Why Quick Team Building Activities Matter
In today’s corporate world, with most companies aligning with a hybrid or remote work setting, it’s crucial to keep teams engaged with their tasks and engaged with each other. But what’s the secret recipe? Well, short and sweet games are a way to get started and bring a dash of innovation and excitement to your office (virtual or not).
Here’s why these bite-sized bonding sessions go a long way:
- They Are Attention Span Boosters: Let’s face it, our attention spans are shrinking at the fastest rate yet. In fact, Insightful reports state that almost 80% of employees said they can’t go a full hour without being distracted. 59% claim they face distractions every 30 minutes or less. Short team activities provide the antidote, giving your team’s brains the refresh they crave without compromising the entire work day.
- They Meet Your Team’s Mojo: Say goodbye to snooze-fest meetings and prepare for energized brainstorming sessions that will have a positive impact on your coworkers and on your company’s projects. Quick team exercises and icebreakers help teams stay alert and creative.
- They Boost Team Dynamics Like Never Before: Regular, short bursts of team-building can work wonders for strengthening bonds. According to Indeed, these activities foster better communication, improve performance, and help employees understand their roles better.
- They Represent a Golden Era For Engagement: Quick team activities are long enough to make an impact, but short enough to keep everyone’s attention. It’s the perfect recipe to boost morale and bring your team together without compromising valuable work time.
Our 4 Tips For Implementing Successfully Quick Team Building Activities For Your Team
At TeamOut, we are aware of the challenges that organizing team-building activities can carry, so we’ve curated a list of 4 tips to help you with the process:
Set Clear Objectives
Each activity aims for a different purpose, so you ought to define what you want to achieve first. Is your goal to boost creativity, improve communication, or simply have fun and break the ice? Knowing your goals helps you choose the right activity and measure its success.
Time it Right
There is such a thing as the wrong timing, so choose the perfect moment to implement these activities. Consider kicking-off meetings with a 5-minute icebreaker to energize your employees, or use them as mid-day breaks to refresh everyone’s focus.
Size Matters
Tailor these activities to your group size. For further information, check out TeamOut’s articles featuring the best team-building activities for small and large groups. Remember that some exercises work better for smaller teams, while others can accommodate larger groups. For example, Human Knot is ideal for groups of up to 12 participants, whereas Find Someone Who caters to teams of every size.
Adapt For Remote and In-Person Settings
Ensure the activities you choose can be easily adapted to a remote setting if needed be. Flexibility is key!
List of Fun 5 Minute Team-Building Activities
These 5-minute suggestions are a great warmup to get your team’s day started with a collaborative or competitive activity. What are the benefits? To keep your crew engaged and focused, ready to tackle the week’s challenges.
1. Paper Tower
Paper Tower is a challenge that puts teamwork and engineering skills to the test. This activity turns a stack of paper into a competition where participants have to think and collaborate under time pressure. It's a combination of problem-solving, communication, and hands-on construction that brings out the best in every team member.
How to play :
- Divide participants into small teams of 3-4 people
- Provide each team with an equal stack of paper
- Set a time limit
- Challenge teams to build the tallest free-standing tower using only the paper provided
- Measure the towers and declare a winner
Group size: 6-20 participants
Materials: Stacks of paper (20 sheets per team), measuring tape
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use virtual whiteboards for collaborative tower design
Why it works for teams: Enhances problem-solving skills and promotes creative thinking within the team.
2. Stretches
Stretching brings teams together for a quick physical break. This simple yet refreshing exercise helps relieve tension and improve focus but also provides a shared experience that can boost your team’s energy levels. It's an excellent way to reset and recharge during a busy workday.
How to play :
- Gather the team in an open space
- Designate a leader to guide the stretches
- Start with gentle neck rolls and shoulder shrugs
- Move on to arm circles and torso twists
- Finish with light leg stretches and deep breathing exercises
Group size: Any size
Materials: None required
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use video conferencing for synchronized stretching sessions
Why it works for teams: Reduces stress and improves physical well-being.
