Riddles Digest

Team Building Riddles (Engaging Challenges)

Team building riddles are a unique and engaging way to strengthen bonds within a group. They not only challenge the intellect but also foster a sense of unity and collaboration.

In this article, we explore the world of team building through the lens of riddles, a method that transforms mundane team interactions into an exciting journey of problem-solving and discovery.

By integrating these clever puzzles into team activities, we can unlock a new dimension of group dynamics, enhancing communication and cooperation.

Best Team Building Riddles with Answers

1. The Invisible Link

Invisible, yet it binds us tight, Stronger than rope, lighter than light. Seen in actions, felt in hearts, What is it that never departs?

Answer : Team Spirit.

2. The Unseen Leader

I guide without a voice, lead without a hand, In every successful team, quietly I stand. Invisible yet crucial, for goals grand.

Answer : Teamwork.

3. The Puzzle Piece

Alone I’m just a fraction, together we complete, In the puzzle of success, I’m a piece so neat. What am I, that makes teams elite?

Answer : Individual Talent.

4. The Silent Motivator

I’m not a cheer, yet I inspire, Not a word, yet I ignite the fire. In every team’s climb, I never tire.

Answer : Determination.

5. The Common Goal

A beacon for all, in its light we bask, Uniting different minds, in its quest, we task. What am I, that all teams ask?

Answer : Shared Objective.

6. The Binding Force

Not a chain, yet I link, Not a drink, yet I sync. In teams, I’m the unseen ink.

Answer : Collaboration.

7. The Invisible Bridge

Spanning gaps, connecting minds, In every team, my presence binds. What am I, that all teamwork finds?

Answer : Communication.

8. The Silent Clock

I tick without sound, in teams, I’m found, Marking progress, round and round. What am I, that keeps goals bound?

Answer : Deadline.

9. The Hidden Strength

In shadows, I thrive, in challenges, I come alive, Fueling teams to strive and jive. What am I, that helps teams survive?

Answer : Resilience.

10. The Collective Harmony

Different notes, one melody, In teams, I’m the symphony. What am I, that blends so free?

Answer : Diversity.

Team Building Riddles for Adults

1. The Unseen Architect

Crafted without hands, it builds strong teams, Invisible in form, yet its effect beams. What am I, that shapes dreams and schemes?

Answer : Strategy.

2. The Silent Bond

Not spoken, yet it communicates, In every team, trust accumulates. What am I, that collaboration facilitates?

Answer : Nonverbal Understanding.

3. The Diverse Tapestry

A fabric is woven from many a thread, In teams, it’s where ideas are bred. What am I, that in unity is spread?

Answer : Cultural Diversity.

4. The Invisible Path

I’m the road less seen, but always there, Guiding teams with care, everywhere. What am I, found in every team’s lair?

Answer : Unwritten Rules.

5. The Echo of Success

I’m not a sound, yet I resonate, In teams, I motivate and propagate. What am I, that goals appreciate?

Answer : Achievement.

Funny Team Building Riddles

1. The Office Jester

I lighten the mood, though I’m not a clown, In meetings and breaks, I tone stress down. What am I, wearing humor’s crown?

Answer : Office Humor.

2. The Mysterious Lunch Thief

Invisible I am, yet my presence is known, In the fridge, my antics are shown. What am I, in workplaces often blown?

Answer : The Culprit of Missing Lunches.

3. The Phantom Printer

I buzz and whir in the office at night, Printing mysteries, giving all a fright. What am I, a puzzling sight?

Answer : The Mysteriously Active Printer.

4. The Meeting Marathoner

I stretch on forever, or so it seems, Filled with charts and endless reams. What am I, the stuff of dreams?

Answer : Never-Ending Meetings.

5. The Coffee Pot Riddle

I’m full, then empty, then full again, A cycle in the office, now and then. What am I, sought by women and men?

Answer : The Ever-Refilling Coffee Pot.

Difficult Team Building Riddles

1. The Invisible Glue

I’m not seen, but I hold things together, In storms and sunny weather. In teams, I’m the feather. What am I, keeping teams light as a feather?

Answer : Trust.

2. The Silent Conductor

I orchestrate without a baton or a note, In the office, I silently float. What am I, making teamwork bloat?

Answer : Leadership.

3. The Shape Shifter

I’m many faces in a single frame, In teams, I’m never the same. What am I, in the team-building game?

Answer : Roles and Responsibilities.

4. The Invisible Maze

A path unseen, with twists and turns, In every team, for this, one yearns. What am I, where learning burns?

Answer : Problem-Solving Process.

5. The Timekeeper’s Riddle

I’m not a clock, yet I govern the pace, In teams, I set the race. What am I, in every workplace?

Answer : Deadlines.

Step into a realm of riddles with RiddlesDigest.com!

From timeless teasers to perplexing puzzles, we offer a universe of enigmas across various famed topics.

Engage your mind and let the mystery-solving expedition begin!

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team problem solving riddles

Team Building Riddles: Enhance Collaboration with Engaging Puzzles

Team building riddles are a dynamic tool used in workplaces to foster cooperation and communication among team members. These puzzles serve not just as icebreakers, but as a means of challenging employees to think critically and collaboratively. Through engaging with riddles, teams can practice problem-solving in a fun and light-hearted environment , which in turn can boost motivation and morale .

A group of people solving riddles together, with smiles and laughter, showing teamwork and collaboration

The utilization of riddles in a team setting promotes a shared experience that can break down barriers and encourage a culture of teamwork. By presenting a common obstacle, riddles necessitate diverse thinking and collective effort to arrive at a solution. This experience reinforces the value of each member’s contribution to the team’s success, thereby enhancing overall group dynamics.

Key Takeaways

  • Riddles enhance team communication and problem-solving skills.
  • They serve as engaging activities that promote teamwork and motivation.
  • Successfully solving riddles as a team reinforces the importance of collaboration.

Exploring the World of Riddles

A group of people working together to solve challenging riddles in a fun and engaging team-building activity

Riddles have long served as a means to bring people together, challenging their minds and fostering camaraderie. They are an interactive way to enhance cognitive abilities within a team setting .

Types of Riddles for Team Building

The use of riddles in team building can vary broadly, from simple word puzzles that require a straightforward answer to intricate brain teasers that necessitate creative thinking. Common types of riddles include:

  • Trivia Riddles: These riddles are based on general knowledge and facts. They work particularly well to integrate learning into team-building activities.
  • Clever Riddles: Often requiring lateral thinking, clever riddles engage team members in deeper analysis and deduction.
  • Easy Riddles: Perfect for warming up or introducing team members to the concept of riddle-solving, these riddles are less complex but still enjoyable.
  • Humorous Riddles: Using humor, these riddles lighten the mood and can help break the ice amongst team members.

The Role of Riddles in Improving Problem-Solving Skills

Riddles act as a compact form of problem-solving exercises. They stimulate the brain, making one contemplate various possible solutions before arriving at the correct answer. There are two essential ways riddles improve problem-solving skills:

  • Enhancing Analytical Skills: Participants must pay close attention to the details within the riddle. They learn to extract key elements and assess how these might lead to the solution.
  • Encouraging Creative Thinking: Since many riddles do not have an obvious solution, they require unconventional thinking. This bolsters a team’s ability to approach real-world problems with innovative solutions.

Implementing Riddles in Team Building Activities

Implementing riddles into team building activities can ignite creativity, foster better communication, and enhance problem-solving skills within a group. This strategy leverages the inherent fun and challenge of riddles to boost collaboration in a light-hearted yet effective manner.

Icebreaker Riddles for Meetings

Icebreaker riddles serve as an excellent tool for warming up meetings. By posing a thought-provoking riddle, participants are encouraged to think creatively and engage with one another. For instance, “What has keys but can’t open locks?” (The answer is a piano.), immediately sparks interactions as team members share their guesses and reasoning. This interaction not only breaks the ice but also sets the tone for open communication throughout the meeting.

Scavenger Hunts and Puzzles

Scavenger hunts incorporating riddles can elevate the traditional team building experience. Incorporate riddles that lead to physical locations or objects; for example, “I’m full of keys but I can’t open any door. What am I?” with the answer leading to a map or next clue at a piano. This method combines teamwork, problem-solving, and physical activity, making for a dynamic and engaging team building puzzle adventure.

Creative Ways to Use Riddles

Teams can also use riddles in more innovative ways, such as incorporating them into regular workflows or meetings to foster ongoing team development. One practice might be starting each project with a riddle that metaphorically represents the project’s goals or challenges. Many teams find success in embedding riddles into team-building workshops to emphasize learning points on collaboration or adaptability. For instance, a riddle that requires multiple areas of knowledge to solve can underscore the value of diverse skills within a team.

Curating a List of Engaging Riddles

A table with a variety of riddle books, a laptop open to a list of riddles, and a group of people discussing and brainstorming ideas

When selecting riddles for team building, it’s crucial to tailor them to the audience. Riddles for adults may contain more complex problem-solving elements, whereas those for kids should combine simplicity with fun. Riddles with provided answers promote learning and validation for teams.

Riddles for Adults

Adults often appreciate riddles that challenge their intellect and require a bit more cognitive effort. Here’s an example of a mind-bender suited for an adult audience:

  • Question : What has keys but can’t open locks?
  • Answer : A piano.

For a comprehensive list of riddles that provoke adult teams to think outside the box, explore the Team Building Riddles: 17 Fun Examples .

Fun Riddles for Kids

When engaging kids, it’s important to spark their interest with riddles that are fun and easier to solve. An example of a kid-friendly riddle would be:

  • Question : I’m tall when I’m young, and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?
  • Answer : A candle.

For ideas that resonate with younger audiences, one could visit the section on interesting team riddles to test your brain , tailored for a younger demographic.

Team Building Riddles with Answers

Providing answers along with the riddles helps in validating efforts and learning. Here’s a riddle that can be used in a team-building context, complete with its answer:

  • Question : A word I know, six letters it contains, remove one letter and twelve remains. What is it?
  • Answer : Dozens.

For a varied compilation of riddles designed for team bonding, with included solutions, teambuilding.com offers 73 Best Workplace Riddles for Adults , a resource that can be used to swiftly integrate riddles into teamwork exercises.

Facilitating Effective Team Dynamics Through Riddles

A group of diverse individuals solve riddles together, laughing and bonding as they work through challenging team-building exercises

Integrating riddles into team building activities can significantly enhance cooperation and foster an environment ripe for creativity. This method leverages laughter and collaborative problem-solving to improve communication and innovation among team members .

Promoting Cooperation and Collaboration

Riddles are a unique tool in promoting cooperation among team members. When faced with a challenging riddle, individuals must pool their knowledge and skills to arrive at a solution. This collaborative effort not only leverages the diverse perspectives within the team but also encourages each member to contribute actively. For example, the riddle “What has a heart that doesn’t beat?” is simple but requires team members to think together and share ideas, leading to the answer: an artichoke. Team building riddles from various sources demonstrate that the process of solving riddles requires collective reasoning, inherently strengthening the bonds of cooperation within a team.

Enhancing Creativity and Innovation

Creativity and innovation are quintessential for problem-solving and progress within a team. When a riddle challenges the status quo of thinking, it necessitates creative solutions . Riddles introduce complex problems that can often have multiple angles of approach, encouraging members to think outside the box and propose innovative solutions. For instance, contemplating how a cowboy can leave town on Friday, stay for three days, and still leave on Friday propels team members to reconsider assumptions and realize that Friday is in fact the name of the cowboy’s horse.

Laugh and Learn: The Power of Humor

Laughter is a powerful vehicle for learning and can make the process of team building significantly more enjoyable. Through the use of humorous riddles, team members can experience joy and amusement, easing stress and creating a positive atmosphere. Riddles that end with a punchline can lighten the mood and improve morale, which in turn facilitates better communication . Teams that laugh together are more likely to work better together, establishing strong relational ties and a healthy work environment. Humorous riddles not only make learning more engaging but also reinforce collaboration through shared experiences.

How Can Riddles and Trivia Games Enhance Team Building and Collaboration?

Engaging in team building trivia games boost morale within a group by fostering collaboration and communication. Riddles and trivia challenges encourage teammates to work together, problem-solve, and think creatively. This shared experience creates stronger bonds and fosters a sense of unity among team members.

Frequently Asked Questions

Riddles are not only a source of fun but also a brain-engaging tool for team building. They can enhance critical thinking and create a sense of camaraderie among participants. Below are frequently asked questions that cover various aspects of using riddles for team building.

What are some challenging riddles suitable for team building activities?

Challenging riddles stimulate problem-solving and team cooperation. One example is the classic brain teaser: “What has keys but can’t open locks?” The answer, “a piano,” encourages teams to think laterally and discuss collectively.

Can you provide examples of riddles that are appropriate for use in a corporate setting?

In a corporate environment, it is essential to use riddles that are engaging yet professional. Riddles such as, “I’m light as a feather, yet the strongest person can’t hold me for five minutes. What am I?” The answer, “your breath,” is suitable as it is work-appropriate and thought-provoking.

How can riddles be effectively incorporated into adult team building exercises?

Riddles can be integrated into team building activities by using them as icebreakers or transitional elements between exercises. They can be presented as challenges where teams compete to solve them, which aids in building group cohesion and communication skills.

Could you suggest some humorous riddles that can also serve as team building exercises?

Humor can break down barriers and foster a relaxed atmosphere. A humorous riddle like, “What has to be broken before you can use it?” with the answer being “an egg,” can incite laughter and bring team members closer together.

What types of brain teasers are beneficial for enhancing collaboration in the workplace?

Brain teasers that require collective reasoning, such as puzzles involving sequencing or categorization, often compel teammates to collaborate and share diverse perspectives. This kind of activity can improve mutual respect and teamwork.

How can riddles and brain teasers facilitate better team dynamics during team building sessions?

Riddles and brain teasers challenge teams to pool their intellect and problem-solving abilities. The process of trying to solve these puzzles can lead to improved team dynamics, as individuals learn to communicate more effectively and leverage each other’s strengths.

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Team Building Riddles and Answers

team problem solving riddles

Building healthy relationships and communication within your team is key to helping a business flourish and grow in the best manner that is possible. Teams that operate as close-knit communities that provide the required cooperation to each other yield greater results. In general teams in such clusters are more satisfied with their jobs.

