Starting with this post, we will be kicking off a series of team building activities as this is a surprisingly important aspect of any team dynamic. Forbes Magazine even called team building the “most important investment [companies] will make”. That’s high praise.
Whether you are in a corporate setting or sports environment, team building has several significant advantages such as:
- Help your teams become a more cohesive unit;
- Improve communication;
- Facilitate team members getting to know each other;
- Foster an environment of team bonding; and
- Develop leadership within the team.
The first activity in our Team Building Series is the “Who Am I?” game. I picked this one to go first because it is SUPER EASY and requires limited supplies which is the best kind of activity, in my humble opinion.
Summary
During the game, each player will have the name of a famous person (alive or dead, real or fictional) taped on their back which they can’t see. They will go around to their teammates and ask them questions to find out who they are.
Supplies Needed
Blank Copier Paper or Sticky Notes
Printer or Marker
How to Play
- Write or print the names of famous people or characters on blank paper or sticky notes.
- Place names on the player’s backs so they can’t see it. If using sticky notes, you could have the player close their eyes and stick the sticky note on their forehead.
- Players go around the room and try to figure out who they are by asking “Yes” and “No” questions of their teammates.
- Once a player has guessed who they are they are out of the game.
- When all players are out, the round is over. (Be prepared to have a good supply of names. You will be surprised how many rounds your group will want to play.)
Ideas for Famous People & Characters
| Madonna | Lebron James | Larry Bird |
| President Donald Trump | Captain America | Mickey Mouse |
| Lady Gaga | Michael Jackson | Elvis Presley |
| Frankenstein | Justin Bieber | Rihanna |
| Shakira | Kim Kardashian | Taylor Swift |
| Princess Kate | Zac Efron | Luke Bryan |
| Oprah Winfrey | Selena Gomez | Miley Cyrus |
| Batman | Harry Potter | Darth Vader |
| Mulan | G-Eazy | Tom Brady |
| Tiger Woods | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Mary Poppins |
| Elsa | Iron Man | Snow White |
| Abraham Lincoln | Cinderella | Dora the Explorer |
| Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson | Ellen DeGeneres | Simon Cowell |
| Christopher Columbus | Jimmy Fallon | Donald Duck |
| Walt Disney | William Shakespeare | Benjamin Franklin |
| Beyonce | Iron Man | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Harry Potter | Christopher Columbus | Albert Einstein |
| Garth Brooks | Justin Timberlake | Alice in Wonderland |
| Cookie Monster | Hermione Granger | The Incredible Hulk |
| Han Solo | Mary Poppins | Peter Pan |
| Olaf | Tinkerbell | Rocky Balboa |
| Santa Claus | Shrek | Superman |
| Tarzan | The Wicked Witch of the West | Wonder Woman |
| Yoda |
Variations
Who Am I? Competition
The players stand in a circle while a coach or parent tapes the name to their back or places the sticky note on their forehead. (If you are taping the name to their back have them face in. If you are putting a sticky note on their forehead have them face out.)
On “go” team members try to figure out who they are as quickly as possible. Once they have figured out who they are they go back to a central location and get another name. The person who guesses the most names wins.
Who Am I? Couples Edition
Similar to the regular variation of this game, players get a name on their back. However, this time they not only have to figure out who they are, they also have to find their partner and help them figure out who they are without showing them who they are.
| Sonny & Cher | Romeo & Juliet | Jay-Z & Beyonce |
| Rose & Jack (Titanic) | Baby & Johnny (Dirty Dancing) | Sandy & Danny (Grease) |
| Hans Solo & Princess Leia | Bonnie & Clyde | Miss Piggy & Kermit the Frog |
| Anna & Elsa (Frozen) | Bert & Ernie | Mickey & Minnie Mouse |
| Lady & the Tramp | Beauty & the Beast | Lewis & Clark |
| Anna & Elsa | Chip & Dale | Mike Wasowski & Sully |
| Peeta & Katniss | Noah & Allie (The Notebook) | Chuck & Blair (Gossip Girl) |
| Batman & Robin | Bert & Ernie | Zack & Cody |
| Troy & Gabriella |
Who Are We?
In this variation, the team draws straws. The person who draws the short straw leaves the room. The rest of the team pulls a type of person from a hat. Examples of types of people could be:
| Nurses | Flight Attendants | Sports Teams |
| Army Heroes | Disney Princesses | Police Officers |
| Politicians | Marvel Avengers | Cowboys |
| Aliens | Scientists | Doctors |
| Hair Stylists | Comedians | High Society Snobs |
| Funeral Goers | Opera Singers | Surfers |
When the ‘it’ person returns to the room, the team acts like the people they drew from a hat and the person who is ‘it’ must guess who they are.
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Like I said, this is one of the easiest team building activities because it requires very little supplies and it’s a blast.
Join us for the next installment of our Teambuilding Series where we will detail how to do a Secret Teammate exchange.
Sue Nowicki is an alumna of the 2014/15 Disney Parks Moms Panel. She is a team mom extraordinaire who has filled her time serving as secretary, navigator, head cheerleader, treasurer, athletic trainer and team psychologist for her daughter’s travel sports team for 10 years before becoming a team owner in 2015. You can follow her on Twitter @TeamMom365.
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