Team building has never been more important. With many teams working remotely, it’s crucial that we don’t let distance hinder our connections. To keep your team engaged, motivated, and connected, we’ve compiled a list of creative 5 minute team building activities to try this year. These activities are designed to be fun, quick, and effective, helping you create a sense of unity even in remote work settings.
Key takeaways
- Engage and motivate your team with creative 5 minute activities.
- Boost communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking skills.
- Take energizing breaks to promote focus, productivity and well being.
5 minute icebreakers
Icebreakers play a crucial role in team building, fostering a warm atmosphere and enhancing mutual understanding among team members. Some fantastic 5-minute icebreakers include:
- Name Game.
- Emoji Mood.
- Quick Draw.
- Highs and Lows.
- Virtual Fist Bump.
These team building games are perfect for both in person and for virtual teams and meetings, creating a fun and engaging environment for your entire team. Now, let’s delve into these virtual team building activities to revitalize and prepare your team!
Name Game
The Name Game is a simple yet effective activity to promote familiarity and conversation among team members in large groups. Each participant introduces themselves and shares a fun fact about themselves. This not only helps everyone remember names but also provides a glimpse into each other’s interests and personalities.
The Name Game is a flexible icebreaker game that fits both in-person and virtual team settings. Grab a pen and paper or mini-whiteboards and markers. Let the introductions begin!
Emoji Mood
Emoji Mood is a creative way for team members to express their current feelings using emojis. This activity fosters open communication and emotional awareness within the team. Each participant shares an emoji representing their current mood, which can spark conversations and help team members understand one another better.
Regardless of the meeting format, Emoji Mood promises to foster team unity and connection.
Quick Draw
Unleash your team’s creativity with Quick Draw! In this activity, participants have one minute to draw a random object, and the rest of the, one team member must guess what it is. Quick Draw promotes creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking among team members.
This activity is particularly suitable for virtual team building during virtual meetings, where online drawing tools can be used, or drawings can simply be held up to the camera. Get ready to challenge your team’s artistic abilities and enjoy the laughter that ensues!
Highs and Lows
Highs and Lows allows team members to share their best and worst moments of the week. This activity encourages empathy and understanding among the whole team, helping them to connect on a deeper level. By sharing both the highs and lows, team members can support each other and celebrate their accomplishments, while also providing an opportunity to learn from challenges.
This icebreaker suits both face-to-face and virtual meetings, laying a solid foundation for team communication and collaboration.
Virtual Fist Bump
The Virtual Fist Bump is a quick and fun way to acknowledge and appreciate team members’ achievements and efforts. This activity can be done by sending animated GIFs, stickers, or even virtual cards that depict a fist bump, showing your team members that you care and appreciate their hard work.
You can integrate the Virtual Fist Bump into virtual meetings or send it as an impromptu message during the week, nurturing a positive and supportive work culture.
Rapid problem solving challenges for remote teams
Problem solving is an indispensable workplace skill, and these fast-paced problem-solving challenges aim to test your team’s capabilities! Activities like:
- Brainstorm Blitz.
- Paper Airplane Contest.
- Riddle Race.
- Word Scramble.
- Memory Match.
Challenge your new team members to think quickly and work together with other team members to find solutions with minute team building activities, even if they are part of a remote team. Incorporating a quick game or team building exercise can further enhance their collaboration skills and team spirit.
Besides being enjoyable, these activities also fortify your team’s capacity to confront challenges directly!
Brainstorm Blitz
Brainstorm Blitz is a high energy activity where teams have only five minutes to brainstorm as many ideas as possible for a given topic. This activity encourages:
- Creativity.
- Collaboration.
- Thinking outside the box.
- Coming up with unique solutions.
Be it brainstorming new marketing strategies or product ideas, Brainstorm Blitz serves as a fantastic catalyst for your team’s creative thinking, engaging everyone in the process.
Paper Airplane Contest
Ready, set, fly! The Paper Airplane Contest is an exciting activity that promotes friendly competition and teamwork. Each team has one member who creates their own paper airplane and then competes to see whose airplane can fly the farthest or stay in the air the longest.
Not only is this activity a fun break from work, but it also encourages team members to think creatively and experiment with different designs to achieve the best results. So, fetch some paper to kick off the contest next person!
Riddle Race
The Riddle Race is a thrilling game where teams race to solve riddles as quickly as possible. This activity tests your team’s problem-solving skills and encourages collaboration as they work together to find the answers.
Adaptable for both in-person and virtual team meetings, Riddle Race is an engaging activity suitable for every team environment. So, put on your thinking caps and get ready to race!
Word Scramble
Word Scramble is an entertaining game where participants unscramble words related to their industry or company. This activity promotes critical thinking and team bonding, as team members work together to decipher the scrambled words.
Word Scramble can be played in-person using pen and paper or in a virtual setting using an online tool. This interactive activity is ideal for stimulating your team’s minds and cultivating camaraderie.
Memory Match
Memory Match is a classic game where teams work together to match pairs of cards with images or words. This activity tests your team’s memory and teamwork skills while adding a fun and nostalgic element to your team building repertoire.
Memory Match can be played in-person with physical cards or online using a digital platform. Irrespective of the setting, this activity guarantees to infuse laughter and thrill into your next team meeting.
Team member communication boosters
Clear and effective communication is fundamental for any successful team. These communication boosters aim to enhance your team members’ skills. Activities like:
- Back-to-Back Drawing.
- One-Word Story.
- Whisper Challenge.
- Six Degrees of Separation.
