.

Skills this work activity develops: Problem solving, teamwork, endurance.

Why we love it: With everyone working in the office or remotely, there really has never been a better time to safely get together in an outdoor space and let coworkers bond over a shared team building experience.

Next step to get started: Try out the “Amazing Race” activity or plan your own city excursion to get outside with your office.

3) Virtual Team Building Templates

A virtual team building template can provide a strong foundation for your next team event. These virtual templates can facilitate anything from quick icebreakers to long-form activities, so there really is an endless amount of customization and personalization. They are also great for teams without a huge team building budget since most of these ideas can be self-hosted and do not require a ton of materials.

Why this is a fun team building activity for employees: With so many templates available to choose from, leaders can find the activity that best suits their team. That way, employees will feel comfortable participating in exercises that encourage bonding and communication.

Try one of these free templates today to get started:

Start browsing through the template catalog or build out your own!

4) Make A Team Playlist

“Create your team’s signature sound.”

Put your heads together to make the most amazing playlist in history. Or better yet, create a new best-ever playlist every single week. Explore the songs others have selected and make complementary selections. Enjoy listening to the entire thing and hearing a little bit of everyone’s personality come through. You’ll love how the whole thing, taken together, somehow captures the magic that is your team.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, collaboration, and empathy.

Why we love it: Listening to your favorite music is uplifting, energizing, rewarding, and pleasurable. All those good things are amplified (pun intended) when you share your favorite music with others.

Next step to get started: Visit  Spotify Collaborative playlists  for how-tos. Choose a theme and ask everyone to send in two songs that align.

5) Coworker Feud

“For fun feuding that brings coworkers together.”

Coworker Feud is a team building activity for work designed to generate buzz and get the office (or remote teams) brimming with excitement. Led by a knowledgeable and charismatic host, this online survey game will keep your employees or coworkers on the edge of their seats. Survey says… FUN!

Skills this work activity develops: Creative problem solving, communication, brainstorming and ideation, collaboration.

Why we love it: With lightning rounds and electrifying tension leading up to the grand finale, your team will be competing until the buzzer goes off! The game can be played with a couple of people per team or a handful on each team, but either way, the feuding is guaranteed to be an outrageously good time.

Next step to get started: Get the creative energy flowing and the competition going with Coworker Feud. Start customizing your next event here  and let their virtual host run your next game show!

6) Mindfulness Bingo

“B5! B is for Bingo!”

A new strategy to engage with your distributed team, this free downloadable activity works with teams of all sizes. Your employees will feel calmer and tackle their daily tasks with more focus while completing mini wellness challenges as they work to make a Bingo!

Skills this work activity develops: Stress management, breathing, and mindfulness.

Why we love it: Recommended for HR managers or team leaders, it is FREE to download , easy to send out to your employees, and can make any day a bit more exciting as your team members try their hand at mindfulness strategies.

Next step to get started: Download your free copy courtesy of Bonusly to get started!

Does your team need a pick-me-up? At SnackNation, we use Bonusly to help us improve engagement and build camaraderie with our distributed teams. 👉 Try Bonusly’s recognition platform for free here to start appreciating the small wins that often times go unnoticed and foster a stronger company culture that delivers results.

7) Tournament Bracket

“Satisfy your competitive streak.”

The risks and rewards of a little light betting meet the excitement of sports and entertainment to bring your team an experience that gets everyone pumped. Bet against one another. Bet with one another. Have fun.

Skills this work activity develops: Collaboration, strategic thinking, critical thinking, and decision making.

Why we love it: The competition and excitement of this activity bring people to life. Everyone will be delighted to see new sides to their coworkers. It’s especially delightful to see even your most level-headed soft-spoken teammate moved to trash talk when the honor of their favorite team is on the line.

Next step to get started: Start planning your event here !

8) Budget-Friendly Team Building Options

Team building can get expensive. With budgets moving up and down this year, it can often be smart to find activities that are exciting enough to encourage employees to show up, while not costing an arm and a leg. These team building games are designed to offer a top-tier experience while keeping costs relatively low.

Why this is a fun team building activity for employees: It can help out your company while at the same time giving your entire team an opportunity to get to know each other in a lively environment. Problem-solve, practice communication skills, and have fun in an activity that will come in under budget.

Explore some budget-friendly ideas that offer a high-quality experience:

Find the right idea for your team without breaking the bank!

9) Build Something For A Cause

“Build team bonds while building cool stuff.”

One could argue that “building things together,” is the original team building activity, what our ancient ancestors discovered to be magical when they bunkered down to create their first permanent homes.

You’ll unite behind a crystal-clear and tangible objective. You’ll feel the epicness of shared accomplishment as you admire the finished product. You’ll feel deeply bonded as you hand off your donation.

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork, trust, and communication.

Why we love it: This activity allows everyone to see the result of their teamwork. They don’t have to wonder if they contributed enough or did a good job; the end product will tell all.

Next step to get started: Plan your next charitable challenge here — Charity Bike Build !

10) Escape Room

“Your team is your only escape plan.”

Skills this work activity develops: Problem-solving, teamwork, trust, communication, leadership, and collaboration.

Why we love it: Players may find themselves navigating exciting scenarios — hunting for gold, swimming among ancient ruins, or breaking out of an infamous prison — but what they’ll remember most is feeling united as a team. Whenever everyone’s ideas and contributions coalesce into that epic moment of escape, you’ll all feel an unforgettable sense of shared victory.

Next step to get started: Visit some of these escape room themes for escape room thrills…

11) “5 O’Clock Somewhere” Cocktail Class

“Become a craft cocktail curator.”

Inspired by the old adage, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”, this interactive cocktail demonstration will be led by an experienced mixologist, who will teach everyone the basics of cocktail making, while each participant whips up a delicious post-work beverage.

After a brief introduction and cocktail education, your mixology pro will walk guests through creating three distinct cocktail recipes.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, communication, listening, and collaboration.

Why we love it: Low-stakes team building is a terrific way to encourage team members to sit back, ditch the shop talk, and get to know each other. Add cocktails to the mix and you’ve got a top-shelf team building activity!

Next step to get started: Visit Dealer’s Choice Mixology Class — our team tried this one and loved it!

12) Host A Trivia Night

“Shout answers like there’s no such thing as keeping score.”

Even when we have no idea about an answer, we love venturing guesses. Answering both wrong and right helps us learn.

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Why we love it: It’s engaging, it’s educational, and it’s inclusive. Even people who don’t venture a guess out loud have probably formed one in their minds and feel invested in the activity. Few other activities can drum up that much universal interest and engagement.

Next step to get started: Learn  how to host a trivia night or plan a virtual trivia night with your own Quiz Master working with a team building company like Elevent .

13) Virtual Tasting Experience

“Treat your taste buds to become food pairing experts.”

With this team building event you and your coworkers can learn more about pairing wine, artisan-made cheeses, and chocolate to discover new flavor combinations.

Skills this work activity develops:  Communication, critical thinking and relationship building

Why we love it:  Everyone leaves the event with a newfound appreciation for the sweeter things in life.

Next step to get started: Start assembling the supplies or you can shop for virtual tastings here to help you choose from a selection of available tasting boxes and customizations.

14) Holiday Team Building

“Today is the day to celebrate!”

If managers are looking for a good reason to schedule a team event, icebreaker, virtual Zoom call, or offsite — a holiday activity is a sure bet.

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving

Why we love it: It is an easy way to honor a special day with games, icebreakers, themed activities, and anything you can come up with!

Pro-Tip: Celebrating the obscure holidays can become the most memorable. Holidays like 🐶 National Pet Day in April or 🍩 National Donut Day in June bring a different vibe that spark a freshness to your team bonding activitity for work!

Next step to get started: Sign up for Confetti to access their catalog of holiday-themed team events and start customizing your event today!

Some of the SnackNation team’s favorites include…

15) In-Person Team Building Activities

Now that your team is back in the office, you can plan a team building event in the conference room, around the office, or at a nearby location. These in-person team building ideas can be scheduled to last an entire day or an hour in the afternoon. So even the busiest of teams can put the phones down, close the laptops, and spend time together in an interactive event.

Why this is a fun team building activity for employees: It gives teams of all sizes a chance to learn more about their coworkers via a hosted activity. All employees have to do is show up and jump into the action!

To get you started, we pulled a few of our favorites:

Book a space, plan an activity, and get to team building in person!

16) Digital Recognition Wall

This team building activity fosters collaboration between team members regardless of their location. Hybrid, in-office, and remote coworkers can get together to post on your team’s very own “Wall of Fame.”

Using a trusted appreciation platform, you can post a digital recognition wall and give everyone an opportunity to highlight team wins, individual contributions, upcoming employee milestones, and anything else that deserves the team building “shout out.”

Why this is a fun team building activity for employees: It is easy to set up and each employee can find a few minutes to participate in this team bonding activity for work asynchronously without having to block time on a calendar. It also can act as a great meeting icebreaker to send some praise at the top of your next team huddle.

You can build your first virtual recognition wall with a tool like Bonusly .

Every member of your team is awarded a set amount of recognition points each month to administer to their peers to celebrate wins, thank them for their support, and appreciate their colleagues. Learn more about Bonusly’s rewards platform with a  14-day FREE trial !

Set up your digital recognition wall and watch the team building happen organically!

Team Building Activities For Work: Small Groups

When you have a small group of 10 team members or less, you pretty much have your pick of team building activities.

You have enough people to make hybrid team activities and competitions exciting, but you also don’t have so many people that you can’t spring for an off-site affair or something a little more involved. You can do almost anything and still rest assured that everyone experiences the most important elements of team building, including communication, collaboration, and camaraderie.

17) Shark Tank

“Find out if your ideas really have teeth.”

Inspired by the television series  Shark Tank , this activity allows a small group of people to do all of the above during a festive pitch session. There’s only one absolute rule: everyone must come prepared to get everyone else as excited about their brilliant idea as they are. (What they use to cultivate this excitement — presentations, models, diagrams, stick figures, skits, etc. — is totally up to them.)

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, communication, strategic thinking, and listening.

Why we love it: Every idea presented will accomplish something positive. The meticulously planned ideas will be inspiring and might even develop into viable products and initiatives. The outrageous ideas will get lots of laughs, but honestly, even those could end up sparking your company’s next big innovation.

Next step to get started:  Create a Shark Tank Night, nominate a few investor sharks, start preparing pitches and get your applause hands ready for the big event.

Pro-Tip: Does your team need more than an applause to validate their million dollar idea? Use a platform like Bonusly to raise the stakes and invest public recognition points to the winning team that can be redeemed for real rewards:

18) Dog Park Showdown

“Make sure everyone knows your pet is an absolute champion / Instagram model.”

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Henry + Baloo (@henrythecoloradodog)

Head to the local dog park with pets in tow. Then simply take turns having your pets complete some of these hilarious  viral internet challenges . (You can even create a unique hashtag for your event so people can easily find and rewatch their fabulous footage.)

Skills this work activity develops: Trust, communication, and empathy.

Why we love it: Magicians use the art of misdirection to create seemingly impossible illusions. This activity uses misdirection to maximize fun. By redirecting attention from participants to their pets, people are able to let their hair down, laugh a little louder, talk a little more, and get to know each other a little better.

Next step to get started:   Find your park .

19) Desert Island

“Pack your go-bag for an unexpected island getaway.”

This activity is all about exploring possibilities. People will love learning from one another and broadening their minds as they hear what everyone else on their team would do when survival is on the line.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, critical thinking, and decision making.

Why we love it: Listening to people list their selected items and their logic will showcase the broad range of perspectives and problem-solving skills represented across your team.

Next step to get started: You can plan this as an icebreaker to begin your next meeting or expand the scenario to include what 3 books, movies, or albums they would bring with them!

Looking for more activities for employee engagement? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Reasons Why Employee Engagement Is Important Proven Steps to Measure Employee Engagement Effectively Employee Engagement Software Platforms For High Performing Teams

Bonus) Taboo

“How good are you at describing the indescribable?”

Taboo is a simple game to learn that is perfect for team building. Players will use an online, mobile-friendly game platform to get their teammates to guess the word at the top of each card, without using any of the other related Taboo words listed underneath. Sounds easy right?

Each game room will consist of 2 teams, with 2-5 players per team. Use your brain, don’t say the off-limit words, and have a blast! While you and your team are guessing, the opposing team will be able to see your phrases to have a good laugh and make sure no one is cheating. 😉

The team building experts at Confetti have created our favorite corporate team building-inspired version of Taboo guaranteed to be a hit. Sign up for FREE at Confetti to customize your event and view the 100s of other similar team building activities for work on their platform.

