30 team-building activities and templates to boost morale

You’ve probably been in a meeting that started with an icebreaker question, or maybe you’ve played a round of Jeopardy during an all-hands meeting. You probably shared some laughs, lowered stress levels, and learned new things about your teammates during these simple and fun exercises.

Team-building activities help you get to know your peers, improve communication, and spark creativity. Best of all, they work for any type of team—remote, in-person, or hybrid—and they are a great way to take a break from the workday.

Read on to learn:

• The importance of team-building activities and how they benefit remote and in-person teams
• 30 memorable team-building activities for work

Importance of team-building activities

Team-building activities offer an easy and interactive way to get to know each other. The benefits of team-building exercises span the social and professional:

• Build trust: Team-building exercises require participants to collaborate and work together, helping build trust and teach peers effective teamwork.
• Increase communication: Team-building exercises encourage open communication among team members and help develop problem-solving skills. This can lead to better team dynamics and collaboration.
• Boost team morale: Participating in engaging team-building exercises offers a “break” from work, boosting morale within the team. This can lead to increased motivation, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.
• Spark creativity: Team-building activities encourage individuals to work together, inspiring creative thinking and new ideas.
• Encourage growth: Because some team bonding activities involve leadership roles, they help team members develop key leadership skills in an informal environment. Showcasing these skills can ultimately help encourage growth opportunities.

30 team-building activities to try 

Here are 30 memorable team-building activities to try, whether you’re in a remote, in-person, or hybrid environment.

1. Show and Tell

Best for: Hybrid teams

Objective: Share project updates and encourage open communication

Participants: 10–15

Time: 30 minutes

Show and Tell is a great way to share project updates and progress during internal meetings, whether remotely or in person. For this exercise, each team member “shows” a project they’re working on and “tells” the team what’s worked well, what they still need to do, and what they’ve achieved along the way.

Allow about five minutes for each team member to share, for a total of 30 minutes. Encourage an open dialogue for others to give feedback and ask questions. This exercise is an engaging and easy way to check in on projects, collaborate with team members, and improve communication.

2. Crazy 8

Best for: Remote and hybrid teams

Objective: Brainstorm creative topics and concepts

Participants: 6–8 people

Time: 8 minutes

Crazy 8 is often used to kick off a design sprint but can be valuable during any UX meeting or brainstorming session. Before you start, state a problem that everyone is trying to solve.

Each person has eight minutes to sketch eight different designs, one within each square. Everyone presents their ideas and votes on their favorites when the timer is up. Remember, all ideas are welcome during Crazy 8. This game inspires creative thinking and encourages team members to work together to build on ideas.

Use the Crazy 8 template from FigJam to draw, vote, and collaborate on ideas virtually.

3. Things in Common

Best for: Remote, in-person, or hybrid teams

Objective: Build connections and encourage interaction

Participants: 10–20

Time: 30 minutes

If you’re looking for corporate team-building activities, Things in Common is perfect for groups of all sizes. In this activity, teammates break into small teams or pairs and try to find 10 things they have in common, whether it’s owning a dog or sharing a love for cooking. Once each group identifies their uniquely common things, they share with the larger group.

This activity aims to start conversations, build connections, and develop a better understanding of your team. Use this activity as an icebreaker idea to kick off your next team meeting.

4. Two Truths and a Lie

Best for: Remote and in-person teams

Objective: Get to know your teammates

Participants: 4–8

Time: 15–30 minutes

Two Truths and a Lie is one of the easiest team-building activities for remote teams, but it can be used for in-person teams, too. Each team member comes up with three statements about themselves: two truthful statements and one false statement. Once everyone has their answers, you take turns sharing, and everyone votes on which statement they think is a lie.

This activity is a good “get to know me” game and can spark memorable conversations among team members. FigJam’s interactive Two Truths and Lie template makes it easy to share ideas and vote on which one is the lie.

5. Would You Rather

Best for: Remote or in-person teams

Objective: Increase engagement and spark interesting conversations

Participants: 4–20

Time: 10–15 minutes

Would You Rather is the perfect team-building exercise for small groups and large teams. To play, the facilitator (typically a manager or team leader) chooses a few different Would You Rather questions, and each person has to answer what they’d rather do.

For example:

• Would you rather cook or order takeout everyday for a year?
• Would you rather be 30 minutes late or 60 minutes early to work?
• Would you rather have a third ear or a third eye?
• Would you rather work in silence or play music in the office?

The questions can be work-related or silly questions to get the group laughing. During the meeting, ask everyone to share their answer and the why behind it. This can help spark conversations and friendly banter between colleagues.

