Our Top 5 Team Building Games and Activities

Whether you run a small business or manage a sector of a large company, it is your role as a leader to create a better work environment. So encourage a fun workplace and bring your team together over a ridiculous game, many of which can be done at no cost.

1. An embarrassing game that forces everyone to be silly lowers the stakes and unites people – even if it’s in an eternal bond to never let the boss pick a game again.

• One suggestion is a game called Elf-Wizard-Monster. This is basically rock-paper-scissors, but with full-body actions. It can be played in partners or teams. Each team or player must pick a creature to be – an elf, wizard, or monster. Then on the count of three, both partners or teams turn around to face each other, shouting whichever creature they chose while acting it out. Elf beats wizard, monster beats elf, and elf beats wizard.

1. Board games are fun, timeless way to get to know each other and practice working together. If you need nice, casual space to use for a game night, consider renting one of our rooms for your event at Free Range Office in Wicker Park. Read more about it here.

• Pandemic is a dynamic team building game. Code Names is guaranteed to make everyone laugh and makes team members try to see from each other’s perspectives, leading to better understanding and bonding.

1. People can get tired of the typical soccer or softball team sports. So try a ridiculous sport to make it an unforgettable experience.

• Whirly Ball. If you haven’t heard of it, whirly ball is a basically a combination of GoKarts and lacrosse.

• Bumper Balls. In this game, you wear giant plastic balls around your body. Then you play a variety of other games like soccer and red rover. The result: constant flying through the air and landing on your cushioned, plastic ball-suit.

• Wife-carrying or Coworker-carrying. Wife-carrying is a Finnish game involving men racing as they carry their wives. The game can be altered, however, so it is one coworker carrying another.

• Three-Legged race

1. A scavenger hunt can be set up in the office as a team-building activity that transforms the serious workspace into something fun. Or expand it outside so your employees can race around the neighborhood.

2. An escape room is a challenging and sometimes spooky way to get people to work together under the pressure of a time limit. And these days, they’re becoming so popular that you should be able find one in whichever city you’re based.