Simple Team Building Activities That Are Fun To Play

In a world and that often demands quick and easy, it’s good to know there are plenty of simple team building activities you can call on immediately to develop the team skills of your staff and employees.

The most common reasons you may need to draw on these types of team development ideas include a lack of time, experience and/or resources, something doesn’t go to plan (eg when a presenter does not show up and you’re suddenly called upon to deliver the content) and you’d prefer to fill in idle time productively rather than just sit around waiting for something to happen.

In our experience, you can never have enough simple teambuilding ideas up your sleeve, and to this end, some of the best team events are those which involve few if any props and come with very easy instructions. Which is exactly what we share in this article.

Quick & Easy Team Building Activities

The following list of eight activity ideas is drawn from a very large, ever-expanding online database of group games & activities. Most require no equipment to play and many of them represent great 5 minute team building ideas, too.

1. Leaning Tower of Feetza

All you need is three minutes and a group wearing shoes. Divide into small equal teams and challenge each of them to build the tallest free-standing tower using their shoes.

2. Longest Shadow

Enjoy a few minutes in the outdoors, especially on a sunny day. Challenge your group to create the longest continuous shadow using their bodies on the ground.

3. Paper Holding

Often the simplest ideas are the best. A small team challenge to keep as many sheets of paper off the ground in ten minutes, A task that will appear easier than it really is.

4. Pairs Compass Walk

Ideal for large open spaces or cavernous indoor halls. An awesome partner exercise that will build trust, cooperation and communication skills. Oh, and it is guaranteed to trigger lots of laughter, too.

5. Memory Card Game

Terrific conversation starter about what’s really important and valued in your organisation. You’ll need some index cards and about 20-30 minutes to squeeze the most value from this wonderful, and initially energetic, group initiative.

6. Change Up

Grab a deck of playing cards, randomly distribute one card to each person and then set them the challenge to re-arrange themselves by the order of their face value. Next, try this without knowing what card you are holding. Click for more details.

7. Human Machines

Crazy and very creative team-building exercise that will make you and your group laugh out loud. No props and just 10-15 minutes is all you need.

8. About Now

Got a watch with a second hand? Then this highly versatile problem-solving activity is good to go. Tons of variations, for in-person and online settings, too.

Are you wondering what these activities look like? We’ve got you covered, they all come with video tutorials which feature real groups to help you imagine what the activity looks like, sounds like and feels like. Just click for more details.

Benefits of Team Development

When you try any one or more of these activities, you can expect to see these types of outcomes:

• The activities will make you look good – there are very few instructions which make them super-easy to present.
• You have everything you need to start, right now – most of the games and activities need no props to play, so they will work with small and large groups.
• Simple props – at the very most, you will need paper, index cards or a deck of playing cards.
• Fun icebreakers – many of these activity ideas double as fun team building icebreakers to help your group interact, share and get to know one another better.

For more, take a quick look at this article about corporate team building activities to read about the primary benefits of involving your staff and employees in a series of team-building events.

By Mark Collard - Experiential Trainer, Author & Speaker

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