100+ Team Building Exercises For Workplace: Best & Worst Options (2026)
Written by:
Eli Robinson
Updated:
November 6, 2025
A few months ago, I got a call from a marketing director planning a 2026 offsite.
She was exhausted before the event even began.
I could hear it in her voice.
Her last team day involved “collaborative yoga” and half the room refused to participate.
Can you blame them?
I have no idea what “collaborative” means in this context.
It’s nonsense! “Collaborative yoga” sounds like something ChatGPT would suggest as a good team building exercise for the workplace.
In fact, that’s where she got the idea from.
Anyway, her request to me was simple. “I want a team building exercise that’ll actually deliver the goods.”
Challenge accepted!
First of all, I told her what to avoid when looking at team building exercises for the workplace.
Team Building Exercises Workplace Leaders Should Retire
Sure, some of this comes down to execution. However, in my experience, these are the team building activities that sound good during planning but collapse when real humans show up:
The “tell your most embarrassing story” routine.
The “who’s the baby?” slideshow.
Group karaoke disguised as confidence-building.
Office-wide talent shows. C’mon now!
Roleplay games with ridiculous corporate jargon.
Personality quizzes that assign spirit animals.
Forced applause rounds for presentations.
Group breathing exercises with music.
Scavenger hunts that take longer to organize than to play.
“Fun fact about yourself” introductions. Please!
Anything involving costumes before 10am.
I think we’ve all collectively had enough of these.
Why don’t these activities work?
It’s simple, really...
They feel forced.
This isn’t how people actually connect.
When we’ve interviewed employees about what they want in team building activities, we are told they want something playful that respects their time and boundaries.
We don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. No try-hard energy necessary.
Why Water Cooler Trivia Works When Nothing Else Does
Now let’s get into what works.
I run the team behind Water Cooler Trivia, and I’ve spent years watching companies rediscover how to laugh together.
Yes, trivia is simple, yet it hits every cultural pressure point teams need to relax, talk, and connect again. It works on multiple levels.
Here’s How It Works
Every week, your team receives a short quiz in Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email.
Team members answer questions when it suits them.
Once the quiz closes, results appear automatically with commentary and scores.
That’s it. You get 10 minutes of engagement that ripple through the week.
Why It Works So Well (1,200+ Groups Play Weekly)
That’s not a typo! We actually have over a thousand groups playing Water Cooler Trivia weekly.
Trivia invites participation and it never feels performative.
Everyone can join in without forcing anyone to reveal something personal.
You can suggest trivia topics to us, and our trivia nerds will begin working on handwritten trivia questions.
The competitive employees will lean in naturally, but it’s the quieter ones who get a space to shine.
I love hearing from team leaders who share how quiz questions sparked conversations between employees who hadn’t really interacted before.
Sometimes, you just need the right spark. And no, it’s not “collaborative yoga”!
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