Skills this work activity develops: Communication and critical thinking.

Why we love it: This quick team building game for work is a group version of the classic game night board game. It is easy to play along with and provides a ton of entertainment!

Next step to get started: This word guessing game – Taboo – is too much fun to pass up! Sign up and work with the team at Confetti to organize your next game night!

Team Building Activities For Work: Large Groups

Team building events for large groups need to have enough structure and excitement to get and keep everyone engaged and involved in equal measure. Events that get group members working on one common goal are ideal for cultivating strong bonds in immediate teams and among the larger collective.

20) The Office-Style Office Mockumentary

“Capture the magic and mayhem of life at your office.”

This activity provides two team building touchpoints in one. People have fun during the making and they’ll have even more fun when you gather virtually or in-person for the big premiere.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, teamwork, communication, and decision making.

Why we love it: Teams have to collaborate and communicate to make the mockumentary. Plus, while watching the finished product will be hilarious, it might also provide a few genuine takeaways about how to treat and talk to one another. By poking some good-natured fun at the state of your company culture, you might find some genuinely fulfilling ways to improve it.

Next step to get started: Learn  some tricks for capturing The Office’s signature style.

21) Charcuterie Night!

“Build an extravagant centerpiece then dig in!”

Whoever said that team building events can’t also be delicious? Get your team together and build the ultimate charcuterie board with all the fix-ins. Meats, cheeses, nuts, fruit, tasty spreads — you name it!

Skills this work activity develops: Relationship building, communication, creativity and trust

Why we love it: This experience is not only loaded with gourmet finger fare to build out your charcuterie board, but can be planned for teams of all sizes.

Next step to get started: Book space in your office conference room for a little charcuterie mixer or make it virtual with a hosted event like Charcuterie Board Experience .

22) Charity Team Building Activities

Charity team building promotes bonding while supporting a good cause. Whether directly impacting your local community or contributing time, money, and effort to a larger national charity, these activities are a great way for teams to meet up and support together.

Why this is a fun team building activity for employees: These exercises can be planned any time of the year! Plus, the good cause will help to encourage participation. It’s a win-win.

Here are a few top-rated charity team activities that you can learn more about:

Give back to a good cause with your fellow coworkers and feel the positive impact of philanthropy!

Bonus: An Anything Tournament

“The only rules of this tournament are the ones you make up.”

In fact, the more unique you make the central activity, the more memorable this tournament will be.

Skills this work activity develops: Collaboration and critical thinking.

Why we love it: Healthy competition and engaging games served up with a dose of hilarity is a recipe for prime bonding and memory-making.

Next step to get started: Learning the basics of  hosting a gaming tournament .

Looking for more activities for large groups? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Team Building Companies You Should Know About Team Building Games For Large Groups Employee Appreciation Ideas & Gifts

Team Building Activities For Work: Quick Icebreakers

Pre-meeting team building activities get your group warmed up for fruitful collaboration. They get people thinking and laughing, and more importantly, they get everyone in the mindset to share brilliant ideas.

23) Rose/Thorn

“Embrace the ups and downs that make life beautiful.”

Why we love it: It’s a shortcut to getting on the same wavelength. Everyone shares a little gratitude and also a little vulnerability. This little opening-up exercise can make the team feel more tightly bonded.

Next step to get started: Just gather your group and start sharing those roses and thorns, for example:

Work-Related:

• Rose: I got an event partner to give me a refund today!
• Thorn: A different event partner won’t give me a refund.

Non-Work Related:

• Rose: I found time to go for a walk today.
• Thorn: There was no time to go for a walk today.

“I work in Enterprise Marketing at ZipRecruiter and our entire team is now remote. We do a daily standup call with my manager and Rose/Thorn is how we start every virtual meeting. It is a quick way to start off a team huddle and get everyone on the same wavelength.” -Joanna Ericta, Senior Marketing Associate at ZipRecruiter

24) Team Pursuit

“Challenge accepted!”

Skills this work activity develops: Communication, collaboration, and problem solving.

Why we love it: This event comes with a dedicated event manager and virtual event host — meaning you can sit back and only worry about participating in the fun!

Next step to get started: Check out Team Pursuit  to plan an icebreaker for a special day of meetings or a project kickoff!

25) GeoGuessr

“Win happy hour and explore the world.”

During this online group game , you and your happy hour guests will peek at a picture and try to guess its location of origin by dragging an icon around a map. If this sounds easy enough, then you’ll be delightfully surprised by how challenging it actually is. As you play, you’ll learn about the world and maybe even hear some amazing stories of all the places you never knew your team members had been.

Skills this work activity develops: Critical thinking and listening.

Why we love it: Talking about travel — past travel, travel plans, travel dreams — is a universally adored conversation topic. It can excite and animate anyone, and this game provides plenty of opportunities to bring it up.

Next step to get started: Play  GeoGuessr .

26) Skribbl

“Test out your secondary communication skills.”

Skribbl’s no-fuss interface makes it easy to play a classic drawing and guessing game.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking and communication.

Why we love it: It activates non-verbal communication. You can’t explain your drawing, so people have to dig deep into their knowledge of the “artist” to make informed guesses. It’s also hilarious to witness the dissonance between what people think they’ve drawn or what they think they’re seeing and what’s actually there.

Next step to get started: Play  Skribbl .

27) Weekly Team Trivia

“Team trivia is anything but trivial.”

Mix up your Mondays with a bit of trivia conveniently sent to your team members’ inboxes to answer whenever they have a few minutes. Then wait and see who takes home the big win that week! Everything is automatically collected and scored once they submit so it couldn’t be easier.

Skills this work activity develops: Critical thinking and team bonding.

Why we love it: Trivia is not only entertaining but this asynchronous format means that even the busiest people on your team can work it into their schedule and prove just how much random knowledge they have. You can also fit in a weekly recap during your team meeting to shoutout that week’s winner.

Next step to get started: Set up a free weekly trivia showdown with QuizBreaker .

Bonus: Weekend In A Word

“Witness the awesome importance of word choice.”

Feel the impact of brevity in action with an icebreaker that requires everyone to say only a single word. Gather your group and have everyone describe their past weekend fun or future weekend plans and goals in just one word. After everyone has a turn, you can ask follow-up questions if you like. The words people choose will likely spark tons of curiosity.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, communication, and listening.

Why we love it: As you prompt teammates to pick just one word to describe big concepts, you learn how their minds work, you learn what’s important to them, and you’ll likely reflect deeply on what they said far more than if they gave a detailed weekend play by play.

Next step to get started: It couldn’t be easier. Just share your words before your next meeting.

Looking for more icebreaker activities? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Ridiculously Fun Icebreaker Ideas, Games, & Activities Icebreaker Questions For Work That Are Perfect For Any Office Event Witty & Wacky Icebreaker Jokes

Team Building Activities For Work: Zoom

A Zoom activity has to have the perfect balance of engagement and passive entertainment. You want everyone to mingle and chat, but you also don’t want them getting fatigued or overwhelmed in the first 10 minutes. These  virtual team building activities either have plenty of structure or revolve around a central element of entertainment that guides conversations during short breaks.

28) Virtual Game Night

“Put your virtual game face on.”

Skills this work activity develops: Leadership, collaboration, and decision making.

Why we love it: Out-of-the-box games are fun and familiar. Just mentioning a popular game is often enough to get people excited. Plus, most people will already know how to play. This means you can maximize the fun while minimizing the prep work and instruction.

Next step to get started: Check out these  virtual game night ideas , including…

• ✏️   Team Pictionary
• 🧠  Virtual Jeopardy
• 🐑   Online Settlers of Catan

29) Virtual Venture To Paris

“Paris is closer than you think.”

Sample local delicacies. Stroll around the city of your dreams. See the world through a rose-colored computer screen instead of glasses. In short, live like a Parisian.

Virtually enjoy all the best, most enriching aspects of travel with your team but skip the crankiness and cramped flights and sleep in your own bed when it’s all over.

Why we love it: What’s not to love about finding your way to Paris through the magic of the internet? This team building activity offers a concentrated dose of the pleasures of travel in a package you can realistically enjoy with your work team.

Next step to get started: Visit  Woyago .

30) Travel Back In Time (With Trivia)

“What year is it?!?!”

Skills this work activity develops: Critical thinking and teamwork.

Why we love it: It unites colleagues with a common goal of sharing some laughs. Also, pop culture is an accessible way to get everyone involved over Zoom.

Next step to get started: Step right in the time machine by checking out these details .

31) Field Trip

“Escape the office.”

By simply stepping out of your day-to-day environment, you’re opening your team to new experiences, new connections, and new friendships. It doesn’t even matter what activity or location you choose.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, teamwork, and communication.

Why we love it: The simple magic of a new experience and a new environment fuels new connections. People will find themselves naturally talking to people they’ve maybe only passed in the hallway. They’ll find themselves asking questions they wouldn’t ask in the company kitchen.

Next step to get started: There’s really no wrong way to do this one. Just pick a fun off-site event and enjoy all it has to offer.

Bonus: Virtual Yoga/Mindfulness Session

“Feel that special team flow without using any words.”

During a group yoga/mindfulness session, you may not be outwardly communicating and collaborating, but you’re tapping into a deeper sense of connection. As you subconsciously sync your movements and your breathing, you’re connecting through the collective unconsciousness that feels effortless but strengthens your team bonds.

Skills this work activity develops: Trust, collaboration, and empathy.

Why we love it: This activity delivers benefits on the individual and also the group level. Individual practitioners may experience less stress and  elevated moods . Together, you’ll feel a magical sense of group energy and support.

Next step to get started: Learn more about how a yoga session can elevate your next team building event.

Looking for more resources for virtual team building? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Virtual Team Building Activities, Games, & Ideas To Boost Remote Employee Morale Wickedly Fun Virtual Event Ideas For Online Socials Virtual Escape Rooms For Online Puzzle Solvers

Team Building Activities For Work: Happy Hour

A toast to a good day’s work, a  happy hour  is the perfect punctuation mark to close off a productive day or to move on from a not-so-productive day. These events are short, sweet, and wonderfully low-key. If you’re sharing a few apres-work sips and smiles with coworkers, then you can call it a happy hour no matter where you are or what you’re sipping.

32) Mixology Virtual Happy Hour

“Be your own bartender.”

Tell everyone to bust out the cocktail shakers and aprons they never use. Tonight, they’re the bartenders. Bond with your team as you learn how to expertly measure, muddle, and mix ingredients into delicious and Instagram-worthy cocktails.

Learn techniques professional bartenders swear by and also ask clarifying questions about why and how to do it all.

Why we love it: You get to have the same quality conversations you might have while passively sipping cocktails at a bar. But with this experience, you get the added benefit of learning a ton about professional cocktail craft and bartending history while perfecting that friendly, yet inaccessible, bartender smile.

Next step to get started: Book your event with an expert mixologist.

33) Poker Night

“Recognize each other’s poker faces to reach a new level of friendship.”

As you play, you’ll get to know the usually unnoticed ticks and nonverbal communication habits of your teammates. You get to know them on a deeper level.

Skills this work activity develops: Trust, communication, and decision making.

Why we love it: Poker is the perfect backdrop for serious team bonding. The play is fun and stimulating, but it doesn’t stop players from participating in the most important part of the happy hour: connecting and conversing with coworkers.

Next step to get started: Get classic Poker instructions or let a dealer host a virtual poker tournament .

34) Happy Hour Themes

“Amp up your happy hour with the perfect theme.”

When you leverage a happy hour theme, you give your guests ideas for costumes, decorations, snacks, and even conversation starters. It smooths out any awkwardness and generally helps everyone have more fun.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking and collaboration.

Why we love it: Selecting a happy hour theme couldn’t be easier, but it adds so much punch to your event. It spells the difference between “fun” and “unforgettable.”

Next step to get started:  Check out these  happy hour themes , including:

• Future Decades
• Murder Mystery
• Poetry Reading

35) Pub Quiz

“Come on down to the local pub.”

Looks like happy hour this week is going to be down at Hamish McDuff’s virtual pub for teams. With a hilarious Scottish pub owner, a chance to grab an adult beverage, and a unique pub quiz trivia game — your employees will have everything they need to sit back and enjoy an end-of-week happy hour.

Skills this work activity develops: Collaboration and relationship building.

