61 Best Indoor Team Building Activities (2023)
Do you want to improve your team's communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills, but don't have access to outdoor space or are stuck inside due to bad weather? No need to worry! There are plenty of indoor team building activities that can be just as effective and fun as outdoor activities.
From classic activities like Telephone Charades and Human Knot to more creative challenges like the Egg Drop Challenge and Cup Stack Challenge, there are many options for indoor team building activities that can promote problem-solving, creativity, trust, communication, and more.
As someone who has participated in various team building activities, I can attest to their positive impact on team dynamics and workplace culture. Whether you're a small startup or a large corporation, incorporating indoor team building activities can help bring your employees closer together and create a more productive and positive work environment.
So, the next time the weather outside is less than ideal or you simply want to mix up your team building routine, consider these indoor team building activities to help promote teamwork and collaboration among your employees.
Communication and Collaboration
1. Telephone Charades
Looking for an engaging indoor team building activity that promotes teamwork and communication skills? Telephone Charades is a fun and exciting game that will do just that. The activity requires each member to convey a word or phrase to the person next to them through a chain of whispers. The last person in the chain then acts out the word or phrase while the rest of the group tries to guess what it is. It's a great way to emphasize the importance of clear communication and active listening among team members.
To implement this activity with your team, form a circle and whisper a word or phrase to the person next to you. Make sure to emphasize the importance of clear communication and active listening to keep the chain accurate. Once the phrase reaches the last person, have them act it out while the rest of the group guesses. You can add a competitive element by timing each round and awarding points to the team that guesses the most correct answers.
2. The Perfect Square
If you're looking for a challenging team building activity that promotes problem-solving and collaboration skills, The Perfect Square is a great option. This activity requires a group to form a perfect square using a rope without letting go of it or communicating verbally. It's a great way to encourage creativity and teamwork.
To implement this activity with your team, provide a long rope to the group and ask them to form a perfect square without letting go of the rope. Encourage them to think creatively and work together to find a solution. You can add a competitive element by timing each round and awarding points to the team that forms the perfect square the fastest.
3. Blind Drawing
Blind Drawing is an engaging indoor team building activity that promotes trust, communication, and collaboration. The activity requires one member of the team to describe an image while the other member draws it without seeing the image. It's a great way to encourage clear communication and active listening among team members.
To implement this activity with your team, form pairs and ask one member to describe an image while the other member draws it. Emphasize the importance of clear communication and active listening to ensure that the image is accurately conveyed. You can add a fun element by asking each pair to guess what the other pairs were drawing.
4. Minefield
Minefield is a team building activity that promotes problem-solving, trust, and communication skills. The activity requires team members to guide a blindfolded member through a "minefield" of obstacles without stepping on them. It's a great way to encourage clear communication, trust, and teamwork among team members.
To implement this activity with your team, set up a course of obstacles on the ground and ask one member to be blindfolded. The other team members must guide the blindfolded member through the course without stepping on any of the obstacles. Encourage clear communication and trust between team members to successfully complete the challenge. You can add a competitive element by timing each round and awarding points to the team that completes the course the fastest.
5. Tallest Tower
Tallest Tower is a fun and engaging team building activity that promotes creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. The activity requires teams to build the tallest tower using only the materials provided. It's a great way to encourage creativity and teamwork among team members.
To implement this activity with your team, divide them into teams and provide each team with materials such as straws, tape, and newspaper. Set a time limit for the activity and challenge the teams to build the tallest tower using only the materials provided. Encourage creativity and teamwork to complete the challenge successfully. You can add a competitive element by awarding points to the team that builds the tallest tower.
6. Human Knot
Looking for a classic team building activity that promotes collaboration and communication skills? Look no further than the Human Knot! This activity requires team members to form a knot with their arms, which they then have to untangle without letting go of each other's hands.
To implement this activity with your team, form a circle and have everyone join hands with two other people in the circle. Encourage the group to move around and untangle the knot without letting go of each other's hands. Encourage communication, problem-solving, and teamwork to successfully complete the challenge.
7. Zoom Scavenger Hunt
In the age of virtual work, it can be challenging to find team building activities that work remotely. That's where the Zoom Scavenger Hunt comes in! This virtual team building activity promotes communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
To implement this activity with your team, create a list of items that team members must find within their respective environments. Set a time limit for the activity and encourage the team to work together to find all the items on the list. Use a virtual platform such as Zoom to coordinate and communicate with each other.