The bonding of teams is definitely much more important when teams are remote and teams that are distributed, as there is a lack of human contact in their daily communications and are unable to easily socialize with their colleagues at the café. Furthermore people find it difficult to wait for an answer from their teammate or to communicate issues between themselves, having no idea of the issues that might appear on the other side.

This article will provide you with some insights into the difficulties hybrid or remote teams might be facing in their work. In addition, this article will give you an in-depth overview of team-building activities for tasks that will help you as a leader to boost morale in small or large groups.

team problem solving riddles

Team communication difficulties

The development of strong relationships is always the goal and concern of the leaders on teams especially when it comes to managing group members who are from different backgrounds and cultures.

There are a few hurdles that managers need to address so that their teams are able to communicate effectively. Here are a few of them:

  • The team members have different backgrounds in their cultures: every different culture has its own unique traits which can lead to culture clashes as well as misunderstandings within the team. To avoid this you should make it a standard practice for companies to train all employees who work within a small group on certain fundamental characteristics that all cultures share.
  • Stress: we are all aware of the fact that completing deadlines on a strict schedule and having massive backlogs can influence the team's relationships especially if members are collaborating on tasks. To avoid causing unnecessary stress in the team, it's essential that team members are taught abilities to manage time and build an environment of open and honest dialog that can foster team unity.
  • Different ways of tackling communication The members of a group may prefer communicating in a specific manner. For instance, some prefer keeping team-building events shorter and more productive, while others prefer to interact with people whose faces they are able to see. On contrary, prefer to have text-based conversations, not video calls. So, a group-building exercise can be a powerful tool that helps teams discover the best ways to communicate and interact with each other based upon the purpose and personality of each individual.
  • The trust level is not sufficient: If the members of a group aren't comfortable that they can freely communicate without avoiding admitting inconsistencies, it could be difficult to make good progress. Everyone in the team should view group meetings as a safe environment in which to discuss and express their thoughts. Even if the team is an online team, managers must promote a positive environment and allow team members to share thoughts to strengthen the team bond.

Team Building Riddles and Answerswith Weljo

In the present, we can see that there are numerous strategies and strategies available in order to get team members be kind to each other and love. One of the easiest ways to strengthen relationships in remote teams is to organize team building events which focus on communication skills such as listening, creativity, thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving capability.

team problem solving riddles

Below, you'll find the benefits that team-building exercises can bring to any team, and what fun team-building actions you can utilize while starting new team members in as well as fostering unity within the current team.

Adult team building activities for pros

If you've made the decision to work on improving cohesion and encouraging group spirit within your organizations, team-building activities for work are a good way for you to achieve your goal in the short term. Playing games that encourage team building you can improve team cohesion as well as build trust on the whole team.

Here is an overview of the advantages a team building activity, even if it is an exercise for team building that is carried out regularly will bring to any group, regardless of its size or kind:

1. Communication becomes smoother

Exercises to build teamwork are aimed to enhance communication in the beginning. Corporate team-building activities help to foster a positive atmosphere which inspires employees the ideas, information and ideas. At a team-building event the participants are required be working together to come up with an answer for a specific issue usually in the form of a challenging game. In this way, they can learn a lot about each other's individual personalities and communication styles. They can transfer that knowledge to their workplaces.

2. A team-building workshop teaches how to work as a team

It can be a challenge at times to find out how you can work effectively towards a common goal particularly when we're talking about a large group members who are not physically present. If you take part an activity that builds team and team members are exposed to the ways to collaborate with one another, offer assistance, and give it to others, as they share their responsibilities. These types of scenarios can provide plenty of insight into aspects of efficient and effective communication in everyday life.

3. Team building exercises that improve problem-solving and innovative thinking

On top of being just an enjoyable event in which team members take part in classic games, with healthy competition, a fun team-building activity can develop problem-solving skills and encourage people to think outside the box. For instance, if the team is playing something like an escape room, they'll need for them to work together towards finding ways to come up with a solution that is creative and achieves an agreed-upon goal. This can be used in brainstorming sessions or preparing a pitch for sales and help in coming the most innovative ideas.

4. Team building activities have an influence on the overall morale of the team

When team members are determined to achieve shared goals and developing ideas to work together, this can boost their motivation at work. They feel happier and more loved by their colleagues. A positive atmosphere within the team helps retain employees and decreases turnover of staff, as well to improve employee satisfaction. It also can prevent burnout.

As you can see, the activities such as teambuilding games designed specifically for adults only produce positive results to build a strong team. When you want to introduce the best activities for team building to your team, whether it's an old-fashioned game or something more original look up the Weljo website to find ideas for team-building to use in the next team gathering online or in an office space.

Fun Team Building Activities to Build a Team Examples

There are a variety of different activities that range from a few moments to several hours and are performed in a single or in multiple teams. It's entirely the decision of you which you prefer, a tranquil one, or an specific game that has teams compete against one another. If you are struggling with concepts, you could go to the Weljo website as a jumping off point which will provide you with suggestions for spontaneous and scheduled breaks during the working day.

Many people today are working online as well, it can be more difficult to create enjoyable gaming activities, simply because some were created for offline use. But with the help of special websites like Weljo it is possible to adapt these games for an online design, so that there's still a chance for your teams to enhance their communication abilities!

Just to give you an overview of how the best way to welcome new hires to the team, or strengthen relationships within the current team The following is our list of ideas to facilitate communication among team members.

Team Building Riddles and Answers - Weljo

Scavenger hunt.

The game starts by creating an inventory of the items teams must locate within the timeframe. The winning team is the one that comes to the end first, by crossing all the items off the list.

This activity benefits greatly to the development of communication skills and problem-solving and creates a positive comfortable atmosphere within the team. We realize that this game was originally designed for offline environments in which people could hunt for objects in the workplace or out in the natural but Weljo had already translated this activity online.

team problem solving riddles

Office trivia

This game can be played in two teams or more, as it's a type of match between team members. The purpose is to decide the questions that hold some significance and to discuss the answer to them so that you can win and achieve a higher score than other teams.

This team-building event encourages communication and increases knowledge across different fields. Your team members might be surprised to find out how much one member can know about a difficult area!

The game can easily be held online, in MS Teams, Zoom, or Skype. It is possible to transform the offline version into an online one by using special software and tools such as Weljo.

Two Truths and a Lie

This game is great to enhance communication between people and encouraging the creativity capabilities of all participants. It can be played both in small groups consisting of between 2 and 3 individuals as well as in larger groups. All the participants must find three humorous stories, two of which are based on fact about them and one that is a flims lie. Then, the rest of the team needs to guess which one of the stories is actually a lie.

There is a way to bring employees together and allow all of them play with each other or utilize breakout rooms on MS Teams or Zoom to let them communicate with each other and discuss their opinions, and observe how they work together towards bringing their team together to win!

team problem solving riddles

What I'd Rather Have Done

It is without doubt the best game to play for teams just beginning or team members to discover how to interact with their coworkers, while the guidelines are easy! All you have to do is talk about possible scenarios and offer information on what you'd do under these circumstances. What-if scenarios can be developed in the hands of the organizers of the event or by its participants, and they can be as wild as you'd like to make them!

What I Would Have Done can be a great game that your team might want to play as their first activity to build a team Not just because it's fairly simple to play, but also because it will help the participants to understand their colleagues more effectively! Furthermore, it's not a competition game, which can be beneficial for the first time meetings, as it won't divide your team between teams that are not compatible or create tension between teams.

It is clear that most common team-building activities, such as scavenger hunts, board games, or egg drop were created for offline teams since people need physical contact with and interact with objects in the real world. But, if your goal is to alter any of these games for online groups or look for other ideas for holding events for remote teams, you can take a look at Weljo to get ideas for creative breaks.

Weljo will help with remote and hybrid teams' collaboration

Weljo is an online service that aids in reducing stress and isolation of remote work by providing ideas for impromptu or planned breaks.

The objective of the service is to provide remote workers ways to distinguish between personal and professional life as well as maintain a harmonious work-life balance. Additionally, the business believes that social connection is possible to establish and maintain within any group, no what size and regardless of whether teammates relocate to different places.

If you're dealing with Weljo it is possible to choose from a myriad of exercises for building teams for adults via the site, with accents on the emotional component of teamwork.

What is it that makes Weljo an excellent tool for helping teams collaborate are the following:

  • You are able to choose the time period you wish to establish in an activity. There's a possibility of beginning at ten minute intervals, however, you can alter the time you'd like enjoying a social gathering with colleagues.
  • A special algorithm which allows you to discover the best suitable partner for the event you've chosen. The algorithm considers your preferences and interests into consideration making it easier to search for a partner.
  • Given that security issues are of utmost concern, Weljo takes care of all personal data and information, and can assure you that your information will not be given or shared to any third party.

A lot of companies across the globe have worked with Weljo and the data demonstrate impressive results. For instance, a great number of employees believe that the service made them more productive and enthusiasm and boosted the bonds within their teams.

If you're in the market for a service that can make your employees feel happier at their workplaces, Weljo is definitely a preferred choice. With an array of games, meditations along with other activities, none your workers will ever feel depressed or lonely even if you don't meet their coworkers in person.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

What are the five"c's's for team building.

It's true that efficient communication in the team is crucial to reach the company's goals on time while avoiding unexpected problems in internal processes. Five elements in team building that increase connections within the team and they are collaboration (giving support giving and sharing information) and cooperation (the capacity and willingness to help your teammates) Communication (the methods used by people to get their messages across) and consensus (the capacity to make collective the right decisions) and commitment (the commitment and effort employees put in).

What are the best team-building exercises to help employee retention?

The majority of team-building activities enhance retention and reduce turnover. However, the most common activities are those related to community service like planting trees and helping out those in need. Plus supervisors and HR experts often had lunch breaks with shared lunches as well as nights or days out with colleagues or even games in order to give employees the opportunity to get to know one people better and appreciate the company more.

What are the benefits of team-building exercises?

Team-building exercises are an enjoyable way to build healthy relationships in a group. If members of one group respect, value and are able to appreciate each in a way that is personal this will show directly in how they do their work. Many supervisors believe that it is vital for an organizational culture to hold the events on a regular basis since they can improve general morale and the overall environment within small and large groups.

How can I choose the best activity for my team?

If you're trying decide an appropriate option for your team, first you should determine if the activities you enjoy most will work with the size and place of the team. It can be difficult for you to find a great solution for a virtual workplace, however, some activities that are offline like office trivia could work. If you prefer, you can employ an exclusive service such as Weljo to assist you when it comes to this and help motivate your team to cooperate more.

More articles:

  • Team Building Riddles for Adults
  • Trivia Games for Team Building
  • Stem Team Building Activities for Adults
  • Team Building Stem
  • Steam Team Building Activities
  • Agile Team Building
  • Agile Team Building Games
  • Team Building Thanksgiving Activities
  • Team Building Survey

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Top 50 problem solving activities, games & puzzles for remote teams

Blockchain and Crypto / March 6, 2022 by admin

Here is a list of the top 50 problem solving activities, games & puzzles best suited for remote teams. Read on!

What are problem solving activities?

The success of a company or organization depends heavily on the managers’ ability to help workers develop their problem solving skills. Problem solving activities that address areas such as teamwork and cooperation, adaptability or reinforcement of decision-making strategies help.

All processes of problem solving begin with the identification of the problem. The team will then evaluate the possible course of action and select the best way to tackle it. This needs a profound understanding of your team and its core strengths.

Not only among corporates, but problem solving activities find their use in educational settings as well. Students who are good at solving problems will become much more successful than those who are not. Remote work and education are on the rise.

Enabling smooth interpersonal communication to solve problems can become a task in these situations. However, engaging all the people concerned in problem solving activities before shifting to the remote space can ease the process.

Also Read: Keen to invest in bitcoins – find a trustworthy bitcoin trader now!

Key skills evaluated in problem solving activities

Problem solving skills refer to the necessary thinking skills that an individual or group uses when met with a challenge. Many issues require the use of several skills; others are easy and may require only one or two skills. These are some skills that help to solve problems,

  • Communication skills
  • Decision-making skills
  • Analytical thinking
  • Negotiation skills
  • Logical reasoning
  • Persistence
  • Lateral thinking

Problem solving skill examples

Several problems occur at the workplace. Problem solving skills can be technical problems that occur on websites or apps or addressing client concerns. Problems could be simple or complex. Business managers spend time and resources to solve problems.

They encourage their team to improve their analytical and logical abilities. Common issues in companies can be exploding data or changing technology, or financial management.

Did you know? Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in problem solving!

Also Read: Keen to invest in Ethereum – find a trustworthy ETHtrader now!

Problem solving scenarios

Many problem solving scenarios occur at work. The basis to solve any problem is to evaluate and arrive at a solution. Analytical skill or problem solving ability is a skill many employers evaluate while hiring candidates.

Strong problem solving skills can be an asset to any organization. Organizations organize problem and solution activities to improve the problem solving abilities in the workplace.

1. Decision making games

Businesses are looking for new and innovative ways to stimulate their staff. Decision making games help employees to learn new skills and work effectively as a team. Decision making activities help to improve the creative problem solving and decision-making skills of the team. Here are some best Decision-making games,

1. Dumb Idea first – This game gives a hypothetical problem that could occur in your company. Ask each manager to think of the dumbest solution to the problem. After compiling the list of the ideas, the team reviews them.

You have a brainstorming session to make the “dumb ideas” feasible. This problem solving exercise underlines the importance of out-of-box thinking.

Benefits: Decision-making skill

Time duration: 10 to 15 minutes

Team size: 2 to more team managers

Material: Paper and pencil

2. Egg Drop Idea – The objective of the game is to build a container to protect the egg when dropped from a specified height using the material provided. Each team nominates a presenter who explains why the egg will survive the fall.

Once they have presented the idea, the team drops the egg to check if the idea has worked. Egg drop pyramid activities like the marshmallow challenge help teams to think on their feet.