3. Paper Plane Parade
Paper Plane Parade is a nostalgic activity that will have your team travel back to their childhood memories. The best part? Things may get competitive! This hands-on challenge combines creativity in design with the technique of flight, making it an engaging way to bring out the playful side of team members.
How to play :
- Provide each participant with a sheet of paper
- Give everyone 5 minutes to design and fold their best paper airplane
- Designate a "runway" area for launching planes
- Have participants take turns throwing their planes
- Measure the distance of each flight and crown the winner
Group size: 5-20 participants
Materials: Paper sheets, measuring tape
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Host a virtual design contest with participants sharing photos of their planes
Why it works for teams: Encourages creativity, promotes friendly competition, and provides a fun break from routine
4. Human Knot
Human Knot is an excellent office olympics activity that promotes energetic and interactive team-building while bringing people together. This exercise challenges participants to work closely and communicate in order to untangle themselves from a seemingly impossible situation. It's a way to break down barriers and foster a sense of unity within the team.
How to play :
- Form a circle with 6-12 participants standing shoulder to shoulder
- Have everyone reach across and grab hands with two people
- Ensure no one is holding hands with someone directly next to them
- Challenge the group to untangle themselves without letting go of hands
- Set a time limit (e.g., 10 minutes) to add excitement
Group size: 6-12 participants per group
Materials: None required
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use a virtual team-building platform for a digital version of the activity
Why it works for teams: Improves communication, encourages problem-solving, and builds trust among team members
5. Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is one of TeamOut’s 21 Best Corporate Staff Retreat Games for Team Building in 2024. This captivating game explores the personal lives of team members as each participant shares two true statements about themselves and a fake one. It’s up to the rest of the group to discern fact from fiction, creating an atmosphere of fun and curiosity.
How to play :
- Have each participant prepare three statements about themselves: two truths and one lie
- Go around the group, with each person sharing their three statements
- After each person shares, allow the group to discuss and vote on which statement they think is the lie
- Reveal the correct answer and share any interesting stories behind the truths
- Continue until everyone has had a turn
Group size: 5-15 participants
Materials: None required
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use video conferencing and chat features for virtual sessions
Why it works for teams: Enhances interpersonal relationships and improves active listening skills
6. Speed Pictionary
Speed Pictionary adds extra adrenaline to the classic game everyone loves, combining artistic expression with quick thinking. This fast-paced activity challenges participants to convey ideas through simple sketches, fostering creativity and enhancing non-verbal communication skills.
How to play :
- Divide the group into teams of 3-5 people
- Prepare a list of words or phrases for drawing
- Have one person from each team draw while their teammates guess
- Set a strict time limit (e.g. 30 seconds) for each round
- Award points for correct guesses and rotate drawers
Group size: 6-20 participants
Materials: Whiteboard or large paper, markers, timer, list of words/phrases
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use online drawing tools like Skribbl.io for virtual sessions
Why it works for teams: Improves visual communication, encourages quick thinking, and promotes team bonding
7. Group Rock-Paper-Scissors
Group Rock-Paper-Scissors is a tournament-style activity that transforms a simple hand game into a team event. This high-energy competition creates a buzz of excitement as participants progress through rounds, as some get eliminated and others move on to the next round.
How to play :
- Have everyone find a partner and play a best-of-three rock-paper-scissors match
- Winners move on to the next round, while losers become their opponent's cheerleader
- Continue pairing winners and accumulating cheerleaders
- Play until there's one final champion with everyone else cheering them on
- Crown the winner and celebrate their rock-paper-scissors prowess
Group size: Any even number of participants
Materials: None required
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use video conferencing with breakout rooms for virtual tournaments
Why it works for teams: Builds excitement and encourages support for colleagues
8. Blind Drawing
Blind Drawing is a communication exercise that challenges participants to convey and interpret visual information without relying on sight. This activity highlights the importance of clear, precise communication and active listening, while also providing plenty of laughs as teams struggle to recreate unseen images.