Why we love it: With surprises along the way, a pub quiz is a low effort, big reward type of happy hour activity where coworkers can bond over shared knowledge of (mostly) useless facts and trivia.

Next step to get started: Wander down to the pub to get a custom quote for your team.

36) Bond Over Some Brews

“Take advantage of the team glue known as beer.”

Why we love it: Wonderful conversation, colorful commentary, and crisp refreshing beers make this event deliciously unforgettable. The bonding and the flavors pair up to make one powerfully fond memory.

Next step to get started: Visit  City Brew Tours .

“After three months of working as distributed teams, we’re extra grateful for the moments we get to hang out with our coworkers again. We spent the month of May hosting several virtual home brewing sessions with City Brew Tours — they managed to lead six groups of beer brewing amateurs through the brewing process, armed with follow-up instructions on carbonating and bottling. (We managed to figure out the drinking part ourselves.) If we can’t grab a beer together, making our own from the comfort of our kitchens may be the next best thing!” -Harder Mechanical Contractors

If you are looking to crack open a cold one with your remote team, there are a number of virtual beer experiences that make it easy to connect in a fun and lively online environment. Here are a few we’ve tried out this past year:

• 🍺  Beer Tasting
• 🧟‍♂️  Haunted Tavern
• 🍻  Pub Adventure

37) Virtual Alcohol Tasting

“Raise a glass to digital bars without borders.”

A virtual alcohol tasting blends a bit of the old normal with a bit of the new normal. You still get to deeply connect with your co-workers, but you can meet them online (wearing your pajamas if you want) instead of at the local bar.

Skills this work activity develops: Communication and empathy.

Why we love it: You get to sample beverages from the best of the best purveyors around the world while enjoying the company of your favorite people. Best of all, you get to do it all from the comfort of your living room, which (in addition to being as cozy as a dream) means you don’t have to worry about designated drivers or rideshares.

Next step to get started: Pick one of these  virtual alcohol tasting ideas , including offerings from  Elevent .

Looking for more activities for happy hour? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Ridiculously Fun Virtual Happy Hour Ideas, Games, & Themes Virtual Happy Hour Cocktail Kits & Gifts To Deliver Boozy Fun Curated Happy Hour Box For Teams By Caroo

Team Building Activities For Work: Office

Team building activities for the office simply make work-life more awesome. Whether you’re taking some time to get to know your office mates, giving people feel-good recognition , or working on some new leadership skills while in good company, you walk away from these events with fresh bonds, fresh skills, and fresh perspectives that will enrich your work environment.

38) BYOBBB: Blankets, Balls, And Beverages

“Get everybody in the same place and let the fun take it from there.”

Post up at a local park for free-for-all fun. Don’t plan any specific activities, but come prepared to give everyone’s suggestions a try. Make it a BYOBBB event on all fronts by having everyone arrive with their own blankets, balls, and beverages. You might end up tossing a frisbee, inventing frisbee tag, or even kicking the can.

The best part is that you just never know.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, trust, and communication.

Why we love it: It captures the spontaneous excitement of gathering with the neighborhood kids just to see where the wonder of play leads you.

Next step to get started: Find a local park to meet up in the afternoon and enjoy some sunshine.

39) Queen’s Gambit Chess Competition

“Face off during the ultimate game of strategy.”

Quiet, yet brimming with below-the-surface action, chess is a perfect game for the office. It’s a fun way for both observers and players to learn, and it cultivates a quiet bonding as you learn more about how your teams’ minds work. As you anticipate moves and picture outcomes, you’ll also build up your strategic thinking chops.

Skills this work activity develops: Strategic thinking, critical thinking, empathy, and decision making.

Why we love it: It involves quiet strategy, pristine focus, and understated thrills. It gets you problem-solving independently while also absorbing the moves and plans of your opponents. Players refine their ability to read people, an invaluable skill in day-to-day office work.

Next step to get started: Learn how to  play Chess .

40) Gamathon

“Warm up your controller hand.”

Gamers unite to organize an epic office takeover. This activity works not only because video games are fun, but also because that fun could lead to  social benefits , including trust, leadership, and cooperation.

Plus, there’s at least one video game nearly anyone will fall in love with when they give it a chance. An office tournament is a perfect way for non-gamers to explore the world of gaming.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, communication, and collaboration.

Why we love it: Video games are instantly immersive. There’s almost no warm-up period. You can go from zero to fun in just a few seconds, turning your office into a hyper-charged and fully engaged environment.

Next step to get started: Pull off a low-key gaming tournament by simply playing your game of choice while keeping track of the top scorers on a whiteboard. Continue pitting your top scorers against each other until there are only two left standing for a final showdown.

41) Just Roll With It – Charitable Skateboard Build

“Building teams and dreams, one skateboard at a time.”

Get ready to roll in this exciting charitable skateboard build, where teams go through fun challenges to assemble and customize skateboards for deserving kids. Teams embrace creativity while working against the clock to conquer the safety test in this exhilarating and collaborative team building activity.

Skills this work activity develops: Participants in this event develop valuable skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and a strong sense of social responsibility. Crafting these skateboards gives the opportunity for teams to make a difference while having a blast.

Why we love it: This event flips the script on team building, where skateboards become the canvas for imagination, and teamwork takes on a whole new meaning. It’s a unique blend of fun and philanthropy that leaves everyone rolling with joy.

Next step to get started: You can talk to the experts at TeamBonding to learn more about the journey of turning skateboards into cherished gifts! Reach out today to schedule a Just Roll With It experience and start crafting wheels of change.

42) Scavenger Hunt

“The closest you’ll ever get to a treasure hunt.”

The urgency and the mystery of a scavenger hunt also inspire people to cooperate in record time.

Skills this work activity develops: Collaboration, critical thinking, and decision making.

Why we love it: It provides thrills, adventure, excitement, and an unforgettable opportunity to share a satisfying sense of accomplishment.

Next step to get started: Book a consultation with Outback Team Building  and work with a dedicated corporate event coordinator. You can also check out SnackNation’s Scavenger Hunt Guide !

Loved this!!! Had fun getting to know unique things about Austin. It was fun doing custom questions along the scavenger hunt about our company! -Pricewaterhousecoopers Consulting

Bonus: Mini Basketball Tournament

“Pull off the layup of your dreams.”

Shrink the glorious game of basketball down to have a sport you can play right in your office. When compared to traditional basketball, a game of mini hoops can bring more people into the fold. It doesn’t require as many skills, rules, or moves, so people of all skills and confidence levels can get in on the game.

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork and leadership.

Why we love it: It brings the thrill of the hoops right into the office. Plus, you can leave the hoops up after the initial tournament to encourage a pick-up game any time people need a mini-break or an energy boost.

Next step to get started: Pick up a  mini basketball set .

Looking for more fun office activities? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Shockingly Easy Ways To Have Fun At Work Epic Office Party Ideas To Have Everyone Buzzing For Weeks Outrageously Fun Office Games and Activities

Team Building Activities For Work: Coworkers

Team building activities for coworkers are all about bonding. Sure, “working together every single day,” is definitely a type of bonding, but these activities are special and enriching because they place co-workers in new, eye-opening situations. When coworkers step outside the day-to-day grind, they might just find out new things about the people they sit with every single day.

43) Adventure Club

“Make adventuring your next good habit.”

Start an adventurous, outdoorsy monthly tradition based on your team’s interests. You can do anything you want, from bouldering to bird watching. No matter what you choose, you’ll bond during the event. You’ll bond as you discuss and relive memories from the last event. You’ll bond as you look forward to the next event.

In summary, you’ll do a lot of bonding.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, teamwork , trust, and collaboration.

Why we love it: Traditions are powerful. They bring people closer and provide a comforting sense of security and unity. They can do the same thing for an office family.

Next step to get started: Find  an adventure !

44) Group Bike Ride

“Roll with your work pack.”

When you step out of the office and hop on your bikes, you are no longer co-workers. You are fellow explorers, adventurers, and the city is yours for the taking.

This team building event gets its strength from spontaneity. Start with a group bike ride as your simple structure, and then let the wind take you from there. Stop off at a popup farm market or demystify that strange building you always stare at from your office window.

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork, trust, communication, leadership, and collaboration.

Why we love it: Novelty makes us all feel good, excited, and energized. This activity allows teams to experience that thrilling sense of novelty as a group so each person can forever associate the fresh feelings of exploration with the people they shared them with.

Next step to get started: Plan  your route .

45) Dining Club

“Indulge your culinary curiosities.”

The team that eats together stays together. Everyone has to eat, and by turning it into a team building activity, you can make this sometimes utilitarian activity into an invaluable get-to-know each other moment.

Why we love it: The novelty of picking a new place to eat provides an instant launching point for conversations. Even if you have nothing else in common, you have “trying this restaurant for the first time” in common, and that’s plenty to get some good conversations started.

Next step to get started: Discover your  next dining destination or host a virtual lunch party . Add some additional team building fun by having everyone order for someone else.

46) Leave-It-At-Work Lunch

“The office can absolutely not sit with you at lunch.”

This activity has all the trappings of a standard low-key team lunch with one key differentiating factor: you are not allowed to talk about work.

When you head out to lunch, leave all your work goals, issues, and ideas at work. When you challenge yourselves not to discuss work, you’ll find new things that you all have in common.

Why we love it: It’s surprisingly eye-opening. At first, you might realize just how often your team conversations tend to fall back to office matters. But as the lunch progresses, you’ll be delighted to discover all the other amazing things you have to talk about.

Next step to get started: Just put a date on the calendar, remind everyone to bring their lunch, and have fun.

47) Daily Icebreakers

“An icebreaker a day keeps the boredom at bay.”

Build teamwork by setting aside just a few minutes at the beginning of every meeting for a quick icebreaker. These mini activities are short and sweet, but they’re well worth each of the few short minutes they cost. They build camaraderie and warm people up to communicate and exchange ideas, making meetings more productive.

Why we love it: Icebreakers work as an almost magical little switch, activating everyone’s creativity and cooperation. With a quick 15-minute activity, employees will be energized to tackle any meeting, call, or brainstorm with renewed enthusiasm

Next step to get started: Find your favorite icebreaker with fun team activities like  Virtual Water Cooler  or  Guess Who .

Bonus: Groupon Fridays

“Fight the slumps with novelty.”

Get out of your comfort zones as a group on a regular basis by setting aside special days to do something new and exciting you’ve agreed on ahead of time.

In addition to growing closer to your team during the event itself, you’ll grow closer during the planning, the anticipation, and the aftermath.

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork, collaboration, and decision making.

Why we love it: It gives you something amazing to do together, but it also gives you something amazing to look forward to, talk about, plan, and reminisce about together. Even just one exciting event can provide weeks of bonding.

Next step to get started: Visit  Groupon .

Looking for more gifts for coworkers? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Seriously Awesome Gifts For Coworkers Best Office Gift Ideas For Every Work Occasion Unique Corporate Gift Ideas Guaranteed To WOW Your Clients & Customers

Team Building Activities For Work: Managers

A manager-initiated team building event is usually a multi-tasking affair. They’re often designed to target “soft” objectives important to managers, including communication, motivation , camaraderie, teamwork skills, and trust. Participants walk away feeling the positive effects of a good time and also with a few team narratives they can pull out in their next performance evaluation.

48) Share Your Favorite Sports

“Making spectating a sport.”

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork and empathy.

Why we love it: This is another activity that facilitates a deeper kind of bonding that doesn’t require complex communication. A simple (yet enthusiastic) high-five during the rush of a shared victory works magic.

Next step to get started: Get your tickets at  Vividseats .

49) Team Movie Night

“This easy-peasy activity is a real crowd-pleaser.”

Skills this work activity develops: Communication, empathy, and listening.

Why we love it: This activity couldn’t be easier, but it’s also a real crowd-pleaser. The movie focus eases the pressure while also allowing everyone to chat and bond as much as they like.

Next step to get started: Check out  Hulu Watch Party  or  Netflix Party .

50) Choose Your Own Adventure

“Do something you’ll want to tell your grandkids about.”

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, teamwork, trust, and listening.

Why we love it: This team building idea encourages busy professionals to get outside, enjoy nature, and experience something new!

Next step to get started: Read through this National Park Travel Guide to visit one of the USA’s preserved nature reserves.

51) Department Raffle

“Make it rain swag.”

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork and communication.

Why we love it: The excitement this event can inspire is priceless. Everyone will feel as giddy as a game show contestant as they see if they’ll be the lucky ones who get to horseback riding with your president.

