Trending 15-minute team building activities for every team

A happy team is an effective team. That’s why investing time in what used to be perceived as fun and games nowadays is an important strategy to boost productivity.

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In less than 15 minutes, team building exercises can help you with the core organizational values, such as: 

• improved communication within a team
• closely aligned goals
• improved leadership skills. 

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But time is still money, which is why you want to find exercises that won’t eat up most of the day. For even shorter activities, we also collected ideas that only take five minutes.

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Short fun team building activities to get to know each other

Having a successful onboarding for the new hires can become a critical factor in employee retention. However, it can be challenging to get a group of strangers on the same page from the start. Get the conversation started with these quick and fun team building introduction activities designed for non-integrated teams! 

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1. Solitaire in Teams

Props needed: A standard deck of cards

Great for: Enhancing problem-solving and strategic thinking

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Group Solitaire repurposes the traditionally solo game of Solitaire into a cooperative team-building activity, highlighting the importance of problem-solving, strategic planning, and collective decision-making. 

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How it works:

• Team members gather in a shared physical space with a standard deck of cards. If a physical meeting isn't possible, participants can also convene over a video conferencing platform, using a digital version of Solitaire.
• Initially, the team engages in a strategy session based on the first layout of the cards, deliberating on the best approach to tackle the game.
• Throughout the game, players take turns executing moves. However, each move is preceded by a discussion within the team, allowing each member to propose their strategy and reasoning. This collaborative approach fosters teamwork and ensures decisions are made collectively.
• The aim is to complete the game with the fewest moves possible or in the least amount of time, promoting a healthy blend of competition and collaboration among team members.

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This unique adaptation not only encourages team members to strategize together but also serves as a creative method to enhance team cohesion and communication skills.

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2. Alphabet brainstorm

Props needed: Random letter generator (optional)

Great for: Creative work

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This icebreaker is amazing for waking up our brains and getting ready for some creative workflows. It also leaves some room for discussion if the participants dispute their results — an excellent way to practice your debate skills!

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How it works:

1. The host selects a topic for your game
2. They pick a random letter of the alphabet
3. The players come up with any word or a phrase starting with that letter, as fast as they can

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The topics can range anywhere from “The things you can keep on your office desk” to “The most embarrassing thing you can bring to an after-hours team building event”. Go as far as your organizational culture allows! 

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3. Would you rather

Props needed: none

Great for: setting the mood 

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The beauty of this quick game is that you can adjust it to the situation: if you want to have a more professional session, keep your “would you rather” questions to work-related themes. 

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How it works:

1. Select the overall theme for the session
2. Come up with two equally valuable options to choose from 
3. Take turns 

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If your company culture allows and you want your participants to get to know each other better as people, not just as employees, this 15-minute team building could take any shape and range for a variety of topics, from superpowers to imaginative scenarios, to geopolitics. Get creative!

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Fast team building games for remote teams

Remote work, greatly popularized with the spread of the pandemic, is here to stay. So here are 4 virtual team building activities you can enjoy within the first 15 minutes of your virtual get-together. Also read our article on the best team building software & tools.

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4. Share the love

Props needed: none

Great for: boosting morale

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Not quite a game, but this exercise may become a turning point in the way you interact with your team. After all, it’s all about recognizing the value of each person and expressing your gratitude. 

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How it works:

1. Start by complimenting your team member
2. They need to compliment someone else in turn
3. Continue until everyone has felt the love

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The praise can be directly related to their work or speak to their general positive qualities — anything goes, as long as you keep it respectful and polite. By the end of the exercise, you should have a beaming team full of love and respect for one another. 

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5. Tall tales

Props needed: none

Great for: creative work

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This quick imaginative icebreaker will work best for creative teams that value good storytelling. It is an excellent way to start a brainstorming session or an online team building event. 

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How it works:

1. Start telling the few first sentences of a story
2. Another player has to pick it up from where you left off 
3. Let everyone on the team take turns

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You can aim to end your story in one round, or within a fixed number of turns for each player, depending on the size of your team. 

