Trust-building activities give employees a chance to practice teamwork, listening, and communication with each other.
Here are 15 free games and exercises you can use in your own workplace training sessions. I’ve included the time needed, group sizes, and instructions for each activity.
A note for trainers: Not everyone will feel comfortable with every activity, especially those involving blindfolds, touching other people, or sharing personal stories. Explain the activity first, check that people are happy to take part, and let them know it’s okay to opt out or do something different.
Trust Building Activities for Teams
1. Birthday Line-Up
Number of People: You will need a minimum of 4 people to do this activity, although the more, the better. If you have more than 16 people, though, consider breaking them down into two groups.
Time Needed: You can adapt this activity according to available time, but I would recommend a minimum of 5 minutes. An ideal time, though, is 15 minutes.
Intention: This is a wonderful activity for building trust, but can also be used as an icebreaker or for trust-building games for team building as needed. It teaches participants to communicate and to learn to work together.
How to Run the Activity
Explain to participants that they must arrange themselves in a line from left to right according to their birthdays, starting with January and ending with December.
They only need to consider the month and day they were born, not the year. If two people share the same birthday, they can stand next to each other.
There is one rule, though: nobody can speak during the activity. Instead, everyone has to find their place in the line by using hand signals, pointing, or finding other ways to communicate without talking.
This activity is both fun and great for building trust as employees learn to work together.
Items Needed
- No special items needed
2. Blind Trail
Number of People: This activity works well with small groups of 4 – 6 people. If you have a lot of participants, just break them down into a couple of groups.
Time Needed: I would recommend allowing 30 minutes for this activity, given that you will have to set up the course beforehand.
It is also an activity that is best to run outdoors, so you will want to make it worthwhile time-wise.
Intention: This is one of my favorite trust-building activities, as it is easy to run and is always enjoyed by participants. It is about making participants (i.e., employees) work together in such a way that they must trust each other in order to complete the trail.
How to Run the Activity
For this activity, you’ll first need to make a little trail using cones or something similar. I suggest finding a flat area outdoors, although you could also use a large room if there’s enough space.
Next, split everyone into groups of 4 to 6 and give each group a long rope that they can hold between them.
The challenge is to make their way along the trail together, helping each other with directions as they go.
You can offer blindfolds to anyone who wants to make it a little harder, but there’s no need to insist on this. Just make sure anyone wearing one has a sighted person beside them.
Keep the route free of anything that could cause someone to fall, and have a facilitator nearby to check that everyone is moving around safely.
Items Needed
- Long rope
- Blindfolds (optional)
- Cones or other items to create a mini trail
3. Egg Drop Challenge Activity
Number of People: Anything from 2 people or more in a group, but try to keep each group to a maximum of 5.
Time Needed: 15 to 20 minutes is an ideal timeframe for this activity.
Intention: Work colleagues have to work together in this activity and trust each other’s instincts.
How to Run the Activity
This is another of those trust-building team activities that is easy to organize and generates a lot of laughs for participants.
Start by handing out a different colored egg to each group.
Next, give the groups a range of materials and office supplies, such as cardboard and other items that are around the office and can be used.
To succeed in this activity challenge, each group is required to drop the egg from a certain height (I suggest 1 meter) onto the structure the group has made.
The egg has to land without the egg breaking.
Items Needed
- Some eggs (painted in different colors)
- Various materials that are available to use
4. The Eye Contact Activity
The next of our recommended trust-building activities is one that works no matter how few or many participants you have.
Number of People: As long as you have 2 or more people, you can very easily run this activity.
Time Needed: Each round lasts one minute, but you can rotate people so that they try the activity with a couple of different people.
Intention: This activity builds trust and an emotional connection, although it can also make people vulnerable.
How to Run the Activity
Match people up into random pairs and then ask them to directly face each other.
Set a stopwatch for one minute and invite participants to make eye contact with their partner.
Make it clear that they do not have to maintain eye contact for the whole minute. Anyone who feels uncomfortable can look away or try a short listening exercise with their partner instead.
Adapting it for Online Teaching: This activity can be adapted to be used for online teaching. Just match people up and put them in pairs in breakout rooms.
They can try the activity for up to one minute, but should feel free to stop sooner if they wish.
While they wait to be called back into the main online meeting room, they can discuss the experience of trying the eye game.
Items Needed:
- No items needed
5. Human Pinball (No-Contact Version)
Number of People: Ideally, you will have 8 to 10 people in each group.
Time Needed: You can run this activity a couple of times so that 3 or 4 people get to experience being in the middle, so allow 20 minutes for this activity.
Intention: To build trust through listening, giving clear instructions, and working together.
How to Run the Activity
Put participants into groups of around 8 to 10 and get them to form a circle, leaving some room in the middle.
One person volunteers to stand in the center, keeping their eyes open.
The others now have to guide this person from one part of the circle to another, just by giving verbal directions.
You can make things a little more challenging by asking the group to take turns giving instructions, rather than having everyone talk at once.
