15 Fun Intern Team Building Activities to Make New Hires Feel Welcome 

Internships can be exciting, awkward, overwhelming, and sometimes intimidating, especially when interns are navigating their first corporate experience. Without opportunities to connect early on, many interns struggle to build relationships, ask questions comfortably, or feel like part of the team. That’s where intern team building activities can help. 

The right activities create opportunities for interns to build friendships, connect with teammates, network across departments, and feel more confident from day one. In this article, we’ve rounded up 15 intern team building activities that work for virtual, hybrid, and in-person teams.

Table of Contents

Why are Intern Team Building Activities Important?

Most interns join the workforce straight out of college and may not know exactly what to expect. They are:

• Joining their first workplace
• Navigating professional communication for the first time
• Meeting entirely new teams
• Trying to understand workplace culture

A survey found that 71% of employees said their onboarding experience did not help them understand the relationships they needed to build at work. Team building activities help bridge the gap by giving interns more opportunities to interact naturally and build relationships early.

These activities can help:

• Reduce first-day awkwardness
• Build workplace friendships faster
• Improve communication skills
• Increase participation and confidence
• Create more engaging internship experiences

15 Best Intern Team Building Activities for Work

Intern team building activities include a mix of games, icebreakers, and skill-based challenges designed to help new hires feel more comfortable in professional settings. Here are some fun games and activities perfect for remote, hybrid, and in-office settings. 

Team Building Games for Interns

This section includes interactive team building games that work well for onboarding sessions, intern orientation weeks, virtual meetups, and casual in-office team hangouts.

1. Pop Culture Trivia Showdown

An intern trivia session is a low-pressure, fun icebreaker game that helps interns get to know the team better. You can quiz your team on topics like sports, pop culture, music, books and more. . Include interesting elements such as GIFs, pictures, and multiple-choice questions to ensure variety and excitement. Mix in light, team-specific icebreaker questions like “Who once interned abroad?” to help interns bond with coworkers more easily. 

Goal: Encourage friendly competition and enhance teamwork.

2. Intern Bingo

A bingo game is one of the low-key, inclusive intern team building activities to share some laughs with teams at work. Teammates receive digital bingo cards filled with prompts related to internship experiences, workplace habits, onboarding moments, office slang, coffee runs, awkward first-day situations, and more. A designated host calls out prompts while participants mark off the matching squares on their cards. 

Goal: Enhance social interaction and pattern recognition skills.

Here is a ready-made intern bingo card for your team:

3. Escape Room

To keep the monotony of daily work at bay, get your interns to play an exciting escape room game. Escape rooms come in a variety of themes such as horror, heists, mystery, Hollywood, fantasy, thriller, and space adventure. Teams work together to solve puzzles, uncover clues, and complete a mission before time runs out. Since everyone has to contribute ideas and think quickly under pressure, escape rooms naturally encourage communication, collaboration, and problem-solving among interns. The activity also helps new interns interact more comfortably with teammates in a fun, low-pressure setting. 

Here are some of our recommended escape room games for remote teams:

• Nova Escape Room
• Escape the Desert Island
• Mafia 360 Escape Room
• Escape the Basement
• Escape the Ice Palace

Goal: Strengthen problem solving and critical thinking skills.

4. Scavenger Hunt

Get interns moving, collaborating, and thinking on their feet with a fast-paced scavenger hunt challenge. Share a list of scavenger hunt items with the participants before the game begins. Teams race against the clock to complete prompts, find hidden items, solve mini challenges, and work together to earn points before time runs out. 

Here is a list of scavenger hunt prompts for your team:

• Track down the person who has been with the company the longest.
• Find our company’s mission statement or core values written on the wall.
• Locate the oldest piece of technology in the office.
• Look for a notebook filled with handwritten meeting notes.
• Share a picture of the team snack station or coffee corner.
• Locate a workspace with the most colorful desk setup.
• Find a sticky note with a reminder written on it.

Goal: Enhance teamwork and quick thinking skills.

Engaging Intern Team Building Activities

Interns might take some time to engage with the existing team members and adapt to the work environment. However, the fun and engaging intern team building activities mentioned below can help them collaborate in no time. 

5. Cookie Decorating

Interns are already bringing fresh ideas and creativity to the workplace, so a cookie decorating session gives them the perfect opportunity to put those skills to use while bonding with teammates. Participants decorate cookies using frosting, sprinkles, candies, and themed toppings while creating colorful designs, workplace-inspired creations, and fun edible masterpieces.

Add excitement with timed decorating rounds, team challenges, or collaborative activities where teammates work together on designs. Finish with a lighthearted awards ceremony featuring categories like Future Team Lead, Most Creative Design, or Best Team Collaboration to keep the fun going.

Goal: Promote creativity, teamwork, and social interaction among interns.

6. Meme Competition

Interns are already sharing memes outside of work, so why not turn that energy into a team building activity? A meme competition gives interns the chance to collaborate, laugh, and create hilarious content inspired by workplace culture, internship experiences, and everyday office moments. Get them to split into teams for a set time to design their memes using simple tools like Canva or free meme generators, and have them vote for their favorites.

Here are some theme ideas for meme categories:

• Intern vs. Reality: Expectations of office life compared to what actually happens.
• Before/After Coffee: Energy levels before and after the first caffeine break.
• Tech Support Struggles: Funny moments involving office tools, passwords, or software issues.
• Office Out-of-Context: Adding hilarious captions to random team photos or screenshots/
• Corporate Jargon: Memes inspired by overused workplace phrases and buzzwords.

