Top 3 Reasons to Choose Improv for your next Team Building Event

#1: Improv is Fun(ny)!

At this point, if you’re doing a team building event, it’s pretty much expected to be fun. But improv goes beyond fun, it’s funny. Sure, there might be funny moments in other events, like getting stuck halfway up a rock climbing wall, or a paintball to the butt, but improv is designed to bring laughs. And the best part is, the team are the ones creating the laughs, together.

#2: Improv is Fun for Everyone!

There are always going to be shy people who want to hang back, and boisterous leaders who want to take control. The funny ones, and people who don’t realize how funny they are. The thing with improv is that everyone participates. And everyone succeeds. Because when you’re building comedy together, the laughs are shared.

#3: Improv is a Key Skill!

No matter how much we plan, every interaction we have is improvised. So it’s a pretty helpful skill to hone. Amidst all the laughing and having fun together, your team is learning how to support and collaborate, think on their feet, stretch their comfort zones, and adapt to change in the moment. Think escape room, but the room keeps changing, and nobody’s yelling.

If you’re looking for a fun and funny team building workshop, where everyone enjoys being involved, and learns keys skills, check out our corporate improv workshops or get in touch and we’ll build the event for you.

100 Ways to Play at Work #17: Rhyme Time!

As usual, strike up that “normal” conversation. This time the game is: whatever word they end with, make sure your last word rhymes with it.

Bonus points if your sentence is roughly the same number of syllables. You can even keep a beat going in your head. This is great practice if you ever find yourself performing on an A cappella musical improv team (shout out to JerJosh & the SteveCams).

Eg.

Hey Heather, check this AI thing out!
Oh amazing, what’s it all about?
Well, it’s some art I’ve been working on, you know, on the side.
You should share it around, that’s not something to hide.

(Full disclosure, the art wasn’t great, but in the moment Heather couldn’t think of a different rhyme.)

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This series was inspired by people asking me “How do I keep doing improv?” after a corporate improv workshop. There are, of course, improv classes, more workshops, team building exercises you can do with your group, but these games are specifically ones you can do on your own to practice “Yes and” and get into a state of play.

Winner of Toronto’s Best Improv Team Building Workshops Award

Play with Fire Improv was recently awarded Toronto’s Best Improv Team Building Workshops Award, or TBITBWA, or “T-bit-bwah” as some call it, and Cam Algie (founder and lead facilitator of Play with Fire Improv) couldn’t be happier.

“Yeah, I was honoured to hear the news that we’d won,” says Cam, “it’s obviously something we’ve work hard to be great at, and while getting amazing feedback from our clients is award enough, receiving an actual award is also nice.”

According to the judging committee, they were the clear favourite. “They definitely deserve the prestigious award, they truly care about their clients, and run amazing customized workshops for teams of all kinds. I’m proud of them and happy they won, and it wasn’t even a biased choice,” said head judge, Cam Algie.

If you’re interested in some award-winning improv training for your team, check out Play with Fire Improv’s corporate improv training page, or contact them to make it happen.

Definitely an esteemed improv award and not a softball trophy.

100 Ways to Play at Work #16: Make Art

Don’t just staple pages together, staple a little picture. Make a flip book out of post-it notes. Bend paperclips into animals. Use highlighters as watercolour.

Take 10 minutes to just create… something. Go over to the photocopy room right now, grab some paper scraps, tape, markers and make your (daily? weekly?) masterpiece to display at your desk, or on the office fridge.  

It’s not about selling the art, or doing a good job, it’s simply enjoying the act of creating something new.

What will you art today?

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This series was inspired by people asking me “How do I keep doing improv?” after a corporate improv workshop. There are, of course, improv classes, more workshops, team building exercises you can do with your group, but these games are specifically ones you can do on your own to practice “Yes and” and get into a state of play.

100 Ways to Play at Work #15: Play Bingo!

Another boring meeting? Doesn’t have to be, because you’ve created your bingo card. Draw a 5x5 grid of boxes. Then fill in your “favourite” potential meeting moments.

Some examples include:

• There are tech issues

• Someone says “Touch base”/“Let’s circle back to that”/“Out of pocket”​ 

• Someone interrupts to ask “Are you done with the room?”

• AI gets mentioned (maybe use as the guaranteed spot in the middle)

• Someone comes late and apologizes, then leaves early and apologizes

• Someone says “This could’ve been an email” then raises their hand for a high five but there are no takers so they high five themselves and say “Noice!”