Next step to get started: Read the basics of  running a raffle .

Looking for more gifts for managers? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Can’t Miss Gift Ideas For Your Boss To Impress Creative & Thoughtful Gifts For Managers High End & Luxury Corporate Gifts For VIPs

Team Building Activities For Work: Employees

Team building activities designed with employees in mind focus on joy. Team leaders know what their employees want more than almost anything else is a little break from the ordinary, some time to reset. Like little mini-vacations, these events usually take employees off-site for fulfilling new experiences.

52) Food Truck Mayhem

“Chase down the best food on wheels.”

Imagine the buzzing excitement of the high school cafeteria, multiplied by ten. (And also serving food that’s a million times tastier than cafeteria fare.) That’s what any park or parking lot can become when you call in the food trucks and invite your teams out for a food-tastic field day.

Everyone will frolic around, finding exactly what gourmet goodies they want while also enjoying some quality socializing. It is, however, way better than a cafeteria as the food is significantly tastier.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, communication, and decision making.

Why we love it: Browsing around the different trucks, socializing as you go creates a festival environment where eating isn’t just eating; it’s transcendent.

Next step to get started: Find out what  food trucks are available in your area .

53) Visit A Local Museum

“Crank up your culture quotient.”

Round up the team and visit a local museum, any kind of museum — art, history, nature, science, agriculture, whatever. Wander the exhibits all while discussing, learning, and soaking up all the fun facts like sponges.

Why we love it: Visiting a museum with coworkers instead of going alone on a weekend provides tons of rewards.

Next step to get started: Find a museum near you or stay at home and follow a guide through an interactive virtual museum tour .

54) Take On The Outdoors

“Swap the suit for sun-drenched skin.”

When you really think about it, the whole wide world is like one big team building adventure just waiting for you to seize it.

Go glamping, scuba diving, hiking, or bouldering. Your team’s next fulfilling adventure could be waiting anywhere. Just look out the window and see the possibilities.

Skills this work activity develops: Problem-solving, teamwork, and trust.

Why we love it: Most people aren’t exactly sure how to go about planning an epic adventure. Giving your employees a free Friday off from work can let them get a long weekend to go exploring.

Next step to get started: Visit this guide to Classic American Road Trips .

55) Awesomely Bad Art

“Flex your art appreciation muscles.”

Strengthen the kind of mental muscles that fuel open-mindedness by hitting up the art galleries. Instead of trying to spout expert analysis, focus on trying to find and discuss positive things about something you absolutely hated at first glance.

Why we love it: Quick judgments are detrimental in pretty much all life situations, from simple self-talk to workplace interactions. This activity gets teams working together to challenge their off-the-cuff judgments and develop the skills they need to shift perspectives.

Next step to get started: Find an  art gallery or test your skills with an instructor-led painting class .

56) Werewolf

“Who is the big bad wolf?”

What happens when the name of your icebreaker game is survival? There’s only one way to find out.

To play this game, your team splits into two smaller groups — werewolves and townspeople. Face off until all the werewolves are dead or the two groups reach equal numbers.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, problem-solving, trust, and critical thinking.

Why we love it: This activity is wrapped up in a fun and spooky theme, but it also involves plenty of thinking, strategy, and even a little deception — a recipe for a no-fail good time. You’ll learn new things about your teams and maybe even yourself. You’ll also learn who can’t control their giggles and who is a terrible liar.

Next step to get started: Gather your villagers and learn how to play Werewolf with your team.

Looking for more gifts for employees? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Unique Gifts For Employees That Will Boost Morale Extraordinary Gift Box Ideas That Will “WOW” Best Work From Home Care Package Ideas For Employees

Team Building Activities For Work: Onboarding

Onboarding team building activities aim to fast-track that priceless sense of belonging new employees crave. They pack a variety of “get-to-know-you” goodies into just a few hours, accomplishing the kind of relationship building that might otherwise take weeks of work to arrive at.

57) Share An After-Work Jog

“Break a sweat to create unbreakable bonds.”

Only the closest teams work out together. Welcome new employees by organizing a simple after-work jog. It’s low pressure, leads to light conversation, and it will make new employees feel instantly like part of your tight-knit team.

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork, trust, communication, and empathy.

Why we love it: It takes the pressure off new employees. It allows them to spend time with their new team during a totally average daily activity. This helps them get over some of the nerves that might come along with having an event specifically in their honor.

Next step to get started: Find a  perfect route .

58) Get-To-Know You Super Email

“Give new employees your team’s top-secret dossier.”

Treat your new employees to a get-to-know-you super email. Pull together a list featuring everyone on your team, including their names, pictures, roles, favorite movies, and other fun facts. New employees will find this grounding, and they’ll get a head start on the get-to-know-you process.

Why we love it: They say knowledge is power. When it comes to new employees, knowledge about their teammates is empowering. Learning a little bit about everyone will help them feel less like an outsider.

Next step to get started: Get inspiration from this  list of get-to-know-you questions .

59) Play Jeopardy For Pride Month

“Celebrate Pride Month with your team.”

Skills this work activity develops: Critical thinking, communication, and compassion

Why we love it: While teams compete in fast-paced rounds of Jeopardy-style questions, they will also learn valuable insights related to Pride Month and LGBTQIA+ culture. After the trivia, coworkers will participate in a social mixer to discuss unique conversation questions and topics in a lively virtual format.

Next step to get started: Get in touch with Elevent to start planning your event for June!

60) Not Your Average Icebreaker

“Let your team choose & share what they got.”

With Recipient Choice , you can have your entire group pick out their own team building gift, delicious treat, or end-of-event goodie bag to start off your activity on a high.

Skills this work activity develops: Communication and creativity.

Why we love it: Easy execution, delightful treats, and delicious drinks to help your team bond at your next event. Plus, employees can shop around to find the choice that matters most to them.

Next step to get started: Find your favorite icebreaker gift with Caroo .

61) Giphy Wars

“Find out if everyone loves your GIFs as much as you do.”

Use an employee recognition or communication platform as a battlefield for epic giphy wars.

Just push out a prompt (internet’s most boss cat, for example) and give everyone a chance to respond with the best GIF they can find. Vote on the best GIFs to see who won the war.

You can even have a war every week based on different themes, such as movies, sports, and cats.

Why we love it: Everyone loves GIFs and also the rush of finding one that seems perfectly made for the moment at hand.

Next step to get started: Visit  Nectar , your giphy war battlefield.

Looking for more onboarding resources? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: 21 Trusted Corporate Training & Development Programs Proven To Benefit Employees 7-Steps To A Perfect Employee Onboarding Process For New Hires Fun Onboarding Activities & Games For New Hires

Team Building Activities For Work: Professionals

When you’re planning a team building activity for non-stop professionals, the spotlight is on sharpening teamwork, problem-solving, and all those other wonderful translatable skills professionals love to work on.

Participants will be looking for new skills they can incorporate into the next work week, so each activity should give them plenty of material to work with. (They’ll probably even expect to receive a follow-up survey so they can properly weigh in on the effectiveness of the event.)

62) Egg Drop

“Can your team do better than all the king’s horses and all the king’s men?”

Can you and your team figure out how to drop eggs without breaking them?

Break up into different teams and let the egg-safe engineering process begin. Reconnect as a large group for the testing phase.

Have each small group discuss something new they learned about teamwork to enhance the learning aspect of this activity.

Skills this work activity develops: Problem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration.

Why we love it: This experiment benefits from multiple perspectives. Everyone will enjoy hearing their teammates suggest design nuances they never even considered.

Next step to get started: Read instructions from the  Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago , or watch  this video .

63) Human Knot

“Learn what it’s like to feel truly inseparable.”

During this physical team building activity, you’ll come together as a human knot, you’ll put your heads together to get out of said knot, and eventually, you’ll break away, but you’ll still feel closer than ever.

Why we love it: It makes teamwork a tactile experience. You’ll be able to see it in action, and if you film the event, you’ll be able to learn a few things from watching it later.

Next step to get started: See the  human knot in action .

64) Longest Shadow

“Overshadow the competition.”

You and your team have to get it together to turn all your individual shadows into one unified shadow. But that’s just the minimum. If you want to win, you also have to make sure your shadow is longer than every other group’s.

Why we love it: It requires a lot of coordination. Everyone has an equal role and everyone must play a part. While some people may naturally step into leadership roles, everyone eventually has to fall in line to create the shadow.

Next step to get started: Watch the instructions .

65) Name Impulse

“Find out what’s really in a name.”

You know your name right? You can remember it no matter what, right?

This fun team building activity challenges the simple power of names by having everyone say their own in a variety of different fast-paced situations.

Skills this work activity develops: Communication and listening.

Why we love it: As you play, you’ll be tickled by how your brain seems to want to prioritize the identity of the entire group over the individual name you’re so deeply attached to.

Next step to get started: Watch the  how-to video .

“The coolest part is when everybody realizes they are on the winning team, we could learn a lot from that.” – Ingles, a  Youtube commenter

66) The Numbers Game

“Exchange digits in a different way.”

Can you make an effective team building game based only on numbers?

In this activity, everyone gets a one-digit number. When one person shouts out a multi-digit number, everyone must scramble around to form that number by finding other teammates with the corresponding digits.

Skills this work activity develops: Communication, collaboration, and decision making.

Why we love it: It might seem like a classroom activity, however, when you actually start playing, you’ll be delighted by how challenging and hilarious it can be.

Next step to get started: Watch it on  Youtube .

Looking for more gifts for professionals? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Best Gifts For Professionals They Will Not Stop Using Motivational Quotes For Work That Will Inspire Your Employees Creative Ways to Reward Employees Welcome Back To The Office Gifts

Team Building Activities For Work: Executives

Visionary executives gravitate toward team building activities that align with all the things that occupy their thoughts, hopes, and dreams: company trajectories, productivity , strategy, long-term goals, missions, new ideas, and so on. You can expect these team bonding activities to focus on big ideas, open brainstorming, and maybe even some tactical planning (even if this last bit happens during a follow-up event).

67) Undercover Boss

“Prove that you can take the boss out of the boss.”

Executives can take a cue from the award-winning TV show and build some solid team bonds by actually becoming part of the team for a day.

During the activity, executives simply spend an entire day working with their teams, letting their employees show them the ropes. To have the most fun, lay the clear ground rule that no one should under any circumstances take it easy on the “newbie.”

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork and trust.

Why we love it: Most employees’ interactions with executives at the highest levels involve big fancy events or hearing talks in echoey auditoriums. This activity allows executives to reveal the person behind the position and gain admiration for doing so.

Next step to get started: Get inspiration from the original TV show, Undercover Boss.

68) C-Suite Team Retreat

“Executive’s day out.”

Some executives may think they can skip out on all the team building activities and events other employees engage in. They are inhumanly busy after all. But that’s all the more reason that a team building retreat can bring major value to their work lives.

Bring the busiest of the busy executives together for a no-work-allowed retreat. Engage them in a day of conversation, visioning, and group support. These executives may never have to share offices or conduct group work, but their team cohesion is just as important as it is for any other team.

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork, trust, communication, and leadership.

Why we love it: It solidifies the simple concept that you never outrank teamwork. Busy people may neglect team building, but this activity will remind them why they shouldn’t.

Next step to get started: Find some  executive retreat ideas .

69) Mastermind Group Chat

“Tap into the collective mastermind.”

Great minds may think alike, but that does not preclude them from sharing and discussing their ideas. This activity simply builds on the power of leaders’ ideas and the immeasurable rewards of sharing and nurturing those ideas in a group context — whether it happens during a one-off event or goes on infinitely in a shared Slack channel.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, communication, leadership, and strategic thinking.

Why we love it: Ideas are beautiful. And like dominoes or a perfectly cascading supply chain, one idea may inspire a chain of brilliance until your company’s biggest barrier to success is prioritizing the pipeline.

Next step to get started: Just get the executives together and start talking. It’s that easy.

70) Mini TED Talks

“Bring on the inspiration.”

Who doesn’t love an inspirational TED talk? Apply that signature TED-style to the microcosm of your company. Have company leaders tell their stories and share experiences about what it means to be part of your company, about future growth, and about limitless potential. The sky’s the limit.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, communication, and leadership.

Why we love it: The audience will love listening. The leaders will love speaking. And both of those things working in harmony will spread an invigorating feeling of inspiration all around the office.

Next step to get started: Check out these  tips for creating a TED Talk .

71) Get Scared

“Scare up those hidden stores of executive energy.”