8. Silent Line-Up
Looking for an indoor team building activity that helps develop communication and teamwork skills? Try the Silent Line-Up! Participants must silently line up in a specific order based on a predetermined criteria, such as birth date or height. The goal is to complete the task as quickly and accurately as possible, emphasizing the importance of nonverbal communication and trust within a team.
9. Egg Drop Challenge:
The Egg Drop Challenge is an activity that encourages creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Participants must create a structure that will protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a height. This activity can be done individually or in teams and is a fun way to promote collaboration and innovation.
10. Memory Wall
Want to promote teamwork, communication, and memory skills in a fun way? Try the Memory Wall! Participants work together to create a collage or mural that represents their team or company. The finished product can serve as a reminder of the importance of collaboration and teamwork, creating a sense of pride and accomplishment.
11. Cup Stack Challenge
Looking for a fast-paced activity that promotes teamwork, communication, and healthy competition? The Cup Stack Challenge is for you! Participants must work together to stack cups into a pyramid as quickly as possible. The challenge can be made more difficult by adding rules such as using only one hand or blindfolding participants. This activity is a fun way to promote collaboration and friendly competition among team members.
Problem-Solving and Decision Making
12. Escape Room
Escape Room is an indoor team building activity that challenges participants to solve puzzles and riddles to escape a room within a specific timeframe. It promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. My team once tried an escape room experience where we had to work together to find clues and solve puzzles to escape a zombie-infested laboratory.
It was a fun and exciting way to bond with my colleagues and test our problem-solving skills. You can either book an escape room experience or create your own DIY escape room with clues and puzzles to implement this activity.
13. Murder Mystery Game
Murder Mystery Game is an interactive team building activity where participants act out a murder mystery scenario and gather clues and information to solve the case. It encourages collaboration, communication, and creativity.
A colleague once organized a murder mystery game during our office holiday party, where we all dressed up as characters and tried to solve the case of the missing Santa Claus. It was a fun and unique way to get to know my colleagues and work together to solve a mystery. You can either purchase a murder mystery game kit or create your own story and characters to implement this activity.
14. Clue Murder Mystery
Clue Murder Mystery is another murder mystery activity where participants analyze clues and evidence to solve a crime. It enhances teamwork, communication, and deductive reasoning skills.
A friend once organized a Clue-themed murder mystery party, where we all dressed up as characters and tried to solve the murder of Mr. Boddy. It was a blast to work together and solve the mystery. You can use a pre-made game kit or create your own clues and crime scene to implement this activity.
15. Code Breakers
Code Breakers is an indoor team building activity that challenges participants to crack codes and solve puzzles to achieve a common goal. It promotes problem-solving, teamwork, and communication. My team once created a code-breaking challenge where we had to solve puzzles and riddles to unlock a treasure chest.
It was a fun and engaging way to work together and test our problem-solving skills. You can create your own code-breaking challenge or use online resources to find pre-made puzzles to implement this activity.
16. Treasure Hunt
Treasure Hunt is a team building activity where participants work together to find hidden clues and objects to achieve a final goal or treasure. It fosters collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills. A friend once organized a treasure hunt where we had to solve clues and puzzles to find a hidden treasure in the park. It was a great way to work together and explore the outdoors. You can create your own treasure hunt with clues and puzzles or use a pre-made kit to implement this activity.
17. Breakout Edu
Breakout Edu is a game-based learning platform that combines puzzles, challenges, and codes to enhance critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. You can purchase a Breakout Edu kit or create your own challenges and puzzles to implement this activity. My team once tried a Breakout Edu challenge where we had to solve puzzles and clues to prevent a virtual school from being hacked. It was a fun and interactive way to learn and test our problem-solving skills.
18. Mystery Box Challenge
Mystery Box Challenge is an activity where participants work together to solve puzzles and challenges to open a locked mystery box. It promotes teamwork, communication, and creativity. My team once created a mystery box challenge where we had to solve clues and puzzles to unlock a box filled with team-building activities. It was a great way to work together and think outside the box. You can purchase a pre-made kit or create your own mystery box challenge to implement this activity.
19. Mindbender Mansion
If you're looking for a fun and engaging way to build problem-solving and decision-making skills, Mindbender Mansion is a great option. This indoor team building activity challenges participants to solve puzzles and challenges in a themed setting, such as a mansion or laboratory. The activity encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
To implement this activity with your team, you can book a Mindbender Mansion experience at a local venue or create your own themed setting with puzzles and challenges. You could even use office supplies or items you find around the office to create your own puzzles and challenges. By incorporating elements of your team's work into the challenges, you can make the activity more relevant and engaging for your team.