How to play :
- Pair up participants and have them sit back-to-back
- Give one person in each pair a simple image to describe
- The other person must draw the image based solely on their partner's verbal description
- Set a time limit (e.g. 5 minutes) for the description and drawing
- Compare the original images with the drawings and discuss the results
Group size: Even number of participants, 4-20
Materials: Simple images, paper, pens or pencils
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use video calls with screen sharing disabled for the drawer
Why it works for teams: Enhances verbal communication skills, promotes active listening, and demonstrates the importance of clear instructions
9. 5-Word Story
5-Word Story is a collaborative storytelling exercise that challenges teams to craft a narrative one small step at a time. This activity sparks imagination, encourages quick thinking, and results in often hilarious and unexpected plot twists. It's a standout way to boost creativity and practice building on others' ideas.
How to play :
- Gather the team in a circle or virtual meeting
- Choose a person to start the story with any five words
- The next person adds another five words to continue the story
- Continue around the group, with each person adding five words
- End the story when it reaches a natural conclusion or after a set number of rounds
Group size: 5-15 participants
Materials: None required (optional: whiteboard or shared document to record the story)
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use a shared document or chat feature for virtual storytelling
Why it works for teams: Boosts creativity and adaptability, and encourages collaborative thinking
10. Quick Charades
Quick Charades is a lively activity that puts participants' non-verbal communication skills to the test. This fast-paced game combines creativity, physical expression, and quick thinking, making it an excellent choice for energizing a team and fostering a spirit of collaboration in the workplace.
How to play :
- Prepare a list of words or phrases suitable for acting out
- Divide the group into two teams
- Have one person from each team take turns acting out a word or phrase
- Set a strict time limit (e.g. 1 minute) for guessing
- Award points for correct guesses and switch to the next team
Group size: 6-20 participants
Materials: List of words/phrases, timer
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use video calls and private chat features for clue distribution
Why it works for teams: Enhances non-verbal communication and promotes quick thinking
List of Fun 10-Minute Team-Building Activities
Ten minutes can work wonders when it comes to bonding with your team. It’s all about consistency and routine, just like going to the gym. These quick activities are designed to fit into your busy schedule, proving that even the briefest moments can foster connection.
11. Back-to-Back Drawing
This creative team building activity is an excellent game. In this game, participants sit back-to-back and aim to describe an object or landscape to be drawn by their partner using only verbal instructions - nothing else! This activity stimulates creativity and is a great way to put your communication skills to the test.
How to play :
- Pair up the participants and have them sit back-to-back
- Participant A starts describing an object or landscape in detail
- Participant B draws according to the instructions given
- In the end, the pair discusses the results
Group size: 6-20 participants
Materials: Paper and pencils
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use Zoom calls to describe the object/landscape and a drawing tool like Skribbl.io to draw.
Why it works for teams: Promotes effective communication and creativity.
12. Roses and Thorns
This activity is an excellent way for each team member to share their own insights about the week in the office. In this challenge, everyone gathers to discuss the positive (roses) and negative (thorns) experiences from the past few days. It’s important that everyone has a turn and that participants are open to constructive feedback along the way.
How to play :
1. Gather your team in a circle or in an open space (in or outside of the office)
2. A leader should start the exercise by saying one positive point and one negative point of the week
3. Allow everyone to have a turn
4. In the end, gather feedback and discuss improvements for the future
Group size: Any size
Materials: No materials needed
Hybrid/remote adaptations: This activity can take place online through Zoom or a similar platform
Why it works for teams: Gives everyone clear information about the team’s current conquests and difficulties, which ultimately strengthens team bonds.
13. Speed Networking
Speed Networking is an outstanding icebreaker perfect to get to know your team in a quick, organic way. Pair up and start a conversation about your interests, hobbies, hometown, university, etc. When time runs out, move onto the next colleague and repeat the experience. To add a twist, create cards with topics of conversation, like favorite movies or holiday destinations.
How to play :
- Pair up
- Engage in conversation for a limited amount of time (e.g. 3 to 5 minutes)
- Switch partners and repeat the experience
Group size: 6 - 40 participants
Materials: Timer (or phone)
Hybrid/remote adaptations: This activity can take place on Zoom, choosing different rooms for each pair.
Why it works for teams: It gives everyone a chance to interact with all team members in a quick, organic way.
