Whether it's a scorching summer day, a chilly winter afternoon, or a rainy autumn evening, team building doesn't have to wait for the perfect weather. We've curated a list of 15 engaging indoor activities that transcend seasons, designed to foster teamwork, communication, and a whole lot of fun.
From creative challenges to collaborative games, these activities are perfect for bringing your team together, no matter the weather outside.
1. Board game tournament
Organizing a board game tournament in the office is a fantastic way to promote teamwork, communication, and friendly competition. You can establish a tournament schedule that fits the office routine or hold matches during lunch breaks. You could also block an entire day and have it as a dedicated team-building activity.
You can play Codenames or Pictionary to improve communication or try Pandemic or Risk to promote collaboration. Even classic games like Battleship or Monopoly could be a great way to create an inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone.
2. Human chess
Why settle for a regular chessboard if you could make the game life-sized? Stick white and black square pieces of paper across an open area in your building and assign team members parts they can play in the chess game.
You can use name tags and label each member as the queen or a pawn or ask them to come in costumes to make it even more fun and Instagram-worthy. Then, have one member from each team be the player who moves the pieces around.
Looking for inspiration on how to conduct a human chess game? Here’s a look at how the game was done in 1959 at the University of Detroit: Human Chess Game
3. Indoor cook-off or bake-off
An indoor cook-off or bake-off doesn’t just show which team members have culinary genius; it’s also a great way to have fun and bring out your competitive side as a team. You can have different teams compete or pair up team members from the same team. You can even mix individuals from different departments to encourage cross-functional collaboration.
Consider a single theme for the cook-off to make it easier for teams to pick their dishes. You could focus on a single cuisine, for example, or a specific ingredient. The best thing about this? You get to end the activity by sitting together as a team and enjoying the different dishes prepared.
Here’s a detailed guide by teambuilding.com on how to facilitate an office cook-off: Cook-Off Ideas
4. Team meal
Organizing a team dinner or team lunch is easier if you’d rather buy your meals instead of cooking them yourselves. You can order food and have it delivered to the office or go to a popular restaurant as a team.
Some of the best conversations happen over the dining table, which helps foster genuine connections. Team dinners or lunches also break workday routines, which help refresh minds, reduce stress, and create a positive atmosphere.
5. Wine or beer tasting
Like a team meal, a few hours of wine or beer tasting is a great way to gather as a team in a relaxed environment and have fun. Find a brewery or a bar near you that offers craft beers, or visit a local wine connoisseur who can guide you through a wine-tasting activity.
These activities naturally encourage social interaction where team members can engage in casual conversations and have fun together. You can even make it more interesting by attending blind tastings where team members can sample a drink without knowing what it is. Team members can then guess what they drank based on the discussion about each drink's characteristics.
6. Indoor scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts should always be part of your team-building list, even when it’s indoors. The great thing about scavenger hunts is that they’re easy to organize, even if you’re doing it in your office.
You can choose a theme, such as “things around the office that start with a P” or “things that your manager uses at least thrice a day.” Or, you can just come up with a random list of items.
To make things even more interesting, try an app like Emoji Scavenger Hunt and see which team member finds the items corresponding to each emoji the fastest.
7. Team activity board
Setting up a team activity board promotes a positive and enjoyable work atmosphere. Instead of being a one-time activity, it also fosters team building over a more extended time period.
What should you place on the activity board? Anything! Here are a few ideas to keep it interesting:
- Tic-Tac-Toe: Place a grid where team members can play tic-tac-toe. Anybody can add a cross or a circle each time they pass the board. Have a list of names on one side of the board where people can tally how many times they ended the game with a win.
- Community Doodle: Place colorful markers near the board and ask everyone to contribute a stroke or two each time they pass the board to form one big doodle.
- Favor Board: Let team members leave post-its where they write favors like, “Please buy me a coffee” or “Please give me color scheme ideas for my next presentation.” Other team members can then complete those favors.
- Gratitude Board: Ask team members to say thank you to team members they appreciate through sticky notes on the board. It could be for a favor someone did for them or just being a supportive team member.
You can change activity every month to add some variety. These activities contribute to a positive team culture, serving as a constant reminder of how each team member can impact the entire group.
Here are other board ideas that you can do at the office: Office Bulletin Board Ideas
8. Murder mystery
Who has the makings of being a master detective? A murder mystery party could help you find out.