Benefit: Decision-making skill and is a top problem solving skill example

Time duration: 15 – 30 minutes

Team size: 6 or more

Material: A cartoon of eggs, aprons to protect clothes, material for packing (cardboard, tape, elastics, plastic straws, etc.), material to clean up.

Instructions:

  • Every team gets an egg and should choose from the building materials. 
  • Grant everyone 20-30 minutes to build an egg carrier and guard against breaking. 
  • Remove each egg carrier from a ledge (that is, over a balcony) to see which carrier prevents it from cracking. 
  • If several eggs survive, continue to heighten until only one egg remains.

3. Dog, Rice, and Chicken – The dog, rice, and chicken game can be fun decision-making activities for adults. In this game, one team member plays the farmer, and the other team members are villagers who advise him. The farmer has to take three items chicken, dog, and rice across the river by boat.

There are the following constraints:- only one item can be carried on the boat. He cannot leave the chicken and dog alone because the dog will eat the chicken. He cannot leave the chicken alone with the rice because the chicken will eat the rice grains.

Benefit: creative problem solving examples that are applicable at work.

Time duration: 10-15 minutes.

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2. Teambuilding puzzle

Team building exercises are fun and creative ways to get your team to work together and improve problem solving skills.

1. Lost at Sea – In this game, you and your friends have chattered a yacht to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Since you do not have any navigation experience, you hire a captain and a two-person crew. Unfortunately, the crew and captain die when a fire breaks out on the yacht.

The yacht is severally damaged and is sinking. You and your friends have managed to save 15 items and a lifeboat. Your task is to rank the 15 items while you are waiting to be rescued. The activity lost at sea team building underlines the importance of problem solving skills in the workplace.

Benefits: Team building exercise and interaction

Time duration: 30 to 40 minutes

Team size: 4 to 6

Material: Lost in sea ranking for interaction chart for each member

2. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower – The marshmallow team-building activities have the goal of building the tallest tower as quickly as possible. To make the task more challenging the marshmallow is placed at the top of the tower. This is a fun puzzle activity for team building.

Benefit: Teambuilding puzzle

Time duration: 30 minutes

Material required: 20 sticks on raw uncooked spaghetti, a marshmallow, masking thread, and yarn of thread.

3. Go for Gold – This is an example of a marshmallow challenge similar to activities. The objective of this exercise is to create a structure using pipes, rubber tubing, and cardboard to carry a marble from point A to point B using gravity.

Benefit: team building problem solving scenario examples

Team size: Minimum 6 persons

Material required: Each member has different material

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3. Work Problem Solving

Work problem solving activities help to use the skills you used in problem solving activities in your workplace.

1. Create your own – this game aims to create a brand new problem solving activity for the organization. The team can brainstorm for 1 hour. After one hour each team has to give a presentation about their activity outlining the key benefits.

Benefit: Understanding the problem solving process. Build creativity, improve negotiation, and Decision-making skills

  • When the participants arrive, you declare that they will create an original problem solving activity on their own, rather than spending an hour on an existing problem solving team-building exercise. 
  • Divide members into teams and encourage them to develop a new problem solving team-building exercise that will fit well with the organization. The activity should not be one they have engaged in or heard of before.
  • Every team has to show their new activity to everyone else after an hour and outline the main benefits.

2. Shrinking Vessel – make a shape on the floor using a rope where all the team members can fit. Reduce the size every 10 -15 minutes. The real challenge for the team is figuring out how to work together and keep everyone together.

Benefits: Adaptability and cognitive diversity

Material: Rope and large room

  • Place on the floor a big circle of rope. Position your whole team inside the circle. 
  • Lessen the circle size steadily. When it gets smaller, advise the team to keep the entire team inside the circle. Nobody must move out of the loop. See how small you can make the area until it cannot remain inside.

3. Legoman – the team is divided into groups of two or more people. Select an impartial individual who will make a structure in 10 minutes. Each team will compete to recreate it in fifteen minutes. Only one person is allowed to see the structure. They need to communicate vital parameters like color, shape, and size.

Benefits: Communication

Tools: Lego

4. What Would X Do – This problem solving activity stimulates teams to think of new ideas.

  • Benefits: Instant problem solving
  • Time Duration: 10-15 minutes
  • Materials Required: N/A
  • Let every team pretend to be someone famous. 
  • Every team needs to address the issue as if they were a famous person. Which are the choices they would consider? How will they do this? 
  • It helps all to consider options they may not have initially thought of.

Tip: Before you decide, a problem is worth solving, weigh the risks of solving it versus not solving it. 

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4. Team building riddles

Team building riddles are a great way to show the team group problem solving is usually more effective.

1. Barter puzzle – the team is broken into groups. Give each team a different jigsaw puzzle to solve. The groups have to complete the puzzle at the same time. The twist in the game is that some pieces of their puzzle belong to other puzzles.

The goal is to complete the puzzle before the other teams. Each group has to come with their method to convince other teams to handover the pieces they need, either by bartering pieces or donating time to the other teams. This puzzle piece team-building activity helps teams to collaborate.

Benefit: Team building and negotiating.

Material: Jigsaw puzzle for each team

Time: 30 minutes

2. Scavenger Hunt – in this game, each team has a list of the article to locate and bring back. The goal of the game is to finish the assigned list first. In the scavenger hunt, the team has a time limit to make the game more challenging. You have the flexibility of having the hunt outside or within the premises. The team-building puzzle game helps the team to look for creative solutions.

3. Escape – the goal is to solve clues and find the key to unlock the door in a limited time. Hide the key and a list of clues around the room. The team has 30 to 60 minutes to figure out the clues and unlock the door.

Benefit: Team building exercise

Material: Rope, key, lockable room, 5 to 10 puzzles

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5. Work together problems

Work together on problems helps to underline the need to collaborate while solving issues at work. Group challenge activities help the team work well together.

1. Bonding belt – each group is divided into 5 to 6 participants, who are bound together with rope or tape so that their movements are limited. The team has to reach from point A to point B, and the time is recorded. The teams collaborate to beat their previous score.

Benefits: Helps the team to collaborate and skills for problem solving scenario/

Time: 20 to 30 minutes

Material: Cling film, belt, or rope

2. Scramble puzzle – the team members with blindfolds sit in a circle with the puzzle. The teammate without the blindfold sits outside the circle, with their back to the group. The blindfolded group tries to assemble the pieces of the puzzle. The outsider who has the same puzzle gives the team instructions to solve it.

Benefits: trust, leadership, and communication

Material: Preschool-level puzzles and blindfolds.

3. Flip it over – this is a classic work-together problem. In this game, 6 to 8 participants stand together on a blanket/towel/tarp. The challenge is to flip over the blanket or reverse it. The rule is that none of the participants can leave the blanket.

Benefit: Work together exercise

Duration: 30 minutes

Material: Blanket

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6. Team building survival games

Team building survival games helps to fine-tune problem solving scenarios that may occur at work. The activities encourage creative problem solving and decision making.

1. Stranded – Stranded helps in building effective communication. In this setting, the team is stranded in an office. The rooms will be locked, and doors and windows cannot be broken down. The team is asked to make a list of 10 items that they need to survive.

They need to rank items in the order of their importance. The team has to agree on the items and the order. Stranded is one of several popular survival team-building exercises.

Benefit: Team building and Decision-making exercises

  • Your team is stuck inside the building. Doors are closed, so there is no option to kick down the doors or smash the windows.
  • Grant the team 30 minutes to determine what ten things they need to thrive in the office and list them in order of importance.
  • The goal of the game is to get everyone to agree in 30 minutes about the ten things and their ranking.

2. Minefield – you randomly place items around the room or hallway and there is no clear path from one end of the room to another. The team is divided into pairs. One team member is blindfolded, and the other team member is the guide.

The guide navigates the blindfolded person across the minefield. The two partners cannot touch. This survival team-building activity underlines the need for clear communication.

Benefits: Communication and collaborative problem solving

Duration: 10-15 minutes

Material: Blindfold, empty room or hallway, and collection of random items.

3. Frostbite – in this survival scenario team-building exercise the team is trapped in Siberia. Each team has to elect a team captain. The team has to build a storm shelter with the material provided.

The twist in the game is the team captains cannot help physically since they have frostbite. Other team members are suffering snow blindness and are blindfolded. The electric fan will be turned on in 30 minutes to see if the shelter built will survive the storm.

Benefit: Leadership, skills action plan, and team building survival games

Team size: 4 to 5 members

Material: An electric fan, blindfold, simple building materials like cardboard paper, rubber bands, toothpicks, masking tape, straws, sticky notes, etc.

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7. Group decision making games

Group decision making games help encourage creative problem solving and decision making at work. Here is a bunch of group decision making games

1. Reverse Pyramid – the team members stand in a pyramid shape. The next step is to flip the base and apex of the pyramid. The limiting factor in only three persons can move.

Benefits: Group Decision-making and collaboration

2. Tower of Hanoi – in this game, there are three towers/posts/rods with 5 or more discs arranged conical shape with the smallest shape at the top. The objective of the game is to move the entire stack to another location retaining the shape. Some conditions of the games are only one disc can be moved at a time. Only the top disc can be moved. Another rule of the game is larger disc cannot be put on a smaller disc.

Benefits: This team-building exercise helps problem solving within the participants.

3. Human Knot – the team stands in a circle every person holds hands with a person not standing next to them. When everyone is cross-connected, the aim is to untangle the structure without letting go of anybody’s hand.

Benefit: group problem solving

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8. Funny problem solving games

We need to solve problems for personal and professional lives. Funny problem solving exercises are a light way. Funny problem solving can help reduce stress levels.

1. Pencil drop – in the pencil drop challenge, one end of the pencil is tied to a pencil and the other is tied around the waist of a team member. The other team member puts the pencil into the bottle placed below. The participants are not allowed to use their hands.

Benefit: Team bonding

Team size: 2 members each

Material: Some pencil and bottle

2. Blind drawing – this game requires two players to sit back to back. One participant describes an image in front of them without giving stating anything obvious. The other participant needs to draw it using the description. The outcome can be fun.

3. Be the character – in this activity, you pretend to be an imaginary character while trying to solve a problem. This game gives a unique perspective on your solution and whether the solution is feasible for other members.

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9. Group problem solving activities for adults

Group problem solving activities are very efficient, especially for adults. These can be used in any setting to enhance problem solving skills. 

1. Human Knots

  • Benefits: Communication skills, collaboration
  • Time Duration: 10 – 15 minutes.

This is one of the most straightforward group problem solving activities that can be done with any group. It facilitates communication and critical thinking in the face of a challenging and complex question. Various group members will possibly suggest a variety of solutions, and each will need to be reviewed and adopted by the organization as a whole.

  • Have the group stand in a small circle (make several circles when you are a larger group). Every person in the loop will hold the hands of 2 other people who are not directly next to them. That would make a messy crossed arms knot.
  • Ask the group to disentangle themselves without moving their hands at any point in time. They may be unable to disentangle completely to form a circle again. Still, they would have begun to work together to solve the problem by the end of the activity.

2. Frostbite 

  • Benefits: Leadership, decision-making, trust, adaptability
  • Time Duration: 30 minutes.
  • Materials Required: An electric fan, blindfold, simple building materials like cardboard paper, rubber bands, toothpicks, masking tape, straws, sticky notes, etc.

Your group is trapped in the barren deserts of Siberia, and a sudden winter storm is approaching. You have to create a shelter with only the materials in hand that can survive the storm’s harsh winds. The leader of your expedition was afflicted with frostbite in both hands, sadly, and all the others experience severe snow blindness.

  • Divide the group into clusters of 4-5. Every group will have to elect a chief. 
  • Group leaders are not allowed to use their hands to support the group in any way, and group members should be blindfolded during the exercise. 
  • The groups have 30 minutes to build a small tent structure that can withstand the wind from the fan’s highest location. 

3. Dumbest Idea First

  • Benefits: Critical thinking, creative problem solving, quick problem solving
  • Time Duration: 15 – 20 minutes
  • Materials Required: Pen or pencil, a piece of paper.

Dumbest Idea First is one of the most creative problem solving activities for groups. This can encourage your creativity by thinking out of the box and lead you to ideas that would typically sound too insane to work. You can broaden the possibilities by looking at these crazy solutions first, and find potential alternatives that might not be as obvious.

  • Present your team with a question. It could be a real-world dilemma facing the group, or it could be a created scenario. For example, your company attempts to beat a rival to win a high-paying customer contract, but the customer bends to your competitors. You have a short period before they make the final decision to change their mind.
  • With the given question, advise your group to come up with the dumbest ideas to tackle the issue. Anything can be written down. 
  • After each person has put forward a few ideas, go through the list, and analyze each plan to see which are the most feasible. List them from the highest level of feasibility to the lowest level.  

4. Wool Web 

  • Benefits: Leadership, communication
  • Time Duration: 30 minutes
  • Materials Required: Some balls of yarn.

As hard as replicating the magnitude of the real-world problems is, that is no excuse not to try! Wool web creates a dilemma that appears complicated at first, but groups will learn to break down complicated challenges into solvable problems one move at a time.

This happens by using the right strategy and working together. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most stimulating problem solving activities for adults.

  • Split the group into similarly large teams. Every time, it receives a yarn ball. 
  • Tell each team to turn the yarn ball into a vast web. Give them around 5-10 minutes to do this. When done, rotate all the teams so that every team is on a yarn web they have not set up. 
  • Every group must choose one person to untangle the web. That individual would be blindfolded and be guided by the rest of the team on how to unwind the web using only verbal instructions. The first team to achieve it wins the game.

5. Tallest Tower 

  • Benefits: Creative thinking, collaboration
  • Materials Required: 1 bag of marshmallows, one packet of uncooked spaghetti.

Simple building projects can help group members create strategies to overcome box issues. Tallest Tower is another one of the most creative problem solving activities. Groups will compete with only two materials to make the tallest tower in a fixed period.

  • Divide the group into two, which have an equal number of players. Provide 20 – 30 uncooked spaghetti noodles and 3-4 marshmallows to every team. 
  • Groups must compete in the provided period to build the tallest tower using only the materials supplied. A marshmallow has to be set at the top of the tower.