Planning satisfying team building events for executives requires upping the stakes and also proposing something, some challenge, that driven executives will likely not be able to resist.

Have them face their biggest fears, or at least something ridiculously scary as a group. They’ll forge new bonds and in some cases  heal their brains  and push past limiting beliefs.

Why we love it: Overcoming fears together, sharing that rush of adrenaline, and also supporting one another through it all will bring your executive leadership team together like never before.

Next step to get started: Check out these  adrenaline activities for thrill-seekers .

Looking for more Executive support? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Memorable Gifts for Every Type of CEO How to Be a Corporate Travel Planning Expert Team Building Problem Solving Group Activities

Team Building Activities For Work: Christmas

Team building around the winter holidays puts on the cheerful, casual garb of pure togetherness. With these events, what you do is not half as important as who you do it with. If you can bring your entire team together for some quality time and make a few strong memories while you’re at it, then your event is a smashing success.

72) Secret Santa

“Make Santa a state of mind.”

This holiday classic ensures everyone experiences the joys of gift-giving and gift-receiving without making anyone feel pressured to purchase a whole sack full of presents.

Each guest brings a gift for another. The gift giver’s identity remains a secret until after all the presents are open and each person tries to guess the identity of their secret Santa.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking and teamwork.

Why we love it: It works well for any gift-giving holiday or occasion. Everyone feels included and shares equally in the joy.

Next step to get started: Read the  detailed rules . Feel free to expand the gifting pool to other departments you don’t have as much interaction with. Getting each other secret santa gifts will only bring you closer.

73) Make A Custom Team Greeting

“Give everyone more of what they really want.”

Spread some holiday cheer by teaming up to make a team card, stickers, or even hilarious refrigerator magnets featuring all your beautiful faces.

Why we love it: It spreads joy with a perfectly personal and humorous touch.

Next step to get started: Check out these  custom fridge magnets .

74) White Elephant

“Get something you never knew you wanted.”

Ask each guest to bring a random, ridiculous, weird, hilarious or otherwise traditionally “unwanted” gift. All you have to do is have guests open the gifts, and voila — you’ve got instant hilarity with minimal planning and fanfare.

You could also pull a  Michael Scott  and surprise everyone by bringing something that’s actually amazing.

Why we love it: You will make tons of amazing memories as you see what everyone brings and also how everyone reacts to what everyone brings.

Next step to get started: Browse  these gift ideas .

75) Rudolph Drinking Game

“Uncover the mystery of Rudolph’s shiny red nose.”

What could be better than watching your favorite holiday classic? Watching your favorite holiday classic with your amazing coworkers while also enjoying a festive drinking game.

Grab your drink of choice and agree on your drinking cues. For example, you could pop a Santa hat on top of your screen and take a little drink each time one of the characters ends up “wearing” the hat.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking and trust.

Why we love it: It cultivates tons of festive holiday cheer while being just a bit more cozy and intimate than a holiday happy hour or company party.

Next step to get started: Get the  full instructions .

76) Glow And Grow

“Nurture your ambition for the bright new year.”

Get together for a satisfying end-of-year reflection. Invite everyone to share their “glow” (an accomplishment they’re proud of) and also their “grow” (a goal for the upcoming year.)

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, trust, communication, and empathy.

Why we love it: It’s the perfect chance to grow closer as a team as you celebrate each other’s accomplishments and support each other in pursuit of new goals.

Next step to get started: All you need to make this event a success is a time, a place, one another, and  some snacks  of course.

Looking for more company holiday party resources? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Virtual Holiday Party Ideas For Spirited Festive Fun Fun Company Holiday Party Ideas On Any Budget SnackNation’s Holiday Party Guide: 20 Healthy Holiday Party Snacks, DIY Decorations and Games

Team Building Activities For Work: Social Distancing

Socially distanced team building events have to fill a tall order: bringing people together while also keeping them a safe distance apart. Hybrid team activities, preferably outdoor or virtual ones, with a physical emphasis provide plenty of laughs. Keep the events simple with minimal instruction and communication required. (Both tend to create confusion when you’re keeping your distance and also wearing a mask.)

77) Egg Toss

“Will your team cooperate or crack?”

Humans have never been able to resist the challenge that a simple fragile egg presents. We love to test every breaking point. This activity is no exception. You and your partner have to stay perfectly synced as you toss an egg back and forth, creating a perfect mix of tension and cooperation, compounded by a time limit.

There’s only one question: Can you and your teammate keep your precious egg safe?

Why we love it: It’s simplicity at its most effective. The objective is clear. The premise is simple. The instructions are self-explanatory. However, you’ll find deep complexities in all the incredible ways the pairs go about achieving their objective. Film the event so everyone can watch teamwork playing out in real-time and discuss critical learning points they may have missed in the heat of the moment.

Next step to get started: Get the  egg toss rules .

78) Silent Disco

“That’s right. Your team dances to the beat of your own collective drum.”

Turn a simple dance party into a more structured activity by adding a little challenge: everyone has to freeze in place when you pause your music unexpectedly. In addition to laughing hysterically, be sure to take pictures or screenshots during the pause. You’re absolutely going to want to review them later.

Skills this work activity develops: Trust, communication, empathy, and listening.

Why we love it: Laughter, physical activity, and shared vulnerability are the perfect recipe for powerful bonding.

Next step to get started:

• Create and share a Spotify playlist
• Ask everyone to meet at a local park or beach with their mobile devices and headphones in tow
• Help everyone arrange themselves into “dancing zones” that are at least 6 feet apart
• Pull up the playlist
• Remind everyone to open their Playback settings and set Crossfade to 3 seconds so everyone’s songs will end at the same time
• Press play at the same time
• Dance, laugh, repeat

79) Virtual Team Challenges

These virtual activities help distributed teams log onto a shared video call and participate in interactive games and challenges. Employees must work together to succeed! Plus, the healthy dose of competition will encourage even the most reserved of coworkers to hop into the action. Easy to learn and fast-paced, your entire group will breeze through a virtual team meeting with laughter and fun!

Why this is a fun team building activity for employees: The variety of games that you can play online makes keeps things fresh. They also are easy to set up since the activities run over a shared Zoom call.

Next step to get started: Get ready to compete with your coworkers in a slew of virtual puzzles, trivia, and games by working with The Go Game !

80) Nerf Battle

“Tag, you’re fun!”

The warning shot goes up into the air…

Don’t worry too much; the shot in question came out of a Nerf gun. But you better get moving because the other team wants to tag you out of the game as soon as possible.

Play a Nerf gun battle as you would play classic tag. Instead of hitting members of the other team with your hands, hit them with handy Nerf guns.

Skills this work activity develops: Communication, leadership, and decision making.

Why we love it: It helps players channel a special kind of pure childlike joy. You start out chasing each other around, but you end up rolling on the ground laughing, feeling like best friends forever.

Next step to get started: Learn  how to have a Nerf war .

“It might not seem like the most traditional team building exercise, but here at YouEarnedIt we believe in celebrating our accomplishments in whatever way makes our employees the happiest. The same day we learned that YouEarnedIt won the title of Best Place to Work in Austin, we held our first ever Nerf Battle Royale. Our employees pooled together their YouEarnedIt points to fund and launch what turned out to be one of the most powerful team building exercises. For 30 minutes, the entire office became a battleground where strategy, collaboration, and out-of-the-box thinking meant the difference between life and (virtual) death.” -Tim Ryan, VP of Marketing

81) The Art Thief

“A puzzle-filled race.”

This puzzle team building event is the kind of large group activity that your colleagues will not soon forget. With coworkers split up into teams, they must race through a series of physical, virtual, and hybrid challenges to find clues, pull evidence, and accomplish the mission.

Skills this work activity develops: Teamwork, leadership, and collaboration.

Why we love it: With the state of work changing so much the past two years, planning a corporate team event is a great way to spend some time together that does not involve Zoom calls and Slack messages. Plus, it gives some of your staff an opportunity to meet new hires in person!

Next step to get started: You can check out The Art Thief  to get an accurate quote for your team.

Bonus: Organize Some Laughter

“Get silly to build serious team bonds.”

If alcohol is the social lubricant, then laughter could be considered social superglue. It can bring together people who have absolutely nothing in common. It can make people once separated by tension feel strong bonds. It can make even giant groups of people feel like long-lost friends.

Why we love it: Laughter is free, exhilarating, and unbelievably fuss-free. When you bring in an activity host who knows how to make it flow, the benefits are immeasurable. Science suggests laughter can cut down stress, bring people together, and elevate mood. Plus, it’s also contagious. Get a few people going and it’s all a delightful downhill slide from there.

Next step to get started: Visit  Laughter on Call to plan a super fun comedy and improv night.

Bonus: Creative Contest

“Let the inner artists out to play.”

Give everyone a chance to tap into (and show off) their creative side. Unlike other team building activities for employees, the unifying magic of this activity doesn’t come from co-creation; it comes from the sharing of individual creations.

Simply ask everyone to independently create pieces — stories, poems, paints, songs, or, anything else you want. The true bonding happens when everyone’s pieces come together in a collection that magically captures your group’s personality.

Skills this work activity develops: Creative thinking, trust, and empathy.

Why we love it: This activity highlights what it means to be a team on a new level. It shows that feelings of togetherness can come even from sharing ideas developed independently. (It’s also perfect for adhering 100% to social distancing guidelines and also making introverts feel super comfortable.) The best team building activities encourage your employees to get creative and work together to access new parts of their brain.

• Outline a few simple rules
• Announce the contest
• Collect submissions
• Use a social voting tool to democratize the judging process
• Announce and celebrate the winners via employee recognition software, such as  NectarHR

Bonus: Corporate Castaways

“Your pass to turn survival into an epic game.”

Teammates dive into a series of challenges inspired by the Survivor TV series. While this activity gets everyone developing skills they need for day-to-day work, the high stakes inspire players to infuse their actions with an extra dose of strategic thinking, cooperation, and pure mettle.

Skills this work activity develops: Problem-solving, teamwork, trust, communication, collaboration, and decision making.

Why we love it: It wraps what could be an average corporate training model in an engaging premise and takes it outside for extra fun and a hit of mood-lifting sunshine.

Next step to get started: Start your castaway adventure with your coworkers.

Looking for more activities for social distancing at work? Check out these SnackNation resources for further reading: Inspiring Outdoor Team Building Activities, Ideas, & Games The Ultimate Guide to Social Distancing At Work Team Building Kits For Boosting Engagement

Now you have all the ideas you need to build something amazing.

We hope you’re inspired to try one or all of these activities, even if it takes a while. Feel free to share your experiences and team building favorites in the comment section below.

People Also Ask These Questions About Team Building Activities For Work

Q: what are team building activities for work.

• A: Team building activities are programs designed to promote bonding and engagement between employees. Whether these activities are run by a third-party or an employee in-house, these organized events aim to help co-workers feel more comfortable at work and interested in accomplishing larger team goals.

Q: Why are team building activities for work important?

• A: It’s all about engagement. There’s a pretty clear link between the personal bonds between your team members and their engagement level. A recent Gallup study found that close work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50%, while people with a self-described best friend at work are seven times more likely to be fully engaged at work.

Q: What are the benefits of team building activities?

• A: Another Gallup study reported that engaged companies consistently outperform the competition when it comes to things like profits, productivity, and turnover. (Pretty important stuff if you ask us.) And it stands to reason – the closer you are to your co-workers, the happier you’ll be at work, and the more likely you’ll be to sacrifice your discretionary time to help them succeed.

Q: What are hybrid team building activities?

• A: Hybrid team building activities are exercises, games, and events that allow for both in-office and remote employees to participate. These activities can involve multiple groups playing the same activity from different locations in person, or through a video conferencing tool virtually. Hybrid activities are designed to boost employee engagement and team camaraderie by allowing coworkers to bond outside of a strictly work centric environment.

Q: What is corporate team building?

• A: Corporate team building is when businesses invest in activities to improve employee morale, motivation, and performance. This can be done through a variety of means, but often includes team building exercises, workshops, retreats, and conferences. The goal is to encourage employees to work together more effectively while also building relationships with one another.

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128 comments.

Love all these ideas! Definitely going to bring some of these new ones to our office at Blueboard.

Nice, thanks Morgan! Let us know how it goes.

That’s such a wonderful list. Thanks a lot for featuring us 🙂

Thank you guys for being awesome!

We do have at India Steel (Sumitomo Group) every Saturday interactive meeting in our main hall for 30 minutes. Every Department will present their weekly updates to across company. Also we do give the common communication in this platform.

