19 Indoor Team Building Ideas and Activities

Here is our list of best indoor team building ideas and activities.

Indoor team building ideas activities are fun games and events that employees can engage in inside. Examples include Tea Parties, Life-Size Board Game, and Office Zen Garden. The purpose of these exercises is to foster friendships among teammates and create a happy work environment where employees can be themselves.

Indoor team building games are the opposite of outdoor team building games. These activities are similar to small group team building exercises, free virtual team building activities, and fun workplace team building ideas.

This list includes:

• indoor team building activities
• games to play indoors with teams
• indoor team bonding games

Here we go!

List of indoor team building ideas and activities

From Stacking Foam Blocks to Scavenger Hunts to Customized Board Games, here is our list of the best indoor ideas and activities for small and large group team building.

1. Tea Party

Tea parties are a fun and engaging activity that colleagues can do indoors when the weather is bad.

To organize this activity:

1. Choose a theme for the event. Examples include a vintage tea party, a fairytale tea party, or an Alice in Wonderland tea party.
2. Encourage participants to dress according to the chosen theme.
3. Provide small snacks, like finger sandwiches and scones.
4. Colleagues will enjoy a fresh cup of tea as they sit and chat.

This activity is an amazing way to ease stress and encourage participants to take care of their physical and mental needs.

2. Match Game

In this game, colleagues guess common answers to work-related questions.

Here is how to organize the game:

1. Create sentences with blanks, like “Jerry forgot his travel documents on his way to the airport and __________ home to get them.”
2. Choose two contestants, and all the other players are celebrity panelists.
3. Provide mini whiteboards and markers to all team members.
4. The host shares a sentence, and all participants write their answers on whiteboards.
5. The two contestants reveal their answers, and then celebrity panelists share theirs.
6. Contestants get a point for each matching answer with a panelist.
7. The contestant with the most points wins!
8. Rotate contestants and panelists after each round.

This nostalgic game fosters team unity and creates a fun work atmosphere.

3. Cryptic Code

In the cryptic code challenge, teams work together to solve secret messages or puzzles.

Here is how to host this activity:

1. Create a set of secret messages, puzzles, and clues. Optionally, have each answer lead to the next clue.
2. Split players into teams.
3. Teams will compete to solve their puzzles.
4. Whichever team cracks the code first wins!

This activity is like solving a mystery using hidden clues and clever thinking.

4. Reverse Brainstorming Session

In a Reverse Brainstorming Session, instead of coming up with solutions to a problem, teams focus on creating problems. This exercise might sound counterintuitive, but it helps teams think of all the wrong or tricky parts of a project before they happen.

Here is how to run this activity:

1. Choose a project to discuss.
2. Group teams up to come up with as many possible issues with the project as they can.
3. Bring the group back together to share their ideas.
4. Write down which issues seem most likely, then work together to try to solve them.

This activity helps teams see challenges from a different angle and sparks new and unexpected ideas.

Check out this reverse brainstorming session template.

5. Life-Size Board Game

Life-Size Board Game turns your office into a giant board game! In this activity, teams move around spaces just like game pieces, but the spaces represent challenges or tasks they need to complete.

Here is how to run this exercise:

1. Create a game that will fit into your office space.
2. Set up decorations, like game squares on the floor or obstacles to move around.
3. Game spaces should represent activities or challenges players need to complete.
4. Players can roll dice to decide how far to move along the board.
5. Participants complete each activity to progress.
6. Whichever player reaches the end first wins!

This activity helps teams be more active while spending time indoors.

6. Office Design Showdown

The Office Design Showdown is a fun, creative competition. Teams compete to come up with the best ideas for redesigning a part of the office space.

Here is how to play:

1. Collect unusual materials for decoration, like tin foil or wrapping paper.
2. Group players into teams.
3. Give each team a section of the office to decorate with unconventional materials.
4. A judge will decide which part of the office looks the best.
5. The winning team gets a prize!

Teams can become interior designers for the day with Office Design Showdown.

7. Collaborative Songwriting

Collaborative Songwriting is a cool activity where colleagues team up to create awesome songs together.

