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If you’re arranging team-building exercises for just a handful of employees, be grateful! They’re easier to afford and organize. Most importantly, they can be more effective at building bonds, improving communication, and strengthening rapport.
You’ll be off to a great start with one or two of our favorite team-building activities for small groups. But first, let’s break down why you’re starting off with an advantage.
Why small group team building activities have the edge
Smaller teams probably already enjoy more one-on-one interactions, true. That’s still no excuse to skip team-building. The same issues larger organizations face affect petite orgs, too.
Virtual settings that can feel isolating, high-pressure roles, miscommunications, and new hires happen everywhere. Small teams get around this with team building because:
- It’s easier for everyone to have a say. People blend into the background in larger groups. Not everyone’s ideas can be heard. Small groups are usually more equitable in terms of attention.
- It feels less awkward. At the same time, participants will be less nervous to share in small groups. This can increase the quality of their participation and strengthen engagement.
- Decisions can be made faster. Problem-solving challenges and exercises that focus on collaboration are completed with greater speed and efficiency.
- It increases accountability. Smaller teams are more likely to feel accountable to one another. That alone can boost motivation to not just participate, but succeed.
- Rapport builds rapidly. It’s easier to get to know 10 people than it is 100. Small groups find common ground and a sense of familiarity quickly, building trust along the way.
30 team building activities for small groups: Remote and in-person exercises for cohesive teams
More effective, more affordable. The sky’s the limit when we prioritize team building for small groups.
Some of the following are special treats that can double as reward celebrations. Others are totally free and focus on familiarity. A few are perfect for building a cohesive team that functions as a well-oiled problem-solving machine.
1. Escape rooms
Every source on the planet recommends escape rooms for team-building. It’s an activity that requires small groups, making it a suggestion you can finally use to sharpen their problem-solving skills.
2. The Marshmallow Challenge
Twenty dry spaghetti noodles, one marshmallow, one yard of masking tape, and one yard of string. These are the ingredients necessary for a task that teaches teams to think on their feet while working together.
3. Six Thinking Hats
This classic team exercise has each member address a problem from a certain perspective. Pick apart challenges using facts, intuition, positivity, and more.
4. Imaginaria
This storytelling game is perfect for creative industries. Coming up with unique, alternative descriptive clues and earning points for correct guesses.
5. Team alignment chart
Have the team design their own visual chart, digital or physical, that best defines their shared goals and values, as well as encapsulates individual roles on the team. It’s not just an exercise; it’s a resource they can refer back to.
6. Nature walk
Fresh air, low-impact exercise, and easy conversation. This small group activity is a natural fit for companies with wellness goals and values related to work-life balance.
7. Check-in questions
“What’s one misconception people have about your job?” Check-in questions teach us more about one another, including how we can be of more help to our coworkers.
8. Check-out questions
Check-out questions help teams reflect on projects and events we’re closing out. A session where everyone can briefly share what they learned, what they can improve, and what they’re most proud of.
9. Lego building challenge
See how fast the team can stack up a marvel of engineering. Exercises that require creative thinking and cooperation instill teams with a sense of pride.
10. Games
Have the crew choose a game they’d like to play during tension-busting breaks, or try a new one. Taco vs. Burrito is an easy-to-learn strategic card game that always gets laughs.
11. Would you rather…?
Would you rather sweat peanut butter or cry jelly? It may seem silly, but these short mental breaks from usual workflows and topics can be revitalizing.
12. Karaoke
Whether setting up a small machine in the office, streaming virtually, or meeting up at a bar, some teams just love karaoke. It’s a great chance for everyone to get the hype they deserve.
13. Scavenger hunt
A riddle, a reward, or just a series of challenges. Scavenger hunts get people away from their desks and working together to find clues.
14. Cooking classes
Instead of buying everyone lunch, make it! Cooking classes take team celebrations to a new level by making them team-building opportunities. The basics of baking sourdough or the rigors of ravioli can be a confidence-building challenge.
