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Team Building games are activities that foster team spirit, enhance creativity, leadership, and boost teamwork productivity in most businesses and organizations. Each game brings different levels of excitement, let's explore some standout team building games right below.
Team building games are the 'trump card' that significantly impacts the success of a travel program combined with organizing team building tours and is considered an excellent choice for many companies. The following team building games will provide you with a refreshing experience when participating.
1. Outdoor Team Building Games
1.1. Punch - Squeeze - Rub
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- Number of participants: unlimited
- Equipment: no equipment, operated with lively music
- How to play: The MC or facilitator gathers the team into a line or circle. When the music starts, the MC will signal 'punch the back', then the person behind will punch the back of the person in front. The same goes for the signals like 'rub the back, squeeze the shoulders, hug the waist, etc.'. Then everyone will turn around and do the opposite for the other person.
- Objective: This is a light warm-up game, engaging muscles and creating cheerful, natural laughter with other members of the company.
1.2. Team Wheel
- Number of participants: From 6 people upwards in a team, and players will be divided into teams with equal numbers.
- Equipment: Small circular tarp.
- Rules: Each team member sits on the tarp, one person balances a food plate on their head, while the other two use their strength to move the tarp towards the finish line, ensuring the food plate does not break and no one slips off the tarp. The team that reaches the finish line first wins this beach team building game.
- Objective: Emphasize teamwork among team members, along with the crucial role of the leader/manager as the helm controlling the wheel. Through tight coordination and team spirit, the team will overcome challenging obstacles and achieve its goals.
1.3. Water to Land Leadership
- Number of participants: 8 - 10 people per team.
- Equipment: Each team will be given a large 1.5m long, 10cm diameter water pipe and 2 buckets with multiple holes pierced in them.
- Rules: The game is organized on the beach or riverside. One team member is tasked with fetching water while the others stack the plastic pipes into a bridge overhead, from the starting line to the finish line (where a plastic bottle is placed). When the organizer shouts 'start', the water fetcher quickly scoops water from the sea, pours it onto the 'bridge' to flow into the bottle. Within 5 minutes, the team with the highest water level in the bottle wins.
- Objective: This game helps enhance teamwork and smooth coordination among the participants.
1.4. Shoreline Bound
- Number of participants: 8 - 10 people per team
- Equipment: No preparation required
- Rules: Teams line up in a single file, alternating between males and females, with each person behind resting their legs on the thighs of the person in front until forming a chain. Upon the starting signal, the entire team must move towards the finish line. The team must coordinate cleverly to avoid separation, prevent legs from falling, and only use hands and buttocks to move. The team that reaches the finish line first wins.
- Objective: Enhance cohesion and smooth coordination among team members.
1.5. Captain's Trust
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- Number of players: Unlimited, with a minimum of 8 players per team.
- Equipment: Various obstacles, 1 long plank
- Rules: Teams are arranged in a line resembling a train with a captain leading. Other members stand in a straight line and must place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front to follow the captain's instructions. However, during the journey to the destination, teams will face various obstacles to challenge their trust in the captain. While the train is moving, the captain has the sole authority to give movement commands, including turning left, turning right, moving up, and moving down. If a train hits an obstacle, it must either return to the start or face a time penalty depending on the difficulty of the game and the terrain.
- Purpose: This game holds significant importance for team dynamics as it fosters trust among team members in their captain. It parallels the trust employees place in their leaders or managers through team building games.
1.6. Flag Raid
- Number of players: Approximately 10-40 participants
- Equipment used: 10 flags
- Rules: Members are divided into 2 teams, each standing on one side. Behind each team are 5 flags arranged in a horizontal line. Your objective is to run through the enemy's defensive line, reach the flag stand to capture the enemy's flag. If you get tagged while pursuing, you become a prisoner. However, if you successfully reach the flag area, you can either take a flag back or free all prisoners from your team. The team that collects all 10 flags wins.
- Regulations: Do not start running before the signal from the facilitator and choose a spacious, flat area for team building activities, free of obstacles for comfortable pursuit.
1.7. Elephant's Head, Mouse's Tail
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- Number of players: Unlimited
- Equipment used: Pens and papers equivalent to the number of participants
- Game rules: Members in each team will line up vertically and be spaced about 1m apart to avoid exchange. The program organizer will give the first person in each team a piece of paper containing a keyword and ask them to draw an image to accurately describe the word in the paper. Then, the first person will pass the paper they drew to the second person, the second person will copy the drawing and pass it to the third person, and so on until the last person in the team. The last person will use the images in the paper from the person above them to find the correct answer in the program's bulletin. The team that is the fastest and gives the correct answer in the bulletin will win.