14. Helium Stick
Helium Stick is a deceptively simple activity where participants must work together to lower a lightweight stick using only their index fingers. Seems way too easy? Well, the challenge lies in the fact that the stick often seems to rise instead of fall! This game requires communication and coordination as teams think of the best movements to achieve success.
How to play :
- Divide the group into two lines facing each other.
- Place a long, light stick on their outstretched index fingers.
- Instruct the group to lower the stick to the ground together.
- The stick must remain in contact with everyone's fingers at all times.
- Debrief on the challenges and strategies used.
Group size: 8-20 participants per stick (multiple groups for larger teams)
Materials: Long, lightweight stick (e.g., tent pole)
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Non applicable
Why it works for teams: Improves communication, coordination, and patience.
15. The Perfect Square
The Perfect Square is a challenging team-building exercise that will test your team’s communication and collaboration skills through an apparently simple task. Participants must form a perfect square using only a rope while blindfolded. It is a geometric challenge, but it’s also a fantastic way to work together and enhance problem solving skills.
How to play :
- Gather participants in an open space
- All participants must be blindfolded
- Using a rope to form a perfect square, they communicate to make the best moves
- In the end, remove the blindfold and discuss the results
Group size: 4-50 people
Materials: Blindfold, rope
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Non applicable
Why it works for teams: It develops team coordination, practices leadership skills, and builds trust within team members.
16. Find Someone Who
Find Someone Who is an interactive exercise where participants start conversations in order to discover shared characteristics or experiences. With the help of conversation topics, you’ll have to find “Someone who has lived in Australia” or “Someone with a snake pet”. This activity promotes social interaction and helps team members get to know each other.
How to play :
- Create bingo-style sheet with traits or experiences
- Gather participants and have them mingle to find matches
- Discuss results and fun facts you found about each other
Group size: Any size
Materials: Bingo-style cards with fun facts
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Activity can take place on Zoom
Why it works for teams: It builds a sense of workplace community and is a great way to get to know each other.
17. Guess Who
This is one of the easiest icebreakers to implement in an office setting. All you have to do is have each team member write down an interesting fact about themselves in a piece of paper. Gather all the papers in a box and read them loud, one by one. The team has to guess who the fun fact is about.
How to play :
- Gather your team members and hand out pen and paper
- Everyone writes an interesting fact about themselves
- Place the papers in a box or bag and read them loud, one by one
- Everyone has to guess who the fun fact belongs to
Group size: 10-30 participants
Materials: Pen and paper
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use a virtual white board where everyone can write their fun facts anonymously. Then, read the facts out loud to have the rest of the team guess who they belong to.
Why it works for teams: It promotes creative thinking, breaks down barriers, and enhances communication within the team.
18. Story Cubes
Story Cubes is a creative storytelling game that uses dice with imagery to spark imagination and narrative building. The aim is for participants to turn random images into stories, promoting creativity and team bonding. The more your crew thinks outside the box, the merrier!
How to play :
- Gather participants in a circle and roll the 9 dice
- Create a story using all the displayed images
- Begin with “Once upon a time…”
- Take turns adding details to the narrative
Group size: Up to 20 participants
Materials: 9 storytelling dice (with 6 images each)
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Virtual alternatives are available, such as Eltbuzz
Why it works for teams: This activity builds creativity, improves active listening and verbal communication.
List of Fun 15 Minute Team-Building Activities
In the universe of quick and easy activities, 15 minutes can be a game changer! Just like a coffee break, they refresh your group and don’t require extensive planning or resources. Here are our top suggestions:
19. Salt and Pepper
Salt and Pepper is a matching game your team will love as it gets them thinking on their feet. In this activity, participants are challenged to find “the other half” by finding complementary words or phrases, creating an environment for problem-solving and entertainment.
How to play :
- Create pairs of related words or phrases, such as peanut butter/jelly or salt/pepper
- Write each word on a separate sticky note
- Stick one note on each participant’s back without them seeing it
- Have everyone mingle and ask questions with yes/no answers
- Once participants find out their word, they must find their match
Group size: 10-30 participants
Materials: Sticky notes and pens
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use breakout rooms and virtual whiteboards to play the game
Why it works for teams: It boosts communication skills and creates a fun, bonding atmosphere
20. Team Crossword Puzzle Race
Team Crossword Puzzle Race pits teams against each other in a race to complete a crossword puzzle, which ultimately promotes teamwork and knowledge sharing. It’s a great way to bring together trivia nerds and puzzle enthusiasts while promoting problem-solving skills.