- Silent Lineup.
emphasize the importance of communication and provide opportunities for your team to practice and refine their skills.
Let’s delve into these activities and witness the improvement in your team’s communication skills!
Back-to-Back Drawing
Back-to-Back Drawing is a unique activity that highlights the importance of clear communication. In this game, pairs of team members sit back-to-back, with one person describing an image and the other drawing it based on the description.
The goal is to create an accurate drawing without being able to see each other’s work. Suitable for both virtual and in-person settings, this activity enlightens your team members about the importance of effective communication.
One-Word Story
One-Word Story is a creative activity that encourages active listening and collaboration among your team members. In a few rounds of this game, teams create a story one word at a time, with each person contributing the next word in the narrative.
This great team building activity, is one of the fun team building activities that not only fosters communication but also promotes creative thinking and teamwork. Gather your team and see what imaginative tales you can create together, one word at a time!
Whisper Challenge
The Whisper Challenge is a hilarious activity that tests your team’s communication skills in a fun and lighthearted way. Participants take turns lip-reading and guessing phrases while wearing noise-canceling headphones.
This fun game that not only provides laughter and entertainment but also emphasizes the importance of non-verbal communication. Regardless of being in the office or working remotely, the Whisper Challenge is bound to strengthen your team’s bond.
Six Degrees of Separation
Six Degrees of Separation is a thought provoking activity that challenges your team to find connections between seemingly unrelated topics. This game encourages creative thinking and teamwork as your team members work together to discover the connections between various subjects.
From addressing industry related topics to exploring abstract concepts, Six Degrees of Separation is an excellent tool to stimulate out-of-the-box thinking in your team.
Silent Lineup
Silent Lineup is a unique activity that promotes non-verbal communication and cooperation among your team members. In this game, participants in small teams must line up in a specific order without speaking, relying solely on hand signals and body language to communicate.
Silent Lineup is an intriguing and demanding activity that aids in honing your team’s non-verbal communication skills, promoting unity and collaboration winning team over.
Energizing breaks
Energizing breaks play a pivotal role in sustaining focus and productivity throughout the workday. These quick activities, including:
- Deskercise.
- Mindful Minute.
- Gratitude Circle.
- Power Poses.
- Laughter Yoga.
are designed to re-energize and refocus your team members.
Regardless of the work setting, integrating these activities into your team’s routine can considerably elevate morale, overall well-being, and company culture.
Deskercise
Deskercise is a series of short, desk-based exercises designed to get your team members moving and increase their energy levels. These activities can be done right at your desk, making them perfect for remote teams or busy office environments.
Incorporating Deskercise into your team’s routine can help combat the negative effects of sitting for extended periods and promote a healthier, more active workday.
Mindful Minute
The Mindful Minute is a one-minute guided meditation that helps team members refocus and reduce stress. This activity can be done individually or as a group and provides a quick mental break to reset and recharge.
Integrating a Mindful Minute into your team’s routine can foster a positive mindset and enhance overall well being.
Gratitude Circle
Gratitude is a powerful tool for fostering positivity and team bonding. In a Gratitude Circle, team members take turns sharing something they are grateful for, whether work-related or personal. This activity promotes a positive work environment and encourages team members to appreciate one another’s contributions.
You can facilitate a Gratitude Circle in-person or virtually, which makes it a flexible and uplifting part of your team building activities.
Power Poses
Power Poses are confidence-boosting postures that have been shown to increase energy and self-assurance. In this activity, team members strike a power pose, such as standing tall with hands on hips or arms raised in victory.
Collective practice of power poses can boost confidence and energy levels among your team members, promoting a positive and empowered work environment.
Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga is a unique activity that combines laughter exercises with deep breathing to reduce stress and to promote teamwork and team bonding. In this activity, team members participate in a series of laughter exercises, encouraging a lighthearted and joyful atmosphere.
Laughter Yoga, adjustable for in-person or virtual sessions, offers a fun way to enhance team morale and well-being.
Summary
In conclusion, team building activities are essential in today’s fast paced and ever changing work environment. These creative 5 minute team building activities provide a variety of engaging and effective ways to strengthen your team’s communication, collaboration, and problem solving skills. By incorporating these activities into your team’s routine, you’ll foster a positive and productive work environment that empowers and uplifts your team members. So, why not give these quick team building activities a try and watch your team thrive!
Frequently asked questions
What are some good team building ideas?
Team building activities can range from strategic games to outdoor challenges to creative exercises. Examples include Company Concentration, Minefield, Memory Wall, Trivia Night, Egg Drop, Blind Retriever, Pictionary, and Office Debates. Use these activities to encourage employees to work together to solve problems and build a cohesive team.
What are the 4 C’s of team building?
Establishing a strong team identity starts by encouraging your team to openly discuss the 4 C’s: Clarity, Commitment, Contribution, and Concerns.
What are team building activities for small groups of adults?
Engage your small- group members with exciting team building activities such as Office Debates, Coat of Arms, Pair-up, Cross the Circle, Best and Worst, Letters from the Future, Quick-fire Trivia, Tell My Story, Human Knot and Blind Retriever. These activities will foster a collaborative working atmosphere that will benefit your team in the long run.
What is the ice breaker for trust exercise?
Try an icebreaker like “two truths and a lie” to build trust with your team – each member takes turns sharing three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one is not.
What types of activities are included in the 5-Minute icebreakers?
These 5-Minute Icebreakers will get your group excited and interacting with fun activities like Name Game, Emoji Mood, Quick Draw, Highs and Lows, and Virtual Fist Bump.