By Mark Collard
Experiential Trainer, Author & Speaker
When thinking about our top indoor team-building activities list, it was extremely difficult to narrow our focus to less than ten ideas. Interactive team-building games and activities are our ‘bread and butter,’ so it’s a hard task to share an all-time favourite list, but here goes…
Almost every team-building game we share in our popular online activity database can be played indoors with adults and young people. So, to help narrow our focus, we relied heavily on those that required few, if any, props and could be played in a limited space, which is a reality for many facilitators.
Indoor Team-Building Activities
To help you get started, we provide a short description of each of our favourite indoor team games below. Of course, they can also be presented outside, but these are ideally suited for indoor programs. Click the links for detailed step-by-step instructions and video tutorials.
Note that these activities also double as a wonderful list of team-building games for kids because they are simple, fun and easy to present and work just as well with young people as adults. For the most part, the only difference between adults and kids when leading group games is your language and difficulty level you may choose to pitch in these exercises.
Benefits of Team-Building Activities
Teams that are inclusive and trust one another typically have improved performance, transparency, and a positive team environment.
Additional benefits include:
Improved communication skills
Team-building activities can enhance communication within the group, foster open dialogue, and support problem-solving efforts in tackling the task or challenge at hand.
Integrate new team members
Team building activities benefit the whole team but are especially valuable when integrating new members. These activities help newcomers feel included and valued while providing an excellent opportunity to connect with the people around them and build relationships.
Enhanced problem-solving skills
Indoor team-building activities challenge participants to work together to solve complex problems, improving their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Encourages team bonding
These activities strengthen interpersonal relationships and promote collaboration, creating a cohesive team that works effectively together.
Increased team morale
Team-building games enhance morale by fostering a positive and inclusive atmosphere, increasing job satisfaction and motivation.
Encourages creative thinking
Games that encourage out-of-the-box thinking help team members explore innovative ideas and approaches, enhancing their ability to tackle future challenges creatively.
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Hosting an indoor team-building activity benefits the entire team by encouraging members to connect and helps build a vibrant team spirit. The activities we have chosen here prioritise teamwork and group bonding, ensuring everyone works together towards a common goal.
List of Indoor Team-Building Activities
Our top ten indoor team-building activities are listed below.
Click the links below to scroll directly to each activity.
This is one of the quickest and fun indoor team-building activities we know. Split into small groups and then give them three minutes to build the tallest free-standing tower they can with their shoes. The tallest tower wins — voila!
This team challenge seems so easy until you get started. Grab a ream of paper (preferably used or discarded), split into small teams and issue the instructions to keep as many sheets of paper off the ground as possible. You need to see the video tutorial to see what happens next.
A regular deck of playing cards is one of the most versatile props we know, and it’s all you need to play this team-building exercise. Once again, it’s simple but not easy. Be sure to check out reflection notes to help you squeeze the most value from this group initiative.
Got no props, no problem! Simply invite your group to stand together in an open space and issue the instructions to complete a unique hand-shaking task. Once again, it is an easy set-up but far from easy execution. Expect ample opportunities to focus on planning, systems and effective communication.
This team-building challenge serves as a helpful name reminder (for new groups) as much as it does a great team-building event. Most groups of 20+ people can complete this task within 5-8 minutes, but success does vary. In an effort to produce a connected train of names, your group may need you to apply a liberal dose of “name first-aid” to remedy an impasse if they get stuck.
This virtual team building activity is created with Padlet. You can set up engaging puzzles and challenges and guide participants through as many games as you’d like. The platform’s intuitive setup allows for seamless interaction, encouraging team bonding and problem-solving. Ideal for groups of 20+, this activity is completed in just 5-8 minutes, promoting teamwork and quick thinking in a fun, interactive way.
For more games similar to this one, make sure to explore our list of favourite virtual team-building activities to promote collaboration among remote teams when you’re not physically together.
This activity is a great way for team members to sharpen their listening and verbal communication skills while performing a simple problem-solving exercise. The group forms a circle and one person is chosen to call out that they are number “ONE”. The person to their left then calls out “TWO” and so on until everyone has a number. Ask the group to break out of the circle and mingle with five other people and exchange numbers. Once this task is complete, invite the group to reform the circle numerically according to the last number they received.
Ideal for larger groups, this game takes 10-15 minutes to complete and promotes collaboration and listening skills.
Create a closed-loop rope and have your group, blindfolded or with closed eyes, form a perfect square by manipulating the rope. They must keep the rope taut and can only open their eyes once they believe the square is complete. After a desired time limit, get the group to open their eyes and reflect on their outcome. This challenge promotes trust and reliance on one another, encouraging creative thinking and strategic planning.
Blindfolded, the group navigates a rope maze, staying connected and keeping at least one person in contact with the ropes. This activity enhances teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills, fostering trust and collaboration. After 20 minutes or more, discuss the experience and reflect on the process.
A team-building activity where the group forms a circle and passes a ball (or tossable item) until everyone has received and passed the ball once. The group repeats this sequence is several times before two more tossable items are introduced into the circle.
Make sure you allow plenty of time for your participants to communicate, experiment and problem-solve during this dynamic team activity.
Recommended group size: 8-15 people
Typical duration: 20-30 minutes
Why it’s great:
Simple to set up
Fosters collaboration
Promotes communication
Multiple metaphors
Well, there you have it — some of the most effective indoor group activities to strengthen team bonds and enhance collaboration in your workplace, classroom, or social group. These engaging exercises are sure to bring your team closer together and spark creativity and cooperation.
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