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10. Problem solving activities for students

Below is a bunch of problem solving activities for students and kids,

1. Brainstorm Bonanza – Brainstorm Bonanza is one of the best problem solving activities for students. As a teacher, making your students create lists relevant to something you are teaching at the moment can be a fantastic way to help them expand their knowledge of a subject when learning to solve problems.

  • Benefits: Problem solving
  • Materials Required: Pen and paper

1. If you are discussing a real, current, or fictional occurrence that did not work out well, let your students imagine ways that the protagonist or participants might have produced a better, more favorable result.

2. They can brainstorm independently or in groups. 

2. Clue Me In – this is one of the most enjoyable problem solving games. It facilitates logical thinking and cognitive development.

  • Benefits: Cognitive development, logical thinking
  • Time Duration: 20 minutes
  • Materials Required: A bag, clues, items as necessary
  • Select a collection of things relating to a specific occupation, social phenomenon, historical incident, object, etc.
  • Assemble individual objects (or pictures of things) commonly linked to the target response.
  • Place all of them in a bag (five-10 clues ought to be enough).
  • Then, have a student reach into the bag and take out clues one by one.
  • Select a minimum number of clues to draw before they make their first guess (two-three).
  • After that, the student should guess, pulling each clue until they think it is right.
  • See how quickly the student can solve the riddle.

3. Survivor Scenario – Create a hypothetical situation that allows students to think creatively to make it through. One example may be being stuck on an island, realizing that three days of help would not come.

The community has a small amount of food and water and has to establish shelter from the island’s objects. This would undoubtedly be one of the fascinating problem solving activities for students.

  • Benefits: Logical thinking, collaboration
  • Encourage working together as a group.
  • Listen to each student who has an idea about making it safe and secure across the three days.

4. Moral Dilemmas – Create several potential moral dilemmas that your students can face in life, write down, and place each object in a bowl or container. These things may include items like, “I’ve seen a good friend of mine shoplifting. What is it that I would do?” or “The cashier gave me an additional $1.50 in change after I purchased candy from the shop. What is it that I would do?”

  • Benefits: Logical thinking
  • Time Duration: 5 minutes per student
  • Materials Required: Container, bits of paper with moral dilemmas written
  • Ask every student to draw an item from the bag one after the other and read it aloud. 
  • They must then tell the class the response on the spot as to how they would handle the situation.

5. Problem solving box – this is an activity that will help on both cognitive and emotional levels for students. 

  • Benefits: Logical thinking, decision making
  • Materials Required: Box, paper, pen
  • Have your students design and decorate a medium-sized box with a top slot. Name it as the “Problem Solving Box.”
  • Invite students to write down anonymously and apply any concerns or problems they may have at school or at home, which they do not appear to be able to work out on their own.
  • Let a student draw one of the things from the box once or twice a week, and read it aloud.
  • Finally, as a group, let the class work out the best way students can approach the problem and eventually solve it.

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11. Problem solving activities for kids

Below is a bunch of problem solving activities for kids,

1. Puzzle-solving – Solving puzzles is one of the best problem solving activities for kids out there. Essentially, every puzzle is a big collection of muddled-up items to figure out and bring back together again.

Kids must be introduced to puzzles with regularity. These are useful for improving skills in reasoning. The best kinds to choose from are wooden puzzles with a wooden frame. They last long, and the structure serves as the foundation to direct children during construction. 

  • Benefits: Reasoning skills
  • Time Duration: Varies
  • Materials Required: Puzzles according to the age level

Instructions: 

  • Show the kids a demo of how a particular puzzle can be solved. 
  • Then, let them choose a puzzle of their liking from the available choices. 
  • Ask them to solve their chosen puzzles. 

2. Memory Games – Memory games will improve memory and attention to detail for your child. 

  • Benefits: Attention to detail
  • Materials Required: Matching pairs of images
  • Using matching pairs of images and turn them all face down, shuffled, on a table.
  • Take turns to pick any two cards, and face them on the table.
  • You hold the cards if you turn over a similar pair, and if the pair does not match, turn the cards over before it is your turn to try again. 
  • A teacher/parent must encourage the kids to concentrate on where the pictures are, and seek to find a matching pair on each turn.

3. Building games – Construction toys like building blocks, wooden blocks, or legos should be a staple in a kid’s home every day. Playing with them is one of the most fun problem solving activities for kids. Anything that your child builds is a challenge as it involves thinking about what to create and how to put together the parts to get a workable and usable design. 

  • Benefits: Decision making
  • Materials Required: Construction toys.

1. Let your child build a challenge openly and often, and ask him/her to build a particular structure, with conditions. For instance:

  • Create two towers with a bridge that connects them.  
  • Create a creature that stands alone and has three arms.

2. Observe how your child uses trial-and-error before finding a way to bring the idea into motion.

4. Tic-Tac-Toe – this is an excellent game for teaching decision-making skills. It encourages kids to think before they act and weigh the potential consequences. 

  • Materials Required: Pencil, paper
  • Draw a simple tic-tac-toe table on paper or chalkboard.
  • Take turns to add a nought or a cross to the table to see who is the first to make a line of three.
  • Your kid will likely catch on in no time before placing their symbol and start thinking carefully.
  • Coloured counters or different items can be used to play this game as well.

5. Building a Maze – This activity is fun and fits for any age. It will also be a lot more enjoyable than doing a maze in an activity book, particularly for younger kids. 

  • Materials Required: Chalk
  • Draw a big maze with jumbo chalk on the paving. Make passages, including one or two, which end in an impasse. Teach your kid how to get out of it.  
  • Make the maze more complicated and add more dead-end passages as your child gets better at figuring out a path and finding the way out.

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What is a problem solving process?

When a team or person faces an issue or obstacle, it can be tempting to quickly track a potential solution and set up a fast fix. This could happen without understanding the complexity of the problem and pursuing a systematic approach to seeking a solution.

The attempts to address issues or obstacles may become unstructured and frustrating without a consistent method. End-to-end processes for problem solving offer a mechanism for a community to tackle any size or nature, and see results. Problem solving activities for adults, kids, and students can help make the problem solving process very useful.

Army problem solving process

There are 7 steps to problem solving army model,

  • Recognize and define the problem – The first step army problem solving process is defining the problem precisely and determining the root cause.
  • Gather facts and make assumptions – You need to gather all information you have at your disposal. Common resources for information may be documentation and policies. Assumptions are unsubstantiated facts. Use facts rather than assumptions when you need to analyze the scope of the problem.
  • Generate alternatives – One of the key steps in military problem solving is finding ways to solve the problem. Ideally, it best to have multiple approaches to solve the problem. Take input from peers and subordinates if possible.
  • Analyze possible solutions – Analyze each possible solution with advantages and disadvantages. You evaluate each solution according to screening and feasibility criteria. Reject the solution when it fails in the screening process.
  • Compare Alternatives – Another crucial step in the army problem solving model is to evaluate alternatives for cost and benefits. You need to consider your experience and immediate future. Tabulating each solution with the pros and cons will help clear the picture.
  • Make an executive your decision – Make a decision and prepare an action plan, and put it in motion.
  • Assess the result – You need to monitor the implementation of the plan and modify it if required. Establishing critical steps and milestones will help to ensure success.

Army problem solving games

  • Capture the flag – the game helps in team building and army problem solving. Two teams compete against one another to retrieve a flag or object from the opposing team camp base and get into their camp base. This game is flexible, and ground rules need to be set before the game starts.
  • Paintball – Paintball is a fun military problem solving activity. You can have many modifications and variations of the paintball game. The aim is to fire paint pellets at the opposing team. Laser tag is another variation of the game.
  • Firing blind – Firing blind is a game where each team has a large number of water balloons. At the other end of the field has to hit the target is protected by a tarp from direct firing. The team has to hit the target that is covered. One team member acts as the observer and directs the team to hit the target with the water balloons.

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Obstacles to problem solving

Problem solving can take time and patience, one of the best ways to solve any problem is pausing and evaluating the problem. Obstacles to problem solving are,

  • Misdiagnosis – Misdiagnosis is a common problem can occur due to preconceived idea, biases or judgments. Defining and having a concrete understanding of the problem is the first step in the problem solving activity. This can be difficult. If you are not careful, you may spend your time and resources solving the wrong problem and finding the wrong solution.
  • Communication bias – Communication barriers are caused when we are unable to explain the problem to the team, or presuming we know more than everyone else. Everyone on the team must be on the same page. You may need to acknowledge you have a limited understanding of the problem.
  • Solution bias – A common obstacle in problem solving is thinking there may be a universal solution or thinking the same solution can solve multiple problems. You need to evaluate a problem independently than try to force-fit a solution that worked previously.
  • Cognitive bias – One of the barriers to finding an effective solution is cognitive bias, or the tendency to jump to conclusions. To find solutions fast firms often end up with an irrelevant solution. This may cause more problems down the line.
  • Lack of empathy – Every problem is associated with human emotions or abilities. It is important to identify and recognize people affected by the problem or it will be difficult to find a solution that will solve help.

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Famous virtual problem solving software

Traditionally watercoolers chat is a great way to bring people together and help team members interact with one another. A virtual water cooler has a similar concept where people interact in a similar virtual setting or a dedicated virtual room. It allows remote teams to bond. Software that offers virtual water coolers services,

  • unremot.com – provides users with a unique water cooler experience. The app provides unique solutions to remote teams.
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Informal Whatsapp group
  • Donut over slack channels

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14 Best Team Building Problem Solving Group Activities For 2024

The best teams see solutions where others see problems. A great company culture is built around a collaborative spirit and the type of unity it takes to find answers to the big business questions.

So how can you get team members working together?

How can you develop a mentality that will help them overcome obstacles they have yet to encounter?

One of the best ways to improve your teams’ problem solving skills is through team building problem solving activities .

“86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures.” — Bit.AI

These activities can simulate true-to-life scenarios they’ll find themselves in, or the scenarios can call on your employees or coworkers to dig deep and get creative in a more general sense.

The truth is, on a day-to-day basis, you have to prepare for the unexpected. It just happens that team building activities help with that, but are so fun that they don’t have to feel like work ( consider how you don’t even feel like you’re working out when you’re playing your favorite sport or doing an exercise you actually enjoy! )

Team Building Problem Solving Group Activities

What are the benefits of group problem-solving activities?

The benefits of group problem-solving activities for team building include:

  • Better communication
  • Improved collaboration and teamwork
  • More flexible thinking
  • Faster problem-solving
  • Better proactivity and decision making

Without further ado, check out this list of the 14 best team-building problem-solving group activities for 2024!

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Popular Problem Solving Activities

1. virtual team challenge.

Virtual Team Challenges are popular problem-solving activities that involve a group of people working together to solve an issue. The challenge generally involves members of the team brainstorming, discussing, and creating solutions for a given problem.

Participants work both individually and collaboratively to come up with ideas and strategies that will help them reach their goals.

Why this is a fun problem-solving activity: Participants can interact and communicate with each other in a virtual environment while simultaneously engaging with the problem-solving activities. This makes it an enjoyable experience that allows people to use their creative thinking skills, build team spirit, and gain valuable insights into the issue at hand.

Problem-solving activities such as Virtual Team Challenges offer a great way for teams to come together, collaborate, and develop creative solutions to complex problems.

2. Problem-Solving Templates

Problem-Solving Templates are popular problem-solving activities that involve a group of people working together to solve an issue. The challenge generally involves members of the team utilizing pre-made templates and creating solutions for a given problem with the help of visual aids.

This activity is great for teams that need assistance in getting started on their problem-solving journey.

Why this is a fun problem-solving activity: Problem-Solving Templates offer teams an easy and stress-free way to get the creative juices flowing. The visual aids that come with the templates help team members better understand the issue at hand and easily come up with solutions together.

This activity is great for teams that need assistance in getting started on their problem-solving journey, as it provides an easy and stress-free way to get the creative juices flowing.

Problem Solving Group Activities & Games For Team Building

3. coworker feud, “it’s all fun and games”.

Coworker Feud is a twist on the classic Family Feud game show! This multiple rapid round game keeps the action flowing and the questions going. You can choose from a variety of customizations, including picking the teams yourself, randomized teams, custom themes, and custom rounds.

Best for: Hybrid teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Coworker Feud comes with digital game materials, a digital buzzer, an expert host, and a zoom link to get the participants ready for action! Teams compete with each other to correctly answer the survey questions. At the end of the game, the team with the most competitive answers is declared the winner of the Feud.

How to get started:

  • Sign up for Coworker Feud
  • Break into teams of 4 to 10 people
  • Get the competitive juices flowing and let the games begin!

Learn more here: Coworker Feud

4. Crack The Case

“who’s a bad mamma jamma”.

Crack The Case is a classic WhoDoneIt game that forces employees to depend on their collective wit to stop a deadly murderer dead in his tracks! Remote employees and office commuters can join forces to end this crime spree.

Best for: Remote teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: The Virtual Clue Murder Mystery is an online problem solving activity that uses a proprietary videoconferencing platform to offer the chance for employees and coworkers to study case files, analyze clues, and race to find the motive, the method, and the individual behind the murder of Neil Davidson.

  • Get a custom quote here
  • Download the app
  • Let the mystery-solving collaboration begin!

Learn more here: Crack The Case

5. Catch Meme If You Can

“can’t touch this”.

Purposefully created to enhance leadership skills and team bonding , Catch Meme If You Can is a hybrid between a scavenger hunt and an escape room . Teammates join together to search for clues, solve riddles, and get out — just in time!

Best for: Small teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Catch Meme If You Can is an adventure with a backstory. Each team has to submit their answer to the puzzle in order to continue to the next part of the sequence. May the best team escape!

  • The teams will be given instructions and the full storyline
  • Teams will be split into a handful of people each
  • The moderator will kick off the action!

Learn more here: Catch Meme If You Can

6. Puzzle Games

“just something to puzzle over”.

Puzzle Games is the fresh trivia game to test your employees and blow their minds with puzzles, jokes , and fun facts!

Best for: In-person teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Eight mini brain teaser and trivia style games include word puzzles, name that nonsense, name that tune, and much more. Plus, the points each team earns will go towards planting trees in the precious ecosystems and forests of Uganda

  • Get a free consultation for your team
  • Get a custom designed invitation for your members
  • Use the game link
  • Dedicated support will help your team enjoy Puzzle Games to the fullest!

