Laughter is one of the fastest ways to build trust. Play helps people learn, connect, and lighten the everyday load of work. When teams share joyful moments, culture strengthens—and collaboration follows more naturally.
At Creative Alignments, we partner with clients that genuinely value company culture and invest in their people. We know that connection doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built through intentional moments that bring people together as humans, not just coworkers.
That’s why we’ve curated a collection of easy, flexible team activities designed to spark connection whether your team is in-person, hybrid, or fully remote. Our team has loved them all! Some require almost no preparation, while others offer more room for creativity and customization. All of them are designed to help teams feel more connected—and have fun along the way. Play at work? Go ahead, we dare you!
Plug-and-Play Activities
Drop in anytime, almost no prep required.
These fast, easy activities are perfect for energizing meetings, breaking the ice, or adding a moment of levity to the workday.
Show & Tell
A simple, powerful way to learn more about one another.
Choose a theme—hobbies, travel, hidden talents, or “something that made you smile recently”—and invite participants to share an object or story connected to it. This works well in breakout rooms or as a meeting opener.
Low-prep option: Ask people to grab their phones, scroll to a random photo, and share why it matters to them. Instant connection, zero planning.
Two Truths & A Lie
A classic for a reason.
Each person shares three statements—two true, one false—presented as if they’re all true. The group guesses which one is the lie. Expect laughter, surprises, and at least one truth that deserves a follow-up story.
Would You Rather
Silly or thoughtful—you decide (but keep it clean)!
The host reads a series of prompts, participants vote (polls work great virtually), and then discuss their reasoning. It’s quick, lively, and guaranteed to get people talking.
Examples:
- Would you rather always skip everywhere or speak only in rhyme?
- Would you rather have fingers as long as your arms or arms as short as your fingers?
Prep-and-Play Activities
A little setup, lots of customization.
These activities take a little bit of preparation or a free platform, but they allow you to tailor the experience to your team.
Fishbowl (a.k.a. Salad Bowl)
A fast-paced, charades-style game that gets creativity and laughter flowing.
With as few as four players (and no maximum), participants join this platform by using a shared four-letter code. Each person submits words (themed or random), and the platform automatically divides players into two teams and lets each person whether they are guessing or holding. One person gives clues while teammates guess the word.
No screen-sharing required, and players are guided through each step. One round is usually enough, but in-person teams may enjoy continuing with Charades and Password-style rounds.
Mad Libs
Yes, the one you loved as a kid—now for professional adults.
Players provide words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.) without knowing the story into which they will be inserted. When the completed story is read aloud, the result is often hilarious and delightfully nonsensical.
Easy prep tip: Create a short story customized to your team, industry, or current project. Leave a blank or two in each sentence, then ask the group to supply the words (i.e. a noun). You may end up with something worth saving—or even framing.
Create-and-Play Activities
More setup, more opportunity to personalize.
These activities require more preparation but can become memorable.
Bingo
Bingo works for holidays, milestones or learning moments.
We’ve used Bingo at Creative Alignments to celebrate our B Corp certification anniversary—engaging people while educating them on what being a B Corp is all about. You can easily customize Bingo boards for your team and share them via Slack, Teams, or during a live meeting. Here is an easy Bingo board builder.
Trivia
Trivia gets people thinking—and showing their hidden gifts.
For smaller teams (15–20 people) trivia works well all together. For larger groups, create teams in advance or breakout rooms on Zoom. Use a shared presentation and screen-share to guide the game. Having one note-taker per team keeps things organized.
One Final Tip: Don’t Skip the Prizes
Play is always more engaging with a little extra incentive.
Whether it’s a gift card to a local coffee shop, company swag, or something personal and meaningful, prizes boost participation and morale—and reinforce that fun is part of your culture, not an afterthought.
Culture Is Built in Moments Like These
Intentional play creates space for trust, belonging, and shared experience. And those moments—small as they may seem—are one of the building blocks of a great team culture.
When you’re building a workplace where people want to show up and do their best work, a little laughter goes a long way.
Summary
This guide from Creative Alignments shares easy, inclusive team-building activities designed to strengthen workplace culture through play. Featuring plug-and-play games, customizable activities, and creative team challenges, the article offers practical ideas for remote, hybrid, and in-person teams to build trust, spark connection, and bring more joy into the workday. Perfect for companies that value people-first culture and meaningful collaboration.
Key Topics Covered:
- Team-building activities for remote, hybrid, and in-person teams
- Workplace culture and employee connection
- Low-prep and customizable group games
- Using play to strengthen collaboration and engagement