How to play :
- Divide participants into teams of 3-5 people
- Handout similar crossword puzzles to each team
- Set a time limit
- Teams work together to complete as much of the puzzle as possible
- The team with the most correct answers wins
Group size: 6-30 participants
Materials: Printed crossword puzzles, pens
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use online crossword makers and screen sharing
Why it works for teams: It encourages knowledge sharing and problem-solving
21. Emoji Quiz
Remember the traditional guessing games? This one is a modern twist that taps into the universal language of emojis. This activity challenges teams to guess phrases, movie titles, or even songs that are represented solely by emoji combinations. It’s a way to test your team’s pop culture and improve creative interpretation.
How to play :
- Create a list of phrases or titles represented by emoji combinations
- Divide participants into small teams
- Display emoji puzzles, one at a time
- Give teams 30 seconds to guess each puzzle
- Award the winners
Group size: 6-30 participants
Materials: Emoji puzzles and large screen to show them
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use screen sharing and chat features for virtual sessions
Why it works for teams: It enhances problem-solving and creative thinking
22. Would You Rather?
Would You Rather? is a great debate starter that reveals team members' personalities. In this activity, participants are presented with challenging scenarios, and the aim is to make quick decisions.
How to play :
- Prepare a list of "Would you rather...?" questions
- Gather the team and designate two sides of the room for each option
- Reach out each question and have participants move to their chosen side
- Ask a few people from each side to explain their choice
- Discuss any surprising choices
Group size: Any size
Materials: List of “Would You Rather” questions
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use polling features in video conferencing tools
Why it works for teams: It encourages quick decision-making and reveals team member’s thought processes.
23. Team Building Bingo
Team Building Bingo transforms Bingo into a dynamic team bonding experience. This activity challenges your employees to complete tasks or find team members with specific traits, encouraging interaction. It's a fantastic way to break the ice, learn about colleagues, and create a sense of shared accomplishment.
How to play :
- Create bingo cards with team-building tasks or colleague traits
- Distribute cards and pens to all participants
- Set a time limit for completing the bingo card
- Participants mingle, completing tasks or finding matching traits
- The first person to complete a row, column, or diagonal wins
Group size: 10-30 participants
Materials: Custom bingo cards, pens
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use digital bingo card creators and breakout rooms
Why it works for teams: Promotes active engagement and helps team members discover shared interests
24. Show and Tell
Show and Tell brings everyone’s childhood favorite into the workplace, providing a personal touch to team building. This activity invites team members to share an object that's meaningful to them, allowing others to get to know their personalities, interests, and values. It's a simple yet effective way to foster connection among colleagues.
How to play :
- Ask participants to bring an item that's important to them
- Give each person 2-3 minutes to present their item and explain its significance
- Allow for brief Q&A after each presentation
- Encourage respectful listening and engagement
- Discuss common themes or surprising revelations at the end
Group size: 5-15 participants
Materials: Personal items brought by participants
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use video calls for virtual show and tell sessions
Why it works for teams: Builds empathy and deepens interpersonal connections
25. Mystery Word
Mystery Word is a word-guessing game that tests your team’s communication skills and creativity. This activity challenges team members to describe a secret word to their colleagues without using obvious related terms, promoting out-of-the-box thinking and effective communication. It's a fun way to improve verbal skills and foster collaboration.
How to play :
- Prepare a list of words or phrases
- Divide the group into pairs or small teams
- Give one person in each team a mystery word
- Set a time limit (e.g. 1 minute) for describing the word without saying it
- Award points for correct guesses and switch roles
Group size: 6-20 participants
Materials: List of mystery words, timer
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use private chat features to distribute words in virtual sessions
Why it works for teams: Enhances communication skills and encourages creative thinking
26. Flash Debate
Like the name describes, in this activity a certain topic is presented for debate. The group splits into teams and each team is assigned one side of the debate they have to prepare arguments for. It’s an effective challenge to work on your team’s critical thinking skills and to push participants out of their comfort zone.