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6. Trivia or pop quizzes

Props needed: Kahoot / Quizizz (optional)

Great for: brainy teams

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Nothing gets the brain cells working better than a quick round of trivia! Not only does it set the mood for the day, but it also gives you a chance to get to know your teammates’ after-hours interests and hobbies. Here, it all comes down to preparation. 

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How it works:

1. Select the topic and prepare the questions in advance
2. Determine how many points each question is worth
3. Divide into teams
4. Teams earn points by answering questions
5. Whoever has more points by the end of the quiz wins

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To make your next team building experience even more fun and productive, check out these free virtual team building activities

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Active 15-minute team building exercises

Physical activity comes with many benefits, not only for our bodies but also for our mental health. So why not try and dedicate 15 minutes of your team building to some exercises that encourage you to get off the desks and start moving?

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7. Spades Tournament

Props needed: a standard deck of cards (or an online Spades platform for remote teams)

Great for: team bonding and strategic thinking

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The Spades Tournament brings a competitive edge to your quick team building exercises, combining the fun of card games with the benefits of strategic thinking and team bonding. Whether played in person with a deck of cards or online to include remote team members, Spades offers a structured yet enjoyable way to engage and collaborate with colleagues.

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How it works:

1. Divide into pairs, with each duo functioning as a team for the duration of the Spades game. If playing remotely, utilize an online Spades platform where teams can easily be formed and matches can be overseen.
2. Each team discusses their strategy privately before play begins, aiming to outwit the opposing pairs through clever card play and insightful bidding.
3. Gameplay follows the standard rules of Spades: players take turns playing a card from their hand, with the objective of winning the number of tricks bid at the beginning of each round. Communication and strategic planning between partners are key to securing a win.
4. The tournament progresses with each team competing against others. The aim is to complete a short game or a predetermined number of rounds within the 15-minute time frame, ensuring a fast-paced and engaging experience.

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The Spades Tournament can serve as a dynamic and thrilling way to break the monotony of the workday, encourage healthy competition, and strengthen interpersonal relationships within the team.

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8. Clump

Props needed: none

Great for: company-wide events 

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This game is a great way to test your reaction and herd instinct. It’s particularly popular with larger teams, as the more people are playing the better. 

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How it works:

1. Let people mingle in a spacious area
2. Yell out a random number between 1 and 10
3. The players need to get together and form groups the size of that number
4. Take a break
5. Yell out another number

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You can play it to form teams for other activities or simply to run around the office and have some fun. 

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9. Flip it over

Props needed: a blanket / a towel / a large piece of fabric

Great for: active cooperation 

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It is one of a few activities on our list that will require an additional prop - a blanket or a towel. This exercise is a great way to demonstrate all the ups and downs of working together on the project, so it makes an amazing team building activity. 

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How it works:

1. Have your team stand on the blanket
2. Make sure a quarter of it is empty
3. They need to flip the blanket over without leaving the area

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No workspace safety guidelines will be violated! 

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10. Earth-ball

Props needed: a ball or a balloon

Great for: group projects

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This team building activity is brilliant in its simplicity. While quick and easy, it demonstrates the ability of your employees to set goals, work together towards them, and keep focused under pressure.

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How it works:

1. Throw a ball in the air
2. Yell out a random number
3. The ball has to stay in the air for that number of hits 

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Important rule: each person can only touch the ball once in a row.

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Short team building games for adults at work meetings

Even if your team has been working together for years, you can still benefit from a quick team building activity. Just add a couple of these fast team building games to your next get-together and see for yourself.

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11. Guess the childhood photo

Props needed: childhood photos of your coworkers

Great for: getting to know each other better

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Whether or not you fit into 15 minutes here depends purely on the number of people in your team. Generally, this activity is pretty fast, though. The preparation is simple and the execution is straightforward. 