• ​The meeting runs late

And when you get 5 in a row, let them know by yelling "Bingo!" that this was officially a meeting.   

100 Ways to Play at Work #14: Make up your own Saying.

Coming up with a new old timey saying is like putting dry boots on a wet goat. It’s hard. Or easy? I don’t know. But when you finally achieve it, it’s like finding a grape in your figgy pudding. You know you’ve tucked your shadow in for the night, and you can celebrate like tigers on a picket fence!

Share your new saying. Because as they say, the fastest mouse isn’t always the loudest.

100 Ways to Play at Work #13: Hype Team

Just as it sounds, find someone and be their “hype” person. Support what they say. Root for them. Build up their ideas.

Here’s the key, there’s gotta be something genuine at the core, or it’ll start to seem sarcastic. It’s just pushing the positive that’s already there. If you like their idea even a bit, go full love it!

Who are you gonna make feel great today?

100 Ways to Play at Work #12: Alliterating All Along

Pick a letter, any letter. Try to use it as much as you can. Done. A simple challenge to give convos a sense of play. Bonus points for any sentence where every word begins with the same letter. Extra bonus points if nobody notices, or thinks it happened accidentally.

“You got those budget reports ready?”
“Why, what a wonderful way of wording your wishes!”
“…Just give me the numbers.”

100 Way to Play at Work #11: Act Like and Animal

Take on the characteristics of your favourite animal. I’m not saying start barking, or grow wings, but more feel their vibe. If it’s a cheetah, move in short bursts, then rest for a long time. A sloth, just take your time with things. Hold your head with pride like an eagle. Slide into a room like a snake. You get it. Just try not to go full honey badger ;)

It’s not about other people guessing, it’s just something internal for you to enjoy.

What animal will you be today?

100 Ways to Play at Work #10: Scene Dubbing

Look at those two people way across the room talking. You can’t hear them, but you know what they’re saying. Because you’re dubbing in their words, playing their characters.

This works alone, or with a friend. Find a conversation you can’t hear, and imagine what they’re saying. Read their body language, distance from each other, facial expressions, who’s talking the most, for accuracy. Use your imagination for the fun.

Are they having a heated conversation about the budget, or about dragons? That’s up to you!

100 Ways to Play at Work #9: Have a Secret

There’s an improv game called “Secret Wants” where just the idea of knowing something the other person doesn’t affects how you interact with them.

Imagine if you and a group of coworkers went in on the lottery together, and you’re the only one who knows they won. You can decide to play it cool, have small talk with everyone else, but there’s no hiding the buzzing vibration you feel underneath.

It’s like having a new tattoo and not talking about it. It’s tough, but it’s also something interesting underlying every conversation you have. If only you could tell them!

What’s your secret?

100 Ways to Play at Work #8: No "P"

Have your usual small talky conversations, but this time restrict yourself from using one letter of the alphabet. Maybe start with a high-ranking Scrabble tile, like “Z” and breeze through a whole chat. Then get more advanced with avoiding “G.” Eventually you could risk a vowel, even the ever-present “E.”

“Hey Sandy, I need your help with this AI stuff.”

“…Sounds good, I can… work… with you… on this.”

“Great, so here’s the issue, it’s AI so it’s acting all AI, you know?”

“I totally und… I do know what you… say. And I also don’t… want that. I… fix now.”

Nailed it.

100 Ways to Play at Work #7: "What if...?" in a Positive Way.

Our brains are set to look for problems. So when someone pitches a really fun, creative idea, it’s common to spend the rest of the meeting talking about how it “won’t work” because of all the things that could go wrong. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to balance that out. Instead of being the “voice of reason,” be the “voice of potential.”

“What if we go over budget?”

“What if this idea is so huge that new clients come pouring in?”

“What if people hate it?”

“What if everyone loves it and we’re given the keys to the city for being so wonderful?”

When people “What if?” they assume it’s more realistic to imagine bad things. But concerns about wild, unmitigated success are just as valid. I’m glad somebody had the courage to express them.

100 Ways to Play at Work #6: Number of Words

Just go about your normal work conversations, but this time set a limit on the numbers of words you’ll say before someone else has to talk. How do you decide how many? That sounds like a whole other game. Let’s just start with 5-10.

For example, 5 words.

“Hey Heather, how was your weekend?”

“It was great, I… concert.”

“You went to a concert?”

“Yep, Taylor Swift… good times.”

“Oh, I hear she’s amazing, big production, super fun.”

“Oh yeah, I was like…”

“…”

“…”

“…like what?”

“Had an amazing time… yep.”