In my experience, Mindbender Mansion is a great way to get team members working together and using their problem-solving skills in a fun and creative way. Plus, the themed setting and puzzles make it a memorable and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. So if you're looking for a team building activity that's both challenging and entertaining, Mindbender Mansion is definitely worth considering.
Creativity and Innovation
20. Lego Challenge: Give Your Team a Creative Boost
Lego Challenge is a fun and engaging team building activity that can help develop creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. In this activity, participants are given a set of Lego blocks and a certain amount of time to create a model. To get started, divide your team into groups and give each group a set of Lego blocks. Then, set a time frame for the activity and provide clear instructions on what needs to be created. Encourage everyone to share their ideas and work together to create something unique and imaginative.
21. Build a Bridge: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Build a Bridge is another team building activity that promotes teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Participants are asked to build a bridge using various materials such as straws, popsicle sticks, and tape. To implement this activity, divide your team into groups and provide them with the necessary materials. Set a time frame for the activity and provide clear instructions on what type of bridge they need to build. Encourage everyone to work together and share their ideas to create a sturdy and functional bridge.
22. Art Challenge: Let Your Creativity Flow
If you're looking for a creative team building activity, an Art Challenge might be just what you need. This activity involves participants creating a piece of art within a certain time frame. To get started, provide your team with art supplies and set a time frame for the activity. You can also provide a theme for the art challenge or allow them to create whatever they wish. Encourage everyone to express their creativity and work together to create something beautiful and unique.
23. Pictionary: Draw Your Way to Better Communication
Pictionary is a classic game that can help develop communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. In this activity, participants are divided into teams and take turns drawing and guessing each other's drawings. To implement this activity, divide your team into groups, provide them with paper and drawing materials, and set a time limit for each turn. Encourage everyone to work together and come up with creative and imaginative drawings.
24. Improv Game: Get Spontaneous and Creative
The Improv Game is a team building activity that helps to develop creativity, communication, and collaboration skills. In this activity, participants are given a scenario or prompt and are asked to act it out spontaneously. To implement this activity, provide your team with scenarios or prompts, divide them into groups, and set a time limit for each performance. Encourage everyone to work together and come up with creative and entertaining performances.
25. The Pitch: Sell Your Ideas with Confidence
The Pitch is a team building activity that involves creating and presenting a pitch for a product or service. It helps to develop communication, collaboration, and presentation skills. To implement this activity, provide your team with a prompt or problem that they need to solve, divide them into groups, and set a time limit for each presentation. Encourage everyone to work together and come up with a convincing pitch that will sell their product or service.
26. The Great Egg Drop: Protect Your Egg from Cracking
The Great Egg Drop is a fun and challenging team building activity that can help develop problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills. Participants are given a raw egg and are asked to design and build a contraption to protect the egg from breaking when dropped from a certain height. To implement this activity, provide your team with materials such as straws, tape, and paper, and set a height for the drop. Encourage everyone to work together and come up with a unique and effective contraption to protect their egg.
27. Lego Serious Play
Get creative and let your team use Lego blocks to represent their thoughts and ideas. This fun activity is a great way to enhance creativity, problem-solving, and communication skills. You can set a certain topic or idea for the team to work on, or let them create freely. The key is to let everyone have a chance to express themselves in a unique way.
28. Brainstorming Session
Let your team's ideas run wild with a brainstorming session. Set a certain problem or prompt that needs to be solved, and then give your team a specific amount of time to come up with as many ideas as possible. The goal of this activity is to encourage collaboration and communication, while also promoting creativity. Remember to keep an open mind and encourage everyone to contribute their ideas, no matter how big or small they may seem.
Trust and Bonding
29. Trust Walk
Blindfold one team member and have another team member guide them through an obstacle course. This activity helps team members develop trust, communication skills, and empathy. To implement this activity, create an obstacle course and have team members take turns guiding and being guided while blindfolded.
30. Two Truths and a Lie
Team members take turns sharing three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is false. This activity encourages team members to get to know each other better and practice active listening. To implement this activity, have each team member share their statements and guess which one is the lie.
31. Life Highlights Game
Encourage team members to share a personal highlight from their life. This activity can help build empathy and trust by providing team members with an opportunity to share personal stories. To implement this activity, create a safe space for team members to share and encourage positive feedback.
32. Beach Ball Game
Write questions on a beach ball and have team members toss it around, answering the question written under their thumb when caught. This activity encourages team members to share their thoughts and opinions in a fun and non-threatening way. To implement this activity, provide a beach ball and encourage participation from all team members.