Learn more here: Puzzle Games

7. Virtual Code Break

“for virtual teams”.

Virtual Code Break is a virtual team building activity designed for remote participants around the globe. Using a smart video conferencing solution, virtual teams compete against each other to complete challenges, answer trivia questions, and solve brain-busters!

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Virtual Code Break can be played by groups as small as 4 people all the way up to more than 1,000 people at once. However, every team will improve their communication and problem-solving skills as they race against the clock and depend on each other’s strengths to win!

  • Reach out for a free consultation to align the needs of your team
  • An event facilitator will be assigned to handle all of the set-up and logistics
  • They will also provide you with logins and a play-by-play of what to expect
  • Sign into the Outback video conferencing platform and join your pre-assigned team
  • Lastly, let the games begin!

Learn more here: Virtual Code Break

8. Stranded

“survivor: office edition”.

Stranded is the perfect scenario-based problem solving group activity. The doors of the office are locked and obviously your team can’t just knock them down or break the windows.

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Your team has less than half an hour to choose 10 items around the office that will help them survive. They then rank the items in order of importance. It’s a bit like the classic game of being lost at sea without a lifeboat.

  • Get everyone together in the office
  • Lock the doors
  • Let them start working together to plan their survival

Learn more here: Stranded

9. Letting Go Game

“for conscious healing”.

The Letting Go Game is a game of meditation and mindfulness training for helping teammates thrive under pressure and reduce stress in the process. The tasks of the Letting Go Game boost resiliency, attentiveness, and collaboration.

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Expert-guided activities and awareness exercises encourage team members to think altruistically and demonstrate acts of kindness. Between yoga, face painting, and fun photography, your employees or coworkers will have more than enough to keep them laughing and growing together with this mindfulness activity!

  • Reach out for a free consultation
  • A guide will then help lead the exercises
  • Let the funny videos, pictures, and playing begin!

Learn more here: Letting Go Game

10. Wild Goose Chase

“city time”.

Wild Goose Chase is the creative problem solving activity that will take teams all around your city and bring them together as a group! This scavenger hunt works for teams as small as 10 up to groups of over 5000 people.

Best for: Large teams

Why this is an effective group problem solving activity: As employees and group members are coming back to the office, there are going to be times that they’re itching to get outside. Wild Goose Chase is the perfect excuse to satisfy the desire to go out-of-office every now and then. Plus, having things to look at and see around the city will get employees talking in ways they never have before.

  • Download the Outback app to access the Wild Goose Chase
  • Take photos and videos from around the city
  • The most successful team at completing challenges on time is the champ!

Learn more here: Wild Goose Chase

11. Human Knot

“for a knotty good time”.

Human-knot

The Human Knot is one of the best icebreaker team building activities! In fact, there’s a decent chance you played it in grade school. It’s fun, silly, and best of all — free!

Why this is an effective group problem solving activity: Participants start in a circle and connect hands with two other people in the group to form a human knot. The team then has to work together and focus on clear communication to unravel the human knot by maneuvering their way out of this hands-on conundrum. But there’s a catch — they can’t let go of each other’s hands in this team building exercise.

  • Form a circle
  • Tell each person to grab a random hand until all hands are holding another
  • They can’t hold anyone’s hand who is directly next to them
  • Now they have to get to untangling
  • If the chain breaks before everyone is untangled, they have to start over again

Learn more here: Human Knot

12. What Would You Do?

“because it’s fun to imagine”.

Team-building-activity

What Would You Do? Is the hypothetical question game that gets your team talking and brainstorming about what they’d do in a variety of fun, intriguing, and sometimes, whacky scenarios.

Best for: Distributed teams

Why this is an effective group problem solving activity: After employees or coworkers start talking about their What Would You Do? responses, they won’t be able to stop. That’s what makes this such an incredible team building activity . For example, you could ask questions like “If you could live forever, what would you do with your time?” or “If you never had to sleep, what would you do?”

  • In addition to hypothetical questions, you could also give teammates some optional answers to get them started
  • After that, let them do the talking — then they’ll be laughing and thinking and dreaming, too!

13. Crossing The River

“quite the conundrum”.

Crossing-the-river

Crossing The River is a river-crossing challenge with one correct answer. Your team gets five essential elements — a chicken, a fox, a rowboat, a woman, and a bag of corn. You see, the woman has a bit of a problem, you tell them. She has to get the fox, the bag of corn, and the chicken to the other side of the river as efficiently as possible.

Why this is an effective group problem solving activity: She has a rowboat, but it can only carry her and one other item at a time. She cannot leave the chicken and the fox alone — for obvious reasons. And she can’t leave the chicken with the corn because it will gobble it right up. So the question for your team is how does the woman get all five elements to the other side of the river safely in this fun activity?

  • Form teams of 2 to 5 people
  • Each team has to solve the imaginary riddle
  • Just make sure that each group understands that the rowboat can only carry one animal and one item at a time; the fox and chicken can’t be alone; and the bag of corn and the chicken cannot be left alone
  • Give the verbal instructions for getting everything over to the other side

14. End-Hunger Games

“philanthropic fun”.

Does anything bond people quite like acts of kindness and compassion? The End-Hunger Games will get your team to rally around solving the serious problem of hunger.

Best for: Medium-sized teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Teams join forces to complete challenges based around non-perishable food items in the End-Hunger Games. Groups can range in size from 25 to more than 2000 people, who will all work together to collect food for the local food bank.

  • Split into teams and compete to earn boxes and cans of non-perishable food
  • Each team attempts to build the most impressive food item construction
  • Donate all of the non-perishable foods to a local food bank

Learn more here: End-Hunger Games

People Also Ask These Questions About Team Building Problem Solving Group Activities

Q: what are some problem solving group activities.

  • A: Some problem solving group activities can include riddles, egg drop, reverse pyramid, tallest tower, trivia, and other moderator-led activities.

Q: What kind of skills do group problem solving activities & games improve?

  • A: Group problem solving activities and games improve collaboration, leadership, and communication skills.

Q: What are problem solving based team building activities & games?

  • A: Problem solving based team building activities and games are activities that challenge teams to work together in order to complete them.

Q: What are some fun free problem solving games for groups?

  • A: Some fun free problem solving games for groups are kinesthetic puzzles like the human knot game, which you can read more about in this article. You can also use all sorts of random items like whiteboards, straws, building blocks, sticky notes, blindfolds, rubber bands, and legos to invent a game that will get the whole team involved.

Q: How do I choose the most effective problem solving exercise for my team?

  • A: The most effective problem solving exercise for your team is one that will challenge them to be their best selves and expand their creative thinking.

Q: How do I know if my group problem solving activity was successful?

  • A: In the short-term, you’ll know if your group problem solving activity was successful because your team will bond over it; however, that should also translate to more productivity in the mid to long-term.

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Outback Team Building & Training

22 Unbeatable Team Building Problem Solving Activities

22 Unbeatable Team Building Problem Solving Activities featured image

Problem-solving is a critical skill for professionals and with team building problem-solving activities, you can sharpen your skills while having fun at the same time.  

Updated: March 1, 2024

In the professional world, one thing is for sure: problem-solving is a vital skill if you want to survive and thrive. It’s a universal job skill that organizations seek in new potential employees and that managers look for when considering candidates for promotions.  

But there’s a problem. 

According to Payscale, 60% of managers feel that new grads entering the workforce lack problem-solving abilities – making it the most commonly lacking soft skill.  

Problem-solving skill needs to be practiced and perfected on an ongoing basis in order to be applied effectively when the time comes. And while there are tons of traditional approaches to becoming a better problem-solver, there’s another (much more interesting) option: team building problem-solving activities. 

The good news? This means learning and having fun don’t have to be mutually exclusive. And you can create a stronger team at the same time. 

16 In-Person Team Building Problem Solving Activities for Your Work Group  

1. cardboard boat building challenge, 2. egg drop , 3. clue murder mystery, 4. marshmallow spaghetti tower  , 5. corporate escape room, 6. wild goose chase, 7. lost at sea  , 8. domino effect challenge, 9. reverse pyramid  , 10. ci: the crime investigators, 11. team pursuit, 12. bridge builders, 13. domino effect challenge, 14. hollywood murder mystery, 15. code break, 16. cardboard boat building challenge, 6 virtual team building problem solving activities for your work group  , 1. virtual escape room: mummy’s curse, 2. virtual clue murder mystery, 3. virtual escape room: jewel heist, 4. virtual code break  , 5. virtual trivia time machine.

  • 6. Virtual Jeoparty Social

There are a ton of incredible team building problem solving activities available. We’ve hand-picked 16 of our favorites that we think your corporate group will love too. 

a cardboard boat building challenge for problem solving team building

Split into teams and create a cardboard boat made out of just the materials provided: cardboard and tape. Team members will have to work together to engineer a functional boat that will float and sail across water without sinking. Once teams have finished making their boats, they will create a presentation to explain why their boat is the best, before putting their boats to the test. The final challenge will have teams racing their boats to test their durability! Nothing says problem-solving like having to make sure you don’t sink into the water!

egg drop is a great team building problem solving activity

Every day at work, you’re forced to make countless decisions – whether they’re massively important or so small you barely think about them.  

But your ability to effectively make decisions is critical in solving problems quickly and effectively.  

With a classic team building problem solving activity like the Egg Drop, that’s exactly what your team will learn to do. 

For this activity, you’ll need some eggs, construction materials, and a place you wouldn’t mind smashing getting dirty with eggshells and yolks.  

The goal of this activity is to create a contraption that will encase an egg and protect it from a fall – whether it’s from standing height or the top of a building. But the challenge is that you and your team will only have a short amount of time to build it before it’s time to test it out, so you’ll have to think quickly! 

To make it even more challenging, you’ll have to build the casing using only simple materials like: 

  • Newspapers 
  • Plastic wrap
  • Rubber bands
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Cotton balls

Feel free to have some fun in picking the materials. Use whatever you think would be helpful without making things too easy! 

Give your group 15 minutes to construct their egg casing before each team drops their eggs. If multiple eggs survive, increase the height gradually to see whose created the sturdiest contraption.  

If you’re not comfortable with the idea of using eggs for this activity, consider using another breakable alternative, such as lightbulbs for a vegan Egg Drop experience. 

solving a crime is a great way to practice problem solving skills

With Clue Murder Mystery, your team will need to solve the murder of a man named Neil Davidson by figuring out who had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit the crime.

But it won’t be easy! You’ll need to exercise your best problem-solving skills and channel your inner detectives if you want to keep this case from going cold and to get justice for the victim.

do a spaghetti tower for team building problem solving activity

Collaboration is critical to problem solving. 

Why? Because, as the old saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This expression reflects the fact that people are capable of achieving greater things when they work together to do so. 

If you’re looking for a team building problem solving activity that helps boost collaboration, you’ll love Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower.  

This game involves working in teams to build the tallest possible freestanding tower using only marshmallows, uncooked spaghetti, tape, and string.  

The kicker? This all has to be done within an allotted timeframe. We recommend about thirty minutes.  

For an added dimension of challenge, try adding a marshmallow to the top of the tower to make it a little more top heavy.  

Whichever team has the highest tower when time runs out is the winner! 

corporate escape rooms are unique team building problem solving activities

If you’ve never participated in an escape room, your team is missing out! It’s one of the most effective team building problem solving activities out there because it puts you and your colleagues in a scenario where the only way out is collaboratively solving puzzles and deciphering clues.  

The principle is simple: lock your group in a room, hide the key somewhere in that room, and have them work through challenges within a set time frame. Each challenge will lead them one step closer to finding the key and, ultimately, their escape.    

At Outback, we offer “done-for-you” escape rooms where we’ll transform your office or meeting room so you don’t have to worry about:

  • Seeking transportation for your team 
  • Capacity of the escape rooms  
  • High costs 
  • Excessive planning  

That way, you and your team can simply step inside and get to work collaborating, using creative problem solving, and thinking outside the box.   

wild goose chase is a great scavenger hunt problem solving team building activity for work

In this smartphone-based scavenger hunt team building activity , your group will split into teams and complete fun challenges by taking photos and videos around the city. Some examples of challenges you can do in this activity are:

  • Parkour:  Take a picture of three team members jumping over an object that’s at least waist-high.
  • Beautiful Mind:  Snap a photo of a team member proving a well-known mathematical theorem on a chalkboard.
  • Puppy Love:  Take a photo of all of your team members petting a stranger’s dog at the same time.

It takes a ton of critical thinking and problem-solving to be crowned the Wild Goose Chase Champions!

your teammates will love lost at sea team building activity

Can you imagine a higher-pressure situation than being stranded at sea in a lifeboat with your colleagues? 

With this team building problem solving activity, that’s exactly the situation you and your group will put yourselves. But by the time the activity is over, you’ll have gained more experience with the idea of having to solve problems under pressure – a common but difficult thing to do. 

Here’s how it works. 

Each team member will get a six-columned chart where: 

  • The first column lists the survival items each team has on hand (see the list below) 
  • The second column is empty so that each team member can rank the items in order of importance for survival  
  • The third column is for group rankings  
  • The fourth column is for the “correct” rankings, which are revealed at the end of the activity 
  • The fifth and sixth columns are for the team to enter thee difference between their individual and correct scores and the team and correct rankings 

Within this activity, each team will be equipped with the following “survival items,” listed below in order of importance, as well as a pack of matches:  

  • A shaving mirror (this can be used to signal passing ships using the sun) 
  • A can of gas (could be used for signaling as it could be put in the water and lit with the pack of matches) 
  • A water container (for collecting water to re-hydrate ) 
  • Emergency food rations (critical survival food) 
  • One plastic sheet (can be helpful for shelter or to collect rainwater) 
  • Chocolate bars (another food supply) 
  • Fishing rods (helpful, but no guarantee of catching food) 
  • Rope (can be handy, but not necessarily essential for survival) 
  • A floating seat cushion (usable as a life preserver)  
  • Shark repellant (could be important when in the water) 
  • A bottle of rum (could be useful for cleaning wounds) 
  • A radio (could be very helpful but there’s a good chance you’re out of range) 
  • A sea chart (this is worthless without navigation equipment) 
  • A mosquito net (unless you’ve been shipwrecked somewhere with a ton of mosquitos, this isn’t very useful) 

To get the activity underway, divide your group into teams of five and ask each team member to take ten minutes on their own to rank the items in order of importance in the respective column. Then, give the full team ten minutes as a group to discuss their individual rankings together and take group rankings, listed in that respective column. Ask each group to compare their individual rankings with those of the group as a whole. 