6. Lunch and Learn

Best for: Remote and in-person teams

Objective: Share skills and improve team morale

Participants: 5+

Time: 30–45 minutes

Lunch and Learns provide employees with an opportunity to learn a new skill or participate in training in a relaxed, informal environment. In-person teams usually receive lunch before or after the activity. For remote teams, you might consider offering food delivery gift cards so team members can enjoy their lunch while listening to the presentation.

Internal team members with valuable ideas can host the Lunch and Learn, allowing them to practice their presentation skills. Or you can hire someone outside of your organization to host the learning session—like a cooking class. Topics can be business-focused by providing informal training, or more laid back and centered around team bonding.

Lunch and Learns are a way to take a break from the workday, learn new skills, and improve team morale. Afterward, teams feel refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day.

7. Company trivia

Best for: In-person and remote teams

Objective: Interact with peers and encourage cross-functional collaboration

Participants: 10–20+

Time: 30–45 minutes

Company trivia is one of the easiest corporate team-building activities for in-person or virtual teams. With little effort, this game provides a fun way to interact with peers and encourages collaboration between departments that don’t normally interact.

Create a trivia board using the trivia template from FigJam. Make the board your own with personalized team names and questions, and don’t forget to tally the points to ignite some friendly office competition.

8. Break the Ice

Best for: Remote teams

Objective: Engage in memorable conversations ahead of meetings

Participants: 3–8

Time: 10 minutes

Break the Ice puts an interactive twist on traditional icebreaker questions—a perfect option for virtual team-building activities. In this exercise, team members click on the ice and once broken, the ice reveals a unique question. This activity is a great way to engage in conversations with your team, get to know one another, and “break the ice” before diving into a meeting.

9. Pictionary

Best for: Remote and in-person teams

Objective: Enhance team dynamics and inspire creative thinking

Participants: 8+

Time: 30 minutes

Pictionary is a classic team-building game that allows you to flex your creative skills while deepening team communication.

To play, download a random word generator or have a meeting facilitator create word cards. Break up into two teams and pick a team to go first. One person from the starting team picks a word card and starts sketching. The rest of the team has one minute to guess the word. If they don’t guess within one minute, the other team has a chance to guess. Whichever team guesses correctly gets to go next.

You can use a shared online whiteboard or the Fig-tionary template to make playing Pictionary easy for remote teams. If you’re in person, using pens and pieces of paper or sticky notes will do.

10. Name 10 Things

Best for: Remote, in-person, and hybrid teams

Objective: Practice active listening and increase communication

Participants: 4–6

Time: 10–20 minutes

Name 10 Things is a simple team-building game and the perfect icebreaker to kick off meetings. Each team member takes turns sharing the first 10 things that come to mind regarding a topic or prompt—for example, your top 10 favorite movies. Once each person finishes, they choose a topic for the next player.

This activity gives everyone on the team a chance to talk, which is ideal for building communication skills. Since everyone takes turns sharing, it’s also an exercise in active listening, which is crucial to cultivate in a work setting.

11. Meet the Team

Best for: Remote and in-person teams

Objective: Establish trust and get to know team members

Participants: 5+

Time: 30 minutes

Meet the Team is an excellent activity for teams starting a project with other departments. It’s an opportunity to get to know colleagues by sharing your role, skills, and interesting facts about yourself. Meet the Team puts a spin on traditional introductions, which builds trust and encourages collaboration ahead of a project.

Use the Meet the Team template for an easy and personal way to introduce team members. Have your team fill out the template before the meeting, adding their photo, role, experience, and interesting facts. Send out the completed template 15 minutes before the meeting, so your team can find things they have in common with other team members. This helps facilitate smooth conversations on the call.

12. Company outing

Best for: In-person teams

Objective: Fostering collaboration and team building outside the office

Participants: 10+

Time: 60+ minutes

Company outings are an excellent way to encourage interaction between employees outside the office. The goal is to get away from the desks and give your team a chance to connect and bond in a relaxed environment.

This boosts employee morale, makes employees more productive, and sparks creative thinking. Whether it’s a midday cooking class or a morning yoga session, off-site team bonding activities help your team recharge so they can continue to do great work.

13. Scavenger hunt

Best for: In-person teams

Objective: Promote collaboration and boost problem-solving skills

Participants: 8+

Time: 60+ minutes

Scavenger hunts are one of the most popular in-person team-building activities, allowing teams to flex their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Your scavenger hunt can occur at the office or an off-site location, like a nearby park. When hosting a company-wide scavenger hunt, include employees from different departments to give them a chance to interact with peers they don’t usually see during the workday.

Have employees “hunt” for hidden objects around the office, or do a photo scavenger hunt and have them take pictures at different locations. The team that collects the most objects or visits the most locations wins.

