Team building activities for small groups
For a team of 5 to 20, pick something everyone plays every round: a hosted mystery, a kit workshop or a game at your office. Below are 10 we host, what each costs at your headcount, and 24 free ideas to run yourself.
3,000+ teams served · Plan back within 24 hours
Hosted activities that work for 5 to 20 people
Each runs about an hour with a host who handles everything, so the whole team plays. Prices are live from our catalog.
Hosted games on Zoom
Team building games for small groups, run by a live host on Zoom by default (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request). Book about 2 weeks ahead.
Murder Mystery Escape Room - The Psychiatrist
$650 flat rate1 hour
Work the case together as one team. One flat price, so it suits a small group well.
Beach Vacate-tion Escape Room
From $875 · covers 25 people(about $35 each)1 hour
Solve puzzles and games together to escape a mysterious island, with a live host.
Improv
From $9501 hour
Improv exercises for creativity and teamwork. With fewer people, everyone gets a turn.
Trivia with a Twist!
From $975 · covers 25 people(about $39 each)1 hour
Trivia rounds that use different parts of your brain. Play as one team or two.
Kit workshops, shipped to each person
Priced per kit, so a small team pays for a small team. Book 3 weeks ahead (3 to 4 for international addresses). The full range is on team building kits, and every craft is compared in virtual craft workshops.
Kit included
Origami
$25/person + $379 base fee1 hour
Learn the history of paper folding and make your own designs. Quiet, focused and fun.
Kit included
Candle Making
$68/person + $379 base fee1 hour
A relaxing, hands-on hour where everyone crafts their own candle to keep.
Kit included
Terrarium Making
$84/person + $379 base fee1 hour
Build a small terrarium with air plants for your desk. All materials in the box.
In person at your office
A host comes to you in 17 US cities and brings everything. Book about 2 weeks ahead.
Canvas Painting
$55/person + $750 base fee1 hourin person
Everyone paints their own canvas with a host in the room. Priced per person, so it scales down.
Watercolor Card Decorating
$52/person + $750 base fee1 hourin person
Paint and personalize four watercolor greeting cards each. Calm and easy to talk over.
Team Trivia
From $1,750 · covers 50 people(about $35 each)1 hourin person
Host-led pub trivia answered on phones. Split a small team into two and let them compete.
What a small group actually pays
Totals for the whole group, worked out from our live prices. Three kinds of pricing, and they behave differently at small sizes.
- Hosted games: one package price for up to 25 people, so 5 pay the same as 20.
- Kit workshops and painting: a base fee plus a price per person, so the total follows your headcount.
- Flat-rate sessions: one price for the session, whatever the size.
| People:Activity | 5 people | 10 people | 20 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder Mystery Escape Room - The PsychiatristHosted game | $650 | $650 | $650 |
| Beach Vacate-tion Escape RoomHosted game | $875 | $875 | $875 |
| ImprovHosted game | $950 | $950 | $950 |
| Trivia with a Twist!Hosted game | $975 | $975 | $975 |
| OrigamiKit workshop | $504 | $629 | $879 |
| Candle MakingKit workshop | $719 | $1,059 | $1,739 |
| Terrarium MakingKit workshop | $799 | $1,219 | $2,059 |
| Canvas PaintingIn person | $1,025 | $1,300 | $1,850 |
| Watercolor Card DecoratingIn person | $1,010 | $1,270 | $1,790 |
| Team TriviaIn person | $1,750 | $1,750 | $1,750 |
Kit prices include shipping in the continental US; Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, US territories and international addresses cost extra. Get a free quote for your exact group.
Which format fits your group size
In small group team building activities, the shape matters more than the activity. Under 12, keep the group together; above that, split into small teams.
5 to 8 people
Play as one team
Everyone fits on one screen or around one table. Pick something where the group works together: a murder mystery, improv or a kit workshop.8 to 12 people
Two teams, one game
Big enough to compete, small enough that nobody hides. Escape rooms and trivia work well split down the middle.12 to 20 people
Three or four small teams
Keep teams to four or five so everyone talks every round. Hosted trivia, game shows and in-person painting all fit.Some remote, some in the office
Run it on the video call
Put everyone on the call, even the people in the room, and mix them on every team. More in hybrid team building.
Four rules for small-team events
- Skip the breakout rooms. Under 12 people, keep everyone together. Splitting a small group leaves rooms of two or three with no energy.
- Cameras on, and say why. With eight people, one dark square is a big share of the room.
- Pick play over presentation. Small groups get bored watching. Choose formats where everyone does something every few minutes.