15. Gratitude hat
Each member of the group writes their name on a piece of paper and places it in a hat. They then take turns drawing a name, giving the chosen person a shoutout for something they did well or acts they’re thankful for.
16. A common thread
Small teams of three to four people find a list of things they have in common. Discourage obvious answers such as “eats food” and “lives in the same country.” This exercise reveals cool, relationship-building facts about each other.
17. Human bingo
Make your own bingo cards that include common team qualities like “always caffeinated” and “wears eyeglasses,” and see who gets a bingo first.
18. Two truths and a lie
A no-instruction-needed game that everyone knows how to play. Learn fun facts about your teammates by guessing which statements are true and which are fantasy.
19. Volunteer day
Most local organizations, from assisted living centers to food banks, have no trouble finding ways for a small group to lend a hand.
20. Lunch and learn
A warmly-received way to refine skills, improve performance, or introduce a new training module. Treat small teams to lunch and share new information at once.
21. Positive/negative
Get into a positive mindset with a storytelling challenge. Team members take turns building on a story, alternating positive and negative events. The story’s conclusion will be positive, demonstrating how negativity happens but isn’t the final word in how we experience life.
22. Guess who?
Everyone anonymously shares one true, if not unusual, fact about themselves. Scramble them up and have everyone pick one. For the next 15 minutes, everyone’s mission is to chat around the room and see if they can guess whose they picked.
23. Product pitch
See who’s best at the power of persuasion. Individuals or pairs can come up with the best sales pitch, highlighting the benefits of a real or imagined product.
24. Word association
Give the group one word. Have them choose the first word that comes to mind when they see that word, and build on it from there. Compare lists to analyze one another’s train of thought.
25. Team playlists
Every two weeks, someone chooses a theme for an Apple or Spotify playlist. Team members collaborate, adding songs they believe fit the theme, and debating ones that might not. Use the playlist during team meetings, celebrations, and breaks.
26. Team user manual
Have the group draft a user manual for working with them. Each member gets a page with instructions and recommendations, such as “Do not message before 9 am” or “Highly proficient in de-escalating conflict.”
27. Explain us to the aliens 👽
Aliens have landed. They don’t understand written or spoken human language, but they do seem to understand emojis. Describe who you are and what you do in five little pictures.
28. Surprise show and tell
Have everyone on Zoom or Teams show and tell an object, with one catch. It has to be within arm’s length of the desk. What does this unassuming object call to mind? Good conversation starter to close out meetings.
29. Our holiday recipe book
Christmas queso? Share with the class, please. Have everyone collaborate and design a digital cookbook of seasonal flavors, or check out more holiday team-building ideas.
30. Amateur photography contest
Have everyone use their smartphone to frame, shoot, and edit the best avant-garde or evocative picture they can in the next 10 minutes. Vote for your favorite, explain why, and have winners share tips.
Get acquainted with HeyTaco.
Having a small group removes a lot of the awkward parts of team building. However, turning over a new leaf or creating a fresh culture of positivity and inclusiveness can feel phony to some people.
HeyTaco is an easy-to-use, gamified recognition tool that makes positivity feel authentic and natural. Rewarding one another’s contributions with little virtual tacos is fun and informal, letting positive interactions pile up at work.
Try it for free, launch a test this week, and watch as the team builds itself on a foundation of recognition.
Team building activities for small groups FAQ
What are fun team activities for employees?
Funny icebreaker questions, games, and chances to share common interests are all fun for employees. Choose a mix of activities that involve communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and humor for all-around team-building.
How to build team spirit?
Team members need to feel appreciated and accepted for who they are. They must also be clear on their role. Strong communication and regular recognition are the first steps to creating a spirited team.
What is the 30-second game for team building?
The 30-second game is where we ask employees to choose the 30 seconds of their life that they’d most like to relive. Participants first isolate a collection of memories, personal and professional, and narrow it down from there.
What is the 3 P’s icebreaker?
The three P’s are personal, professional, and peculiar. Team members share a fact about themselves from each category. This game helps teams gain a more well-rounded view of their coworkers.