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How it works:

1. Ask every member of your team to send you their childhood photos.
2. Mix them up.
3. Try to guess who is in which photo

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If all goes well, you will have plenty of ground for discussing who got rid of braces over the years and who lost the most weight. 

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12. The envelope

Props needed: an envelope / a jar / a box / Free Suggestion Box

Great for: getting to know each other better

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If the previous game might also be fun for the teams that don’t know each other particularly well, this quick team-building activity depends on your friendship.

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How it works:

1. Ask everyone to write 10 facts about themselves
2. Read out the lists without mentioning the name
3. The team has to guess who each list is about

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This is one of the classic getting-to-know-you team building activities for adults that demonstrates whether the way we see ourselves matches the perception of others. So it’s a great psychological experience, too! 

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13. Most likely to…

Props needed: The list of nominations (optional)

Great for: boosting morale

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Remember this old yearbook tradition? Well, office team building is bringing it back! Similar to “Share the love”, this activity provides you with an opportunity to give out some compliments and friendly jests to each other, to lift the mood within the team. 

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How it works:

1. Pick the nomination or come up with your own and “award” one of your colleagues
2. They need to select another nomination for the next person
3. Continue, until everyone’s been awarded

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Who is most likely to become the CEO? Who looks like they work on Sundays? Who is most likely to adopt a dog next month? You choose the direction in which it goes! 

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Recap: Team building activities for work

To sum up, we recommend the following 15-minute team building activities:

1. Strengthen team bonds
2. Two truths and a lie
3. Alphabet brainstorm
4. What do we have in common
5. Would you rather
6. Share the love
7. Tall tales
8. Trivia or pop quizzes
9. Sound ball
10. Clump
11. Flip it over
12. Earth ball
13. Guess the childhood photo
14. The envelope
15. Who's most likely to...

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If you want to incorporate short team building games into your organizational culture, why not use a tool to do the heavy lifting? At Gomada, we’ve perfected the process of selecting, planning, and executing the best team building events for each company’s unique situation. 

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We are here to help you get together, relax, and grow your productivity as a team. Give it a try!

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Short team building activities for the workplace: FAQs

Here’s what people are most curious about when it comes to 15-minute team building activities. 

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What are some of the quick team building activities for small groups? 

There are plenty of short team building games for small groups. In fact, most of the activities on this list will be suitable for teams with more than 3 members. The only factor that will vary is the length of the exercise and the number of rounds you might need to complete the goal. 

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What is a fun team building activity?

Any sort of game or an exercise that promotes teamwork and encourages your employees to work together can be considered team building. But to make the experience fun, consider learning about your teammates’ hobbies and interests before planning something specific. You would hate to run a 15-minute pop quiz for a team that hates trivia nights! 

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Check out this list of the safe-for-work team building activities and choose the one that fits your crew best!

What are the 4 main types of team building activities? 

Our favorite classification divides team building activities based on their purpose:

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• Communication. Thanks to such short team bonding activities the participants learn how to express their gratitude, address their issues and nourish mutual trust for a more pleasant day-to-day experience at the workplace. 
• Motivation. Here, your employees get a chance to revisit their original motivations and learn why they do what they do and if it’s right for them. 
• Problem-solving. These short team building activities for work meetings are perfect for dedicated onboarding sessions, as they appeal to your strengths and weaknesses and help solve some specific problems.
• Creativity. These quick team building games for workplace encourage us to think outside of the box and change the way we see mundane tasks.

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Are there good 2-minute team building activities? 

Yes, there are! 

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The real question is: should you be using them? After all, team building is an important practice that has positive effects on your employees’ well-being and productivity. You wouldn’t spend 2 minutes on your next quarterly planning, would you? 

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Since team building rarely occurs more often than every month, it makes sense to dedicate at least 15 minutes of your time to these activities. If, however, you want to run them on a more regular basis (every Monday before your weekly planning, for example), many of the exercises we’ve presented in this article can be cut down to just 5 minutes or less. If you want to have your group activities organized, check out our list of team building apps.

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