Looking for fun and engaging team building ideas to foster effective communication and problem-solving in your workplace? Consider holding a Lego team building workshop.
Lego-based activities are a great way to unite your team, improve problem-solving skills, and get creative juices flowing. In this article, we’ll explore why Lego workshops work so well for team building and provide ideas for activities you can facilitate yourself or with a professional. Lego bricks are also a great way to build connections whether your team meets in person or virtually.
Why does the Lego Team Building work?
Lego bricks aren’t just for kids – they offer versatile team building options across industries and age groups. Here’s why Lego is an ideal material for corporate team building workshops and exercises:
- Enhances Communication: To collaborate on Lego builds, teams must communicate clearly on design, color selection, and brick placement. This fosters listening, questioning, and feedback skills.
- Requires Collaboration: Complex Lego structures require cooperation between builders. Teams learn to share ideas, divide tasks, and work together towards a common goal.
- Sparks Creativity: Lego pieces can be built into anything you can imagine. This promotes creative thinking and gets teams working in new ways.
- Teaches Problem-Solving: Challenging build projects require strategic planning, troubleshooting, and learning from mistakes.
- Fun and Engaging: Who doesn’t love playing with Lego? The nostalgia factor makes it an enjoyable team experience.
- Customizable: Lego build activities can be tailored to your team’s needs and work objectives. Builds can be simple or advanced.
- Virtual Friendly: If your team is remote, Lego kits can be shipped so everyone can participate in virtual team building activities.
With proper facilitation, Lego’s serious play can enhance workplace relationships, communication, trust, and morale. We can help you. Continue reading on for activity ideas.
In-Person Lego Team Building Ideas
If your team works together in an office, here are some hands-on Lego team-building ideas and building ideas with Lego bricks to promote collaboration:
Lego Tower Competition
How It Works: Divide your team into small groups. Provide each team with an equal number and type of Lego bricks. Set a timer for 10-20 minutes, during which teams must build the tallest freestanding tower they can. The tower that stands tallest without toppling wins!
Benefits: This fast-paced challenge encourages teamwork, planning, and communication as groups quickly strategize to build a strong tower. It also fosters friendly competition.
Lego Storytelling
How It Works: Have teams select random Lego pieces of various colors, sizes, and shapes. Based on these pieces, teams must craft an original story or scenario incorporating every selected item. Teams take turns presenting their stories.
Benefits: This activity promotes creativity, listening skills, compromise on how items fit into the narrative, and thinking on your feet.
The Lego Machine
How It Works: Each team member uses Lego pieces to build one part of a large Lego sculpture. The team works to connect each person’s build into one larger machine. Then, teams can set the machine in motion and observe the chain reactions.
Benefits: Engineering complex machines requires strategic thinking, problem-solving, trial and error, and blending individual contributions into a unified whole.
Creative Lego Building Contest
How It Works: Rather than building a tower, teams can construct anything they want within a time limit using their Lego® bricks – whether it’s a Lego® model, robot, animal, vehicle, or abstract sculpture. Teams present their creation and explain key decisions. Judges award creativity points.
Benefits: This activity does not require instructions and encourages freeform innovation, brainstorming, and bold ideas. Presenting builds also develops communication abilities.
Virtual Lego Team Building Activities
If your team works remotely, Lego team building workshops are still possible through virtual workshops. Here are some options:
Virtual Lego Design Challenge
How It Works: Mail team members separate Lego sets. Give everyone the same build prompt during a video call, like “Build a zoo enclosure” or “Build a robot.” Teams must describe their progress to each other and problem-solve without being able to see teammates’ builds.
Benefits: Using verbal communication to complete complex builds is excellent for developing clear instruction-giving, active listening, and abstract thinking skills.
Show and Tell Creations
How It Works: Over a week before your call, have remote team members use their own Lego bricks to build something fun, like their dream house, self-portrait sculpture, or fantasy vehicle. During the video call, have each person present their unique creation.
