Team building games for adults – 15 ideas for the office and the pitch

Good team building games for adults have simple rules, involve everyone at once and never make anyone look silly. Below are 15 team building games and activities for adults: 6 for the office, 4 for outdoors and 5 for the pitch – each with player numbers, timing and props.

Most cost nothing, so they work as team building games for companies at a department meeting, a company trip or a company picnic. One of them – a match in inflatable bubbles – has been our speciality for years, but you can run the other 14 yourselves.

Team building games for adults in the office

1. Two truths and a lie

Each person says three things about themselves – two true and one made up – and the rest guess which one is false. Everyone who guesses right gets a point, and the speaker gets one for each person they fool. It’s the perfect warm-up for a new team, because you learn things that aren’t on anyone’s CV.

Players: 5–20, time: 15–20 min, props: none.

2. Human bingo

Everyone gets a 4 × 4 card with prompts like “has been to Iceland”, “plays an instrument” or “has worked here for over 5 years”. Find people who match the squares and collect their signatures – each person can sign only one square per card. The first to fill a whole row wins.

Players: 15–60, time: 15–20 min, props: printed cards, pens.

3. Silent line-up

The group has to line up by birthday, length of service or commute time – without a word. Gestures, finger-counting and pulling faces are allowed. Then you check the order out loud – the mistakes get plenty of laughs.

Players: 8–30, time: about 10 min, props: none.

4. Back-to-back drawing

Pairs sit back to back. One partner gets a simple picture, e.g. a house with a tree and the sun, and describes it, while the other draws without seeing the original. After a few minutes, swap roles and compare the results – the best lesson in how differently we understand the same instructions.

Players: any number of pairs, time: about 15 min, props: paper, pens, prepared pictures.

5. Spaghetti and marshmallow tower

This is the classic marshmallow challenge: each team gets 20 sticks of spaghetti, a metre of tape, a metre of string and one marshmallow, and has 18 minutes to build the tallest free-standing structure with the marshmallow on top (rules on SessionLab). Afterwards, talk about who planned, who tested and why towers love to collapse in the final minute.

Players: teams of 3–6, time: about 30 min with the debrief, props: as above.

6. Team quiz

Teams of 4–6, a few rounds of 10 questions and a scoreboard on screen. Devote one round to the company – history, numbers and colleagues’ childhood photos to identify. The host reads the questions, teams write their answers and swap sheets for marking after each round.

Players: 12–80, time: 60–90 min, props: questions, answer sheets, a projector or TV.

Outdoor games

7. Photo scavenger hunt

Teams get a list of 15–20 tasks to complete and capture in a photo: “the whole team in mid-air”, “something older than the company”, “recreate a famous album cover”. Each task scores points, and you get 60–90 minutes in total. In Krakow, a route along Bulwary Wiślane (the Vistula Boulevards) or around Kazimierz works well.

Players: teams of 4–6, time: 60–90 min, props: phones and the task list.

8. Hare and hounds

A childhood classic for grown-ups: the first team sets off 15 minutes early and leaves arrows and coded messages, and the second team follows the trail. At the finish there’s “treasure” waiting – e.g. a basket of snacks. It works best in a park or forest and teaches clear communication under time pressure.

Players: 2 teams of 5–15, time: 60–120 min, props: chalk, paper, a simple code.

9. Minefield

Scatter “mines” on the grass: cones, bottles, sheets of paper. One person is blindfolded, and their partner guides them through the field by voice alone, standing outside it. Touch a mine and you go back to the start. With several pairs at once it gets loud – that’s the point: you have to pick out your partner’s voice from the noise.

Players: pairs, time: 20–30 min, props: blindfolds, “mines”.

10. Flip the blanket

The whole team stands on a blanket or tarpaulin. The task: turn the blanket over without anyone’s foot touching the ground. It takes planning, coordination and a bit of closeness, so check first that everyone is comfortable with that.

Players: 6–10 per blanket, time: 10–15 min, props: a blanket or tarpaulin.

