Free Fun Team Building Activities
Team building games and exercises serve many purposes. When a work force or team of any kind is first formed and getting to know each other, team building activities help people form connections and feel comfortable within the group. For a group or team that has been together for a long time, these activities can serve to shake up routine, air hostilities and revitalize the group.
Survival Scenario teaches team members about themselves and each other. Break the group into teams of about 6 to 12 people. Each group is told that their plane or boat has crashed and landed in a deserted location. Each member must make a list of the 12 most important items needed to survive. She must then rank the 12 items by importance. Then the group must compare their lists and come up with an agreed-upon list of 12 items. The group will learn compromise and working for the best will of the group.
A photo scavenger hunt will energize the group with fun and laughter while they learn teamwork. Going out on foot or by car in small sub-groups of three or four people, the teams must find certain things on a list and photograph them. They will collect items such as "A relaxing place" or "a photo with a man in a red tie." The list can be tailored to suit your town or office building. Set a time limit and, when time expires, the groups will share their photos and funny stories of teamwork used to capture them.
Group Favorites is a game in the same vein as "Family Feud." Groups are divided into two teams of around five to ten people. First, distribute surveys to players with questions such as "What car would you most like to have?" or "Who is your celebrity crush?" Collect the answers and tally them, creating a list of most popular answers. Each player gets to answer questions to earn points for her team. The teams take turns and points are scored and tallied. The team is given ten seconds to help each contestant think of a good answer. This builds team spirit and lots of laughs.
Who Am I is a classic improvisation and party game that works with teams of athletes, young or old, business groups and even gatherings of friends. Each person writes the name of a celebrity, living or dead, on a piece of paper. As group leader, tape the papers to each person's back, ensuring that he does not get the name he wrote. Each member of the group gets to ask yes or no questions about who he is. Team members should work together to provide good clues and help each guess.