Also all employee recognitions and rewards are announced and distributed in this forum.

Encourage employees to participate by way of sharing their individual experiences and contributions.

Every week the MD explains one value out of 9 values of our company to reach out everyone the Sumitomo Values practiced across world.

Very cool, Ravindran, thanks for sharing. Especially love the fact that your company reiterates its values and makes sure they’re being practiced. Great stuff!

This is awesome!!! My favorite is the epic intros for new hires! What an awesome way to welcome new team members. Thanks for featuring E Group! 🙂

Thank YOU for letting us share part of your culture, Rachel!

Great collection of ideas.

Thanks for the feedback, Monika!

Office Fantasy Football Leagues is another great way to bond through friendly competition

Agreed! First week smack talk has already begun. I’m 1-0 – woo hoo!!! We love March Madness brackets and do square sheets for big games and picks for bowl games. Since we’re in the sports industry anything sports related is a no brainer to get everyone involved.

great ideas

What an awesome article!! I love all these ideas – we will be implementing!

These are all wonderful team building ideas! Recently, my team did a team building exercise in Denver called DayBreakers. It’s an hour of yoga followed by two hours of dancing in a setting similar to a nightclub. Hundreds of people gather and dance their faces off. What a great way to start the morning!

Great ideas! Baseball games is always a fun team outing. It’s great to get out of the office to change the scene & going to a ball game is always a fun time.

Startup culture at its best. Love it!

This is a fantastic list. I’d love to do more team building activities at our sales office – if i can get the reps away from the phones!

I’m thinking about putting out a scrabble board or giant crossword puzzle that can encourage people to take a break every once in awhile and do some casual puzzling.

Love this list! We definitely will incorporate an idea or two from here

These are great! Definitely going to try out #12 ASAP!

I want to do them all!!!

We’ve done many of these activities that promote team unity. By doing so, our willingness to sacrifice for each other radiates through our body of work and reflects the customer obsession onto our clients,

Our office has a hard time being committed to an activity for a long time or over several days, especially outside of the office such as a sports league. However, something within the office that doesn’t take a lot of time, such at the Type Fight game would be great for us!

These look Awesome!!!

K1 GoKart racing is a lot of fun for our employees. It lets them get out there and compete with others in the company. It’s fun to see people who are normally reserved in the office show their competitive side during the race.

Our office has done Go Kart Racing a few times and people really loved it! The rest of the ideas look great. Thanks!

We’re going to do our first ice cream social next week! And I’d love for us to incorporate board games, sounds like a blast.

Great ideas

This is great! 🙂 Our office does Ping Pong, Nerf Guns, Legos, Movie nights, Baseball Games, Shooting, and Go Kart racing, to name a few. We have a great crew who enjoys spending time together outside the office.

How fun! I’m really glad I read this today. Our wellness team’s monthly meeting is actually scheduled for this afternoon. I’ve jotted some of these ideas down, and am anxious to see what the team thinks of the suggestions!

We are always looking for ways to think outside of the box-and there are some great and hilarious ideas here. Some could be used with our design dept, or engineers…they aren’t one-size fits all, but that’s the beauty of getting creative. We have worked with our on-site catering dept, and had them make breakfast sandwiches, orange juices, and yogurt parfaits, and we had our Senior Staff deliver them to the entire site of 1,400+ people in carts. The teams LOVED seeing their leaders, and having them in the serving capacity is great as well!

Some great ideas. My husband’s employer just did an Amazing Race and everyone loved it.

These look like amazing team building activities

Great ideas! Midday breaks for fun go such a long way. My favorites are the “Get Outside” ideas – even if something as simple as walking to a nearby patio for a drink or snack at the end of the day as a team, the sunshine and movement after a long workday is the best!

These are all really great ideas and I can’t wait to try some of these at our next event.

Love these! Nothing like a little competition for team building! Our office has done things like cards against humanity, joined a kickball league, and even some trivia. Great way to learn about other employees on a different level then day to day in the office

Couldn’t agree more, Elizabeth! Thanks for the feedback.

We recently did an amazing race-style scavenger hunt, it was awesome!

Sounds fun!! That’s a great idea, thanks for the comment, Julie.

These are great ideas! We go to Spring Training baseball games. We also hold cubicle decorating contests for various seasons/holidays.

Thank you, Heather! That is awesome – is your office near spring training, or are you all traveling long distances?

Love team building exercises. We always have them at least once a month. They range from playing games, to volunteering, to next month going to a Haunted House.

Very cool, thanks for sharing, Jennifer.

I like the board games, Family Feud, and block printing ideas best. We have to remember that not everyone is a social butterfly and ready to jump into a group activity. Some of the best thinkers and workers and producers are introverts, and no company leader should overlook this. By holding team building sessions that first will help the introverts feel comfortable around their team members, the company can gently add more socially-dependent team building activities, helping the introverts to not “dread” those activities.

Very true, Jane. I’m a major introvert myself, and the team building we do at SnackNation has helped me connect with co-workers, which results in better working (and personal) relationships – which results in better work!

Great read – thanks for sharing!

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you, Anita.

Wow. Very cool.

Thanks, Elb!

Loved all the ideas, now where do we put that ping-pong table?!

Thanks, Erin! Yes, the eternal question…

As a HR Mgr – You SnackNation are giving me constant great ideas for my company. Thank you

Thanks Melissa – that’s what we’re here for!!

Our office just did a paintball outing — we enjoy being super competitive and then bonding together afterwards over a beer to relax snd share war wounds (note: nothing hospital-worthy).

Haha – glad to hear it, TJ!

We are always looking for new team building ideas, so this was helpful!

Great! Always glad to be of service. 🙂

These are all really great ideas. I personally love the Nerf Battle idea! Brings me back to playing as a child and is always a good stress relief in the office.

Thank you John! Can’t beat an epic Nerf battle.

At Mobivity we do department field trips to Spring Training Games, Paint Parties, Movies etc. I loved hearing about all of these additional ideas. I look forward to bringing them to my Executive Team.

Nice! What does a paint party entail??

There are some really great ideas. I’m going to try the appreciation circle!

Thank you, Judi!

Really cool ideas! Would love to implement quite a few of these!

Thanks for the feedback, Melissa! Definitely do that – and let us know how they work out!

These are great ideas. We do the buddy system, usually do a sports outing once a year as our summer get out of the office and mingle event, but some of these look like I could incorporate them into our office as well.

Awesome, BreAnne! Love to see companies who are proactive about bringing teammates closer together.

I was drawn by the hotesny of what you write

We do many of these, but I can’t wait to add in a few more! Love the ideas.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Stacey.

Awesome! Thanks for giving this a read, Stacey.

These are all great ideas! It’s a little difficult to get the whole to team to buy in to these activities however.

Thanks Brendan, that’s a good point. Sometimes it’s about convincing your team to buy in, other times it’s about listening to figure out what they might want or need. Great feedback!

It seems very difficult to encourage that sense of team that is necessary for success in an office workplace, but these ideas may help that!

We agree, it can seem like a daunting task – but we’re here to help!

My office actually does quite a bit of the activities listed above. One thing I’ve been noodling on is having an office-wide talent show. Sometimes you don’t know if your coworker actually knows how to juggle or not. I think it would open people up for conversations other than the typical TPS report banter.

That’s an amazing idea! So true, what a great conversation starter and way to bring people closer together.

Every month MedXM holds a sports event, this month is yoga! I’m thinking next month will be kickball, what a great idea! 😀

Very cool! Love the creativity.

We just finished a softball league a few months ago. 2nd place! Unfortunately, we lost to our rivals, but 2nd place nonetheless.

Congrats! Sounds like a lot fun, thanks for sharing that idea.

Great- I’m going to steal some of these ideas for sure!

Awesome, thanks Wes!

I find these ideas a great option! Thanks.

Glad to hear it, thanks Cassandra!

Great Ideas! I’m going to try and integrate some of them for sure!

Awesome, thanks Mark!

We have chair races down the hall

Sounds like an epic place to work!

These are all awesome ideas! I am going to ask my boss to implement some of these around the office. I dont know how he will take it.

Make sure you make the case for WHY – it’s all about building engaged teams that won’t let each other fail!

We have begun to implement some of these ideas. Reading this post assures me they are great ideas.

Awesome! What sort of things have you noticed as a result of implementing these ideas?

My office recently started a basketball tournament. Everyone has loved it so far. Will try some of these ideas in the future.

Sounds awesome! We have a weekly pickup basketball game at SN, but a tournament is a really cool idea. Might have to try that one!

I love the lunch drawing idea. We implement a couple of these ideas already, but are always looking to make the workplace a better environment.

Very cool! If you try that one, let us know how it goes over.

So this is what happens when a writer does the homework needed to write quality material. Thank you very much for sharing this wonderful content.

Great ideas,There are different activities that can be done in a team building exercise but as an organiser, make sure that it will be fun and very interesting for everybody involved. It must be activities that help people to unwind, interact with each other and will avoid embarrassing anyone.

Thanks For Sharing,

yes its true team building activities are very important for any business. I like your ideas for team building.

Just had a team building activity yesterday at a local park. Careerbuilder paid for the ingredients for lunch but it was prepared and grilled by employees who volunteered—afterwards everyone enjoyed a fun game of kickball. Very low cost event but it was very well received. thanks for a lot of great ideas on future teambuilding

Excellent list of Team Building activities, planning to implement few from this list in our team.

I’m on an Engagement Committee where we try to do things for our employees to make the workplace a great place to be. We work 7 days a week with several shifts with 100 plus employees and cannot leave the premises as often to enjoy the outdoor suggestions. We’ve had food fun and Christmas fun but need some other ideas.

Many many thanks for sharing with us the great article. It’s helped me a lot and I also learned a lot also. It’s really a valuable and useful article for me. Every professional accountant should be read this so that he can don’t face any problem in future.

Wonderful Ideas for team building…… These activities will improve confidence among employees. Thanks for sharing…

I know this is an older article but I wanted to leave some feedback. Some of these ideas are fantastic and I will use a few so thank you! But to all managers out there, please keep in mind employees who are not able bodied. This list was very much geared towards young, fit employees, but employees with disabilities, injuries, who are pregnant, obese or older may find many of these activities alienating, or even dangerous. Just something to keep in mind.

Love all your suggestions. I do believe it is time we moved on from those traditional team building games that have been used by companies for decades now. In fact, one fun team building activity that I love is escape room games. They not only foster teamwork and communication, they do so in a fun way. It might just reveal some hidden talents and abilities of the team members. It also provides the opportunity to identify emerging leaders and real team players.

What about Secret Santa? We do that often and it really does connect people to get a gift from a random person in the office.

Love all the great ideas on here. We are just starting try and team build across all our different locations. Cant wait to til our next “wellness team” meeting to bring in some of these ideas and let everyone know where I got them. Thank you.

What kind of ideas are out there for healthcare workers that can be done during the work hours?

Great article! Escape rooms are indeed creative outlets and places where people can forget the daily pressures in workplaces to get immersed in something for fun; without the intervention of any third party. Such situations can help break ice and foster close relationships between people in offices; who otherwise don’t get a chance to interact that much.

I love Ms. Chaney’s idea to use throwback movie nights as a team-building idea. The company I work for is actually fantastic too. I was thinking of suggesting we do tactical laser tag as a team-building exercise too.

Love it! I wanna try these team building activities. I think it is fun and my co-workers will enjoy it. As we all know, group activities involve teamwork as it helps the teams understand each other better. It brings people together by encouraging collaboration and teamwork.

We appreciate your feedback! Definitely agree that team building activities help encourage collaboration and teamwork 🙂

A few of these really hit my heart. Thanks for sharing.

It seems very fun. Its important do fresh n up our mind to boost work effectively in a team. The more work they do the more fun the deserve. I am very happy after knowing these fun team building activities for work. I will for sure try these fun plans for my team. Thank you so much

Honestly, this list has helped me a lot to build up a good bond between my employees in this lockdown situation. Following this blog since Feb-2020, and have tried multiple activities on my employees. It did worked for me and my employees. Not only this, we have learned a lot about each other beyond the general things. Thanks a tonne.

I really enjoyed reading through the ideas and plan to implement a few of them into our team building program here at junk removal company in Pasadena. Thanks for sharing.

Well written and to the point. I appreciate the detail in this article!

I appreciate that this post mentioned that team building games are important to foster teamwork and cooperation. Assuming I own a business, I will definitely want my employee engagement to improvement. I will maybe consider something like an escape room.

