Team bonding 24.4.

22
I. Team icebreaker games

1. Two truths, one lie

Team size: 3+ people

Time: 2–3 minutes per person

How to play: Ask everyone in the group to come up with two facts about
themselves and one lie. The more outlandish the facts (e.g., I went skydiving in
Costa Rica) and the more believable the lies (e.g., I have two dogs), the more fun
the game will be! You can sum these statements up in a presentation with one slide
per person or play on the fly. Ask each team member to present their three
statements and have the group vote on which one they think is the lie.

Why this exercise is great: This game is perfect for groups who don’t know each
other well yet. The details you share can be used as conversation starters later on
(“What else did you do in Costa Rica?”) to give you a better idea of who you’re
working with.

2. Penny for your thoughts

Team size: 5+ people

Time: 2–3 minutes per person

How to play: You’ll need a box full of pennies (or other coins) with listed years
that can’t be older than your youngest team member (not the time to brag about
your 1937 collector’s penny). Ask every team member to draw a coin from the box
and share a story, memory, or otherwise significant thing that happened to them
that year. This can be anything from learning how to ride a bike to landing your
first job.  

Why this exercise is great: This is a fun twist on a stress-free and simple icebreaker
that gives everyone the chance to share a personal story with their team. You can
play multiple rounds if the stories are on the shorter side or let team members
elaborate on their stories to gain deeper insight into their lives.

II. Indoor team building games

1. Perfect square

Team size: 4–12 people

Time: 15–30 minutes

How to play: Divide your team into groups of four to six and ask them to stand in a
tight circle with their group. Ask everyone to blindfold themselves or close their
eyes and give one person a rope. Without looking at what they're doing, the teams
now have to pass the rope around so everyone holds a piece of it and then form a
perfect square. Once the team is sure their square is perfect, they can lay the rope
down on the floor, take off their blindfolds (or open their eyes) and see how well
they did. 

Why this exercise is great: This game is about more than perfect geometric shapes,
it’s an amazing listening and communication exercise. Because no one can see
what they're doing, your team members have to communicate clearly while
figuring out how to create a square out of a rope. Besides, it’s often really funny to
see how imperfect the squares come out.

2. Build a tower
Team size: 8–16 people

Time: 20–30 minutes

How to play: Divide your team into groups of four or five and provide them with
20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one
marshmallow. Challenge each team to build the tallest tower possible using only
the supplies you gave them. When finished, the tower has to support the
marshmallow sitting on top. Set the timer for 20 minutes and ask everyone to step
away from their masterpiece when it runs out so you can crown a winner.

Why this exercise is great: This challenge is a great way to improve problem
solving skills and communication within your team. Your team members will have
to prototype, build, and present the tower in a short amount of time, which can be
stressful. The better they work together, the more likely they are to succeed.