A team’s performance on the field is helped by team-building games and activities that foster collaboration, improve morale, and improve communication off the field. A team that bonds well is a team that is fired up and works closely together, thus making the chances of winning more likely.
We have compiled a list of effective team-building games and activities that are tried and tested—and actually work.
Escape Room Challenge
Escape Rooms are a great team-building exercise that requires a lot of common sense and trust in your teammates, as you need to solve puzzles and find clues to escape a locked room within a set time limit. Getting out of the Escape Room isn’t easy – it takes wits and brainpower to overcome some of the challenges like decrypting letters, numbers, and texts and using the decorations as hints – you’ll need to be like a real-life Sherlock Holmes! This team-building activity encourages effective communication between teams and trust as team members need to rely on one another to solve puzzles.
Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a simple yet effective way to break the ice and foster a sense of camaraderie among team members. It involves each team member sharing three statements about themselves—two true and one false. The statement can be like” I once spent a summer working as a circus performer” or “I can speak five languages fluently”. Basically, anything that comes to mind will work. After you have made your three statements, it’s up to the rest of the team to guess which statement is the lie. After the group has made their guesses, the person reveals which statement was the lie. The game helps the team learn interesting facts about each other, which helps build rapport and trust, enhances communication skills, and fosters creativity. It is also a simple yet effective way to break the ice and foster a sense of camaraderie among team members. For new teams or new team members, it’s an excellent icebreaker and a fun and informal way to get to know each other.
Blindfolded Obstacle Course
A Blindfolded Obstacle Course is a team-building activity designed to enhance trust, communication, and cooperation among team members. Team members are divided into pairs or small teams, with one team member being blindfolded and tasked with getting through an obstacle course, which has items like cones, chairs, ropes, or any objects that can create a pathway that the blindfolded teammate must navigate around or over. This is when trust plays a huge factor, as the other team members can only use verbal instructions. They cannot physically guide or touch the blindfolded person. Effective communication is key to successfully navigating the course. The Blindfolded Obstacle Course encourages participants to work together and support each other to complete the challenge and fosters problem-solving under pressure, which is exactly what you want from your team on the field!
Human Knot
The Human Knot is a classic team-building game that has long been used for team-building exercises as it promotes teamwork, problem-solving, and communication. If you’re not familiar with the game, it involves team members standing in a circle, reaching across, and holding hands with two different people. They then have to untangle themselves without letting go of each other’s hands, the group must work together to untangle themselves into a single circle. They can step over, under, or around each other’s arms, but they cannot release their grip. The game helps teams build stronger connections, strengthens their resolve, and improves their collaborative skills.
Scavenger Hunt
A really fun team-building exercise that uses teamwork, strategy, and problem-solving is a scavenger hunt in a nearby location. It involves participants searching for specific items or completing tasks based on clues that team members have created. The clues or challenges can be riddles, descriptions, or cryptic hints that lead participants to the items or locations. Examples of an object could be “find a three-leaf clover”. A challenge could be “go up to a complete stranger and ask for a selfie together”. A challenge could be busking in a train station. Basically, anything that springs to mind (as long as it’s not dangerous) will work. Think of fun and creative ideas. With a time limit set for the scavenger hunt, teams must work together to complete as many items or tasks as possible within the given time frame. Once the time limit is up, teams return to the starting point to report their findings and a judge (say your coach, for example) can verify the items and tasks completed by each team, thereby deciding the winning team. A scavenger hunt strengthens team bonds and relationships, enhances communication between team members, boosts motivation, and, most importantly, it’s a really fun team-building activity that requires creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
These are just a few great examples of team-building games that actually work to bolster the team spirit overall. Others include the building challenge, where teams are set a set of materials to build a structure, role reversal, where team members switch roles for a day or a few hours, and wellness challenges with activities like group yoga sessions, meditation breaks, or step challenges. These activities promote physical and mental well-being while encouraging team bonding.
The benefits of these team-building activities are numerous. Team-building games encourage open communication and help team members improve their verbal and non-verbal communication skills. They foster trust between teammates, boost team morale and motivation and can even reduce stress and anxiety. These games provide a fun and relaxed environment where team members can unwind and enjoy themselves. A tight-knit team is imperative on the field, and these activities will improve their overall performance, helping them on their mission to victory.