Team building activities for work, small groups offer the opportunity to bring members together to create cohesion.  Team building activities can be fun, but the challenge is finding activities that people enjoy without saying ugh.

Choosing the wrong activity can be painful for everyone, participants and the leader.  When you force people to do something that they do not desire they may hold resentment.  This resentment, in turn, can lead to frustrations.

When you take the time to assemble a team activity, you want individuals to relax and enjoy themselves.  Think of this as an opportunity to remove oneself from the daily stress of work.

Here are ten team building activities for work small groups that are certain to delight.  While some are shorter than others are, all of them bring members closer together.

10 Team Building Activities for Work Small Groups

  1. Office Trivia

A quick game for oneself or with a small group.  As the leader, you will develop a series of trivia questions that will test the awareness of your team.  Develop questions about the work environment.

Examples:

  1. Where is the garbage can in the manager’s office located?
  2. How many do people work in customer service (or another department)?
  3. Whose birthday is coming up next? (Assuming you post the birthday of employees).

You can provide an award for the winning team if you so desire.

  1. Community Service Day

Find a charity or community service project that matches your organizational goals.  You can always adopt a highway and clean up the side of the road.  In some communities, you may be able to list your company’s name along that stretch of roadway.  This game is a great way to get your name out into the community (advertising) for a positive cause.

  1. Salt and Pepper

Create a list of famous pairs or use the one found at Factacular.com.  You will then gather your team into a room. As they enter, you will place a card with one of the names of the famous pairs on their back.  After everyone arrives, you will provide the following directions.  They are only allowed to ask yes or no questions of one another.  The first challenge is to determine the name of the person on their back.  Challenge number two is to find the second half of the missing pair.

  1. Memory Wall

As the leader of the activity, you will create a theme for the group.  You should attempt to make the theme specific but allow individuals the freedom to have different perspectives.  As such, they should be able to come up with a memorable moment that was important to them.  For example, you could select a phrase like “Last 3 Months.”  Individuals will then be asked to provide a picture of something that symbolizes that important moment.  Once each person has drawn their symbol, they will be asked to share the significance of the symbol and why the event was memorable with the group.

  1. Egg Drop

Allow members of the small workgroup access to a variety of supplies in the workplace.  Using the supplies provided they would have to construct a manner to protect an egg from a drop from an elevated level.

  1. Survivor

Provide members with a workplace survival scenario.  The task of the employees is to find ten items in their workplace that will help them survive the scenario.  After they find ten items, they will need to rank them in priority.  After all the groups have finished these two activities, they will have to share their item selection and the reason for the order to the entire group.

  1. Talking in Circles

Connect a long piece of string by the two ends.  Each will grab the string and make the shape as you shout them out.  As individuals complete these tasks quickly without any frustrations, tell them to make another shape but this time keep their eyes shut.  Asking them to keep their eyes closed will make them do two things.  First, they must be present in the moment while trying to be aware of their surroundings.  Second, this challenge forces them to try to communicate with another in a clear fashion.Tarp Flip

       Tarp Flip

Lay a tarp out on the floor.  Tell everyone to remain on the tarp at all times.  Their job is to flip the tarp over without stepping off it.  The size of the tarp should match the size of the group.  For example, choose a smaller tarp for smaller groups.

Lay a tarp out on the floor.  Tell everyone to remain on the tarp at all times.  Their job is to flip the tarp over without stepping off it.  The size of the tarp should match the size of the group.  For example, choose a smaller tarp for smaller groups.

  1. Beach Ball Toss

Each participant should think of three general questions they would like to ask someone else.  Since you are the lucky leader, you will choose the questions for the ball.  Participants will then throw the ball to one another.  When a person catches the ball, they will read the question aloud that is closest to their thumb.  They will then provide an answer to the question.

  1. Whose Office is it?

This game is for teams operating remotely.  Have each person take a photo of his or her work environment.  You will then show a picture of all the workspaces, and members will guess who belongs.  A side benefit of this game is that you see how others work, and you can add or change your environment from seeing the pictures of others.