1.8. In 3 Out 4
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- Number of players: Unlimited
- Equipment used: Marker pen to mark the losers
- Game rules: All participants form a circle and can walk either clockwise or counterclockwise while singing a song. The host loudly announces 'In 5 (a number depending on the number of players).' Players quickly find teammates to form a group of 5 people. Those who fail to find enough people to form a group of 5 will be eliminated and penalized after the game. The host then announces 'Break,' and the players separate, continue singing, and wait for the next command from the host.
1.9. Who Understands Who the Best
- Number of players: Unlimited, depending on the organizers
- Equipment used: Paper containing the keyword to be described
- Game rules: Teams stand in a horizontal line, and each team sends one person to meet the MC to receive the paper containing the keyword. Then, they return to stand 1.5 – 2m away from other team members and convey the content on the paper through gestures, actions, and body language. The team that correctly answers the content on the paper wins.
- Rules: The person conveying the keyword is not allowed to speak; if they speak, their team will be penalized with extra time. It's advisable to choose someone with good body language skills and use simple gestures for easy interpretation.
1.10. Jumping Over the Cloth
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- Quantity: Divide into 5-10 pairs or 5-10 teams depending on the number of players, can compete in single jumps, double jumps (as relay or non-relay)… depending on the number of players
- Equipment: Large and thick sacks
- Game rules: The playing field (starting line and finish line) is marked at a distance according to the location. In single jumps, each player can jump in one direction (forward) or in both directions (forward and backward) as desired. The first to reach the finish line wins. In double jumps, each pair extends one arm behind to hug their teammate, while the other arm holds the sack tightly and jumps as in single jumps. The pair that reaches the finish line first wins. In relay jumps (applicable to both single and double jumps), each individual/each pair, after completing their jump, immediately kneels down to provide a platform for the next individual/pair in the team/group until all members of that team/group have completed their jumps. The team/group that completes the jumps in the shortest time wins.
2. Indoor Team Building Games
2.1. Catchphrase
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- Number of players: unlimited
- Tools: pictures, keywords, puzzles, proverbs, sayings, etc.
- Rules: can be divided into multiple teams. A member of each team will have the task of hinting for the other team members to understand and correctly read the keywords. The team that guesses the most answers and adheres to the game rules wins.
2.2. Three Ups and Seven Downs
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- Number of players: 10 individuals
- Equipment: paper and drawing pen
- Rules: Divide players into multiple teams. Each team consists of 5 people standing in a row with their backs to the moderator and are not allowed to talk. The first person will be shown a picture or a phrase describing an object. They have 30 seconds to redraw the object and show it to the second person. The second person redraws and passes it to the third person… This goes on until the last person has to guess the correct name of the object. The content of the drawings is often somewhat distorted from the original, hence the term 'Three Ups and Seven Downs'
- Significance: This game can help break psychological barriers between employees and leaders if you put them on the same team. It's also a way for you to find out who has interesting and unique ideas.
2.3. Sound Warfare
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- Number of players: unlimited
- Equipment: headphones and speakers
- Rules: Players line up, each wearing headphones playing music loud enough to block outside noise. You'll whisper a phrase to the first person in line, who must then pass that message to the person behind them, and so on to the end of the line. Your task is to prepare tricky phrases like “Fluent speech flows freely now”, “Wash the green towel, squeeze the lemon branch” and see how your colleagues relay the message. Surely, there will be many hilarious phrases, and the final message will be completely different from the original.
- Meaning: If you're looking for a fun activity that your team will truly enjoy participating in, try this game for some enjoyable relaxation time.
2.4. Lemon Relay
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- Number of Participants: Unlimited, but will be divided into teams, each team consisting of at least 5 to 7 people.
- Equipment: Lemons, spoons, and a small basket.
- Rules: Teams are lined up in rows, and each member of the team will hold a spoon to move the lemon without dropping it. Within the specified time, if a team brings more lemons to the finish line, that team wins. Note that the lemon must not touch the ground while moving. If it does, it must be passed back to the starting point.
2.5. Blend and Bond
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- Number of Participants: The number of participants is unlimited, but a minimum of about 15 people is required.
- Equipment Preparation: Handheld speaker.
- Rules: Everyone forms a large circle holding hands, with the facilitator standing in the middle. When the facilitator shouts 'Blend and Bond,' all members must be prepared. The facilitator then gives a blending request, and members must comply accordingly. For example, if the request is to blend 5 people together, then 5 members must stand together to form a small group. Those who fail to find a group of 5 will be penalized.
Each game presented carries a specific meaning, allowing team members to demonstrate their abilities. With team building games, preparation seems quite simple, so whenever everyone can easily implement it. If you're interested, don't forget to check out some of our team building tours.
Posted by: Ngô Đức Huy
Keywords: Compilation of Super Wacky Team Building Games
