Looking to host an employee appreciation day and want to spice up the event with some team building exercises, but want to skip the campfire and kumbaya chants? We’ve pulled our favorite games to play with our team at the museo and came up with these 7 fantastic team bulding games you’ll want to play.

  1. Two Truths and a Lie – a classic icebreaker game in which one attempts to identify which of three statements is bogus.

Have everyone sit in a circle. Each person prepares three statements, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. In any order, the person shares the three statements to the entire group. The object of the game is to figure out which statement a lie. The rest of the group votes on each statement, and the person reveals which one is the lie.

2. Scavenger Hunt – when you host your event at The Marconi we can provide you with a custom scavenger hunt that incorporates the museum’s collection. Split into teams and hand out prizes to the team that finishes first.

3. Human Knot – have everyone stand in a circle facing each other, shoulder to shoulder. Instruct everyone to put their right hand out and grab a random hand of someone across from them. Then, tell them to put their left hand out and grab another random hand from a different person across the circle. Set a time limit and try to untangle the knot of arms without releasing their hands. If the group is too large, make multiple smaller circle and have the separate groups compete.

4. Before 18 – have everyone share an accomplishment (or something they were proud of doing/achieving) they had before turning eighteen.

5. Pair Up – Write a bunch of famous duos pairs on different pieces of paper (e.g., Thelma and Louise, salt and peppers, Mario and Luigi, etc.). Tape them to your employees’ backs. Have them walk around trying to figure out who they are — and find their complementary colleague. This reminds us of that one episode on The Office…

6. Head’s Up (yes the game made famous by Ellen) – we can’t tell you how much fun it is to play this game with your colleagues. If you have a large group make a DIY set of cards and split up into smaller groups. We promise a fun time will be had by all.

7. Blind Drawer – Divide everyone into groups of two. Have the two individuals sitting back-to-back. Give one person the pen and paper and the other person the picture. The person with the picture describes the picture to their teammate without actually saying what it is. For example, if the image is a worm in an apple, do not say, “Draw an apple with a worm in it.” The person with the pen and paper draws what they think the picture depicts, based on the verbal description. Set a time limit for 10 – 15 minutes.

Playing games with your office-mates can be…well…intimidating, awkward, or not sound fun at all, but these seven haven be proven around these offices to be a hit. Hope you enjoy.

Ps: if you’re looking for a venue to host said employee appreciation or team building, we know a place that has great corporate packages.

The Marconi Automotive Museum is a class 501 ©(3) nonprofit located in the heart of Orange County. A portion of the net proceeds from booked events goes to various at-risk children charities throughout Southern California. We are open to the public for museum visitors Monday through Friday 9:00am – 4:30pm, double check our event calendar before visiting.