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Working together as a team is a skill that takes practice. Some students may excel at collaboration naturally, while others might find it more challenging. Team-building activities for kids help students build stronger connections with classmates and develop essential teamwork skills.
Mix it up with games that can be played indoors, outdoors, or even as part of a sport. No matter where you play, these activities teach cooperation and elevate the joy in your classroom.
Create connections with indoor team-building activities for kids
Teamwork activities can make a big impact in your classroom. They extend far beyond typical indoor recess games and are designed to foster real communication and decision-making skills. Research in the Journal of University Teaching & Learning indicates that collaborative games facilitate effective teamwork and understanding of what makes a team successful. The best part? You can weave these opportunities into your day at any time — try them during downtime, as a morning warm-up, or as a fun icebreaker to bring your class closer together.
Race to solve the problem
Grades: K-2nd
Projected Time: 10-15 minutes
Skills: Communication, cooperation, problem-solving, listening
Materials: Cards with challenges (enough for each group member), paper, pencils, and a clipboard
Divide the class into small groups and set up numbered stations around the room, each with a simple challenge card, like an addition problem, a rhyming pair, or a matching word. Assign each student in the group a station number. When you say “Go,” the first student runs to their station, picks up the card, and works with their team to solve the challenge. Then they write down the answer, return the card, and tag the next teammate to do the same.
The group keeps going until all their challenges are solved. When they finish, the teacher checks their answers, and the team can revisit any tricky problems before wrapping up. This activity helps with review and building a classroom community.
Guide teammates to success
Grades: 3rd-5th
Projected Time: 10-15 minutes
Skills: Communication, problem-solving, cooperation
Materials: Obstacles like desks, books, tables, etc.
Split your class into teams of 5-6 students (or even larger groups for extra fun). Have each team stand in a circle holding hands at one end of the room. Their mission? Work together to move across the room without ever breaking their chain. Before they start, give them time to strategize: Who will lead? How will they move as one? And how will they avoid getting tangled?
They can step, glide, shuffle — whatever it takes — as long as they stay connected and keep their circle shape. To level up the challenge, have all but one team member close their eyes while the “caller” gives directions to guide the group safely to the other side.
Work together toward mural magic
Grades: K-5th
Projected Time: 30-60 minutes
Skills: Sharing ideas, listening, compromising, goal setting
Materials: Large paper, markers, crayons, paints, brushes
Hang a large sheet of butcher paper on the wall and tell your class they’re about to create a giant mural together. Start by giving them a fun theme, like “A Day at the Beach” or “Undersea Adventure.” Then, split the students into small groups and assign each group a section of the mural. For example, one team might design the sky for the beach scene, while another creates the sandy shore.
Each group will need to plan how to bring their section to life and collaborate with the other teams to make sure all the pieces fit together into one beautiful, cohesive masterpiece.
Take teamwork outside with exciting team-building games for kids
Indoor teamwork activities for kids are easy to weave into the school day, but sometimes you need a little extra space to get students moving and thinking together. Try these ideas as part of your elementary PE games or during recess for a fun, active way to get kids collaborating. These activities burn energy and help students build trust, communication, and teamwork skills.
Escape the box together
Grades: K-5th
Projected Time: 10+ minutes
Skills: Collaboration, communication, problem-solving, trust, leadership
Materials: Several ropes
Use several ropes to form a large square on the ground and have the whole group step inside it together. Challenge students to figure out how to get over the rope without stepping over it. They’ll need to work as a team to figure out how to shift and move the ropes so every member can escape without breaking the rules. For older students, make it trickier by adding limits, like only allowing them to skip over the rope while it’s moving or not letting them lift the ropes with their hands. This activity sparks teamwork, creative thinking, and lots of laughs!
Stick with your teammates
Grades: K-2nd
Projected Time: 5-10 minutes
Skills: Coordination, communication, cooperation, problem-solving, encouragement
Materials: Rope
Divide your lower elementary students into small groups and assign each group a different animal, such as frogs, ducks, crabs, or snakes. Their mission is to move their entire group across a designated area, but there’s a twist: They must move like their assigned animal the whole way.
Give each group a rope and tell them that every team member must keep one hand on the rope at all times. If anyone lets go of the rope or stops moving like their animal, the whole team has to start over. The game continues until all the animal herds successfully cross together.
Build together with an outdoor STEM challenge
Grades: 3rd-5th
Projected Time: 30-60 minutes
Skills: Critical thinking, cooperation, innovation, problem-solving
Materials: Various machine-building materials
Assemble a starter kit with a few essential building materials commonly used in STEM projects for kids, such as rubber bands, string, pulleys, cardboard, and small wheels. Separate students into teams and ask them to create a simple machine using their starter kit and other found objects.
They should move around the outdoor area to find sticks, leaves, rocks, and other items to incorporate into their machine. Once their creations are complete, each team will demonstrate how their simple machine works and explain its function to the rest of the class.
Build bonds easily without equipment
Your class might have the time, but not the equipment; however, that doesn’t mean your morning warm-up or end-of-day closer has to be a wash. Their bodies can be the perfect tool for fun, lasting team-building exercises. And honestly, there’s nothing easier than having students stand in a circle, hold hands, or even contort their bodies into silly shapes. Try a few of these games during circle time or as quick movement breaks.
