6 Five-Minute Team Building Activities for Instant Bonding

In the fast-paced whirlwind of the 9-5, the pursuit of remote team bonding can often feel like it requires elaborate plans and meticulously orchestrated team building events. And yes, while those have a huge impact on teams, we overlook the brief and seemingly inconsequential moments that hold potential for a quick team building activity.

Sometimes it's the genuine laughter over a shared joke, reflection sharing during a brief coffee break, or the collective celebration of victories and milestones at the start of a meeting that cultivates the strongest bonds among teammates.

Let's explore six quick and effortless, yet immensely impactful five-minute icebreaker activities designed to improve team morale, company culture, and employee engagement.

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Kick off your virtual meetings with these quick team building games and activities:

Note: These activities may take longer than 5 minutes if you're playing with large groups of six or more people. To minimize the time it takes to share responses, encourage participants to drop their answers in the chat box, rather than discussing aloud. For teams with more than 6 people, visit our Large Groups collection.

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1. One-word check-in 🙋

A one-word check-in is a great team building exercise to start your team meetings. To play this icebreaker, simply go around the room and have everyone present give a one-word summation of how they're feeling in the present moment. For instance, "Energized," "Focused," "Curious," "Challenged," or any other relevant word.

As each person shares their word, encourage active listening. Participants should pay attention to others' words without interrupting or commenting. Once everyone has shared their word, you might choose to reflect on common themes, ask individuals why they chose that word if they feel comfortable sharing, or simply move forward with the main agenda.

Remember, the goal of this activity is to provide a quick and succinct way for individuals to express themselves, fostering an atmosphere of openness, team bonding, and a sense of belonging within the group.

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2. Desert Island 🏝

"Desert Island" is an easy, thought-provoking game that encourages participants to think critically about their preferences and priorities. The game involves imagining being stranded on a desert island and choosing a limited number of items or categories to have with them for survival or entertainment. Here's how you can play:

Set the scene by explaining to the participants that they are stranded on a desert island with limited resources. They have the opportunity to choose a certain number of items or categories to have with them for survival or enjoyment.

Define the rules of the game. For instance, participants may be limited to a specific number of items they can choose (e.g., five items) or categories they can select from (e.g., books, movies, food, tools, etc.).

Depending on the group's preferences or the purpose of the game, select categories or specific items that participants must choose from. For example:

• Entertainment: One book, one movie, one musical instrument, etc.
• Survival: One food item, one tool, one piece of clothing, etc.
• Miscellaneous: Anything they desire within a certain category limit.

Allow each participant to take turns announcing their choices based on the predetermined categories or items. They should justify their selections by explaining why they chose those particular things.

Depending on the group's dynamics and interests, you can modify the rules or categories and introduce twists, such as limiting the total number of selections for the entire group or incorporating fantasy elements.

This game promotes critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills. It also provides insights into the preferences and priorities of the participants, fostering discussions and bonding among the whole team.

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3. The Name Game 👋

This is a fun game you can play at your team meetings to introduce new team members in the mix. Here's how it works:

• To begin, each person picks a unique gesture that represents or embodies their name. This gesture could be anything from mimicking the first letter of their name in sign language to creating a distinctive movement or action that reflects their personality. For instance, someone named "Sarah" might draw an "S" shape in the air with their finger, while another individual named "Alex" might mimic holding an imaginary book due to their love for reading.
• Once everyone has chosen their personalized name gesture, the game commences by one person initiating the activity. They perform their own name gesture, followed by the chosen gesture of another participant in the group.
• The game progresses with the rapid exchange of name signs, fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie and amusement as participants try to remember and mimic the various gestures associated with each name.

This activity not only encourages quick thinking and attentiveness but also helps new hires commit names to memory. Try going faster and the laughs will surely follow!

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4. This or That ⚖️

"This or That" is a simple game where participants are presented with two options, and they have to choose between the provided choices. It's a quick icebreaker that encourages team members to make quick decisions based on their preferences. Here's how you play:

Introduce the game by explaining that participants will be presented with pairs of options, and they have to quickly choose one of the two options provided.

Create a list of options or questions that offer two distinct choices. These options can be about preferences, scenarios, hypothetical situations, favorites, and more. For example:

• Coffee or tea? ☕🫖
• Beach vacation or mountain getaway? 🏖️⛰️
• Pizza or burgers? 🍕🍔
• Morning person or night owl? ☀️🌛
• Reading a book or watching a movie? 📚🎥
• Summer or winter? ☀️❄️
• Cats or dogs? 😻🐶
• Sweet or savory? 🍫🧂

One person can lead the game by presenting the pairs to one person at a time, or the other team members as a whole. (If you're playing in a physical space with the entire team, you can encourage participants to move to different sides of the room to represent their answers. This is a fun way to visually see the way the group leans.)

The game is meant to be lighthearted and fun. It's an excellent way to break the ice, get to know each other's preferences, and encourage connection among participants.

Remember, the goal of "This or That" is not to create stress but to prompt quick decision-making based on personal preferences. It's a versatile game that can be adapted to suit the interests and dynamics of different groups, making it great for repeat play!

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5. Draw your mood ✏️

"Draw Your Mood" is an artful activity that encourages your team's creativity as they visually represent their current mood or emotions through drawing. Here's how you can conduct this activity:

1. Explain the purpose of the activity to the participants. Let them know that they'll be drawing their current mood or emotions, in whatever way that manifests for them.
2. Distribute paper, markers, colored pencils, or any drawing materials you have available to each participant. Alternatively, if you're conducting this virtually, participants can use digital drawing apps or tools.
3. Give everyone anywhere from 2-4 minutes, depending on the group size so there's time for sharing.
4. Encourage your team to use colors, shapes, symbols, or any artistic elements to represent how they're feeling.
5. After the drawing time is up, each person can briefly explain their drawing, describing what the elements represent and why they chose to portray their mood in that way.

This icebreaker helps create a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere by allowing participants to engage in a non-verbal form of communication. It promotes creativity, self-expression, and empathy among group members.

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6. Two Truths and a Lie ❓

Two Truths and a Lie is a quick game that encourages participants to share intriguing facts about themselves while challenging others to distinguish fact from fiction. One team member at a time takes turns sharing three statements about themselves: two being true, while one is entirely fabricated. The objective is for others to decide which statement is the lie.

The listeners then engage in discussion or questioning to uncover more details or context about each statement. Afterward, the group collectively deliberates or votes on which of the three statements they believe to be the lie. Once everyone has guessed, the person reveals which statement was indeed false. This game not only fosters interaction and curiosity among participants but also allows for intriguing revelations about each other, making it an engaging and entertaining way to get to know one another.

How to get started 👉 If you’d like to enjoy a longer version of this classic icebreaker, let one of our lively Confetti hosts run a game of Two Truths and a Lie for you!

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Use quick virtual team building activities for a winning team spirit 🎊

Quick games and icebreakers are a great way to build connections amongst small groups of your employees and add a moment of connection to your next team meeting!

If you're looking for more quick activities for virtual teams, check out Confetti's 30 Mins or Less collection. For help planning your team bonding games, contact [email protected] today!