Sure, you might talk more hesitantly, and they might see your fingers moving to count your words, but hey, fun.

Bonus Challenge: Start with 1 word, then go up to 20 (or as high as you want), then back down.

“Hey Heather, how was your weekend?”

“Great!”

“Oh, what’d you do?”

“Tay-tay concert.”

“Oh nice, did you love it?”

“I did!... indeed!”

100 Ways to Play at Work #5: Exaggerate Your Plans

Which sounds like a more fun convo:

“Got any plans for the weekend?”

“Not really, you?”

Or…

“Got any plans for the weekend?”

“Not really, just flying out to Barcelona because Taylor Swift wants to perform one of my songs with me, what about you?”

Sure, one’s a lie, and when they say “Wait, really?” and you say, “Nah, just wanted to say something more fun than catching up on chores” you’ll both have enjoyed that second of dreamlike wonder. And that’s a nice feeling.

100 Ways to Play at Work #4: Clap Last

You know those all-staff meetings where you have to clap a bunch of times because the company is making so much money thanks to you. For your next pat-ourselves-on-the-back-a-thon, bring back the classic game of “who can clap last?”

Is this a game we played in grade school? Yes. Does that mean it won’t apply to adult workplaces? On the contrary, it’s even better.

Probably doesn’t need an explanation, but basically you just make sure the sound of your clap is the last one heard. Works with one person, but really kicks in if you have a rival. Then you need to, as they say in business, hone your craft. Classic clap cover ups include coughing to cover it up, looking behind you while you clap as though it’s coming from someone else, or looking around like there’s a fly you’re trying to swat.

100 Ways to Play at Work #3: Mirroring (Verbal)

Photo by Kevin Thom

There’s an improv game called Headlines where someone makes up a newspaper headline, then the next person uses the last word of that headline as the first word of theirs.

“Local cat runs for mayor.”

“Mayor decides to do things based on financial incentive.”

“Incentive is a word that I’ll look up later.”

Now you can play that game with your conversations at work.

“Hey, did you hear that Mittens actually won and is now our mayor?”

“Mayor mittens? I like it.”

“You’re not worried about a cat making our city’s decisions?”

“Decisions are a cat’s specialty, they always know what they want and act on it.”

“I guess. Welp, I should get back to working on my AI.”

“AI is how we business.”

Bonus Challenge: Repeat more than just one word, use the last series words in your reply. (Saw this on some CIA Masterclass.) Again, don’t overdo it, just enough that you feel tickled.

100 Ways to Play at Work #2: Mirroring

Photo by Kevin Thom

If they cross their legs, you cross yours. Take a sip of coffee/water/martini at the same time they do. Also frown at your computer screen for hours and hours making occasional under your breath grumbling comments.

Nothing too obvious, like flailing your arms exactly the same way while they’re talking, but match their energy.

Mirroring isn’t just an enjoyable distraction, it’s also a legitimate way humans connect with each other. Remember, people generally like how they do things, so the more you’re like them, the more they’ll like you.

Not A Bonus Challenge: There’s an improv game called “one voice” where you try to talk at the same time as someone else, but let’s not get too advanced/annoying too quickly.

100 Ways to Play at Work #1: Alphabet Game

There’s plenty of stuff (deadlines, clients, that Kevin guy) trying to make your job stressful on the outside, so let’s try to balance that by finding some joy on the inside. This is a series of fun little games you can play on your own or with others, to put your mind into a state of play (even while you’re at work).

#100: Alphabet Game

Have a regular conversation with your coworker(s), like you always would, but make it fun for yourself by playing the Alphabet Game. Every time it’s your turn to talk, use the next sequential letter of the alphabet.

“Hey Sarah, I need you to AI that thing.”

“As you wish.”

“Thanks, it’ll be so on trend.”

“Bet it will be.”

“Let me know if you need any help with it.”

“Could I get more money?”

“Haha” 

Bonus challenge: Instead of going in alphabetical order from a to Z, follow the order they set. If their first word is “Help!” you reply by starting with an “I.” Just use the next letter after theirs.

Fun!

Happy Old Year!

How are you starting your new year? Because I’m not. Starting things is hard. A blank canvas, a blank screen, an empty stage, it all feels daunting. So instead, I’m going to keep my current year going. Treating January as a continuation of what I was doing in December. Sure, I might add some new exercises, new foods, learn new things, but that’s on top of everything that’s already going on. I’m not starting fresh in the new year. That’s too much work. I’m just riding the momentum of life into another day.