14. Jeopardy!

Best for: Remote and in-person teams

Objective: Boost employee morale and inspire collaboration

Participants: 6+

Time: 60+ minutes

Jeopardy! is a team-building game that inspires collaboration and helps build team unity. To play, break up into two or three teams. Then, use the Jeopardy! template to create a game board tailored to your goal. Choose six categories including work-related or non-work-related topics. The goal is to encourage discussions and boost team morale as peers work together to come up with their answers.

Whether you use Jeopardy! as an engaging training tool for new hires or as a warm-up during sprint retrospective meetings, this team-building activity enhances team connections while adding some excitement to the workday.

15. A Penny for Your Thoughts

Best for: In-person teams

Objective: Create stronger team bonds

Participants: 3–8

Time: 15–30 minutes

A Penny for Your Thoughts is an icebreaker game for in-person teams that requires a container of pennies or coins. At the start of the meeting, each team member takes turns picking a coin. They read the date on the coin and share a personal memory or event during that year. This team-building exercise helps team members learn new things about each other and encourages conversations about shared experiences. Finding similar interests helps build trust and create stronger team bonds.

16. Guess Who?

Best for: Remote and in-person teams

Objective: Improve communication and build trust

Participants: 4–8

Time: 30 minutes

Guess Who? is a fun and engaging way to foster team collaboration and improve communication. To play, break up into pairs or two small teams. Have each team select a subject from the player board containing photos or names of internal team members. Each team takes turns asking yes or no questions about the other team’s subject.

Questions should be work-related to encourage conversation and interaction. For example, “Does this person work in the marketing department?” Teams use strategic thinking to eliminate options until they know who the subject is.

17. Tangrams

Best for: Remote teams

Objective: Spark creativity and improve communication

Participants: 4+

Time: 10 minutes

A tangram puzzle includes seven different geometric shapes, and the goal is to create a design using all the shapes. The only rule? Make sure all the pieces are touching.

Using the Tangrams template, start with a challenge card to determine the shape your team will make. For example, a bird or rabbit. Then, set a time limit and see what each team member comes up with. Once the time is up, have each team member share their design and the thought process behind it.

Tangram puzzles help inspire creative thinking and improve communication among team members.

18. Classify This

Best for: In-person teams

Objective: Encourage teamwork and creative thinking

Participants: 6–12

Time: 30 minutes

Classify This is a team-building activity guaranteed to get your team thinking creatively. Start by selecting 20 random objects from around the office, like office supplies, clothing accessories, or food containers. The goal is to collect objects that don’t have a clear connection at first glance.

Then, separate into small groups or teams. Spread all 20 objects on a table so everyone can see them clearly. On a sheet of paper, each team tries to classify the objects into four or five groups, finding a common denominator between items—for example, the color of the object or the letter the object's name starts with.

This team-building game encourages creative thinking and collaboration in an exciting and lighthearted way.

19. Perfect Square

Best for: In-person teams

Objective: Enhance communication and problem-solving skills

Participants: 6

Time: 30 minutes

For this team-building activity, you need a group of six people, a rope, and blindfolds. The group starts in a circle and puts their blindfolds on. Picking up the rope in the center of the circle, they then have to plan how to manipulate the rope into a square shape on the floor while blindfolded. Then, they remove their blindfolds and see if they succeeded.

This active problem-solving exercise helps team members learn how to accurately plan and communicate with one another. After blindfolds are off, the team can debrief about what they did right or could have done better.

20. This or That

Best for: Remote teams

Objective: Bond with teammates over shared interests

Participants: 4–10

Time: 10–15 minutes

This or That is a team bonding activity that makes a great icebreaker ahead of team meetings. Using the This or That template, pick a theme and fill out the list of topics you’re comparing. For example, if the theme is music, the questions could be: rock or pop? Apple Music or Spotify? Britney or Beyoncé?

Send the chart to your teammates before the meeting so they can vote on their choices. Review the answers together during the meeting and have some friendly banter about everyone's preferences. This is a quick and easy exercise for team members to learn more about one another and bond over shared interests.

21. Feelings Wheel

Best for: Remote and in-person teams

Objective: Foster open communication and understanding among peers

Participants: 2–8

Time: 10–15 minutes

Using the Feelings Wheel, each team member selects a colored dot and moves it to the section of the wheel that describes their current emotional state. Sharing feelings at work can establish open communication and build trust among your team.

Teammates can bond over shared feelings while offering advice or a helping hand for colleagues who may feel overwhelmed. It also helps managers tap into how their team members are doing and learn who might need additional support.

22. Water Cooler Conversations

Best for: Remote teams

Objective: Improve communication and foster new relationships

Participants: 4–10

Time: 15–30 minutes

“Water cooler talk” refers to casual, face-to-face conversations at work that typically happen around a water cooler. Conversations can range from work-related topics like current projects to weekend plans. This team-building activity often happens naturally and helps foster new relationships within your team. It’s also a good way for managers to build rapport with their employees. 