The person in the middle should walk slowly and stop before reaching anyone else. There is no need for anybody to push, pull, or touch them.
After a couple of minutes, let another person try. You can finish by asking the group what they found difficult about giving and following instructions.
Items Needed
- No special items needed.
For another hands-on group challenge, the Turn the Sheet Activity encourages team members to communicate, support one another, and solve a problem together.
6. Positive and Negative Thoughts
Number of People: Put participants into pairs.
Time Needed: 10 minutes is an ideal time for this activity.
Intention: To allow trust to build through sharing experiences.
How to Run the Activity
This is another of the simplest trust-building activities that you can run.
Put people into pairs (try to mix up the pairs so that people are paired with someone they do not know so well).
Get each person to talk about something that went well for them and something that was a little more difficult. This could be something from work or everyday life. Just remind everyone that they only need to share what they are happy talking about.
They then discuss their experiences together.
While an extremely simple training activity, this can nonetheless be a very powerful one as it gives participants a chance to get to know each other (it acts as an icebreaker), in addition to helping to build trust between each pair.
Items Needed
- No items needed
7. Human Words
Number of People: 8 to 16 people is ideal for this activity.
Time Needed: I suggest allowing 15 minutes, although you can use 10 – 20 minutes to suit the available time.
Intention: This is a handy trust activity that can also be used as a decision-making activity for employees if you wish. If you are also looking for team-building activities that build trust, this is great fun, especially for employees in the workplace.
How to Run the Activity
This trust game is simple. Participants must choose a word, using their bodies together to form the word.
If you have a large group, you can have one participant act as a photographer to photograph the word that is created through the bodies.
Items Needed
- No items needed
8. Perfect Square
Number of People: Groups of 2 – 6
Time Needed: 5 minutes
Intention: This is great both as an activity for getting employees to work together and building trust, as well as improving their communication skills.
How to Run the Activity
Put participants into groups of around four and give each group a long piece of rope.
Ask them to work together to form a square with the rope, using only their communication skills to agree on the shape. They can try this without talking to make it more challenging.
Items Needed
- One long string of rope
See the Building Trust Training Materials
9. Snakes
This activity is a lot of fun, and you can expect to hear lots of laughter during the activity. You will need a room with enough open space.
Number of People: Teams of 5 to 8 ideally.
Time Needed: Allow 10 to 15 minutes. You can extend this to 20 minutes, though, if you wish to mix up teams and give them more than one chance to try this activity.
Intention: To get participants working together and relying on each other to pass instructions along the line.
How to Run the Activity:
Divide the participants into groups of 5 to 8 people and ask each group to stand in a single line, one person behind the other.
Each person can put their hands lightly on the shoulders of the person in front, as long as everyone is happy with this. Alternatively, they can stand close together without touching.
The person at the back is the guide, and the idea is to get the whole line moving in the right direction without calling out instructions.
For example, you could agree that tapping someone on their left shoulder means they should turn left, while a tap on the other shoulder tells them to go right. If people don’t want to use touch, you can let them pass the directions along verbally instead, with each person telling the next person which way to go.
Each person passes the signal forward until it reaches the person at the front, who then leads the group in that direction.
Start with a simple route around the room, making sure the floor is clear and there is nothing to trip over.
Everyone can keep their eyes open for this version. Ask the teams to move slowly and see how well they manage to follow the instructions.
If you have a small room, run one team at a time. With a larger space, you might be able to have several teams taking part, provided they have enough room to stay apart.
Items Needed
- No special items needed.
10. Trust Commitments Exercise
Number of People
This activity works with any group size, as participants will work in pairs.
Time Needed
Allow 15 to 20 minutes, including a short discussion at the end.
Intention
To help employees think about what makes someone trustworthy at work and how small actions can build trust between colleagues.
How to Run the Activity
Start by putting participants into pairs.
Ask each pair to discuss what they think makes someone a reliable and trustworthy colleague.
For example, they might mention keeping promises, being honest when something goes wrong, or offering help when a teammate needs it.
Give each pair a few minutes to come up with three things that they feel are especially important for building trust at work.
Then bring everyone back together and ask the pairs to share some of their ideas.
You can finish by asking participants to think of one small thing they could do differently at work to help build trust with their colleagues.
Items Needed
No special items needed.
11. Blindfolded Obstacle Course
Number of People: Ideal for any number of people, as participants will work in pairs.
Time Needed: This is an outdoor activity that can be allocated 30 minutes, but depending on the number of participants, you can allow up to 45 minutes for this activity.
Intention: To help participants build trust by listening to instructions and relying on a partner to guide them through a simple course.
How to Run the Activity
First, set up a mini course with some cones. You could do this outdoors in a field or another open space, as long as the ground is flat and there are no obvious trip hazards.
Get participants into pairs and decide who will be the guide first. The other person can wear a blindfold if they wish, although it’s also fine to keep their eyes open. Now ask the guide to direct their partner along the course, telling them when to walk forward, turn left or right, and stop.