- Put it in work hours. A small team notices who skips an evening event. An hour on a Tuesday afternoon gets everyone.
24 small group team building activities you can run yourself
Nothing to book and almost nothing to buy. Pick one for your next team meeting.
Quick starters (5 to 15 minutes)
For the start of a meeting.
- Two-word check-in: Everyone sums up their week in two words, then explains one of them.
- Common ground: In threes, find three things you all share that have nothing to do with work.
- Show one thing: Sixty seconds each on an object you can reach without standing up.
- Desert island picks: One book, one song, one food each. Build the team's island list.
- Gentle hot takes: Low-stakes opinions to defend: cereal is soup, the best sandwich, window or aisle.
- Best and worst: The best and worst thing about your week, in one sentence each.
Problem-solving challenges (15 to 45 minutes)
Two teams, one timer.
- Spaghetti tower: Dry spaghetti, tape and string. Tallest tower holding a marshmallow wins.
- Survival ranking: Rank 12 items for surviving a shipwreck alone, then as a team. Compare.
- Egg drop: Protect a raw egg for a drop from head height using only office supplies.
- Back-to-back drawing: One person describes a picture, the other draws it without looking.
- Paper chain race: Longest chain from one sheet of paper and a glue stick in five minutes.
- Riddle relay: Five riddles in a row; each answer is the clue to where the next one is hidden.
Creative activities (20 to 60 minutes)
Something to make together.
- Team mural: Each person paints one square of a bigger picture, then you assemble it.
- Six-word stories: Write the team's last quarter as a six-word story. Vote on the best.
- Team playlist: Everyone adds one song and says why. Play it during the next work session.
- Pitch a silly product: Ten minutes to invent a product, two minutes to pitch it to the room.
- Caption contest: Old team photos on screen; best caption wins a coffee.
- Potluck with a story: Everyone brings a dish and the story behind it.
Getting to know each other
Best for new or newly mixed teams.
- Two truths and a lie: The classic, with tips in our two truths and a lie guide.
- Personal maps: Draw a quick map of where you grew up, what you love and where you're headed.
- Question jar: Pull one of our get-to-know-you questions each meeting.
- Lunch roulette: Random pairs have lunch together once a week, in person or on video.
- Skill swap: Each person teaches a ten-minute skill, from a card trick to a spreadsheet shortcut.
- Specific thanks: Go around once: thank one teammate for one specific thing this month.
Want more? See 37 team bonding activities and 32 team building exercises with debrief questions. Small group of senior leaders? See leadership team building activities.
What our clients say
Trusted by teams at
Small group questions
What are good team building activities for small groups?
Formats where everyone takes part every few minutes: a murder mystery or escape room played as one team, improv, a kit workshop where everyone makes something, or a short DIY challenge like a spaghetti tower or survival ranking. For 12 to 20 people, split into teams of four or five.
What counts as a small group for team building?
Usually 5 to 20 people. That is big enough for real games and small enough to play as one or two teams without breakout rooms. Below five, a shared lunch or a quick game in a meeting often works better than a booked event.
How much does team building for a small group cost?
It depends on the format. For a team of 10: Murder Mystery Escape Room - The Psychiatrist is $650; Trivia with a Twist! is $975; Candle Making is $1,059. The price table on this page shows 5, 10 and 20 people, straight from our catalog.
Is a hosted game worth it for just 5 or 6 people?
It can be, but pick the right pricing. Hosted games are priced as a package for up to 25 people, so a very small team pays the full package. Flat-rate sessions and kit workshops, which are priced per kit, usually work out better for five or six.
How do you do team building with a small remote team?
Keep everyone in one video room, cameras on, and choose something where the whole group plays together: a hosted murder mystery, improv, or a kit workshop where a box arrives at each home. We run on Zoom by default, with Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request.
Can you run something in person for a small team?
Yes. Our hosts come to your office in 17 US cities. Canvas Painting and Watercolor Card Decorating are priced per person plus a base fee, so they fit a small team; trivia and Feud Night are packages built for bigger rooms.
How far ahead should we book?
About 2 weeks for hosted games and in-person events, 3 weeks for kit workshops (3 to 4 weeks for international addresses), and 4 weeks for anything custom or branded.
Keep planning
Team building for large groups
How we run 50, 100, 250 and 1,000 people, with a group-size planner.
ExploreTeam bonding activities
37 ways to help a team actually connect, in the office, remote and in ten minutes.
Read the guideTeam building exercises
32 workplace exercises with steps and debrief questions, sorted by the skill they build.
Read the guide