Here is how to do this exercise:

1. Team members bring in their guitars, keyboards, and whatever else makes music. Folks could even bring a rubber band to twang!
2. Participants form groups, mixing different sounds and styles.
3. Each team writes lyrics that stick to a chosen theme.
4. Teams then perform their songs.
5. A group of judges listens carefully, checking out how well the lyrics and music fit together.
6. The team that makes the best song takes home the title of Songwriting Champs!

In Collaborative Songwriting, teams turn individual notes into a group masterpiece. This activity is all about making great music together!

This beginner’s guide to songwriting can get you started.

8. The Unseen Collaborative Canvas

The Unseen Collaborative Canvas is a mystery artistic adventure!

Here is how to host this experience:

1. Give participants tiny canvases and paints.
2. Ask folks to make a painting based on a specific theme.
3. Be sure to place participants at a distance so they cannot see each other’s work.
4. When each painting is finished, collect them all and assemble them into one large artwork.
5. Optionally, hang the pieces in your office.

When all the pieces come together, you reveal a surprising and collaborative work of art.

9. Escape Room Deck of Cards

In the Escape Room Deck of Cards, teams draw cards representing a different challenge or puzzle.

Here is how to do this activity:

1. Create a custom deck of cards featuring challenges instead of numbers.
2. Mix up the deck, and have players draw a hand.
3. Folks must complete the tasks on each card.
4. The player who finishes their activities first wins!

Players must use creativity, speed, and problem-solving skills to escape the room successfully.

10. Office Zen Garden

Creating an Office Zen Garden brings a peaceful corner into your workspace. Teams work together to design and build a small, calming garden.

Here is how to plan this exercise:

1. Gather some zen garden materials, like sand, rocks, and tiny plants.
2. Choose a dedicated place in your office for a zen garden, like an outdoor patio.
3. Work together to create a calming corner.
4. Leave a rake by the sand so any employee can come by and make designs in the sand.

The goal is to create a space where all team members can take a moment to relax and feel refreshed. Plus, this exercise makes the office look nice!

11. The Floor is Lava

The Floor is Lava is one of the best indoor team building games without materials because it keeps workers active and creates a fun work environment.

To organize this activity:

1. An employee will randomly shout, “The floor is lava!”
2. Employees have five seconds to get both feet off the ground.
3. Players can climb on chairs or tables or simply sit and raise their feet off the floor.
4. Teammates who do not find a place to sit or climb within the given time will get removed from the game.
5. The game will continue in this manner for several rounds.

This game is a fun icebreaker activity because it is spontaneous and requires little to no planning. Additionally, this game promotes laughter, which helps create a fun and balanced work culture.

12. Video Gaming Tournament

Video Gaming Tournaments are one of the best games to play indoors with teams. These games allow employees to compete against each other in a variety of popular video games, like League of Legends, Fortnite, and FIFA.

To organize this activity:

1. Set up a gaming station with a large screen and multiple game consoles.
2. Choose a game that employees will enjoy playing.
3. Split the players into teams, and each team will nominate a player for each round.
4. Players will compete in different rounds until one team wins.
5. The team with the most victories wins the tournament.

Video games are one of the best ways to keep employees engaged and entertained. Players can cheer their teammates on to make this game more fun and exciting.

13. Keep the Balloons Up

Keep the Balloons Up is among the best indoor team building activities for high school students because it allows students to connect.

To organize this activity:

1. Blow up several balloons and scatter them on the floor.
2. Split the players into different teams.
3. Set a timer for 60 seconds.
4. The first team will try to keep the balloons in the air for the whole time.
5. If one balloon touches the ground, then the team loses and will be removed from the game.
6. The next team will take a turn, and the game will continue in this manner until every team gets to play.

All team members must participate actively to increase the teams’ chances of winning. This game is a great way to promote team cohesion and collaboration.

14. Foam Block Stacking

Foam Block Stacking is one of the most interesting indoor team bonding games because it challenges players to think critically.