These are great ideas!It is a way to bond and bring employees together and will enhance their teamwork. The trust between team members will also be build.

Really great information.Thanks for sharing

Suppose if I had to pick a perfect article, it would be yours. I like your views and your writing technique. This material is informational without being boring and intimidating.

This blog includes the best information about all team building activities. I will share this blog with my friends and this will be very helpful to all. Keep sharing your ideas !

Very good imformation, thank you for this information.

It is a cool step to make our working team strong. How you got these ideas? We need to apply the same in our work.

very nice and good content thanks for sharing this wonderful content.

This is a great post, it’s always nice to see examples of how companies can encourage a healthy work/life balance and bring fun into the workplace. The idea for a scavenger hunt was brilliant! My college track team did this during my sophomore year as a team-building exercise, and I remember it being one of the best memories in college athletics. The tasks were incredibly creative and some were downright impossible to pull off, but the team had a blast. It was a great way to introduce our new freshmen to the team and the team definitely grew a lot closer by doing activities like these. Work can be stressful a lot more than it isn’t, and we all become much more productive when the work environment is as relaxed as possible.

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Thomas Griffin

Be a better leader

22 Interactive Team Building Activities for Employee Engagement (That Work)

Let’s face it:  A company is only as good as the team behind it.

Disengaged employees are a recipe for absenteeism, low productivity and a revolving door of new hires. 

Not exactly the dream, right?

That’s where team building comes in. These activities aren’t just about forced fun (although a little laughter never hurts).

They’re powerful tools for building strong, engaged teams that communicate effectively, collaborate seamlessly, and tackle problems together. 

The result? 

A cohesive unit that gets things done — and enjoys doing them together.

In this article, I’ll cover a range of fun and effective team-building activities, perfect for both in-person and virtual teams, that promote healthy employee engagement.

Let’s dive in.

Key Takeaways:

• Only 27% of leaders believe they are very effective at leading hybrid or virtual teams.
• Effective team-building activities can improve communication, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Variety is key — offer a range of team-building activities suitable for different team sizes, work environments and personalities. 

1. Potluck Lunch

Sharing meals strengthens connections. Skip the takeout and bond with your colleagues over a potluck lunch!

Encourage everyone to contribute a dish during a social hour, promoting socialization and building a sense of community.

This activity is perfect for any team size and a relaxed way to connect. Plus, who doesn’t like free food?

You can level-up your potluck event by choosing a theme (appetizers, global cuisine, etc.) or keep it open-ended to accommodate preferences. Be sure to decorate and add good background music to create a pleasant atmosphere. 

Quick Tip: When choosing a theme, consider dietary restrictions and allergies. Make sure everyone feels comfortable contributing and participating. 

2. Office Scavenger Hunt

Tap into your inner detective with an office scavenger hunt.

This fun, fast-paced activity encourages teamwork, problem-solving and a healthy dose of friendly competition.

The more customized, the better. Create a list of clues related to your office or company culture and divide employees into teams.

Have your teams find specific objects, ask trivia questions or complete lighthearted challenges like taking a team selfie. 

Quick Tip: Hide clues in unexpected places or incorporate inside jokes to surprise and delight your team.

3. Escape Rooms

Escape rooms offer an immersive and thrilling way to build your team. You’ll learn to collaborate effectively while solving puzzles and cracking codes under a time limit to “escape” the themed room. 

They offer a unique environment that naturally encourages team building in several ways:

• Communication: Team members need to effectively share ideas, decipher clues collaboratively and ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Problem-solving: The team will need to work together, combining their skills and perspectives to find solutions.
• Building trust: Successfully navigating through challenges strengthens trust and creates a sense of “we’re in this together.”
• Celebrating success: Escaping the room within the time limit is a collective achievement that everyone celebrates. This shared victory boosts morale and reinforces the value of teamwork.

This activity pushes teams to work together creatively and efficiently, building stronger bonds that will translate back to the workplace.

Quick Tip: Keep in mind claustrophobia. Some escape rooms involve confined spaces. Be sure to consider this for team members’ comfort. 

4. Trivia Games

Liven up your next team-building event with a classic favorite: trivia! 

The best part? Trivia is incredibly adaptable. 

This activity puts your team’s knowledge to the test. Craft trivia questions specific to your company’s history, inside jokes or team quirks. This personalized touch creates a fun and engaging experience for everyone.

Even the most challenging questions can spark laughter and friendly competition. 

Quick Tip: To amp up the competitive spirit, offer prizes, big or small, to encourage friendly bragging rights. Or, create a special “trophy” that the person can only keep until next year.

5. Cooking Classes

I get it — not everyone is a master chef. I’m certainly not!

But these interactive sessions aren’t just about whipping up a tasty meal — they’re about enhancing teamwork and skill-building in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.

In the kitchen, teammates work together following recipes, learning new techniques and dividing tasks to create a culinary masterpiece. 

This hands-on experience strengthens communication, problem-solving abilities and, of course, knife skills. 

The best part? You get to devour a delicious meal you created. 

Sharing a meal adds another layer of camaraderie and allows everyone to celebrate their collaborative achievement. 

Quick Tip: Research in advance. Find a cuisine, skill level and format that perfectly suits your team.

6. Icebreakers

Look, no one wants to feel awkward and uncomfortable in their workplace.

Kick off your team-building session or meeting on the right foot with engaging icebreakers. 

These quick activities help team members loosen up, introduce themselves and find common ground in an interactive way.

Icebreakers are a way to warm up any team gathering and come with a wealth of benefits:

• Melt the awkwardness: New teams, or even established ones that don’t interact frequently, can fall victim to uncomfortable silences. Icebreakers help break the ice (pun intended!) and encourage interaction among team members.
• Boost camaraderie: Lighthearted activities and shared laughter create a more relaxed atmosphere, creating a sense of connection and belonging.
• Spark creativity: Icebreakers get those creative juices flowing. Engaging in a fun activity together helps strengthen communication and trust. It gets your team thinking outside the box, setting the stage for more productive brainstorming or problem-solving sessions later on.

Quick Tip: When choosing icebreakers, consider the mix of personalities on your team. Offer a variety of activities to ensure everyone feels comfortable participating. 

7. Workplace Wellness Challenge

A workplace wellness challenge empowers teams to prioritize their well-being.

They’re a win-win situation for both your employees and your organization — encouraging healthy habits through friendly competition and team support. 

This translates to a healthier and happier workforce, with improved focus, energy levels and reduced absenteeism.

There’s a challenge out there to suit every team’s interests:

• Step it up: Walking/running challenges encourage physical activity. Teams compete for the most steps walked or the furthest distance covered.
• Desk to delight: Promote healthy eating with challenges focused on packing healthy lunches, trying new recipes or increasing water intake.
• Mindful minutes: Combat stress with challenges focused on mindfulness practices like meditation or deep breathing exercises.

After all, health is wealth.

Quick Tip: When choosing a theme, consider your team’s interests, demographics and fitness levels. Offer options to accommodate various physical and dietary restrictions.

8. Paint and Sip

Paint and sip sessions go beyond just creating art — they’re a recipe for team bonding. 

The shared experience of unleashing creativity together strengthens collaboration and strengthens relationships. Who doesn’t want that in the workplace? 

This, in turn, leads to a more cohesive team that functions better both inside and outside the studio.

Many cities have paint and sip studios that offer guided sessions with all supplies included for an in-person experience, while several online platforms offer virtual classes for remote workplaces. 

Quick Tips: When choosing what to paint, consider your team’s interests (abstract art, landscapes, pop culture). Many studios even offer private events where you can personalize the experience for your team.

9. Team Happy Hour

Sometimes, the best team building happens outside the office. 

Enter the team happy hour: a relaxed social gathering that allows colleagues to unwind and connect in a casual setting.

Happy hour provides a space for informal interactions beyond work-related topics, helping team members get to know each other on a more personal level.

It can be as simple as grabbing a drink and tapas and discussing what’s happening on their favorite reality show. 

Quick Tip: Keep it casual. Team happy hour is about strengthening connections, not mandatory attendance. Let your team know it’s an optional opportunity to relax and unwind with colleagues.

10. Company Talent Show

A company talent show is a recipe for laughter, friendship and a newfound appreciation for the diverse skills within your organization.

Encourage participation from all skill levels and interests, from singing and dancing to magic tricks and comedy routines.

To liven things up, incorporate categories for different talents and offer prizes to add to the excitement.

Since sharing a hidden talent is a vulnerable experience, maintain a lighthearted atmosphere with a focus on having fun and celebrating each other’s talents.

Quick Tip: Incorporate unique and memorable prizes that celebrate team spirit and company culture. 

11. Blindfolded Drawing Challenge

This quick and engaging activity is a way to tighten team bonds through communication and teamwork. 

A blindfolded drawing challenge breaks down into two key roles: the “artist” and the “describer.”  The artist, blindfolded, attempts to recreate a chosen image based solely on the verbal instructions of their teammate, the describer.

• Communication is key: The describer needs to clearly and concisely convey the image using words that don’t reveal the actual object.
• Laughter guaranteed: The inevitable misinterpretations between the describer’s words and the artist’s interpretation will have your team in stitches. 

It’s an easy stress reliever and offers a chance to bond over shared laughter.

Quick Tip: Have a timer and a set of pre-chosen images (or have players describe objects in the room for in-person teams).

12. Show and Tell

Remember the excitement of sharing your favorite toy or childhood treasure during Show and Tell? 

This classic activity gets a grown-up twist in the world of team building. 

Stories matter. Encourage participants to share a story about their chosen item to add depth and personal connection to the activity. 

Sharing a personal object or story is a great conversation starter, especially for new teams or those with introverted members. 

You might be surprised by the shared experiences or interests revealed through seemingly ordinary objects. 

Quick Tip: Set a time limit for presentations (2-3 minutes) to keep the activity focused and allow everyone to participate.

13. Serve the Community

I firmly believe we all should give back to our community. It betters ourselves and the people around us.

Choose a cause or organization that aligns with your company’s core values and team interests to create a more meaningful experience for everyone. 

Helping others is a mood-lifter. Volunteering helps create a more positive and engaged work environment, reducing stress and increasing feelings of accomplishment. 

Quick Tip: Document the experience. Take photos or videos (with permission) to share the experience with your team and company. 

14. Company Sports League

Lace up your shoes and unleash your inner athlete with a company sports league!

This team-building activity promotes friendly competition, physical activity and a sense of harmony among colleagues.

Regular physical activity betters physical and mental well-being, leading to a more engaged and productive workforce.

Besides, who doesn’t like a little healthy competition?

Look for gyms, parks or courts suitable for your chosen sport. Consider factors like commute time, amenities (showers, changing rooms) and whether they offer leagues or rent equipment.

While competition can be motivating, prioritize an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable participating. 

Quick Tip: Gauge employee interest in different sports and activity levels before finalizing the league choice. 

15. Company Cookbook

Don’t you wish you could mimic that delicious-looking lunch that one coworker always has? 

Lucky for you, a company cookbook is a recipe for team bonding. 

It allows for creativity and collaboration and is a lasting keepsake that celebrates the culinary talents within your team. 

Celebrate diversity and cultural exchange. Encourage a diverse range of recipes to cater to different dietary needs and preferences.

Quick Tip: Utilize online recipe collection tools and collaborative document editing platforms and consider a digital cookbook format for easy sharing and accessibility.

16. Team Game Night

Let’s face it: Work gets stressful at times. 

A team game night offers a way to unwind, connect with colleagues on a deeper level and conquer some friendly competition — all outside the usual work routine.

It’s not all about winning. It’s about building a stronger team through shared experiences.

Choose classic board games, cooperative games for strategy, charades, trivia or video game tournaments. Pick games that cater to diverse interests and allow everyone to participate and shine! 

Quick Tip: For online game nights, utilize platforms designed for online tournaments to add a competitive edge. 

17. Office Amazing Race

The Amazing Race has become a hot favorite for team-building activities.

This high-energy activity combines team engagement and adventure, suitable for team members of all interests and abilities. 

But a successful race requires careful planning, not just speed.

Set up a course throughout the office with various challenges, puzzles and missions for teams to solve to move on in the game. 

Teams need to be smart and strategic and work together to navigate the course efficiently.

Quick Tip: Get creative and design challenges that utilize everyday office supplies or objects to keep costs down and add a unique office twist to the race.

18. Book Club

There’s no doubt that a good book sparks engaging conversations and opens our minds to new ideas.  

