Team building games are an excellent way to promote team cohesion and have fun at the same time. Employers and employees in higher positions know how important it is for teamwork in a company to function smoothly and for all employees to get along well. Only when the company workforce treats each other with respect and a positive atmosphere prevails will productivity be optimal.
Regular communication outside the workplace in a pleasant atmosphere is an effective way of preventing the formation of cliques – or even bullying – in the team from the outset. The classic “after-work drink” is a good start, but should be initiated by the company rather than by individual team members. A specific event is important so that it doesn’t seem too artificial. Birthdays, restructuring, new hires or departures, successfully completed projects and much more are always welcome occasions to raise a glass together or – even better – to organize suitable games and “boost” cohesion within the group!
In this blog article, we present the best and most fun games for adults that turn a group of employees into a real team!
Attention! Another very important tip for all team-building games: Always put the game groups together by drawing lots – otherwise only those who already understand each other very well will be together!!!
When do you carry out team building games?
Team-building games are best organized at regular intervals to keep internal communication fresh. However, they should definitely be organized if the responsible manager notices that the mood in the workforce is not optimal, e.g. if the same people are always standing together in small groups and obviously change the subject when someone “from outside” approaches. In any case, special occasions (see above) should always be used for team-building measures.
8 creative team building games for adults
We have put together a mixture of classic team-building games and great activities and experiences that are guaranteed to strengthen team cohesion. Here are our ideas:
1. truth or lies
Probably THE classic ice-breaker game – particularly suitable if the team has not been working together for long or if new members have joined. Here, the participants learn interesting, funny, exciting and sometimes intimate things about the individual members.
Everyone writes down four truths and two lies about themselves and presents them to the group. Now the task is to find out what is true and what is fiction.
2nd cooking course
In addition to pursuing a common goal in a pleasant and calm atmosphere, taking part in a cooking class together has another decisive advantage: there is no competitive thinking, which can increase tensions and make successful team building more difficult. The common, tasty goal in mind is perfectly suited to forming a good-humored, culinary camaraderie.
3rd Art Night
All team members are given the same painting materials and a theme on which they can give free rein to their creativity.
During the creative phase, you can have a relaxed chat and at the end, all the artworks are hung on the walls. At the end of the day, everyone dines and drinks together in the middle of the company’s own art gallery.
4th scavenger hunt
The team is divided into smaller, equally sized groups – as always by lot – and sent out with a list of items that need to be found and returned. Regardless of whether all the items they are looking for have been found, all teams have to be back within a set time limit. The winning team is, of course, the one that has found and returned all the items in the shortest time. This game encourages creativity – especially when it comes to hidden clues and puzzles. Extremely popular for several years now: the company books a professionally designed outdoor escape game!
5th pub quiz
The trend of playing quizzes in a cheerful atmosphere has spread from England to the mainland and is now played in all European capitals. Teams, usually consisting of four to six people, sit around several tables and compete against each other in a wide variety of fields of knowledge – from film, politics or music to useless nerd knowledge. Over food and drink, guesses are made and points are awarded for every correctly answered question. The team with the most points wins, for example, drinks or the jackpot, into which each participant has paid two to five euros at the start. Advantage: You don’t have to organize anything yourself, just register at the restaurant of your choice.
6. are you still in your right mind?
Depending on the number of teams, two or more pipes approx. 1.5 m long, sealed at one end, are set up vertically in the open air. A table tennis ball is now placed in each of the pipes. Buckets filled with water and a paper cup for each group member are placed around 10 m away. The aim is to fill the tubes with the paper cups with water as quickly as possible until the ball falls out of the top of the tube. So far, so easy – but the higher the water level rises, the more small holes in the pipes have to be closed with the fingers. In the end, there is only one water carrier left per team – everyone else is busy keeping the holes sealed.
7. laser tag
The players are equipped with a “phaser” (a laser weapon), goggles and a vest and divided into teams. They then enter a hall with numerous partitions, barriers and obstacles. The individual groups now hide in the semi-darkness of the game arena. The aim of the game is to hit the opponents’ vests with the phaser and score points. The team with the most hits wins. In addition to reaction and stamina, this game requires good nerves, teamwork, tactics and accuracy.
8th escape room with live acting
If the pandemic situation allows, a visit to an escape room is of course an extremely exciting, fun and very strong team-building measure. These games are becoming increasingly innovative and the shared adventure is experienced with all the senses in an absolutely real way. These experiences are particularly intense when the game not only consists of solving unusual puzzles, but actors also intervene in the action, skillfully blurring the boundaries between game and reality. You will find this unique combination in OPOLUM’s Escape Room Hamburg.
Employees in the home office? Online team building games!
The pandemic has now made working from home the norm and many people are missing out on important interpersonal communication away from work-related issues. But don’t worry, we have the right tips for you. You’ll find them here!