Finally, read out the correct order according to the US Coast Guard, listed above.  

The goal of this activity is for everyone to be heard and to come to a decision together about what they need most to survive.  

If your team works remotely, you can also do this activity online. Using a video conferencing tool like  Zoom , you can bring your group together and separate teams into “break-out rooms” where they’ll take their time individually and then regroup together. At the end, you can bring them back to the full video conference to go through the answers together. 

colleagues thinking outside the box with a domino effect challenge team building problem solving activity

Many problems are intricately complex and involve a ton of moving parts. And in order to solve this type of problem, you need to be able to examine it systematically, one piece at a time.  

Especially in the business world, many problems or challenges involve multiple different teams or departments working through their respective portions of a problem before coming together in the end to create a holistic solution. 

As you can imagine, this is often easier said than done. And that’s why it’s so important to practice this ability.  

With a collaborative team building problem solving activity like Domino Effect Challenge, that’s exactly what you’ll need to do as you and your group work to create a massive, fully functional chain reaction machine. 

Here’s how it goes. 

Your group will break up into teams, with each team working to complete their own section of a massive “Rube Goldberg” machine. Then, all teams will regroup and assemble the entire machine together. You’ll need to exercise communication, collaboration, and on-the-fly problem solving in order to make your chain reaction machine go off without a hitch from start to finish. 

reverse pyramid is a team building activity that makes colleagues think about problems in new ways

Being a great problem-solver means being adaptable and creative. And if you’re looking for a quick and easy team building problem solving activity, you’ll love the reverse pyramid. 

The idea here is simple: break your group out into small teams and then stand in the form of a pyramid.  

Your challenge is to flip the base and the peak of the pyramid – but you can only move three people in order to do so.  

Alternatively, rather than doing this activity with people as the pyramid, you can do another version –  the Pyramid Build  – using plastic cups instead.   

This version is a little bit different. Rather than flipping the base of a pyramid to the top, you’ll need to build the pyramid instead–but in reverse, starting from the top cup and working down. 

With this version, you’ll need 36 cups and one table per group. We recommend groups of five to seven people. Give your group 20 to 30 minutes to complete the activity. 

To get started, place one cup face down. Then, lift that cup and place the subsequent two cups underneath it. 

The real challenge here? You can only lift your pyramid by the bottom row in order to put a new row underneath – and only one person at a time can do the lifting. The remaining group members will need to act quickly and work together in order to add the next row so that it will balance the rest of the pyramid. 

If any part of your pyramid falls, you’ll need to start over. Whichever team has the most complete pyramid when time runs out will be the winner!  

solving a crime is a great way for team members to use problem solving skills

The value of being able to approach problems analytically can’t be overstated. Because when problems arise, the best way to solve them is by examining the facts and making a decision based on what you know. 

With CI: The Crime Investigators, this is exactly what your team will be called upon to do as you put your detective’s hats on and work to solve a deadly crime. 

You’ll be presented with evidence and need to uncover and decipher clues. And using only the information at your disposal, you’ll need to examine the facts in order to crack the case. 

Like many of our team building problem solving activities, CI: The Crime Investigators is available in a hosted format, which can take place at your office or an outside venue, as well as a virtually-hosted format that uses video conferencing tools, or a self-hosted version that you can run entirely on your own.  

team pursuit team building is great for problem solving skills

Each member of your team has their own unique strengths and skills. And by learning to combine those skills, you can overcome any challenge and solve any problem. With Team Pursuit, you and your team together to tackle challenges as you learn new things about one another, discover your hidden talents, and learn to rely on each other.

This team building problem solving activity is perfect for high-energy groups that love to put their heads together and work strategically to solve problems as a group.

image

Collaborate with your colleague to design and build different segments of a bridge. At the end, see if the sections come together to create a free-standing structure!   

domino effect challenging is a brain busting winter team building activity

Together as a group, see if you and your colleagues can build a gigantic “chain-reaction” machine that really works!

In smaller groups, participants work together to solve the challenge of creating sections of the machine using miscellaneous parts, and at the end, you’ll have to collaborate to connect it all together and put it in motion.

The case is fresh, but here’s what we know so far: we’ve got an up-and-coming actress who’s been found dead in her hotel room following last night’s awards show.

We have several suspects, but we haven’t been able to put the crime on any of them for sure yet. Now, it’s up to you and your team of detectives to crack the case. Together, you’ll review case files and evidence including police reports, coroners’ reports, photo evidence, tabloids, interrogations, and phone calls as you determine the motive, method, and murderer and bring justice for the victim.

You’ll need to put your problem-solving skills to the test as you share theories, collaborate, and think outside the box with your fellow investigators.

code break is a cerebral indoor team building activity

Using Outback’s app, split up into small groups and put your heads together to solve a variety of puzzles, riddles, and trivia. The team who has completed the most challenges when time is up, wins!

image 1

Can you stay afloat in a body of water in a boat made entirely of cardboard? Now that is a problem that urgently needs solving.

With this team building problem solving activity, you and your colleagues will split into groups and create a cardboard boat made out of just the materials provided – cardboard and tape.

Team members will have to work together to engineer a functional boat that will float and sail across water without sinking. Once teams have finished making their boats, they will create a presentation to explain why their boat is the best, before putting their boats to the test. The final challenge will have teams racing their boats across the water!

colleagues doing a virtual team building problem solving activity

If you and your team are working remotely, don’t worry. You still have a ton of great virtual team building problem solving options at your disposal.

virtual escape room mummys curse

In this virtual escape room experience, your team will be transported into a pyramid cursed by a restless mummy. You’ll have to work together to uncover clues and solve complex challenges to lift the ancient curse.

team members doing a fun virtual clue murder mystery

You’ve probably never heard of a man named Neil Davidson. But your group will need to come together to solve the mystery of his murder by analyzing clues, resolving challenges, and figuring out who had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit a deadly crime. 

This activity will challenge you and your group to approach problems analytically, read between the lines, and use critical thinking in order to identify a suspect and deliver justice.  

escape rooms are fun and unique team building problem solving activities

If you and your team like brainteasers, then Virtual Escape Room: Jewel Heist will be a big hit.  

Here’s the backstory.

There’s been a robbery. Someone has masterminded a heist to steal a priceless collection of precious jewels, and it’s up to you and your team to recover them before time runs out.

Together, you’ll need to uncover hidden clues and solve a series of brain-boggling challenges that require collaboration, creative problem-solving, and outside-the-box thinking. But be quick! The clock is ticking before the stolen score is gone forever.

try virtual code break as a way to use problem solving skills with teammates

With Virtual Code Break, you and your team can learn to be adaptive and dynamic in your thinking in order to tackle any new challenges that come your way. In this activity, your group will connect on a video conferencing platform where your event host will split you out into teams. Together, you’ll have to adapt your problem-solving skills as you race against the clock to tackle a variety of mixed brainteaser challenges ranging from Sudoku to puzzles, a game of Cranium, riddles, and even trivia. 

Curious to see how a virtual team building activity works? Check out this video on a Virtual Clue Murder Mystery in action. 

trivia is a great problem solving activity for colleagues

Step into the Outback Time Machine and take a trip through time, from pre-pandemic 21st century through the decades all the way to the 60’s. 

This exciting, fast-paced virtual trivia game, packed with nostalgia and good vibes, is guaranteed to produce big laughs, friendly competition, and maybe even some chair-dancing. 

Your virtual game show host will warm up guests with a couple of “table hopper rounds” (breakout room mixers) and split you out into teams. Within minutes, your home office will be transformed into a game show stage with your very own game show buzzers! 

And if your team loves trivia, check out our list of the most incredible virtual trivia games for work teams for even more ideas.

6.  Virtual Jeoparty Social

Virtual Jeoparty Social is a fun high energy virtual team building activity

If your remote team is eager to socialize, have some fun as a group, and channel their competitive spirit, we’ve got just the thing for you! With Virtual Jeoparty Social, you and your colleagues will step into your very own virtual Jeopardy-style game show—equipped with a buzzer button, a professional actor as your host, and an immersive game show platform! Best of all, this game has been infused with an ultra-social twist: players will take part in a unique social mixer challenge between each round. 

With the right team building problem solving activities, you can help your team sharpen their core skills to ensure they’re prepared when they inevitably face a challenge at work. And best of all, you can have fun in the process. 

Do you have any favorite team building activities for building problem-solving skills? If so, tell us about them in the comments section below! 

Learn More About Team Building Problem Solving Activities  

For more information about how your group can take part in a virtual team building, training, or coaching solution, reach out to our Employee Engagement Consultants.     

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Team Building Game Shows | NJ/NY/CT | 5 Star Mobile Entertainment

Team Building Puzzles Online: Engage and Empower

team-building-puzzles

Written by Lisa Lawrence

Game show themes | team building events | team collaboration | team communication, november 19, 2023.

As a professional Facilitator, I understand the importance of team building activities in fostering a collaborative and productive workplace environment.

Team building puzzles, in particular, have become increasingly popular as an online solution for engaging and empowering teams.

These problem-solving activities, group puzzle games, collaborative challenges, and teamwork exercises are not only fun but also effective in improving team dynamics and inspiring creativity.

By engaging in interactive puzzles, teams can enhance their problem-solving skills, promote collaboration, and ignite creativity.

These activities offer an opportunity for team members to work together to accomplish a common goal, breaking down barriers and building stronger relationships in the process.

Furthermore, team building puzzles can be tailored to the unique needs and goals of each team, providing a customized experience that fosters growth and development.

Team Building Puzzles

Engage & Empower Teams with Team Building Puzzles Online

Key takeaways:.

  • Team building puzzles can engage and empower teams.
  • These online activities improve problem-solving skills, promote collaboration, and ignite creativity.
  • Team building puzzles can be tailored to the unique needs and goals of each team.
  • These activities break down barriers and build stronger relationships within the team .
  • Team building puzzles offer a fun and effective solution for fostering a collaborative and productive workplace environment.

Boost Collaboration with Team Building Puzzles

As I mentioned earlier, one of the key benefits of team building puzzles is that they enhance collaboration within teams.

These collaborative challenges and teamwork exercises can be incorporated into a variety of interactive puzzles that engage team members and promote communication and trust.

One effective way to boost collaboration is through group puzzle games.

These brain teasers require team members to work together and pool their collective problem-solving skills.

By solving problems together, team members learn how to communicate more effectively, share ideas, and build trust.

Another way to boost collaboration is through interactive puzzles that require teamwork to complete.

For example, an online escape room game would challenge teams to work together to solve a series of puzzles and escape within a certain time frame.

These types of puzzles encourage team members to share their ideas and rely on each other’s strengths to succeed.

Teamwork exercises can also be incorporated into these puzzles.

For instance, team members may be required to complete a puzzle together, with each member responsible for a different part of the puzzle.

By coordinating their efforts, team members can learn how to work together more effectively and collaborate towards a common goal.

game-shows-for-team-building-NYC-METRO

game-shows-for-team-building-NYC-METRO

Ignite Creativity with Group Puzzle Games

When it comes to team building puzzles, group puzzle games are a great way to ignite creativity among team members.

These brain teasers can help stimulate innovative thinking, encourage out-of-the-box solutions, and inspire team members to explore new perspectives.

Through interactive puzzles, teams can tap into their collective creativity and generate fresh, innovative ideas.

Group puzzle games are designed to challenge team members to think differently and solve problems creatively.

These games include activities such as jigsaw puzzles, tangrams, and riddles.

By working together on these puzzles, team members can develop their problem-solving skills and learn to approach complex problems from new angles.

One popular group puzzle game is the “Escape Room” challenge. Teams are locked in a room and must use clues and puzzles to solve a mystery and escape before time runs out.

This game requires teamwork, communication, and critical thinking to succeed.

Another example of a group puzzle game is the “Word Play” challenge. In this game, teams divided into three teams.

It’s a replica of the very popular television game show “Wheel of Fortune”.

This game requires collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving skills as they are given hints and clues for each puzzle, but have to guess the right answer quickly in order to win the grand prize.  .

Brain teasers are also a popular type of group puzzle game. These puzzles challenge teams to think creatively and solve problems using logic and critical thinking.

Some examples of brain teasers include Sudoku , crossword puzzles, and brainteasers like the “Rubik’s Cube”.

Group puzzle game

Improve Problem-Solving Skills with Team Problem-Solving Tasks

Team building puzzles with problem-solving activities are integral to any team’s progress.

By engaging in teamwork exercises and interactive puzzles, teams can become more adept at identifying and solving complex problems efficiently.

Team problem-solving tasks can enhance critical thinking, decision-making abilities, and analytical skills.

These activities help teams to approach problems from different angles, and brainstorm innovative solutions.

The collaborative nature of these puzzles encourages communication, trust-building, and accountability within the team.

Team Building Puzzles

One of the most popular problem-solving puzzles is the jigsaw puzzle .

Team members must work together to fit the pieces of the puzzle together and create a complete image.

This activity requires attention to detail, critical thinking skills, and communication to ensure each puzzle piece is in the right spot.

Example of a Team Problem-Solving Task:

Another example is the “Escape Room” puzzle. This puzzle requires teamwork to solve a series of challenges and escape from a locked room.

Participants are put in a time-sensitive situation where they must collaborate, communicate effectively, and think creatively to succeed.

This type of puzzle is ideal for bringing team members together and showcasing their individual strengths.

Enhance Group Bonding with Icebreaker Activities

As a Facilitator who specializes in team building puzzles, I firmly believe that icebreaker activities are an essential tool for enhancing group bonding and facilitating effective teamwork.

These interactive puzzles are designed to break the ice and promote open communication among team members.