Team building games on the pitch

11. Bubble football match (bumper ball)

Football in which every player runs around in an inflatable ball worn like a rucksack – it covers you from head to knees, while your legs stay outside. 10–12 people play at once, so we split bigger groups into teams for a mini tournament. As well as the match, there’s Bubble Sumo, Bubble Bowling, Bulldog, Last Man Standing and rugby – we describe them in our article on bubble football games. For the practical details, see our page on bumper ball for corporate team building in Krakow.

Players: 10–12 at a time, bigger groups in a tournament, time: 1-hour booking (about 45 min of actual play), props: we bring the balls.

12. Two-fire dodgeball

Two teams, each on its own half of the court, and one soft ball. Each team also has one player behind the opponents’ end line – hence the Polish name dwa ognie (“two fires”), because you’re under fire from both sides. A player who gets hit moves behind the opponents’ half and keeps throwing from there, and a caught ball doesn’t count as a hit. Throw below head height only.

Players: 10–24, time: 15–20 min per round, props: a soft ball, a marked-out court.

13. Tug of war

Tie a ribbon round the middle of the rope and mark two lines on the ground, 2 metres either side of the centre. The team that pulls the ribbon over its own line wins. Play on grass in trainers, never wrap the rope round your hands, and balance the teams by strength, not just by numbers.

Players: 2 teams of 4–8, time: 3 rounds of 1–2 min, props: a thick rope, a ribbon.

14. Obstacle relay

Teams take turns on a course: a slalom between cones, carrying an egg on a spoon (hard-boiled – trust us), a throw at a target and a few jumps in a sack. Each stage can be done by a different person, so it’s about assigning roles, not just speed. In the final stage, the whole team passes a hula hoop along while holding hands.

Players: teams of 5–8, time: 20–30 min, props: cones, spoons, eggs, sacks, a hula hoop.

15. Walking football

Football for teams with very mixed fitness levels. We suggest three rules: no running (one foot always on the ground), no contact and the ball no higher than hip height. Play 2 × 10 minutes on a small pitch – a good choice when your team includes people who haven’t run since school.

Players: 2 teams of 5–7, time: 2 × 10 min, props: a ball, small goals or cones.

How to choose team building games for adults that suit your team

• Start with light games. Two truths and a lie or the silent line-up break the ice before it’s time for competition.
• Mix the types. One game for the brain, one for movement, one for cooperation – that way everyone gets their moment.
• Taking part is always voluntary. People who don’t want to play can referee, keep score or take photos.
• Five minutes of talk after the game. What worked, who took the lead, what you take back to work – a debrief like this turns a game into team building. We cover that difference in our article on what team building is and how it differs from a company party.
• Safety first. Warm up before games on the pitch, keep water to hand and don’t play in full sun at midday. Alcohol – only after the games.

Prefer a ready-made activity for the whole team instead of games? See our list of team building ideas in Krakow.

Sample afternoon plan for 30 people

• Silent line-up (10 min) – to warm up and share the first laugh.
• Spaghetti and marshmallow tower (30 min with the debrief) – six teams of 5.
• Break for water and getting changed (15 min).
• Bubble football mini tournament (1 hour, though with 30 people 1.5 hours is better) – groups of 10 take turns on the pitch.
• A five-minute wrap-up and a group photo.

The whole thing takes about 2–2.5 hours and combines brainwork, movement and cooperation.

How to run the games so nobody feels awkward

• Explain the rules in a minute and demonstrate them, ideally with a volunteer.
• Go first: a host who shares their own “two truths and a lie” encourages everyone else.
• Watch the clock – better to end a game at peak laughter than drag it out.
• Keep prizes symbolic: first place in the food queue or the right to choose the music is plenty.

Frequently asked questions

What team building games need no props?

Without any preparation you can play charades, two truths and a lie or the silent line-up. All you need is a group and a host who keeps an eye on the time.

How long should team building games take?

For an office meeting, 30–45 minutes and 2–3 games is enough. For a company trip or sports day, plan a 2–3-hour block with a break for food.

Do team building games work for remote teams?

Yes – a quiz, two truths and a lie or drawing from a description also work on a video call. Save the active games for when you meet in person.

How tall do you have to be to play bubble football?

Our 1.5 m balls are for players from about 150 cm tall, and the two large 1.7 m balls for players from about 180 cm. The maximum player weight is 100 kg.