25 Fun Team-Building Activities To Boost Morale

Updated January 7, 2023

Team-building activities offer great opportunities to foster a positive work environment by

developing connections between coworkers and management. Activities focusing on
collaboration encourage innovation and problem-solving in organizational teams. Finding fun
and challenging team-building games give employees the chance to engage in cooperative
experiences the build stronger relationships in the workplace.

In this article, we present 25 team-building activities that boost morale and explain how many of
these games create more effective teams.

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Team-building activities to boost morale
You can use team-building activities to boost participation during general meetings, get new
members acquainted with their team or promote collaboration at a company outing. Consider
awarding small prizes such as gift cards or company merchandise to encourage friendly
competition. Here are eight team-building activities you can try to promote cooperation and build
team morale:

1. Group juggling
Have the group form a circle, then choose a random person and toss them a ball. The person with
the ball says their name and a fact about themselves, then throws the ball to someone else. That
person then repeats the previous person's name and fact, then states their own name or fact
before tossing the ball to another player until all team members have a chance to catch and toss
the ball. The last person to catch the ball throws it to the team member who started the game.

This game encourages the team to get to know each other and can form stronger bonds when
individuals get to know one another more personally. Participants can share a fact of their choice,
such as a recent vacation they took or an interesting hobby they have. Keep going until everyone
knows each other's names. This relatively short game takes about 30 minutes to play. Consider
playing this game at the beginning of a project to make learning each other's names more
engaging.

Related: 8 Steps To Building a Successful Team

2. Find someone who BINGO
Before calling the group together, create a BINGO card with spaces listing different
characteristics that team members embody such as "lived in another state," "participates in
extreme sports" or "writes with their left hand." As you begin the meeting, give each team
member a BINGO card and encourage them to get up and mingle to find individuals who match
each qualification. When someone meets the criteria, they sign their name on the spot. The first
employee to get five spots in a row signed by colleagues shouts BINGO and wins the game.

This activity encourages team members to get to know one another, benefiting new employees
and fostering positive conversations where individuals get the chance to learn what they have in
common.

Related: What Is the Purpose of Team Building?

3. 18 and under
At the start of a meeting, encourage each member of the team to tell a story about an
accomplishment they achieved before the age of 18. Stories can pertain to personal
accomplishments like traveling out of the country or work-related achievements like becoming a
manager at their first job. Let the team vote on these personal achievements in categories such as
the most interesting, inspiring, funny or relatable story.

This activity highlights accomplishments and shares stories of personal journeys. Personal stories
offer a chance to recognize individual strengths and how these unique abilities contribute to team
success. Allow a few minutes for participants to think of their achievements before starting the
game, then finish with a brief team discussion or silent vote to determine accolades.
Related: 42 Unique Team-Building Ice Breakers
4. Find your match
To play this game, write down an item that belongs to a pair and its companion, each on
individual squares of paper. For instance, one pair could be “night” and “day.” Make sure you
have enough individual squares for each participant. If you have an odd number, create one trio
such as "sun," "moon" and "stars." Ask each member to take a “name” from the pile and tape it
somewhere they can't see, but others can.

Team members then move around the room and ask each other questions. The goal of this game
is for each player to determine who they are and locate their other half. Award the first pair who
find each other. This team-building exercise gives members a chance to use critical thinking
skills and improve communication as team members try to figure out their “name” and find their
companion. Team members learn the value of time and precision while they race to find their
match.

Related: 8 Skills You Need for Effective Team Building

5. Jigsaw puzzle trade
Choose two or three 50 or 75-piece jigsaw puzzles to keep the game simple. Mix the loose pieces
together, then divide them into plastic bags. If, for instance, your team consists of 20 people,
divide the team into groups of four or more. Hand each group a plastic bag with the assorted
puzzle pieces. Groups work together to assign roles (puzzle assembly, negotiator) and strategize
how they will work with the other groups to trade pieces and complete their puzzle. The first
team to assemble their puzzle wins the game.

The objective of this activity is to learn strategizing and collaboration. Consider using this
activity before the start of a big project to help teams practice strategic negotiation skills. This
game takes some time to complete, so plan to play when your schedule permits.

Related: 12 Puzzle Team-Building Activities for Teams of All Sizes

6. Group appreciation
Assemble the team around a table and have each person say something complimentary about the
person to their right. Keep going around the table until everyone has shared about their
neighbors. Encourage teams to talk about a member's accomplishments, goals they met or how
they contribute to the company every day.
This short activity builds morale by giving each member a chance to comment positively on
another team member, strengthening relationships and allowing celebrating the contributions of
others. Play this game during a meeting or while at a team lunch. Starting weekly meetings with
this activity can help build an encouraging team culture.

