A time prioritization game is a short, interactive team activity that helps groups practice deciding what matters most when time and resources are limited. This version works as a fast team-building icebreaker and can be run in under 30 minutes.
At a glance
- Duration: 25 minutes
- Group size: 5–8 participants per group
- Best for: team-building icebreaker
- Helps: Time management skills, decision-making, and teamwork
Because the activity is structured and repeatable, it works well across different groups without requiring redesign or heavy preparation.
This activity is one of many free team-building activities and games you can find on our activities hub, and this specific activity is also included in our editable time management training materials.
Why this works
This activity works because it mirrors real-life prioritization decisions under time pressure, helping participants practice focus, judgment, and teamwork.
Activities such as the ‘Time Prioritization Game’ help participants draw on real-life scenarios, and it helps them understand how to manage tasks more efficiently.
Cost
- FREE to Use
What Is the Purpose of This Time Prioritization Game?
- Icebreaker
- Team building
- Useful if you are creating training courseware
The main purpose of this activity is to show how different prioritization choices affect outcomes when time is limited.
This game/activity has a second and third purpose in that it is also a fantastic activity when used as an icebreaker or team-building game.
And, it is a great activity for team-building because of the way in which participants work in groups.
As a trainer, this activity requires very little equipment and is very easy to run and use.
How Long Does the Time Prioritization Game Take?
The recommended time for this activity is 25 minutes. This can be broken down as:
- 10 minutes for the activity/game
- 15 minutes to add points to the board or flipchart and for the class discussion.
If you’re working with very limited time, these 5- and 10-minute team-building activities can also be used as quick energisers or session openers.
What Do You Need to Run the Activity?
For this activity, you will need a flipchart that you will have prepared in advance with a list of tasks that participants will choose from.
You will also need another sheet of paper from the flipchart (or you can use a whiteboard for this), where you will have drawn a matrix for writing and adding up the scores for each team.
When Should You Use a Time Prioritization Game?
This activity works best as a session opener, energiser, or short team-building exercise when groups need to practice prioritizing tasks under time pressure.
Starting The Activity – Instructions
1. Divide participants into teams of 5 to 8.
2. Unveil the list of tasks and place it somewhere easily visible for everyone.
You may want to attach it to the wall. (Make sure that this list stays covered until you finish explaining the activity.)
You can DOWNLOAD a printable PDF HERE of the list of tasks or just cut and paste the list that is also shown below.
3. Explain that teams have 10 minutes to choose and complete as many tasks as they can. Remind them that, whatever they do, they must keep safe.
4. The suggested tasks are (but you can adjust and change them as needed, but make sure that there are points attached to each task):
How Are Tasks Evaluated in the Game?
- Do a lap around the room (5 points)
- Create something for the instructor to wear, such as a hat or tie (10 points; bonus 5 points if the instructor actually wears it)
- Find out something unique about each person on the team (5 points)
- Sing a song together (15 points)
- Make a paper airplane and throw it from one end of the room to another (10 points)
- Get everyone in the room to sign a single piece of paper (5 points)
- Count the number of pets owned by your group (20 points)
- Each member of the team gives him/herself a nickname (5 points)
- Create name cards for each team member (5 points; bonus 5 points if you use your team nicknames)
- Make a tower out of the materials owned by your group (10 points)
- Convince a member of another team to join you (20 points)
- Name your team and come up with a slogan (5 points for the name, 5 points for the slogan)
- Re-create the sounds of the Amazon rainforest with the sounds of your voices (10 points)
- Make a list of what your team wants out of the workshop (15 points)
- Form a conga line and conga from one end of the room to another (5 points; bonus 10 points if anyone joins you)
If You Are Teaching Online
You can do this activity online, but write on the list only things that participants can do virtually and within their group.
For example, tasks that can be done online include:
- Find out something unique about each person on the team (5 points)
- Sing a song together (15 points)
- Count the number of pets owned by your group (20 points)
- Each member of the team gives him/herself a nickname (5 points)
- Create name cards for each team member (5 points; bonus 5 points if you use your team nicknames). They can do this virtually using MS Word or the online whiteboard.
- Name your team and come up with a slogan (5 points for the name, 5 points for the slogan)
- Re-create the sounds of the Amazon rainforest with the sounds of your voices (10 points)
- Make a list of what your team wants out of the workshop (15 points)
You can also ask the participants to draw something on an online whiteboard or to find a particular item by browsing the internet (this task would have low points as it is pretty easy to find everything on the internet, unless you can think of something that is really hard to find).
Task Evaluation
Different tasks have different points, and there are bonus points for performing something extra for some tasks.
This forces groups to prioritize according to strategies, which they will discuss at the end.
This same thinking under pressure is explored further in these decision-making activities for teams, which focus on how groups choose between competing options.
At the end of the 10 minutes, add up the groups’ points and announce the winner.
Then start the discussion by asking: ‘How did you decide which tasks you wanted to do?’
A variety of strategies will be discussed.
For example, for the name card tasks, they get extra points if they use their nicknames, which means that by grouping tasks together, teams can increase the value of their effort.
This is what happens in real life if we group similar tasks together.
Many teams will choose those tasks that are easier or faster to do AND have higher point values. This shows a preference for prioritizing high-yield tasks over low-yield ones.
Some groups will divide tasks between their team members so that the team can work on more than one task at the same time. This would show the importance of delegation.
Another discussion point may revolve around how group dynamics affect which tasks we decide to prioritize.
For example, did participants choose riskier tasks, such as singing, if they knew each other well?
Or did they decide to stay within their comfort zone and choose easier tasks if they did not know the other people well?
Other Free Group Training Activities and Games You Might Like
If you have found the time prioritization game useful, you might also find these free-to-use activities useful:
Related Training
- SMART Goals Training Materials – Understanding time management is a key asset towards being able to utilize SMART goals.
- Introduction to Mindfulness – One of the biggest complaints most of us seem to make is that we never really have enough time to do the things that make us happy, right? How we manage our time is central to our mental health and mindfulness.
See Our Ready-to-Use Time Management Training Materials
- Fully editable PowerPoint slides
- Trainer notes and participant guides
- Practical activities, exercises, and printable handouts
- Designed to save hours of preparation time