33. Group Juggle
Pass several balls or objects around the group in a specific order without dropping them. This activity helps team members build teamwork and communication skills. To implement this activity, start with a few balls and gradually increase the number to make it more challenging.
34. Personal Shield
Each team member creates a personal shield by drawing or writing words that represent their values, strengths, and goals. This activity helps team members understand each other's motivations and can encourage a sense of belonging. To implement this activity, provide a blank shield template and art supplies.
35. Human Rock-Paper-Scissors
Teams of two compete in a physical version of rock-paper-scissors. The winning teams join forces until only one team remains. This activity encourages teamwork and strategic thinking. To implement this activity, create a bracket and have teams compete against each other until there is one winning team.
Leadership and Management
36. Who's the Leader
For this activity, select a leader who will give commands to the group, and the group must follow the leader's instructions. It's a fun way to promote teamwork and communication skills while also emphasizing the importance of leadership. One time, I participated in this activity during a team-building event, and it was fascinating to see how different people approached leadership.
37. Leadership Exercises
To develop leadership skills, these exercises involve team members taking turns leading the group in various activities. They are an excellent way to practice and develop confidence, learn to delegate tasks, and effectively communicate with others. I once led my team in a game of "Red Light, Green Light," and it was a fantastic experience to see my team members come together and follow my lead.
38. Hot Seat
In this game, a team member sits in the "hot seat" while the rest of the team asks them questions. It's a great way to promote communication skills, trust-building, and empathy within the team. During one team-building event, I sat in the hot seat, and my teammates asked me some tough questions. But it was a great way for me to share my experiences and build trust with my team.
39. Management Games
These games involve simulating different management scenarios, such as handling conflicts or leading a team through a project. They are an effective way to develop problem-solving skills, leadership skills, and communication skills. One time, I participated in a management game where we had to lead a virtual team through a project, and it was a challenging but rewarding experience.
40. Creative Problem-Solving
This activity involves presenting the team with a problem or challenge and working together to come up with creative solutions. It promotes critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills. I remember one time when my team had to come up with a solution to a problem, and we spent hours brainstorming and discussing ideas. In the end, we came up with an innovative solution that impressed our boss.
Fun and Games
41. Minute to Win It Games
Looking for a fun way to engage your team and boost morale? Minute to Win It Games are a series of high-energy challenges that can be completed in under a minute. These games require creativity, quick thinking, and teamwork, making them a great way to get your team working together. To get started, gather a list of Minute to Win It Games and the necessary supplies, set up a competition structure, and let the games begin!
42. Game Show Mania
If you're looking for a team building activity that's sure to be a hit, try Game Show Mania. This activity is designed to resemble a game show, with teams competing against each other in a series of challenges that test their knowledge and teamwork. By participating in this activity, your employees can improve their communication and problem-solving skills. To implement this activity with your team, select a game show format, create a list of challenges, and assign teams.
43. Trivia Night
Are you looking for a fun and interactive activity that will challenge your team's knowledge? Trivia Night is the perfect solution. This activity challenges teams to answer questions on a variety of topics, promoting teamwork, communication, and friendly competition. To implement this activity with your team, create a list of trivia questions on various topics, assign teams, and provide a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
44. Bingo
Bingo is a classic game that can be adapted into a team building activity. By working together, teams can cover more spots on their bingo cards and increase their chances of winning. This activity encourages collaboration and teamwork, making it a great way to bring your team together. To implement this activity with your team, create a bingo card with custom words or phrases related to your team or organization.
45. Family Feud
If you're looking for a team building activity that will promote teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills, try Family Feud. This activity challenges teams to guess the top answers to survey questions. To get started, create a list of survey questions, divide the group into teams, and challenge them to guess the most popular answers.
46. Lip Sync Battle
Looking for a creative team building activity that will get your employees working together? Try Lip Sync Battle. This activity challenges teams to perform lip sync routines to popular songs, promoting creativity, communication, and teamwork. To implement this activity with your team, select a list of popular songs, divide the group into teams, and let them come up with their own lip sync routines.
47. Karaoke Night
Karaoke Night is a fun and engaging team building activity that allows employees to showcase their singing skills. This activity promotes confidence and teamwork, making it a great way to bring your team together. To implement this activity with your team, rent a karaoke machine, select a list of popular songs, and encourage everyone to participate.