Related: 21 Fun Trust-Building Activities To Use With Your Team

7. All adrift
All Adrift is a hypothetical scenario in which team members are together in an imaginary boat
they must abandon before it sinks. Present the team with a list of up to 20 items from their
imaginary boat, such as water or food, and instruct them to choose a total of five survival items
to keep as they abandon ship. Each member chooses what they believe is the most important
item from the list with the opportunity to defend their choice. Once each person chooses, the
whole team collectively determines which five items to take off the boat

Teams discuss and debate the items, strategizing which things would ensure their survival. Since
they must abandon the boat before it sinks, give the team about 15 to 20 minutes to thoroughly
discuss the options and come to an agreement. Hypothetical situations like this allow teams to
learn to work together and collaborate on essential tasks. This game strives to improve
communication and outlines the importance of working together to make decisions that benefit
the entire group. Allow 30 or 45 minutes to play the game from beginning to end.

Related: 5-Minute Team-Building Activities To Improve Productivity

8. Build a tower
Divide the entire team into smaller groups of four or five. Challenge each group to build a tower
as tall as they can using ordinary items found in the room. Ask members to get creative when
building their tower, and encourage conversation so teams can think and strategize together. Set a
goal height for the tower, and award the first team that builds one that is structurally sound.

This game encourages collaboration and creative thinking as everyone builds their tower. Teams
share solutions to make their tower the tallest while strategizing to keep it from falling. Try this
game at the next meeting and set a time limit to complete it.

Related: 14 Fun Outdoor Team-Building Activities

9. Team scavenger hunt
Assign employees a list of items to collect either physically or through pictures captured on a
designated camera. Employees can complete a scavenger hunt on company property or in the
community. The first team back with all the collected objects wins the game. Photo challenges
can include having everyone take a picture at a local landmark, collecting a picture of each team
member in front of their favorite restaurant or taking a posed photo in a certain workspace.
Physical scavenger hunts may involve more detailed clues hidden prior to the group activity or
items easily found throughout the office.

Scavenger hunts require teams to cooperate and allow team members the chance to interact in an
atmosphere outside of the office. It also gives team members the opportunity to build
relationships and complete collaborative tasks outside of daily work responsibilities.

Related: 40 Fun Work Outings for Team Building

10. Silent lineup
Practice intrapersonal skills with this quick game that involves cooperation and non-verbal
communication. Ask team members to line up according to specific ideas like in order of
birthdays or number of siblings. Set a time limit for team members to assemble in the correct
lineup without using any words.

Silent lineup encourages creative thinking and problem-solving as team members try to
communicate without words. Individuals determine how to share important information with
their colleagues in the midst of challenging circumstances.

Related: 10 Team-Building Training Exercises

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More team-building activities to boost morale
Colleagues who bond with each other are more likely to experience job success and satisfying
employment. Try something from this list of additional fun and enlightening team-building
activities during your next meeting or at the start of a new project to inspire team members to
work together:
11. Show and tell: Ask team members to bring in an item that represents something important to
them. Give everyone a chance to share their item and explain why it matters to the group.

12. Escape room: Create a challenge on campus or take team members to a local escape room
facility to solve the mystery together.

13. Personal collage: Give team members magazines to clip images they assemble on a piece of
poster paper to create a collage that represents their unique qualities. Allow time for team
members to share and explain their creations.

14. Charades: Play the classic pantomime game using clues created by other team members.

15. Guess the picture: Ask team members to write down an easy-to-draw object. Next, team
members take turns drawing items while colleagues try to guess the object.

16. Ropes course: Take team members to a local ropes course where they can experience and
overcome obstacles together.

17. Unwrap it: Wrap a small gift in multiple layers of paper using plenty of tape. Give each team
member a chance to unwrap the gift while wearing oven mitts for a limited amount of time
before moving it on to the next colleague until the winner uncovers the item.

18. Paint project: Consider hiring an art instructor to guide team members step by step to create a
painting.

19. Tell the truth: Also called "two truths and a lie," during this game, each team member tells
the group three things about themselves including one false piece of information. Team members
then try to guess which item isn't true.

20. Cooking class: Prepare items on campus or travel to a cooking venue where team members
can work together to prepare and enjoy a meal.
21. Team outing: Designate a time to take the entire team outside the office to enjoy leisure
activities. Consider traveling to a museum, taking a food tour, or visiting a local attraction for the
day.

22. Trivia contest: Host a trivia contest through a digital app or with teams during a meeting.
Pick a theme your entire office can enjoy.

23. Team garden: Get your team working to plant a garden on office property or at a local spot.
Designate team members to continue caring for the project.

24. Gift exchange: Ask team members to contribute a small gift within a certain monetary limit.
Play a game to assign gifts by giving each team member a number indicating the order they pick
a gift from the table or another individual.

25. Volunteer trip: Visit a local non-profit organization to volunteer as a team or complete an act
of community service like cleaning up trash on the beach or at a local park.