Pass the pattern
Grades: K-2nd
Projected Time: 5-10 minutes
Skills: Focus, coordination, communication, trust, unity
Materials: None
Have students stand in a circle holding hands with their eyes closed. Quietly whisper a simple pattern, like one squeeze, pause, two quick squeezes, to one student. That student then starts the pattern by squeezing their partner’s hand in the same way. The pattern travels around the circle, student to student, until it makes its way back to the starting point. When it arrives, the first student announces whether the pattern stayed correct or got mixed up along the way. Students then discuss ways they could increase the consistency of the pattern, like squeezing harder or focusing more.
Create the callout
Grades: 3rd-5th
Projected Time: 5-10 minutes
Skills: Creative collaboration, communication, problem-solving, leadership, flexibility
Materials: None
Divide students into teams of about five and give each group a designated space, such as a gym or an outdoor area. Explain that when you call out a word, their job is to work together using their bodies to create a living picture that shows the word’s meaning.
After each round, rate the team that did the best. For a twist, you can secretly give each team a word to build with their bodies while the other teams try to guess what it is.
Direct the dance with a verbal teamwork game
Grades: K-5th
Projected Time: 10-20 minutes
Skills: Active listening, leadership, coordination, communication
Materials: None
Have all your students stand up. Select one student at random to serve as the leader. While the rest of the class closes their eyes, the leader describes how to perform a dance move, such as “lift both arms in the air and shake” or “spin around and clap twice.” The rest of the students listen carefully and try to copy the movement without peeking. After a few rounds, rotate leaders, so everyone gets a chance to create their dance move.
For younger students, keep it simple with directions like “shake your left arm” or “stomp your feet.” For older students, encourage them to get creative with fun moves that include spins, stomps, and even trendy social media dances.
Kickstart teamwork with sports activities for elementary students
Team sports practically scream teamwork. After all, working together is the heart of most. While you might have your students play classics like baseball or dodgeball, there’s plenty of room to get creative. These team-building exercises for kids allow you to take traditional sports equipment and add fun twists or new rules to elevate the challenge and teamwork.
Invent a brand new game
Grades: 3rd-5th
Projected Time: 60 minutes
Skills: Communication, collaboration, decision-making, leadership, conflict resolution, adaptability
Materials: Sports equipment
Divide your students into two or three groups and set out a variety of sports equipment, including balls, cones, jump ropes, hoops, and more. Their mission is to work together to invent a brand-new team game. The game must adhere to school guidelines and include clear, specific rules, ensuring everyone can play safely and fairly.
Give each group 10-15 minutes to plan and set up their game. When time’s up, have each team share their game and explain the rules to the class. Then, play each game together and let the class vote on which one was the most fun.
Pass the ball team-building activity for kids
Grades: K-2nd
Projected Time: 10-15 minutes
Skills: Communication, collaboration, leadership, conflict resolution, coordination
Materials: Soccer ball
Have your entire class stand in a large circle holding hands, with a ball placed in the middle. Students will need to work as a group to guide the ball around the circle without kicking it hard. Encourage them to move it carefully using only their feet and knees.
Each time a student has the ball, they must call out how they’re passing it (like “rolling with my foot” or “pushing with my knee”) and who they’re passing it to next. This activity is perfect for building directional language skills while keeping everyone active and engaged. For an added challenge, create two teams that work to play keep away from each other.
Shoot the bag teamwork game
Grades: K-3rd
Projected Time: 15-30 minutes
Skills: Communication, collaboration, leadership, strategy, decision-making, coordination
Materials: Bean bags, cornhole boards, chalk
Set up cornhole boards a good distance apart and split the class into two teams. Mark throw lines on the ground using sidewalk chalk. Follow the traditional cornhole rules, with one exception: Students can get as close to the other board as they want, as long as they’re all holding hands in a human chain.
The last student in the chain must stay behind the throw line, so teams will need to work together to figure out how to stretch their chain as far as possible while keeping it connected. Just like regular cornhole, they take turns tossing bags and earning points.
Try simple, classic team-building activities for kids
You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. There are fan favorites that elementary students always love. These timeless games are guaranteed to get your class laughing and collaborating. You can play by traditional rules or add a small twist that makes the activity feel fresh.
- Human knot
- Tug of war
- Egg drop challenge
- Escape rooms
- Scavenger hunts
- Relay races
- Obstacle courses
- Balloon tower
- Two truths and a lie
- Tell a story
- Cup stacking
- Hula hoop pass
- Double Dutch
Let TPT put the “t” in teamwork
While it’s great to set aside time for a team-building activity for kids, teamwork doesn’t need a special occasion. You might catch collaboration and critical thinking in action as students work on collaborative projects, or you might see it unfold naturally during small math groups as they problem-solve together.
If you’re looking to intentionally build a classroom culture where students support, challenge, and celebrate one another, elementary team-building resources can be your secret weapon. With ideas for every schedule, whether you have five minutes or a full class period, you’ll find just the right mix to help your class collaborate.