Have your group stand up in a close circle (10 to 16 people is best). They close their eyes put their hands into the circle and find two hands and hold on. Then they open their eyes and the group has to try to get back into a circle without letting go, though they can change their grip, of course.
In this debating game, participants imagine they are in an inflatable lifeboat that is running out of air. Each round, participants must state why they should remain on the boat and then vote on who should leave. Encourage critical thinking and develop presentation skills in this fun debating activity.
Name Juggling is another variation of a try-to-learn-everyone's-name but the game guarantees high energy level as well as some strategic thinking.
Touch Blue is a classic energiser that is quick and easy fun for remote teams too! Challenge participants to find objects on their desk that match the attributes you select and have fun doing so!
Bang is a group game, played in a circle, where participants must react quickly or face elimination. One person stands in the middle of the circle as “the sheriff”, pointing at other players who must quickly crouch while those on either side of them quickly “draw”. A good activity to generate laughter in a group. It can also help with name-learning for groups getting to know each other.
This is a simple drama game in which participants take turns asking each other “What are you doing?” and acting out the various responses. Though simple, it engages the imagination and gently challenges participants out of their comfort zone by having them mime a range of different actions.
This simple group game is played in a circle. Participants repeatedly choose one other person to look at, hoping that person won’t be looking back at them. Whenever eye contact is made between two participants, both must shout wildly and lunge backward. They are then eliminated. The game generates laugher and boosts energy in a group.
Help people to share their individual way of navigating an activity - such as doing their work, or attending an event - by combining the revealing power of metaphor with a series of simple interactions.
When people are hesitant to engage with each other, for example at the beginning of an event, you can help them to actively feel heard, and create a space where discovering and sharing rarely-noticed personal talents and insights becomes straightforward.
Once participants feel heard and have begun to share, they will be more inclined to trust, to work together, and to take interpersonal risks. And each person will have created an enduring personal image to carry with them and to share with others.
I've been using this for years as a Clean Language introduction, and recently submitted it as a candidate Liberating Structure because I'd love to see loads of other people trying it out.
Works in person or online, with six to 600+ people.
Take 5-10 minutes time to wake up group's body & brain!
Draw circles up in the air with the index finger and observe the way the direction of the circles changes, as we change the vantage point.
Create wild, weird and often funny postcards together & establish a group's creative confidence.
Even with established teams, it’s important to get people into the holiday mood and encourage creativity and collaboration.
Assign people into pairs or triads and each pair/triad needs to write one pair of rhyme for the music of a popular song. In this holiday-themed version, we'll ask participants to create a version of Jingle bells.
Whatever the occasion or song, it's a nice twist if they incorporate something in the lyrics that is related to your own company and culture.