A company book club leverages this power of literature to spark conversation and collaboration among colleagues.

Imagine — lively debates and a newfound understanding that promotes empathy and respect. This is the magic of a team book club. It builds intellectual connections and strengthens the foundation of trust within your team.

The shared experience translates back to the office, creating a stronger sense of fellowship and a more cohesive team culture.

Quick Tip: To accommodate different schedules and reading preferences, consider offering audiobook options or hosting discussions during lunch breaks. 

19. Random Acts of Kindness Week

Positive reinforcement like compliments and recognition fuels employee fulfillment, strengthens their confidence and builds a more positive self-image. 

The result? A happier and more engaged workforce. 

It’s a win-win!

The goal is to cultivate a positive and supportive work environment, which is essential for employee retention. 

People quit bosses and environments they can’t grow in. And happy employees are less likely to look for greener pastures elsewhere. 

Examples of random acts of kindness to perform include:

• Leaving positive sticky notes for colleagues
• Buying coffee for the person behind in line
• Writing thank-you notes to support staff

Throughout the week, have team members choose acts from a pre-made list or come up with their own. Encourage them to share photos or stories of their kindness deeds via a designated communication channel.

Quick Tip: Brainstorm a variety of acts to cater to different personalities and comfort levels. This ensures everyone can participate meaningfully. 

20. Thank You Bingo

People long for recognition and thanks.

Thank you Bingo nurtures a culture of appreciation by encouraging team members to recognize employees’ contributions .

It’s a great conversation starter, especially for introverts, as the bingo squares provide a structured way to approach colleagues and highlight their strengths.

Overall, thank you Bingo is a quick and engaging way to build team spirit, strengthen relationships and cultivate an environment of gratitude.

Quick Tip: Encourage players to personalize their “thank you” messages when marking someone’s square. A specific example of how someone exhibited a positive quality goes a long way in building appreciation. 

21. Virtual Pet Introductions

Calling all remote teams with furry (or feathered or scaled) friends! 

Virtual pet introductions are the “purrfect” icebreaker to boost morale and promote a more inclusive team culture. 

Schedule a video call, share pet photos and fun facts and watch the team building blossom as you celebrate the adorable companions who brighten your team’s days. 

This is a lighthearted activity for team bonding and appreciating the critters that bring us joy.

Quick Tip: Consider incorporating a “Best Trick” or “Most Unique Pet” category with a fun (virtual) prize to add a touch of lighthearted competition.

22. Map Your Travels

Looking for a team-building activity that celebrates diversity and sparks conversation?

Embark on a virtual journey around the globe with “Map Your Travels,” a team-building activity that celebrates shared experiences. 

Here’s how it works:

• Gather your supplies: A large world map (physical or digital), markers, stickers or pins — anything to mark locations on the map.
• Explore and share: Each team member gets a chance to mark a place they’ve traveled to or dream of visiting. Encourage them to share a brief story or anecdote about their chosen location. This sparks conversation and allows colleagues to learn about each other’s backgrounds and interests.
• Connecting the dots: Look for commonalities. Do any team members share travel dreams or past experiences? This is a great opportunity to discover shared passions and build rapport.

Quick Tip: Utilize video conferencing and screen-sharing for remote teams. Team members can use their webcams for a virtual “show and tell” of travel keepsakes. 

Tips for Boosting Employee Engagement in the Workplace

Disengaged employees hinder productivity and morale. Here are some impactful strategies to boost employee engagement and create a thriving workplace culture: 

• Recognize and appreciate: Celebrate achievements, big or small. Public recognition, personalized notes or rewards show employees their contributions matter.
• Foster open communication: Encourage regular check-ins, feedback sessions and open communication channels. Employees who feel heard are more invested.
• Empower and promote growth: Provide opportunities for skill development, challenging projects and contributing ideas. This encourages a sense of ownership and purpose.
• Promote work-life balance: Respect boundaries and offer flexible work arrangements to help employees manage their personal and professional lives effectively.
• Invest in wellness: Promote employee well-being with wellness programs, healthy workplace snacks or gym memberships. A healthy workforce is a happy and engaged workforce. 

Building trust and fostering a strong team culture is an ongoing process. While these team activities for employee engagement are a fantastic starting point, remember that trust is built through consistent communication, collaboration and appreciation.

Implementing these activities can not only boost morale and productivity but also lead to a happier and more engaged workforce, ultimately contributing to higher employee retention . 

For even more ideas and strategies for building a successful team, keep exploring resources like the Better Leader Newsletter . Happy team building!

To stronger connections, Thomas

Hello! I'm Thomas, and I'm a tech entrepreneur, veteran business owner, seasoned investor and a leader of leaders. My software powers organizational success for more than 25 million websites across the globe, and my content is read by thousands each month.

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30 employee engagement activities to build team spirit

Establishing a productive and enjoyable work environment requires engaged employees. Diverse engagement initiatives can boost morale, increase productivity, and raise job satisfaction. Here are 30 effective employee engagement activities to enhance team spirit and create a thriving workplace.

Team building activities

• Escape rooms : Organize escape room events to encourage teamwork and problem-solving under pressure. This activity fosters collaboration and strengthens bonds among team members .
• Volunteer projects : Participate in volunteer projects to build team spirit while giving back to the community. Such activities enhance employees’ sense of purpose and social responsibility .
• Virtual games : Engage remote teams with virtual games that promote fun and interaction. These games can help remote employees feel more connected and integrated into the team .

Wellness programs

• Fitness challenges : Implement fitness challenges, like a 10,000-step competition, to promote physical health. These challenges motivate employees to adopt healthier lifestyles and can be tracked via virtual leaderboards .
• Mindfulness workshops : Offer mindfulness workshops to enhance mental well-being through guided meditation and stress-relief techniques . These sessions can reduce stress and improve overall mental health among employees .
• Healthy lunch programs : Provide healthy lunch options to encourage better eating habits. This initiative supports physical well-being and shows that the company cares about employees’ health .

Recognition initiatives

• Employee spotlight awards : Highlight individual achievements with employee spotlight awards. Recognizing employees’ hard work boosts morale and encourages continued high performance .
• Peer-to-peer recognition : Establish peer-to-peer recognition platforms to enable colleagues to appreciate each other’s efforts. This fosters a culture of mutual respect and recognition .
• Annual awards : Host annual award ceremonies to celebrate consistent high performers. These events provide formal recognition and motivate employees to strive for excellence .

Learning and development

• Workshops and seminars : Offer workshops and seminars to provide opportunities for professional growth. Continuous learning helps employees develop new skills and stay engaged in their roles .
• Mentorship programs : Create mentorship programs to facilitate career development and guidance. These programs support personal and professional development by connecting less experienced employees with seasoned mentors .
• Career development plans : Outline clear career development plans to show employees potential advancement paths. This transparency helps employees understand their future within the company and stay motivated .

Social activities

• Virtual coffee breaks : Promote casual interactions among remote employees through virtual coffee breaks. These informal sessions help remote workers build relationships and feel more connected .
• Team trivia nights : Organize team trivia nights to combine fun and learning. Trivia games encourage friendly competition and help employees bond over shared knowledge .
• Hobby clubs : Encourage the formation of hobby clubs, such as book or running clubs, to cater to employees’ interests. These clubs provide a platform for employees to connect over shared passions .

Feedback and communication

• Anonymous feedback systems : Implement anonymous feedback systems to ensure safe and honest feedback. This encourages employees to voice their concerns without fear of repercussions .
• Regular surveys : Conduct regular surveys to gather and act on employee opinions. Frequent feedback helps the company address issues and improve the work environment .
• Town hall meetings : Facilitate open communication with leadership through town hall meetings. These sessions allow employees to ask questions and receive updates directly from executives .

Community involvement

• Charity events : Encourage participation in charity events to foster a sense of purpose and community involvement. Employees feel more engaged when they can contribute to meaningful causes .
• Environmental initiatives : Promote environmental initiatives to encourage sustainability efforts within the company. Employees who care about the environment will appreciate the company’s commitment to green practices .
• Social responsibility projects : Align company activities with social causes to enhance corporate social responsibility. These projects can boost employee morale and engagement by showing a commitment to societal impact .

Flexibility and work-life balance

• Flexible work arrangements : Provide employees with flexible work arrangements , such as remote work or adjustable hours, in order to meet their demands. Stress can be decreased and job satisfaction raised by flexibility.
• Mental health days : Allow employees to take time off for mental health in order to refuel and avoid burnout. This exhibits a dedication to the welfare of staff members and promotes a positive work-life balance.
• Family-friendly policies : Encourage family-friendly practices among staff members by providing childcare assistance and parental leave. These guidelines assist staff members in juggling work and family obligations.

Special engagement activities

• Company retreats : Organize company retreats to provide immersive experiences that build relationships. Retreats offer a break from the daily routine and help teams bond in a relaxed setting .
• Hackathons : Host hackathons to encourage innovation and collaboration on new projects. These events allow employees to showcase their skills and work on creative solutions .
• Office olympics : Foster friendly competition and teamwork with office Olympics. These low-cost games and activities can relieve stress and build camaraderie among employees .

Employee appreciation

• Thank-you notes : Show appreciation with personal thank-you notes for employees’ hard work. Simple gestures of gratitude can significantly boost morale and motivation .
• Celebration of milestones : Recognize milestones like birthdays, anniversaries, and personal achievements. Celebrating these events makes employees feel valued and appreciated .
• Surprise treats : Occasionally provide small gifts or treats to show appreciation for employees. Unexpected tokens of gratitude can brighten employees’ days and enhance their engagement .

How Time Doctor helps in employee engagement

Time Doctor ‘s extensive workforce analytics and productivity capabilities make it a priceless tool for raising employee engagement. It can help create a workforce that is more motivated and engaged in the following ways:

• Performance transparency : Time Doctor offers thorough analysis of employees’ time usage, assisting in identifying areas of strength and potential needs for development. Transparency encourages accountability and trust, which keeps workers motivated and productive.
• Feedback and recognition : The reporting functionalities of the platform facilitate managers in providing prompt and precise input grounded in actual data. Acknowledging workers for their achievements and productivity has a big impact on engagement and morale.
• Work-life balance : Time Doctor helps make sure that staff are not overworked by monitoring work hours and breaks. Retaining a healthy work-life balance is essential to minimizing burnout and keeping staff motivated.
• Flexibility and remote work : Time Doctor facilitates remote work by offering resources that let staff members remain connected and productive while working remotely from any location. Increased involvement and job satisfaction may result from this flexibility.
• Goal setting and monitoring : With Time Doctor’s tracking tools, managers may establish precise objectives and keep tabs on their advancement. When these objectives are met, workers feel more motivated and accomplished, which raises engagement.
• Customized reporting : Time Doctor provides individualized reports that can be adjusted to various departments and positions, guaranteeing that every team member gets pertinent input and understanding that is particular to their job.

Businesses may foster a more open, encouraging, and dynamic work atmosphere that inspires staff members and increases overall productivity by utilizing Time Doctor’s capabilities.

Several employee engagement initiatives can be put into place to greatly improve morale, output, and work satisfaction. These activities meet a variety of interests and requirements among employees, from team-building events to wellness programs and appreciation campaigns.

Businesses may make sure that their workers feel appreciated, inspired, and connected by creating a positive and stimulating work environment. A more engaged and dedicated staff will result from ongoing efforts to modify and customize these activities to meet the corporate culture, which will eventually propel the success of the corporation.

View a free demo of Time Doctor

Liam Martin is a co-founder of Time Doctor which is software to improve productivity and help keep track and know what your team is working on, even when working from home.

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17 Team-Building Activities for In-Person, Remote, and Hybrid Teams

• Rebecca Knight

Employees with strong relationships at work are more creative, collaborative, and likely to stay with their organization.

Managers sometimes turn to team-building activities to build connections between colleagues. But which activities and practices would work best for your team? And how can you put them into action most effectively? In this article, the author offers advice and recommendations from three experts. Their activity suggestions are intended to inspire ideas that you can then tailor to your team’s size, sensibilities, and circumstances. These activities don’t need to be extravagant or overly structured — what matters is being intentional about making team building happen. Stay attentive to your team members’ needs, involve colleagues in planning, and show sincere interest in getting to know them. By doing so, you’ll help build a positive, inclusive team culture that tackles loneliness and helps everyone succeed together.

In the era of remote work and scattered teams, managers face a key challenge: fostering connections among employees, no matter where they happen to be located.

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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