Team building games: winning strategies for close-knit teams

The importance of team building

Team building is more than a corporate gathering: it’s an investment in the work group’s wellbeing. Through targeted activities, it facilitates getting to know each other, more effective communication, and close collaboration towards common goals, improving the work atmosphere and productivity.

Thanks to carefully selected activities and games, everyone has the chance to contribute, learn, and grow within the group, thereby strengthening the sense of belonging and team cohesion.

Let’s discover together which games can help your team relate to each other.

Communication games

Communication is a fundamental part for every successful team. Games like “Two Truths and a Lie” or “Desert Island” are excellent examples of how play can be used to enhance communicative skills in a fun and relaxed context.

In “Two Truths and a Lie,” each participant is invited to share three statements about themselves: two truths and one lie. The other team members must guess which of the three statements is the lie.

“Desert Island” is a classic team building exercise that challenges participants to choose a limited number of items (usually between 5 and 10) that they would bring with them on a deserted island. The exercise starts with each team member choosing items individually, then discussing and negotiating with the group to arrive at a shared list. This game promotes open discussion, collective reasoning, and the ability to persuade, highlighting the importance of giving and receiving constructive feedback.

Problem solving activities

Facing challenges together stimulates critical thinking and promotes innovation. Games like “Spaghetti Tower” or “Team Puzzle” are designed to test the team’s problem-solving abilities in a playful context. These activities require collaboration, creativity, and effective communication, key elements for the success of any corporate project.

The “Spaghetti Tower” is a well-known yet certainly effective game. The team is divided into small groups tasked with building the tallest tower possible using only uncooked spaghetti and tape and/or rubber bands within a limited time. The structure must be solid enough to support a marshmallow placed on top.

In “The Team Puzzle,” participants are divided into groups, each given a set of puzzle pieces. However, not all pieces to complete the puzzle are found in a single set, forcing groups to interact with each other to exchange the missing pieces.

Trust exercises

These exercises are designed to strengthen the bonds between team members, showing how, through mutual dependence and support, it’s important to rely on one’s colleagues for achieving a common goal.

“The Blindfold Guide” is a classic trust exercise where participants take turns being the guide and the blindfolded person. The blindfolded individual must rely entirely on the verbal directions of the guide to navigate an obstacle course. The rules are simple: communication must be clear, precise, and reassuring.

Beyond the traditional: escape rooms and creative courses for a united team

Choosing innovative experiences like Escape Rooms or creative courses means pushing beyond the conventional limits of team building. These activities not only strengthen the team but also encourage creativity and innovation.

Escape Rooms are useful and fun experiences for strengthening team cohesion, improving communication, and developing problem-solving skills in an engaging way. In these sessions, participants are divided into teams and tested in themed environments from which they must escape by solving riddles and puzzles collaboratively.

Furthermore, participating in a course or creative activity can be extremely beneficial for teams. For instance, hands-on courses like cooking, gardening, or DIY offer the opportunity to learn new skills in a relaxed and informal environment, while also promoting team cohesion and a sense of belonging.