You can purchase murder mystery kits online from My Mystery Party or Night of Mystery. Each team member will be assigned a character to play. You should also assign a facilitator who guides team members through the story. If you’d rather have someone outside the team hosting the party, contact The Murder Mystery Co. and have them plan and implement everything for you.
Here are some photos from murdermystery.com.au to inspire you on how to plan your own office murder mystery party: Murder Mystery Party
9. Trivia night
Hosting trivia nights at work provides an entertaining break from daily routines. Plus, trivia nights are easy to pull off — just choose a host for the night, ask tricky trivia questions, and you’re ready for a few hours of fun!
To make trivia nights more interesting, you can pick specific themes. How about asking retro-themed trivia questions or holding a pop culture trivia night? To make it more fun, you could also ask participants to dress up based on the theme.
10. Movie night
A trip to the cinema is a great way to relax and clear your mind of work-related stress. Check out what’s topping the box office and invite the team to watch it.
No good flicks showing at the cinemas? Then have your own movie night in the office! Pick a movie or two from Netflix or any other streaming platform and grab some popcorn to share with the entire team.
Here are some fun movie night ideas that could help you make this activity more memorable: Office Movie Nights
11. Escape room
Want to help the team hone their collaboration and problem-solving skills? Solving an escape room challenge could be the right team-building activity for you.
Escape rooms come with different plots and challenges, with varying levels of difficulty. This means that if you find one room too easy, you’ve got more rooms to explore. You could also have the activity done in your office, with someone like Adventure Games Inc. facilitating the session.
Here’s a feature you could watch to find out more about how escape rooms work:
12. Wellness sessions
Wellness sessions are excellent team-building activities because they focus on the overall well-being of team members, fostering a positive and healthy work environment. They demonstrate a commitment to creating a workplace that values employees' physical and mental health.
Some examples of wellness sessions you can do indoors include:
- Group yoga
- Group meditation
- Fitness classes
- Stress reduction workshops
- Mental health seminars
Remember to tailor wellness activities to your team's preferences and comfort levels. The goal is to create a positive and inclusive environment where team members can collectively focus on their well-being.
13. Indoor charity activities
Indoor charity activities provide an opportunity for teams to make a positive impact on the community. A survey showed that 70% of employees feel their morale is boosted more when participating in charitable causes than when they have happy hours.
Here are some indoor charity activities that your team can try:
- Charity bike buildathon
- Working with a local food bank
- Tutoring students at a nearby public school
- Assembling gift packs for foster children
- Donating supplies to underfunded schools
Choose activities that align with your team's interests and your community's local needs. These indoor charity activities build teamwork and foster a sense of purpose and fulfillment among team members.
You could also watch this video to see how a charity bike buildathon is done:
14. Gameshow extravaganza
Imagine the adrenaline rush of solving puzzles, answering questions, and completing other challenges before your opponent. These things make game shows fun and exciting — something you can experience in your workplace!
Feet First Events hosts Gameshow Extravaganza, a team-building activity that lets you experience playing games like Family Feud, Jeopardy, and Minute to Win It. But if you can make your own props and create your own game show, then you could go the DIY route and come up with your version of these game shows, too.
Here are some great ideas from Team Bonding that could help you come up with your own office game show event: Game Show Ideas for Work
15. Dance classes
So, you think you can dance? Attending dance classes as a team can show you who has the best moves! Diva Dance Company conducts dance classes for team-building events, giving your team quite a workout while you move together as one.
Not interested in a hosted class? Then you can hold a dance party instead! Bring a speaker to the office pantry, play your favorite dance playlist on Spotify, and let everyone shake the stress away.
BONUS: Virtual Team Activities
Aside from indoor team-building activities, you could also hold virtual team-building events if you’re worried about the weather. It also allows you to bond with team members working remotely, making the activity more inclusive.
Some examples of virtual team-building activities you can have include:
- Online birthday parties
- Virtual murder mystery
- Virtual escape room
- Charades
- Remote work bingo
- Virtual book club
- Online trivia nights
Virtual coffee chats are also an awesome way to connect with other team members and build stronger bonds. When team members spend some time drinking coffee, they are given a relaxed space where they can talk about anything outside work-related topics.
Platforms like CoffeePals make it easier to hold these virtual conversations. In addition to virtual coffee chats, you can use the Coffee Marker feature, which could serve as a great team-building tool.
Add CoffeePals to Microsoft Teams now to learn how its features can help your team build better relationships.
