Human Knot? Knot here! ❌
Here’s 5 icebreaker and team building games you’ve probably never heard of.
There’s only so many times you can attempt the human knot before it gets a bit repetitive and the challenge that makes it so valuable as an ice breaker or team building game is lost in the mess of twisted arms and legs. But that doesn’t mean you should stop doing these ice breaker and team building tasks!
These tasks can take a group of nervous strangers and turn them into a well-oiled machine, or take a group of old friends and highlight the ways they can support each other better, bringing out both their strengths and weaknesses as a team.
So, what could you try if the human knot isn’t sparking your inspiration anymore? We’ve got five fun filled challenges you’ve probably never heard of that are perfect for getting your group meshing well together, keep reading to learn more!
Would You Like To Buy My Donkey?
Puzzle
Master
Broken Masterpiece
Architects
Treasure
Hunter
Would You Like to Buy My Donkey?
This game is best done with those who are already familiar with each other as it is a very outgoing game so wouldn’t perform well with a group of nervous strangers. For this game, get everyone who is participating to stand in a circle. Select two participants to start the game (or use yourself and another group leader as the ‘example’).
Participant 1 will be playing the role of ‘donkey salesman’, participant 2 will be playing the role of ‘the donkey’. Together, this pair should approach someone standing in the circle. The donkey salesman should then say the following line;
“Would you like to buy my donkey? (donkey’s name) can (blank)!”
The (blank) should be replaced with an appropriate topic (e.g. do a great impression of Elvis, can sing opera music, can act like a seal, etc.) The participant acting as ‘the donkey’ should then preform whatever statement has been said.
Should the participant standing in the circle smile or laugh, they are now the donkey! The donkey salesman shall join the circle, and the previous donkey shall become the donkey salesman.
If the donkey salesman fails to make the participant laugh or smile, they must move to a new participant in the circle and try again.
Repeat until 1. You feel enough rounds have passed or 2. Every participant has been the donkey.
Puzzle Master
This game can be run in two different ways, either competitively or cooperatively.
You will also need blindfolds; the amount will depend on which version of the game you choose to play.
Competitive:
For this game you will need a simply puzzle for each team (ideally the same puzzle to keep it fair for all participants) as well as blindfolds for the number of players you choose to have blindfolded (e.g. 1 per team, 2 per team, etc.) Start by spitting your group into teams. Instruct each team to elect X amount of people to be blindfolded (you choose – a minimum of 1 person must remain without a blindfold. We recommend no more than half of each team should be blindfolded)
Give each team a puzzle (unsolved and mixed). Instruct your participants that on the word ‘go’ they will work together to complete the puzzle. Those blindfolded are the only participants allowed to touch the puzzle. The remaining participants can only offer verbal instructions.
You can 1. Run this game until one team has completed the full puzzle, or 2. Run this game for a set amount of time and see which team can complete the highest percentage of the puzzle.
Cooperative:
For a more focused team building and communication challenge, run this game as a cooperative task. Blindfold however many participants you choose (we recommend no more than half of the group should be blindfolded). Give the blindfolded participants the mixed puzzle pieces and explain to the group that they must use their communication skills to help the blindfolded participants solve the puzzle.
Those blindfolded are the only participants allowed to touch the puzzle. The remaining participants can only offer verbal instructions.
Broken Masterpiece
This is a variation on the common ice breaker/team building game ‘Telephone’. You will need a piece of paper and a pen/pencil for each team as well as one for yourself.
Create a simple drawing without showing your participants, this will be the masterpiece they are trying to recreate as teams.
Split your participants into teams (minimum 4 per team recommended for maximum challenge and fun) Instruct your participants to elect one person as their ‘artist’ (no actual talent required). Give each artist a paper and pen/pencil.
Get your teams in a line, with the artist at the farthest end from the original masterpiece. Stand facing away from the teams, or place the original masterpiece in a location where the teams or artists cannot see it.
The first person in the line should walk/run to the original masterpiece, take a moment to observe the details, before returning to the line and relaying the information they saw to the next person in line (whispering only!). The second person should then turn and whisper the instructions to the third person and so on and so forth till it reaches the artist who will then attempt to draw the instructions on their piece of paper.
The first person in line is the only one who can see the original masterpiece, and the last person in line is the only one who can speak to the artist. The artist should ideally not show the copied masterpiece to their team to avoid cheating.
Repeat the process until either 1. You feel they’ve had enough chances to view the original masterpiece, or 2. The teams believe they have copied it entirely.
Reveal the copied masterpieces and see which team communicated the best!
Architects
For this game, you will need enough ice Lollie or chop sticks for each member of your group to have 1, as well as enough building blocks, cups, or something else that can be stacked for each of your teams plus your own structure.
Start by creating a structure with some of the stackable items, ideally not a standard pyramid shape to add extra challenge! This is the structure your participants will be copying. Split your group into small teams (recommended no more than 5 per team), and give each participant 1 stick. Give each team the number of stackable items they would need to recreate your structure.
Instruct your participants that on the word ‘go’ they will work together to recreate your structure. They can only touch the stackable items with their stick. If they think they’ve matched the structure they must all raise their hands to indicate they have completed it. The first team to correctly built the structure, wins! For an extra challenge, add in new rules such as 1. Players cannot speak, 2. Half the players are blindfolded, or 3. All sticks must be touching the stackable item while it is moving (i.e. They cannot work on separate parts of the structure at the same time).
Treasure Hunter
This game is great for groups that have only just met and are still getting to know each other and is also ideal for groups wanting a calmer game, or a game that can be played over a longer period.
Start by creating a list of things that may be found in someone’s pocket. Think of common items, as well as random or specific items to add some challenge to the game. The number of items in your list will depend on how long you’d like the game to last and how many participants you have in your group we recommend a minimum of 10-15 items. Here’s 5 ideas to get your inspiration going;
- Find a house key
- Find a tube of lipstick
- Find something blue
- Find a food receipt
- Find something pointy
Give each of your participants a copy of the list and instruct them to find someone who has the item in their pocket. If they find someone, they should write the person’s name beside the item. They cannot list themselves if they have it in their own pocket! They also cannot list the same item for more than one option (e.g. using the ideas above, they couldn’t use a house key for something pointy as well)
For an extra challenge, or to encourage more conversations between your participants, add in Wild Card options such as;
- Find something with a funny backstory
- Find something treasured
- Find something from someone’s childhood
- Find something from someone’s career
You can choose to 1. Have this game run for a short time (e.g. 10 minutes) and see how many they can find in a short time span or 2. Have this game run over the course of your event or over the course of the day and see who can complete the full list by the end.
We hope these fun, unique games will add some spice to your life as a group leader and allow you to unlock your guests full potential!
Head on over to our special offers page to snag yourself a fantastic deal for your next team building event or contact us today to get your next visit in the calendar!