To organize this activity:

1. Buy foam block sets online.
2. Arrange three foam blocks side by side.
3. Split the players into teams of two to three.
4. The first team will choose a player to add one block to the stack in any manner. If the block falls, then the player is out of the game.
5. The next team will nominate a player to add another foam block to the stack.
6. Each team will continue to add to the stack until a player knocks the whole structure over.

This game is a great way to promote a collaborative workforce and keep employees engaged indoors.

Get your foam block set.

15. Jenga

Jenga is a stacking game made of 54 blocks. In this game, players will test their strategic and observatory skills.

To organize this activity:

1. Arrange the Jenga tower on a stable platform.
2. Players will take turns removing one block from the structure and adding it to the top of the tower.
3. The game will continue in this manner until the tower becomes progressively unstable.
4. The player who topples the tower loses.

This activity is a great way to teach employees to think carefully before taking action. Players will also learn to observe before making any move.

16. Shark Tank

Shark Tank is a fun activity where employees develop different product ideas and try to pitch them to potential investors. This activity is a great way to encourage employees to develop novel ideas that may benefit the company’s growth.

To organize this activity:

1. Nominate three to four team members to play the role of investors.
2. Split the participants into teams of three to four members.
3. Give the teammates ten to 20 minutes to develop a unique product idea.
4. The teams will then present their products and pitch their ideas to the investors.
5. The investors will review each idea and choose the best one.

To make this activity even more engaging, you can make it related to a specific project or assignment within your organization. For example, you may ask teammates to develop an idea to help your business make at least an extra 20 percent increase in sales.

17. Sound Effect Charades

Sound Effect Charades is a fun and interactive game. Participants use sounds instead of words to share a specific message or idea. In this game, players take turns creating various sounds, such as animal noises, machine sounds, or everyday noises, without speaking.

Here is how to host this game:

1. Make a list of secret words for players to act out.
2. Split players into two teams, and choose a player from team one to act out a secret word.
3. The player will use only sounds to act out the word.
4. Team one will guess the secret word.
5. If team one is correct, then they get a point. If not, then the opposing team gets a chance to guess.
6. Gameplay will switch between teams until the game is over.
7. The team with the most points wins!

This game is a lively and entertaining way to encourage communication and creativity without relying on language. Sound Effect Charades is the perfect addition to a casual social setting or as a team building activity.

18. Customized Board Game Rules

Board Games are one of the best indoor activities for employees because they are easy to play and do not require too many resources to organize. To make the games more engaging, try making up your own rules!

To organize this activity:

1. Choose any board game that teammates may be interested in. Some great ideas are Scrabble, chess, and checkers.
2. Use the pieces, boards, and cards to create new rules. For instance, teams could change the way chess pieces move.
3. Players could also mix the pieces from different games up, like using Candy Land pieces during Monopoly.
4. Play the games with your new rules.
5. Award prizes to winners!

Board games are fun and engaging games that promote strategic thinking. These games are also a great way for teams to spend time indoors during harsh weather or rainy days.

Here are some other board game ideas for work.

19. Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger Hunts are exciting team building games that emphasize speed and punctuality.

To organize this indoor activity:

1. Make a list of items like a colleague’s favorite mug, a picture frame, and a water bottle.
2. Hide these items around the office.
3. Give the list to players and set a 60-second timer for each item.
4. Players find and show off items before the timer runs out.
5. Repeat with new items, giving participants a total of 30 minutes.
6. Players with the most amount of found items win!

Enhance the game by listing items hidden in plain sight, like a “blue office pin.” This interactive challenge promotes teamwork and quick thinking, making it an ideal team building exercise.

Check out this list of virtual scavenger hunt ideas.

Conclusion

Indoor team building ideas and activities are fun events that employees can engage in within the office or empty room. Colleagues can participate in these games before meetings, after work, or on days with bad weather preventing workers from moving outdoors. These activities include icebreaker activities, tournaments, and other fun challenges that help build a collaborative and cohesive workforce.

Next up, check out these articles on virtual team building activities, team building tips, and awesome free team building activities.