You don’t need to make the course especially challenging. I would just use the cones to show the route rather than putting obstacles in people’s way.
If you’re using blindfolds, make sure each person has someone who can see walking beside them. You’ll also need to supervise the activity and remind everyone to move slowly. Once they’ve reached the end, ask the pairs to swap roles and try again.
Items Needed
- Blindfolds (optional)
- Cones to create an obstacle course
12. Trust Listening Circle
The Trust Listening Circle is one of the team-building activities that builds trust without the need for any props or complicated setup.
This is a great, simple practice that fosters trust and aids respect between those in the trust listening circle.
Number of People: 5–8 participants per circle. Have more than one trust circle if you have a lot of participants in the session or workshop.
Time Needed: Allow 30 to 45 minutes for this activity so that everyone in the group has a chance to be a speaker.
Intention: The Trust Listening Circle is where one participant at a time shares a personal story or experience while others listen attentively without interrupting.
This activity is about creating a safe space for open communication where participants can build trust and connections.
This trust-building activity helps:
- Build trust among team members
- Enhance active listening skills
- Foster empathy and understanding
- Encourage open and honest communication
How to Run the Activity:
It can be a good idea to set ground rules at the start of this activity, and these ground rules, I suggest, can include:
- You are not allowed to interrupt when someone is speaking.
- Show respect and empathy toward others.
Ask participants to take turns telling the group about an experience they’ve had. This might be something that happened at work or outside of work. Just explain that nobody needs to talk about anything too personal, and it’s okay if someone would rather listen than speak.
After each story is shared, the other participants are encouraged to reflect on what they heard.
This can be done silently or through a brief sharing of thoughts and feelings.
The goal is to acknowledge the speaker’s experience and show appreciation for their openness.
Each person is given a chance to speak. The easiest way is to go around the circle. Respect people’s privacy and avoid repeating personal stories outside the group.
Items Needed
- No materials are needed other than chairs arranged in a circle.
13. Emotional Check-In
Number of People: This trust-building activity will work for any number of participants.
Time Needed: Typically, this will be a 10-minute activity at the start of the training.
Intention: To foster a joint sense of support and trust from the start of the training.
How to Run the Activity
Toward the start of the session, invite participants to say a few words about how their day is going or how they are feeling about the training ahead.
Keep it informal, and explain that anyone who would rather not share can simply pass.
Some participants may talk for a few minutes, and others might speak for only a short time.
As the facilitator, you might want to first share your own feelings to get the activity started.
Items Needed
- Nothing more than a set of chairs set up in a circle.
14. Back-to-Back Drawing
Number of People: You will place people into pairs, so any number of people is suitable for this activity.
Time Needed: 20 minutes
Intention: The Back-to-Back Drawing activity is designed to improve communication, listening skills, and trust between participants.
This activity emphasizes the importance of clear, concise instructions and the ability to trust and follow guidance.
How to Run the Activity
Group participants into pairs and provide one person in each pair (the “describer”) with a simple image or pattern.
Do not use anything obvious, such as the face of a cat, as otherwise it might be too easy for the describer to say to draw the face of a cat!
Then give the other person (the “drawer”) a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil.
Next, the describer needs to verbally communicate the details of the image to the drawer, who must draw the image based solely on the description.
The describer should give detailed and precise instructions without showing the image.
The drawer needs to listen carefully and ask clarifying questions if necessary, but they cannot look at the image.
At the end of the activity, the participants can compare the original image with what they have drawn.
Afterward, have the group discuss what was challenging about the exercise, what communication techniques were effective, and how the activity made them feel about trust and reliance on clear instructions.
Items Needed
- Simple images or patterns
- Blank paper and a pen/pencil
- Chairs arranged back-to-back for each pair
15. Icebreakers
Number of People: No set number, but pair people up (and rotate them from each question).
Time Needed: 10 minutes
Intention: Icebreakers are great to use near the start of a training session as they help participants become more familiar with each other, and they can, in turn, help develop trust as a result.
How to Run the Activity:
Choose a couple of questions and allocate every pair a question (they can discuss the same question between each pair).
Then rotate pairs and give them another question.
Some example questions are:
- What is one thing that you might be surprised to know about me?
- What do you most enjoy doing to unwind outside work?
- What famous person have you met or would like to one day meet?
Items Needed
- No special materials needed. You can use the questions above.
What Are the Benefits of Trust-Building Activities in the Workplace?
Trust-building activities help to promote open and honest communication, which in turn helps employees feel more comfortable sharing ideas and feedback, thus minimizing misunderstandings and enabling efficient problem-solving.
When employees trust each other, they are often more willing to share ideas and make decisions together. These activities also give people a chance to reflect on their own experiences and learn from each other.
Leaders who actively participate in and support these activities demonstrate their commitment to the team’s well-being, strengthening their relationships with employees and enhancing their leadership effectiveness.
If you need a few more ideas for your workshop, take a look at our free team-building activities and games for trainers. You’ll find other exercises that can help with teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