How to play :
1. Choose a fun, non-controversial topic, like the popular “Does pineapple belong on pizza?”
2. Split the group into two teams
3. Give teams 2 minutes to collect arguments to sustain their side
4. Each team has 1-2 minutes to present their arguments
5. Allow the other side to answer back
Group size: 6-20 participants
Materials: Timer, list of debate topics
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use virtual breakout rooms for team discussions and the main room for the debate
Why it works for teams: It boosts quick thinking while improving public speaking skills
27. Life Timeline
Life Timeline is an out-of-the-box way for teams to get to know each other without recurring to a boring introduction. It is also an outstanding exercise for small teams. In this visual activity, team members get to map out their life’s highlights on paper or on a white board, giving their colleagues access to a snapshot of each person’s journey so far.
How to play :
- Handout paper and markers to the participants
- Give 5 minutes for everyone to draw their life timeline with key events
- Have each person present their timeline for 1 or 2 minutes
- Allow a brief Q&A from the audience
Group size: Up to 15 participants
Materials: Paper, markers and pencils
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use digital whiteboards for this activity
Why it works for teams: This activity builds empathy between teams and improves communication.
28. Office Trivia
Your team’s knowledge about their workplace just turned into a sport with Office Trivia. This game tests how well your team knows the ins and outs of the company, its values, history, and goals. The best part? You can go deeper and even ask about people’s favorite coffee order!
How to play :
- Prepare 10 to 15 questions about the office’s policies, history, or team members
- Divide participants into small teams
- Read out questions and give teams a certain amount of time to answer (e.g. 30 seconds)
- Keep score and award the winners
Group size: 8-30 participants
Materials: List of trivia questions and a scorekeeping method
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use online quiz platforms
Why it works for teams: Encourages teams to get competitive and learn about their workplace at the same time
29. Creative Introductions
For teams of introverts or simply employees that are done with the boring “Tell me about yourself”, Creative Introductions saves the day. This exercise encourages participants to think quickly and come up with clever adjectives to describe themselves. The catch? They have to begin with the same letter as their name!
How to play :
- Explain the rules of the game
- Give everyone 30 seconds to think about their adjective
- Go around the room and allow each person to share their introduction
Group size: Any size
Materials: No materials required
Hybrid/remote adaptations: This activity can take place on a Zoom call
Why it works for teams: It breaks the ice and is a way for everyone to get a first impression of each other
30. Group Reflection
A good weekly Group Reflection gives teams the opportunity to share their wins and losses and gather feedback and support from their colleagues along the way. It fosters an environment of constant improvement without the formality of a traditional meeting.
How to play :
- Gather your team and start with the wins of the week
- Move on to areas of improvement and encourage constructive feedback
- Brainstorm solutions for the following week
- Wrap up
Group size: Up to 20 participants
Materials: Whiteboard or shared document to gather all the info
Hybrid/remote adaptations: Use collaborative online tools for shared note-taking
Why it works for teams: It promotes open communication and an environment of constant improvement
Making 5-Minute Team Activities Work For You
From Salt & Pepper to Flash Debates, these 30 team-building activities are your toolkit for transforming your team’s dynamics in a short time. These aren’t just games, but strategic exercises and challenges crafted to turn your group into a cohesive and high-performing team in just a few minutes. Easy to implement, these fast-paced games keep everyone focused and engaged and allow even the busiest members of the team to be present and enjoy.
Whether you're managing remote workers or an in-office squad, these activities offer something for everyone. And remember: great teams aren't born—they're built, one 5-minute activity at a time.
Want to make your next team event one your crew won’t stop talking about? At TeamOut, we are experts in making your vision come to life. From team-building events and company parties to corporate retreats and venue sourcing, we are at your service and ready to provide a seamless and smooth experience.
Schedule a free call with our TeamOut experts, and let’s start the year with some life changing activities that will suit every team’s style and budget!