Benefits: This allows everyone to showcase their talents, interests, and personalities in a casual setting. It also encourages peering into each other’s home life.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt
How It Works: For this game, team members use household items plus a small Lego kit you provide. The facilitator screen shares a Lego structure and instructs teams to hunt for items that color match Lego bricks – e.g., find something green to match a 2×4 Lego. Teams race to find matching items and gain points for speed.
Benefits: This fast-paced and engaging game fosters quick communication, creativity, and competitiveness. It also promotes virtual camaraderie.
Tips for Facilitating a Lego Team Building Workshop
- Provide clear instructions for activities and demonstrations of example finished products.
- Enforce time limits to add focus and urgency. Extend builds that are progressing well.
- Circulate to assist teams that are struggling with their structures.
- Remind teams to involve every member and share ideas openly.
- Relate the skills used in builds back to real work objectives during debriefs.
- Award silly prizes to teams for categories like “Most Colorful” or “Best Storytelling”.
- For virtual events, ship Lego kits beforehand so teammates have equal materials.
- Have team members enable cameras during builds for increased engagement.
Get Your Team Building with Lego Bricks
A Lego brick team building workshop can engage your team, unlock creativity, and build tangible skills for collaborating and communicating. Tailor the activities to suit your workgroup’s needs and schedule time for meaningful discussion to cement lessons learned.
Not a Lego pro? Many professional facilitators like me offer custom Lego team building experiences. You have the option to provide the materials or we provide it for you. Let us handle the instruction for a memorable and fun workshop. However you implement it, a Lego team building session is a great way to bring your team together while fostering skills for future workplace success. Just be prepared for some employees to return to childhood as they enjoy the build!
Book a Lego Workshop with Tyler Clites for Team Building Success
As the winner of season 1 of FOX’s LEGO MASTERS, I know something about fun and engaging challenges that stretch teams outside of their comfort zones in a unique way. We are the perfect choice if you’re looking for an expert to facilitate a productive and engaging Lego team-building workshop for your team. We offer customized in-person and virtual workshops using Lego® bricks designed to strengthen collaboration, communication, creativity, and problem-solving.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Corporate Lego team building activities test teamwork and collaboration by requiring teams to build a large Lego model, solve complex problems, or complete puzzles together. These activities are great for teams to work together without clear communication and require creative problem-solving.
A: Virtual team building with Lego can benefit your team by promoting clear communication, collaborative problem-solving, and teamwork. It provides an alternative way for teams to build a large Lego model or complete building workshops with Lego bricks, even when not physically together.
A: Some ideas for team-building workshops with Lego include building a Lego model, constructing a Lego cart, or creating the tallest tower using Lego bricks. These activities promote teamwork, creativity, and strategic thinking among team members.
A: Lego can be used for team-building activities as it requires teams to work together to reconstruct a Lego model, build a large structure, or solve puzzles. It encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and collaboration by challenging participants to assemble complex Lego creations.
A: A typical Lego team-building workshop can last from 20 minutes to throughout the day, depending on the complexity and objectives of the activities. Some activities may be designed for quick collaborative challenges, while others may involve longer-term projects.
A: Yes, corporate Lego team-building activities can be conducted virtually, allowing teams to participate in building workshops with Lego bricks, collaborative challenges, or puzzle-solving activities from different locations. Virtual platforms enable remote teams to engage in creative team-building exercises.
A: Lego team-building activities promote teamwork, innovation, and problem-solving skills among team members. These activities test collaboration, communication, and strategic thinking, providing a fun and engaging way for teams to work together.
A: Lego team-building activities foster teamwork and collaboration by requiring participants to work together without clear communication, reconstruct a Lego model, or build a large structure. These activities encourage team members to collaborate, communicate effectively, and overcome challenges as a cohesive unit.
A: Incorporating Lego into team-building activities offers benefits such as promoting creativity, enhancing problem-solving skills, fostering teamwork, and encouraging innovative thinking. Lego activities provide an engaging and interactive platform for teams to collaborate and achieve common goals.
A: You can contact me to organize a Lego team-building workshop for your team. You can request a customized session or choose from a list of team-building ideas with Lego. Incorporating Lego into your team-building activities can create a memorable and impactful experience for your team.