For remote teams unable to gather physically, the Water Cooler Conversations template provides an interactive way to gather around the proverbial cooler. Fill out the water cooler topics and get the conversations going for a much-needed break in the workday.

23. Compliment Circle

Best for: In-person and remote teams

Objective: Show appreciation for team members to boost employee morale

Participants: 5–10

Time: 15–30 minutes

In this team-building exercise, you sit in a circle and have each team member give a compliment to the person on their right. If you do this virtually, have each team member pick the person to the left or right of them on the video call grid. Thoughtful recognition from peers goes a long way. Try a Compliment Circle to help boost employee morale and motivation.

24. Croodles

Best for: Remote and hybrid teams

Objective: Inspire creativity and get to know your team

Participants: 5–10

Time: 10–15 minutes

This self-portrait team-building activity is a unique way to introduce new team members, kick off a design sprint, or open weekly meetings. On a piece of paper or virtual whiteboard, each team member draws a self-portrait that includes a unique trait. It could be as simple as drawing yourself with a purple shirt because that’s your favorite color.

The Croodles template makes it easy to drag and drop premade elements or draw your own portrait. Once everyone's portrait is complete, each team member shares their portrait and how it represents them.

25. Human Knot

Best for: In-person teams

Objective: Increase communication and problem-solving skills

Participants: 6+

Time: 15–30 minutes

Human Knot is one of the most popular corporate team-building activities, helping build problem-solving and communication skills. To play, break up into teams of six or more people. Have team members face each other in a circle and use their left hand to grab the hand of someone across from them. Then, they grab a different person’s hand using their right hand.

Without letting go of each other, the team has to figure out a way to untangle themselves. This in-person activity helps push people outside of their comfort zones and increases team collaboration.

26. Collage Creatures

Best for: Remote teams

Objective: Facilitate creative thinking and brainstorming

Participants: 4–8

Time: 20 minutes

Collage Creatures is the perfect team-building activity for design teams to get creative juices flowing before a brainstorm or project kickoff. Team members take 10 minutes to create a city scene using the objects in the workspace. After the time is up, each person shares a story about the scene.

27. Color Jacuzzi

Best for: Remote teams

Objective: Spark meaningful connections and conversations

Participants: 3–8

Time: 10 minutes

Color Jacuzzi is a unique way to spark meaningful conversations and connect with your peers. In this exercise, each person picks their favorite color, then answers the corresponding question to that color. For example, “What excites me or inspires me?” for red and “What do I want to change in my life?” for blue. Use this activity the next time you need a quick and creative way to start team meetings.

28. Book club

Best for: Remote and in-person teams

Objective: Strengthen team bonds and welcome diverse perspectives

Participants: 5+

Time: 30–60 minutes

Starting a book club is a great way to gather the office bookworms and bond over a shared love of reading. It’s also a good way to encourage open communication and introduce diverse perspectives. Choose a book to read each month, then host a meeting in person or online to discuss the book the following month. This is an easy way to connect with coworkers and engage in conversations.

29. Online White Elephant

Best for: Remote teams

Objective: Boost team morale and celebrate accomplishments

Participants: 5+

Time: 30 minutes

Whether it's employee appreciation week or you’re wrapping up a successful quarter, there’s always a reason to celebrate your team. The Online White Elephant template isn’t just for the holiday season—use it to spread digital cheer year-round.

To play, each team member chooses a digital “gift.” Instead of physical gifts, you choose a funny image that resonates with the group or something the entire team would enjoy. The team member in charge “wraps” the gifts and hides each image using the hide feature on the digital template. Then, everyone writes their names on the board to keep track of the order and who has each gift. This team-building activity is sure to boost team morale while celebrating team accomplishments.

30. Volunteer opportunities

Best for: In-person teams

Objective: Increase employee engagement and bring fulfillment to your team

Participants: 10–20

Time: 60+ minutes

Volunteering is an off-site team-building activity that increases employee engagement and brings teams closer together while giving back to the community. Find local volunteer opportunities or look for a specific organization that resonates with your business initiatives.

For example, if your company works in education, host a volunteer event filling backpacks with school supplies for local schools. This team-building event brings employees together and offers a sense of fulfillment.

Help facilitate team-building activities with FigJam

Team-building activities are a fun and memorable way to connect with coworkers in an informal setting. If you need help brainstorming ideas for your next team-building exercise, FigJam can help.

• Browse and choose ready-to-go templates from the template library for endless team-building exercises and icebreaker activities.
• Use FigJam’s shared online whiteboard to streamline collaboration and create interactive team-building activities.
• Explore the FigJam community to inspire additional team-building ideas.

Ready to create memorable experiences for your team? Use FigJam today to make team bonding simple.