48. Just Dance Competition
If you're looking for a fun and active team building activity, try a Just Dance Competition. This activity challenges teams to learn and perform popular dance routines, promoting teamwork, coordination, and physical activity. To implement this activity with your team, select a list of popular dance routines, divide the group into teams, and challenge them to learn and perform the routines.
Diversity and Inclusion
49. Diversity Game
Let's get the conversation going! In this interactive activity, team members are divided into small groups and given a list of questions related to diversity. The aim is to encourage open dialogue about important topics such as race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and culture. By sharing experiences and perspectives, team members can learn to understand and respect each other's differences and work together to promote a more inclusive workplace.
50. Who Am I?
Let the guessing game begin! Who Am I? is a fun and easy game that helps team members get to know each other better. By guessing which famous person is on their forehead, team members learn to communicate, collaborate, and build trust in a lighthearted and engaging way.
51. Empathy Belly
Ever wondered what it's like to be pregnant? Empathy Belly is a simulation game that allows team members to experience the weight, shape, and movements of a pregnant woman's belly. This game promotes empathy and understanding towards pregnant colleagues or family members and also promotes teamwork by giving team members an opportunity to support each other during the simulation.
52. Barnga
Get ready for some confusion and frustration! Barnga is a card game that requires participants to play by different rules, which can lead to misunderstandings and disagreements. However, the game also promotes cross-cultural understanding, empathy, and teamwork as participants learn to communicate and work together to understand each other's different perspectives and ways of playing the game.
53. Privilege Walk
This activity is a powerful way to highlight the privileges and advantages that some people have in society. Participants are asked to line up and then read a series of statements. If the statement applies to the participant, they take a step forward, but if it doesn't apply, they stay in place. The aim is to encourage reflection, understanding, and empathy towards colleagues who may face systemic disadvantages.
54. Stereotype Game
The Stereotype Game is an engaging and thought-provoking activity that aims to break down harmful stereotypes. By discussing and challenging stereotypes, team members can learn to understand and respect each other's differences, promote inclusivity, and build a more respectful and diverse workplace culture.
Health and Wellness
55. Yoga Class
A yoga class can be a great way to promote both physical and mental wellness among team members. It's a low-impact activity that helps reduce stress and increase focus, making it a perfect choice for teams that need to improve their work-life balance. To organize a yoga class with your team, consider hiring a yoga instructor or finding an online class that suits your team's needs.
56. Meditation Session
Meditation is another team building activity that can improve mindfulness and relaxation. This activity can help reduce stress, improve concentration, and boost creativity, making it a great option for teams that need to improve their mental focus. To organize a meditation session with your team, you can hire a meditation instructor or find an online class that suits your team's needs.
57. Office Olympics
Office Olympics is a fun and engaging team building activity that involves a series of physical and mental challenges. This activity can boost team morale and foster a sense of healthy competition among team members. To implement this activity with your team, organize a range of challenges such as relay races, puzzle challenges, and trivia contests.
58. Healthy Cooking Challenge
A healthy cooking challenge is a team building activity that involves teams creating healthy and delicious meals together. This activity can promote teamwork, improve communication, and encourage healthy eating habits. To implement this activity with your team, organize a cooking competition where teams can create their own healthy meals and present them to a panel of judges.
59. Wellness Challenge
A wellness challenge is a team building activity that involves promoting healthy habits such as physical exercise, healthy eating, and mindfulness. This activity can help promote a healthy lifestyle and improve team morale. To organize a wellness challenge with your team, set up a list of daily activities for each team member to complete.
60. Walking Meeting
A walking meeting is a team building activity that involves conducting meetings while walking outdoors. This activity can promote physical exercise, boost creativity, and improve team communication. To organize a walking meeting with your team, schedule a meeting outdoors, and encourage team members to bring a notepad and pen to jot down any ideas or important points discussed during the meeting.
61. Healthy Team WMIRN Question
Health and wellness isn't just for individuals! Take your team's health to the next level by using Patrick Lencioni's question: WMIRN. WMIRN stands for What's Most Important, Right Now?
This question is the most powerful way I've found for leaders to help their teams get on the same page... fast. I use this question with every team I work with. For more information on how to run a session using this question, read Patrick Lencioni's books The Advantage and Silos, Politics and Turf Wars.
I also unpack how to use the WMIRN question in my masterclass: 23 Easy Team Building Tips, Tricks and Tools Every Leader Needs To Know.
You can download my team building masterclass straight away and start watching right now - even if it's 2am in the morning where you are!
Click here to learn more about my masterclass 23 Easy Team Building Tips, Tricks and Tools Every Leader Needs to Know.
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