8 Team Bonding Ideas

Creating meaningful bonds among team members is something every team strives for. A team with strong bonds will work harder for each other regardless if it’s a sports team, work team or even social group. Now we love a good team building event and activity. But, if you’re looking for a few quick team bonding games that can be played almost anywhere then read on. Here are 8 Team Bonding Ideas!

1. Possibilities

First on our list of team bonding ideas is to play Possibilities. It only takes about 5-6 mins, it can have as many participants as possible and the tools you’ll need are any random object that’s to hand.

The object of this 5 minute team building game is to give each person the object. They must stand up and demonstrate a use for that object. The person demonstrating cannot speak and no demonstration can be the same. Let’s just say the wackier the better in our opinion. This team building exercise definitely allows people to express their creative and innovative side to say the least.

2. The Egg Drop

This team bonding idea will engage your team, improve team work and encourage problem solving among team members. You’ll need at least 2 small groups but you can have more and make sure the groups have even numbers. You’ll need a few raw eggs and this team bonding idea can take part in the office.

Each group must build a contraption from office supplies available to them that will keep the egg from breaking. They can use tap, paper, cardboard, pens etc. Set a time limit somewhere between 15-20 mins. Once the time has run out. Each group must place their egg in the contraption and drop it from the second floor of the building. Then you just have to see which egg survives the drop.

Just a note, this can get a little messy so have the mop ready.

3. Purpose Mingling

If you’re looking for a great little team bonding exercise right at the start of any meeting. Then give purpose mingling a go. So, at the start of the meeting get everyone to walk around and share what they want to contribute in the meeting to as many people as possible. This sort of team bonding exercise is fantastic at improving meeting productivity, will get people thinking more about the meeting and not just solely on what they want to get out of the meeting.

4. Blind Drawing

If communication in your team is something you’re looking to improve. Then try the Blind Drawing game. It’s a quick a easy team bonding idea that requires only 2 people, a picture and a pen & paper. You can have larger groups depending on the size of your team.

Individuals sit back to back. One has their eyes closed and has the pen and paper in their hands. The other has their eyes wide open and has the picture. The person with the picture must describe what they see in the picture without directly saying it. So, if the picture is a flower in a pot, you can’t say “draw a flower in a pot”.

The other person then draws on the paper what they think the picture is from what the other is saying. This team bonding game should last maybe 5 mins. It’s a great way to improve communication and interpretation among a team. And, what they actually draw will be very interesting of all these 8 Team Bonding Ideas.

5. Would I Lie to You?

This team bonding game is loosely based on the TV show ‘Would I Lie to You?’. You’ll need about 5 or more people to play. Each person must come up with 3 true facts about themselves and one lie. Keep the lie somewhat realistic as otherwise the other members of the team will know straight away. Go around the room and everyone takes turns to tell there 3 true facts and the lie. The others must guess which is the lie.

This is a great game to use as an ice breaker for any new team members, allows someone who is a little more introvert to share and it can also be used just to shake up the hum drum of meetings.

6. Navigate a Mine Field

For this one you’ll need between 4 and 10 people. The numbers have to be even. You’ll also need a variety of handheld objects and some blindfolds. This team bonding game can be played anywhere. In the office, the car park or any open area. We do think the office is funnier and trickier.

The objects are placed sporadically across an area. In teams of 2, one person wears the blindfold and cannot speak. The other person must lead the other team member through the obstacles without stepping on them to the finish line with only verbal instructions.

This game is a fantastic team building idea & activity as it builds trust, effective listening and communication.

7. Scavenger Hunt

A good Scavenger Hunt is only as good as the time you put into it. Don’t get me wrong a scavenger hunt that gets everyone up and out of the office on a hunt around the city is always good fun. But it’s often not that practical.

So, twist it to suit your environment. People have to hunt for objects in the building, online, take photos and create mini videos in certain areas of the building according to the puzzles on the scavenger hunt. It will take a little planning but it can all be done from the office and all you have to do is make sure the teams are even or a mix from each department.

This will be sure to improve team work, communication, creativity and task completion.

8. Winner or Loser

You’ll need at least 2 people for this team building exercise. You’ll need no other tools. One person shares a something negative that happened in their life be it personal or work related that is true, to the other person or group. That person re tells the experience but only focuses on the positive aspects of the story. The other person or group helps explore the positive parts or the silver lining of what was a bad experience. Then the roles are switched.

This is a fantastic way to train yourself to re work negative experiences into a learning experience as team or group. Learning from mistakes will allow the team grow and take those learnings with them.

All these team bonding games and exercises are always a fantastic way to fire up a team in a meeting, before a meeting or during the working week to ultimately help productivity.

So, which one of these 8 Team Bonding Ideas will you be trying at your next team building event?

Finally, to organise your next team building event. Drop us a line on info@bigpotatoes.ie for more details!