The Importance of Icebreaker Activities

Icebreaker activities help to create an atmosphere of camaraderie and cooperation, strengthening relationships between team members.

These group bonding games can help to break down barriers and promote a sense of belonging within the team.

By engaging in these interactive puzzles, teams can build trust and establish a solid foundation for future collaboration and success.

The Role of Interactive Puzzles in Icebreaker Activities

Interactive puzzles, such as team building puzzles, are an effective way to engage teams in icebreaker activities.

These puzzles are designed to be fun, engaging, and challenging, encouraging team members to work closely together to solve problems.

By playing these group puzzle games, team members can develop a sense of shared accomplishment, enhancing group bonding and improving collaboration.

The Benefits of Icebreaker Activities

Icebreaker activities have several benefits for team building, including improving communication, promoting teamwork, and fostering creativity.

These group bonding games promote open communication, encourage team members to share their ideas and opinions, and establish a sense of trust and understanding between team members.

By engaging in icebreaker activities, teams can develop the skills they need to work together effectively, improving collaboration and enhancing productivity.

FAQ – Team Building Puzzles

frequently asked questions

frequently asked questions

What are team building puzzles?

Team building puzzles are problem-solving activities and group puzzle games that are designed to engage and empower teams.

These collaborative challenges and teamwork exercises promote teamwork, improve problem-solving skills, and inspire creativity.

How can team building puzzles boost collaboration?

Team building puzzles can boost collaboration by providing interactive puzzles that require teams to work together to solve.

These puzzles encourage communication, foster trust, and develop effective problem-solving strategies among team members.

How do group puzzle games ignite creativity?

Group puzzle games ignite creativity by stimulating innovative thinking and encouraging out-of-the-box solutions.

These brain teasers inspire team members to explore new perspectives and tap into their collective creativity to generate fresh ideas .

What role do team problem-solving tasks play in improving problem-solving skills?

Team problem-solving tasks are essential in improving problem-solving skills.

They enhance critical thinking, decision-making abilities, and analytical skills among team members.

Engaging in interactive puzzles helps teams become more adept at identifying and solving complex problems efficiently.

How can icebreaker activities enhance group bonding?

Icebreaker activities enhance group bonding by breaking down barriers, promoting open communication, and creating a sense of camaraderie among team members.

These interactive puzzles establish a solid foundation for future collaboration and success.

Did-you-know-employee-turnover

Employee turnover – Team Building

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team problem solving riddles

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20 Tough Riddles for Adults That Will Have You Scratching Your Head

Put your logic and math skills to the test. No cheating!

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So go grab a pencil and a piece of scratch paper and prepare to rip your hair out (and we really do mean that in the best way possible). When you think you’ve got the right answer, click the link at the bottom of each riddle to find the solution. Got it wrong? No worries, you have 19 other riddles to test out.

Navigate Through Our Riddles:

Puzzmo / The King’s Orders / How Many Eggs? / The Gold Chain / Pickleball / Circuit Breaker / Two Trains, Two Grandmas / Ant Math / Peppermint Patty / Great American Rail Trail / A Cruel SAT Problem / Movie Stars Cross a River / Tribute to a Math Genius / One Belt, One Earth / Elbow Tapping / Whiskey Problem / Doodle Problem / Stumping Scientists / What ’ s On Her Forehead? / Keanu for President / Who Opened the Lockers?

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Riddle No. 1: The King’s Orders Make for One Hell of a Brain Teaser

Difficulty: easy.

King Nupe of the kingdom Catan dotes on his two daughters so much that he decides the kingdom would be better off with more girls than boys, and he makes the following decree: All child-bearing couples must continue to bear children until they have a daughter!

But to avoid overpopulation, he makes an additional decree: All child-bearing couples will stop having children once they have a daughter! His subjects immediately begin following his orders.

After many years, what’s the expected ratio of girls to boys in Catan?

The likelihood of each baby born being a girl is, of course, 50 percent.

Ready for the solution? Click here to see if you’re right .

preview for Can You Build The Farmer's Fence? | SOLVE IT

Riddle No. 2: How Many Eggs Does This Hen Lay?

This problem is in honor of my dad, Harold Feiveson. It’s due to him that I love math puzzles, and this is one of the first problems (of many) that he gave me when I was growing up.

A hen and a half lays an egg and a half in a day and a half. How many eggs does one hen lay in one day?

Riddle No. 3: The Gold Chain Math Problem Is Deceptively Simple

Difficulty: moderate.

You’re rummaging around your great grandmother’s attic when you find five short chains each made of four gold links. It occurs to you that if you combined them all into one big loop of 20 links, you’d have an incredible necklace. So you bring it into a jeweler, who tells you the cost of making the necklace will be $10 for each gold link that she has to break and then reseal.

How much will it cost?

Riddle No. 4: Try to Solve This Pickleball Puzzle

Difficulty: 🚨hard🚨.

Kenny, Abby, and Ned got together for a round-robin pickleball tournament, where, as usual, the winner stays on after each game to play the person who sat out that game. At the end of their pickleball afternoon, Abby is exhausted, having played the last seven straight games. Kenny, who is less winded, tallies up the games played:

Kenny played eight games

Abby played 12 games

Ned played 14 games

Who won the fourth game against whom?

How many total games were played?

Riddle No. 5: Our Circuit Breaker Riddle Is Pure Evil. Sorry.

The circuit breaker box in your new house is in an inconvenient corner of your basement. To your chagrin, you discover none of the 100 circuit breakers is labeled, and you face the daunting prospect of matching each circuit breaker to its respective light. (Suppose each circuit breaker maps to only one light.)

To start with, you switch all 100 lights in the house to “on,” and then you head down to your basement to begin the onerous mapping process. On every trip to your basement, you can switch any number of circuit breakers on or off. You can then roam the hallways of your house to discover which lights are on and which are off.

What is the minimum number of trips you need to make to the basement to map every circuit breaker to every light?

The solution does not involve either switching on or off the light switches in your house or feeling how hot the lightbulbs are. You might want to try solving for the case of 10 unlabeled circuit breakers first.

Riddle No. 6: Two Trains. Two Grandmas. Can You Solve This Tricky Math Riddle?

Jesse’s two grandmothers want to see him every weekend, but they live on opposite sides of town. As a compromise, he tells them that every Sunday, he’ll head to the subway station nearest to his apartment at a random time of the day and will hop on the next train that arrives.

If it happens to be the train traveling north, he’ll visit his Grandma Erica uptown, and if it happens to be the train traveling south, he’ll visit his Grandma Cara downtown. Both of his grandmothers are okay with this plan, since they know both the northbound and southbound trains run every 20 minutes.

But after a few months of doing this, Grandma Cara complains that she sees him only one out of five Sundays. Jesse promises he’s indeed heading to the station at a random time each day. How can this be?

The trains always arrive at their scheduled times.

Riddle No. 7: Here’s a Really F@*#ing Hard Math Problem About Ants

Max and Rose are ant siblings. They love to race each other, but always tie, since they actually crawl at the exact same speed. So they decide to create a race where one of them (hopefully) will win.

For this race, each of them will start at the bottom corner of a cuboid, and then crawl as fast as they can to reach a crumb at the opposite corner. The measurements of their cuboids are as pictured:

ant riddle

If they both take the shortest possible route to reach their crumb, who will reach their crumb first? (Don’t forget they’re ants, so of course they can climb anywhere on the edges or surface of the cuboid.)

Remember: Think outside the box.

Riddle No. 8: This Peppermint Patty Riddle Is Practically Impossible

You’re facing your friend, Caryn, in a “candy-off,” which works as follows: There’s a pile of 100 caramels and one peppermint patty. You and Caryn will go back and forth taking at least one and no more than five caramels from the candy pile in each turn. The person who removes the last caramel will also get the peppermint patty. And you love peppermint patties.

Suppose Caryn lets you decide who goes first. Who should you choose in order to make sure you win the peppermint patty?

First, solve for a pile of 10 caramels.

Riddle No. 9: Can You Solve the Great American Rail-Trail Riddle?

This problem was suggested by the physicist P. Jeffrey Ungar.

Finally, the Great American Rail-Trail across the whole country is complete! Go ahead, pat yourself on the back—you’ve just installed the longest handrail in the history of the world, with 4,000 miles from beginning to end. But just after the opening ceremony, your assistant reminds you that the metal you used for the handrail expands slightly in summer, so that its length will increase by one inch in total.

“Ha!” you say, “One inch in a 4,000 mile handrail? That’s nothing!” But … are you right?

Let’s suppose when the handrail expands, it buckles upward at its weakest point, which is in the center. How much higher will pedestrians in the middle of the country have to reach in summer to grab the handrail? That is, in the figure below, what is h ? (For the purposes of this question, ignore the curvature of the Earth and assume the trail is a straight line.)

great american rail trail riddle

Pythagoras is a fascinating historical figure.

Riddle No. 10: This Riddle Is Like an Especially Cruel SAT Problem. Can You Find the Answer?

Amanda lives with her teenage son, Matt, in the countryside—a car ride away from Matt’s school. Every afternoon, Amanda leaves the house at the same time, drives to the school at a constant speed, picks Matt up exactly when his chess club ends at 5 p.m., and then they immediately return home together at the same constant speed. But one day, Matt isn’t feeling well, so he leaves chess practice early and starts to head home on his portable scooter.

After Matt has been scooting for an hour, Amanda comes across him in her car (on her usual route to pick him up), and they return together, arriving home 40 minutes earlier than they usually do. How much chess practice did Matt miss?

Consider the case where Amanda meets Matt exactly as she’s leaving their house.

Riddle No. 11: Can You Get These 3 Movie Stars Across the River?

Three movie stars, Chloe, Lexa, and Jon, are filming a movie in the Amazon. They’re very famous and very high-maintenance, so their agents are always with them. One day, after filming a scene deep in the rainforest, the three actors and their agents decide to head back to home base by foot. Suddenly, they come to a large river.

On the riverbank, they find a small rowboat, but it’s only big enough to hold two of them at one time. The catch? None of the agents are comfortable leaving their movie star with any other agents if they’re not there as well. They don’t trust that the other agents won’t try to poach their star.

For example, Chloe’s agent is okay if Chloe and Lexa are alone in the boat or on one of the riverbanks, but definitely not okay if Lexa’s agent is also with them. So how can they all get across the river?

There isn’t just one way to solve this problem.

Riddle No. 12: This Ludicrously Hard Riddle Is Our Tribute to a Late Math Genius. Can You Figure It Out?

On April 11, John Horton Conway , a brilliant mathematician who had an intense and playful love of puzzles and games, died of complications from COVID-19. Conway is the inventor of one of my favorite legendary problems (not for the faint of heart) and, famously, the Game of Life . I created this problem in his honor.

Carol was creating a family tree, but had trouble tracking down her mother’s birthdate. The only clue she found was a letter written from her grandfather to her grandmother on the day her mother was born. Unfortunately, some of the characters were smudged out, represented here with a “___” . (The length of the line does not reflect the number of smudged characters.)

“Dear Virginia,

Little did I know when I headed to work this Monday morning, that by evening we would have a beautiful baby girl. And on our wedding anniversary, no less! It makes me think back to that incredible weekend day, J___ 27th, 19___ , when we first shared our vow to create a family together, and, well, here we are! Happy eighth anniversary, my love.

Love, Edwin”

The question: When was Carol’s mother born?

This problem is inspired by Conway’s Doomsday Rule .

Riddle No. 13: To Solve This Twisty Math Riddle, You Just Need One Belt and One Earth

Imagine you have a very long belt. Well, extremely long, really … in fact, it’s just long enough that it can wrap snugly around the circumference of our entire planet. (For the sake of simplicity, let’s suppose Earth is perfectly round, with no mountains, oceans, or other barriers in the way of the belt.)

Naturally, you’re very proud of your belt. But then your brother, Peter, shows up—and to your disgruntlement, he produces a belt that’s just a bit longer than yours. He brags his belt is longer by exactly his height: 6 feet.

If Peter were also to wrap his belt around the circumference of Earth, how far above the surface could he suspend the belt if he pulled it tautly and uniformly?

Earth’s circumference is about 25,000 miles, or 130 million feet … but you don’t need to know that to solve this problem.

Riddle No. 14: This Elbow Tapping Riddle Is Diabolical. Good Luck Solving It.

In some future time, when the shelter-in-place bans are lifted, a married couple, Florian and Julia, head over to a bar to celebrate their newfound freedom.

They find four other couples there who had the same idea.

Eager for social contact, every person in the five couples enthusiastically taps elbows (the new handshake) with each person they haven’t yet met .

It actually turns out many of the people had known each other prior, so when Julia asks everyone how many elbows they each tapped, she remarkably gets nine different answers!

The question: How many elbows did Florian tap?

What nine answers did Julia hear?

Riddle No. 15: You’ll Need a Drink After Trying to Solve This Whisky Riddle

Alan and Claire live by the old Scottish saying, “Never have whisky without water, nor water without whisky!” So one day, when Alan has in front of him a glass of whisky, and Claire has in front of her a same-sized glass of water, Alan takes a spoonful of his whisky and puts it in Claire’s water. Claire stirs her whisky-tinted water, and then puts a spoonful of this mixture back into Alan’s whisky to make sure they have exactly the same amount to drink.

So: Is there more water in Alan’s whisky, or more whisky in Claire’s water? And does it matter how well Claire stirred?

The size of the spoon does not matter.

Riddle No. 16: The Doodle Problem Is a Lot Harder Than It Looks. Can You Solve It?

This week’s riddle is relatively simple—but sinister all the same.

The question: Can you make 100 by interspersing any number of pluses and minuses within the string of digits 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1? You can’t change the order of the digits! So what’s the least number of pluses and minuses needed to make 100?

Text, Font, Logo, Graphics, Smile,

For instance, 98 - 7 - 6 + 54 - 32 shows one way of interspersing pluses and minuses, but since it equals 107, it’s not a solution.

I call this a “doodle problem”: one that’s best worked on during meetings where you might be doodling otherwise.

You might want to start looking for solutions that use a total of seven pluses and minuses (although there are ways to use fewer).

Ready for the solution? Click here to see if you’re right.

