6 Quick Team Building Games To Energize Your Team | Think About Such Things (2024)

Discover quick team building games that will help you at your next meeting, group, or even party. They are a fun way to connect!

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”-Andrew Carnegie

Team building exercises can be a great way for your team or students to bond. Expressing their strengths and weaknesses, and help learn to communicate with each other. The benefits of it are astounding and really help a team to bond and relax.

But many times, they can be very time-consuming—before prep and executing the game itself.

Sometimes it is appropriate to have a long-planned out exercise, but some meetings can’t afford to have a 30-60min exercise. So, today I would like to share 6 quick team building exercises that can be done within 10-15 minutes.

These exercises are age-appropriate for kids and adults. They can be used in a small group or large group. Remember that if you have a very large group, you might want to break them up into teams. That way, it won’t take as long.

These exercises are fun and have little to no prep work that needs to be done by the leader or person in charge. And let’s be real…that’s exactly what we need before a meeting.

You already have a ton on your plate; you don’t need a super intricate team building game. I know I have been there when I lead church leadership meetings.

Quick Team Building Games

The Birthday Line-Up

Helps teach teams to communicate in new and creative ways.

• Have your team line up in a straight line side-by-side. Then they are asked to get in order by their birthdays (month and day only). But they are not allowed to talk verbally with each other. They must learn to creatively communicate with each other to get the line correct.

Partner Stretch

Helps the team break down barriers that hinder

• Have each member pair up with someone else in the group. They will then have 3-5 minutes to develop 3 stretches. There are two requirements for these stretches to count.

1. The partners have to be connected during the stretch
2. The stretch has to have a sound effect or phrase that goes with it

• After the 3-5 minutes of planning, they will have 1 minute to teach everyone else the stretches they have come up with.

Change It Up

Helps the team to refocus and energize them.

• Have your team form two equal lines that are facing each other. Each person should be facing another person.
• Then have one line turn around giving the second line 1 minute to change 5 things about themselves.
• This can be anything from taking a coat off, untied shoelaces, taking your hat off or watch. Just make sure that changes are visible to everyone.
• After 1 minute have the other line turn back around. They must try to find the 5 changes.
• Then switch it and have another side do the same thing.

Bears, Cowboys, and Ninjas

A fun way to energize your team before a meeting.

• This game is just like paper, rock, scissors. Each player must choose between three poses. Bears eat ninjas, ninjas beat up cowboys, and cowboys shoot bears.
• Have each person find a partner. Line up back to back with your partner and think about which character you will pose as. When you’re ready, count out and take three steps away from each other.
• On three, strike a pose!

The Human Knot

Builds communication and teamwork skills.

• Have everyone stand in a tight circle, shoulders touching. Then have each person put out their right arm and grab someone from across the circle.
• Then have them do the same with their left arm, but make sure they grab a different person then they did with their right.
• The group will have to untangle themselves within the set time limit without letting go.
• If your group is large you can break them into small groups.

Pass the Random Fact

Have the team learn more about each other.

• You will need a small object that can be tossed. This can be a small bean bag, mini stuffed toy or a stress ball. A beach ball also works great for this team building game.
• Gather your team into a circle, they can either sit or stand. Each time the object is caught by a team member they must share a random fact about themselves.
• Then the must throw the object to someone new. Do this till everyone has had a turn.

Team building exercises and icebreakers can be really effective in helping your team or group grow. Give one of these a try! And if you have a youth group, then check out Easy and Fun Youth Group Games They Will Love.

I would love to hear what are some of your favorite team building exercising you have done. Leave a comment below and share.

Suppose you are looking for more fun ways to connect your team or group. Then check out these Team Building posts! They are just as quick as these team building games and as fun! If you want to grow in leadership, then please check out my Leadership Page.