Riddle No. 17: This Math Puzzle Stumped Every Scientist but One. Think You Can Crack It?

Difficulty: hard.

In honor of Freeman Dyson, the renowned physicist who died last month , here’s a legendary tale demonstrating his quick wit and incredible brain power.

One day, in a gathering of top scientists, one of them wondered out loud whether there exists an integer that you could exactly double by moving its last digit to its front. For instance, 265 would satisfy this if 526 were its exact double—which it isn’t.

After apparently just five seconds , Dyson responded, “Of course there is, but the smallest such number has 18 digits.”

This left some of the smartest scientists in the world puzzling over how he could have figured this out so quickly.

So given Dyson’s hint, what is the smallest such number?

My second grader has recently learned how to add a 3-digit number to itself using the classic vertical method:

Font, Text, Calligraphy, Line, Art, Writing,

18-digit numbers, of course, can be added in the same way.

Riddle No. 18: Figure Out What’s on Her Forehead

Cecilia loves testing the logic of her very logical friends Jaya, Julian, and Levi, so she announces:

“I’ll write a positive number on each of your foreheads. None of the numbers are the same, and two of the numbers add up to the third.”

She scribbles the numbers on their heads, then turns to Jaya and asks her what her number is. Jaya sees Julian has 20 on his forehead, and Levi has 30 on his. She thinks for a moment and then says, “I don’t know what my number is.” Julian pipes in, “I also don’t know my number,” and then Levi exclaims, “Me neither!” Cecilia gleefully says, “I’ve finally stumped you guys!”

“Not so fast!” Jaya says. “Now I know my number!”

What is Jaya’s number?

Jaya could be one of two numbers, but only one of those numbers would lead to Julian and Levi both not knowing their numbers. Why?

Riddle No. 19: Can You Get Keanu Reeves Elected As President?

It’s 2024, and there are five candidates running in the democratic primary: Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, Keanu Reeves, and Dwayne Johnson. (Hey, it could happen.) As usual, the first primary is in Iowa.

In an effort to overcome its embarrassment after the 2020 caucus debacle , the Iowa Democratic Party has just announced a new, foolproof way of finding the best candidate: there will be four consecutive elections.

First, candidate 1 will run against candidate 2. Next, the winner of that will run against candidate 3, then that winner will run against candidate 4, and finally the winner of that election will run against the final candidate. By the transitive property, the winner of this last election must be the best candidate ... so says the Iowa Democratic Party.

Candidate Keanu has been feeling pretty low, as he knows he is ranked near the bottom by most voters, and at the top by none. In fact, he knows the Iowa population is divided into five equal groups, and that their preferences are as follows:

Text, Font, Line, Organism, Document, Number, Handwriting, Calligraphy, Smile, Art,

Keanu is childhood friends with Bill S. Preston, Esq., the new head of the Iowa Democratic Party. Preston, confident that the order of the candidates doesn’t matter for the outcome, tells Keanu he can choose the voting order of the candidates.

So what order should Keanu choose?

How would Keanu fare in one-to-one races against each candidate?

Riddle No. 20: Who Opened All These Damn Lockers?

There are 100 lockers that line the main hallway of Chelm High School. Every night, the school principal makes sure all the lockers are closed so that there will be an orderly start to the next day. One day, 100 mischievous students decide that they will play a prank.

The students all meet before school starts and line up. The first student then walks down the hallway, and opens every locker. The next student follows by closing every other locker (starting at the second locker). Student 3 then goes to every third locker (starting with the third) and opens it if it’s closed, and closes it if it’s open. Student 4 follows by opening every fourth locker if it’s closed and closing it if it’s open. This goes on and on until Student 100 finally goes to the hundredth locker. When the principal arrives later in the morning, which lockers does she find open?

Make sure you pay attention to all of the factors.

Headshot of Laura Feiveson

Laura Feiveson is an economist for the government, a storyteller, and a lifelong enthusiast of math puzzles.  She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two daughters. 

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180620 n vv532 276 pacific ocean june 26, 2018 uss montgomery lcs 8 transits from naval base san diego to the pacific ocean to conduct routine operations and training littoral combat ships are high speed, agile, shallow draft, mission focused surface combatants designed for operations in the littoral environment, yet fully capable of open ocean operations as part of the surface fleet, lcs has the ability to counter and outpace evolving threats independently or within a network of surface combatants us navy photo courtesy of muckley photographyreleased

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team problem solving riddles

"Riddle Your Way to Fun: Crack Clues and Unlock Adventures! Join the Excitement of Funtivity Riddles - an Interactive and Thrilling Experience with Swings, Slides, Pools, Mazes, and More.

"Unlock the Mystery, Crack the Clues, and Challenge Your Mind with Riddles!"

  • Come up with an answer to solve seemingly impossible questions
  • Great way to demonstrate alternative thinking process
  • Play as a team or play individually

A game consisting of questions that your 3rd grader may ask you and test your ability to use non-linear and divergent thinking to come up with a witty answer. Or you could get inspired by these questions to use them as ice-breaker topics.

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Riddles require logical reasoning, problem-solving, and creative thinking, which help to sharpen your critical thinking skills. Playing riddles regularly can improve your ability to analyze, deduce, and solve complex problems in various aspects of life.

Riddles often contain unfamiliar words or use words in unexpected ways, which can expand your vocabulary and improve your language skills. By trying to understand the wordplay and hidden meanings in riddles, you can develop better language comprehension and communication skills.

Riddles often require thinking outside the box and looking at things from different perspectives. This encourages creativity and lateral thinking, helping you to develop innovative and unconventional problem-solving skills that can be applied in various real-life situations.

Playing riddles with friends or in a group setting can be a fun and engaging social activity. It promotes social interaction, encourages teamwork, and enhances bonding among participants. Riddles can be a great ice-breaker or conversation starter, fostering a sense of camaraderie and enjoyment among players.

Riddles are intriguing and challenging, and solving them can be immensely satisfying and enjoyable. They provide a source of entertainment and fun, helping you to relax, unwind, and have a good time. Playing riddles can also be a refreshing break from screen time and a healthy mental exercise for all ages.

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team problem solving riddles

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1. Select theme & get started

Pick a theme and dive into the excitement of Rebus Riddles! Decode visual puzzles, guess the hidden meaning, and challenge your friends to join in the fun. A thrilling brain-teasing activity for groups to enjoy!

2. Select solo or team mode

Play solo or team up for an exhilarating riddle challenge! Solve mind-bending riddles and conquer interactive challenges to test your critical thinking and problem-solving skills in this fun and engaging activity.

3. Create one or more teams

You can create one or more teams & engage in a thrilling riddle adventure! Teams collaborate to solve brain-teasing riddles and complete interactive challenges. Boost critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in this exciting and fun-filled activity.

4. Read the question & type in your answer

Read the questions, type in your answers, and put your critical thinking skills to the test. Can you crack the code and solve the riddles? Let's find out!

5. Answer before the time runs out

Tick, tock! Race against the clock in this thrilling riddle activity. Read the questions, type in your answers, and beat the countdown. Can you think quickly and solve the riddles before time runs out? Give it a try!

6. There are no retries once you submit answer

Think carefully and choose wisely! In this riddle challenge, once you submit an answer, there are no retries. Test your critical thinking skills and solve the riddles accurately to advance in this exciting activity!

7. See who got the answers correct

After submitting your answers, find out who got it right. Compare with others and see who cracked the riddles in this thrilling activity. It's time to show off your problem-solving skills!

8. Host: Correct answers if required

With the option to host correct answers, you can facilitate a fair and engaging competition. Test your cognitive skills, reveal the correct answers, and watch as players showcase their smarts in this thrilling and interactive brain-teasing experience!

9. Go to the next question

You have the option to proceed to the next question or skip to the end. This gives you control over the pace of the game, allowing you to move forward or skip ahead if needed. It's a convenient feature that lets you tailor the experience to your preferences and play style!

10. Celebrate the win

After completing Funtivity's Riddles, it's time to celebrate the win! With excitement and joy, acknowledge the victorious participant or team, and revel in the accomplishment. It's a moment of celebration and fun as you wrap up the game!

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team problem solving riddles

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IMAGES

  1. 30+ Team Building Riddles With Answers To Solve

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  2. Problem Solving Riddles

    team problem solving riddles

  3. 30+ Teamwork R Riddles With Answers To Solve

    team problem solving riddles

  4. Problem-Solving Riddles That Only Smart People Can Solve

    team problem solving riddles

  5. 20 Riddles Will Make You a Beast at Problem Solving

    team problem solving riddles

  6. SHORT RIDDLES TO TEST YOUR PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

    team problem solving riddles

VIDEO

  1. 🧩Riddle Me This? What has 6 faces but does not wear makeup?

  2. Why do some teams clash while others collaborate?

  3. Can You Solve These? 🧠 Top 4 Mind-Bending Riddles That Stump Everyone!

  4. Can You Solve These Riddles?

  5. Can You Solve This Riddle? 🤔

  6. 20 Mind-Bending Riddles

COMMENTS

  1. Team Building Riddles: 17 Fun Examples

    Here is a list of team building riddles to get your employees thinking. Includes fun, difficult and easy to solve examples. ... Generally, team building problem solving riddles are challenging, but not impossible to answer. Since colleagues work together to come up with responses, you can use these riddles to connect and build shared memories.

  2. 25+ Best Team Building Riddles (Engaging Challenges)

    In this article, we explore the world of team building through the lens of riddles, a method that transforms mundane team interactions into an exciting journey of problem-solving and discovery. By integrating these clever puzzles into team activities, we can unlock a new dimension of group dynamics, enhancing communication and cooperation.

  3. 45 Best Workplace Riddles for Adults (Clever & Funny)

    Easy Riddles For Adults. If you're not in the mood for a brain games, easy riddles are the way to go. Your team will be entertained, yet will feel like problem-solving champs. 16. Contrary to my name, I am not a queen. Hold me up to things though and their length is seen.

  4. Team Building Riddles: Enhance Collaboration with Engaging Puzzles

    Team building riddles are a dynamic tool used in workplaces to foster cooperation and communication among team members. These puzzles serve not just as icebreakers, but as a means of challenging employees to think critically and collaboratively. Through engaging with riddles, teams can practice problem-solving in a fun and light-hearted environment, which in turn can

  5. 150 Icebreaker Riddles To Energize Your Next Group Meeting

    Top 10 Riddles to Stump Your Coworkers and Friends. 1. Einstein's Famous House Riddle. There are five houses lined up next to each other along a street. Each house is a different color, and each homeowner is of a different nationality, drinks a different beverage, smokes a different brand of cigar, and owns a different pet.

  6. 10 Team-Building Puzzles To Challenge Your Team Members

    Related: 8 Skills You Need for Effective Team Building Riddles Asking your team to solve a riddle can be a good way to engage their minds and challenge their problem-solving skills. Here are some example riddles you can try with your team: A man pushes his car to a hotel. He pays the hotel owner money and then pushes his car away. Why does he ...

  7. Best teamwork riddles

    Encourage your team members to work together, share ideas, and communicate effectively to solve these riddles. The process of solving the riddles will not only challenge their problem-solving skills but also strengthen their bond and improve teamwork within the group. So, incorporate these teamwork riddles into your team-building activities and ...

  8. Team Building Riddles and Answers

    3. Team building exercises that improve problem-solving and innovative thinking. On top of being just an enjoyable event in which team members take part in classic games, with healthy competition, a fun team-building activity can develop problem-solving skills and encourage people to think outside the box.

  9. Top 50 problem solving activities, games & puzzles for remote teams

    Team building riddles. Team building riddles are a great way to show the team group problem solving is usually more effective. 1. Barter puzzle - the team is broken into groups. Give each team a different jigsaw puzzle to solve. The groups have to complete the puzzle at the same time. ... Group problem solving activities for adults.

  10. 14 Brain-Boosting Problem Solving Group Activities For Teams

    Jeopardy. Problem-solving activities such as Virtual Team Challenges offer a great way for teams to come together, collaborate, and develop creative solutions to complex problems. 2. Problem-Solving Templates. Problem-Solving Templates are popular problem-solving activities that involve a group of people working together to solve an issue.

  11. 22 Unbeatable Team Building Problem Solving Activities

    Problem-solving is a critical skill and team building problem solving activities can help your team have fun while sharpening their skills. Phone 1-800-565-8735. ... riddles, and trivia. The team who has completed the most challenges when time is up, wins! 16. Cardboard Boat Building Challenge.

  12. Team Building Puzzles Online: Engage and Empower

    Key Takeaways: Team building puzzles can engage and empower teams. These online activities improve problem-solving skills, promote collaboration, and ignite creativity. Team building puzzles can be tailored to the unique needs and goals of each team. These activities break down barriers and build stronger relationships within the team.

  13. 20 Hard Riddles for Adults: Best Brain Teasers for Adults

    Jaya sees Julian has 20 on his forehead, and Levi has 30 on his. She thinks for a moment and then says, "I don't know what my number is.". Julian pipes in, "I also don't know my number ...

  14. 70+ Challenging Riddles for Adults (With Answers)

    70+ Challenging Riddles for Adults (With Answers) Test your logical thinking and problem-solving skills with these fun brain teasers and puzzles. These riddles for adults start on a light note with a dirty joke or fun riddle, and then gradually dives into the trickier puzzles. Towards the end, you'll find the harder riddles, the ones that are ...

  15. Riddles: Engaging Team Building Activity

    3. Create one or more teams. You can create one or more teams & engage in a thrilling riddle adventure! Teams collaborate to solve brain-teasing riddles and complete interactive challenges. Boost critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in this exciting and fun-filled activity. 4.

  16. 58 Brain Teasers & Answers: Mind Puzzles To Stump You

    Answer: To boil the egg in exactly 15 minutes, follow these four steps. Start both hourglasses as you start boiling the egg. After the 7-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over to start it again ...

  17. 180+ Riddles With Answers For Kids & Adults

    Team Building Workshops: In a corporate setting, riddles can be used in team-building workshops. Provide teams with challenging riddles that require collaborative problem-solving. This encourages effective communication, the sharing of different perspectives, and the pooling of expertise to arrive at a solution.