Goal: Boost team energy, encourage participation, and strengthen team connections.

Check out the best teamwork memes that perfectly sum up work life.

7. TikTok Dance Challenge 

Interns are already scrolling dance trends and viral challenges outside work, so why not bring some of that energy into team building? A TikTok Dance Challenge gives interns a fun, low-pressure way to connect, laugh, and shake off the stress of trying to stay on top of new tasks and workplace routines. Participants can join individually or in teams, learn simple dance routines, add their own twists, and focus more on participation than perfect choreography. 

Here are a few dance session ideas interns can enjoy as a team:

• Pass the Move Circle: Each intern adds a dance move while the group copies and builds on it.
• Office Flash Mob Challenge: Teams learn a short routine and add funny workplace-inspired elements or props.
• Freeze Dance: Interns strike hilarious poses based on office situations whenever the music stops.
• Cultural Fusion Showcase: Participants teach simple dance moves inspired by their favorite music styles or cultural traditions.

Goal: Boost team energy, encourage participation, and strengthen team connections.

8. Lego Building Challenge 

Lego building activities may seem like child’s play, but they can quickly become a fun test of teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving. Interns can work with a shared pile of bricks to complete different building challenges that test communication, planning, and teamwork within a designated time. Add bonus twists like mystery bricks or timed design changes to make the activity even more engaging and the fun up a notch.

Here are a few fun Lego challenges interns can try as a team:

• Copycat Challenge: One teammate studies a hidden Lego model and verbally guides the rest of the team to recreate it without showing the design.
• Tallest Tower Build: Teams race against the clock to build the tallest free-standing structure using limited bricks.
• My Workspace Icebreaker: Interns create a Lego model that represents their personality, dream career, or ideal workspace and explain it to the group.
• Bridge Challenge: Teams design strong Lego bridges and test which structure can hold the most weight.
• Story Building: Groups create a Lego model and present a short story, business pitch, or creative explanation behind it.

Ice Breaker Team Building Activities for Interns

Interns may find their first few days at work slightly awkward as they navigate social interactions. Here are a few fun icebreaker games for interns to help them express themselves and initiate conversations more effectively.

9. Get to Know Questions

Get to Know Questions are an engaging way for interns to open up and connect with their teammates. Instead of diving straight into work talk, teams take turns answering light, personal prompts that reveal fun details about each other. These sessions encourage interns to share stories, laugh at relatable moments, and discover common interests, making the workplace feel more welcoming and collaborative.

Here are some different get-to-know-you prompts for your team:

Would You Rather: 

• Would you rather have unlimited coffee at work or unlimited snacks?
• Would you rather work a four-day week or finish early every Friday?
• Would you rather lead a presentation or take notes during one?
• Would you rather have a desk by the window or a standing desk?

This or That: 

• Notebooks or digital notes?
• Early morning meetings or afternoon meetings?
• Working with music or complete silence?
• Emails or instant messages?

Never Have I Ever: 

• Never have I ever accidentally spoken while on mute.
• Never have I ever joined a meeting with the camera off because I wasn’t ready.
• Never have I ever sent a message to the wrong person.
• Never have I ever forgotten why I opened a browser tab.

What If: 

• What if interns got to rename all the meeting rooms?
• What if you could swap jobs with anyone in the company for a day?
• What if every meeting had to start with a fun fact?
• What if you could add one new perk to the workplace?

Goal: Build camaraderie and encourage informal team bonding.

10. Guess Who?

Get to know the new interns on your team over a game of Guess Who. Each intern will write a fun fact about themselves and share it with a moderator. The host then collects all the responses and reads each one of them aloud. The other team members must guess which intern each fact belongs to in order to score points. You can also include a fun “Guess the Desk” version where interns share photos of their desks or workspace setups for the team to identify.

Goal: Enhance communication skills and build connections.

11. Totem Card Match-Up 

Totem cards turn simple animal matchups into fun conversations that help interns learn more about themselves and their teammates. Interns can take turns assigning animal-themed cards that best match a teammate’s personality, work style, or contributions to the group. As each card is shared, team members explain their choices, leading to meaningful conversations about qualities such as creativity, patience, leadership, and collaboration. 

For example, one intern may receive a dolphin card for being supportive and approachable, while another might get a turtle card for being patient. The activity creates a positive space for appreciation, self-reflection, and connection among teammates.

Goal: Encourage team appreciation and build stronger interpersonal connections.

12. Personality Tests

We all secretly enjoy personality tests, whether it’s discovering our work style, fictional twin, or why we communicate the way we do. Why not use that curiosity to help interns connect too? 

Personality tests help interns understand different work styles, communication habits, and team dynamics in an interactive way. 

Participants answer a series of questions in assessments such as Myers-Briggs, DISC, or color personality quizzes to identify traits related to collaboration, leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving. After the results are revealed, interns discuss their different work styles, communication habits, and team strengths.

Goal: Encourage self-awareness and stronger team understanding.

Intern Team Building Activities for Skill Development

Internships are all about learning on the job, but enhancing a few professional skills can help them fast-track their progress. Here are a few interesting intern team building activities that can help them enhance their skills in an engaging way.

13. Mock Shark Tank

For teams searching for interactive intern team-building activities that enhance problem-solving and presentation skills, a mock Shark Tank can be a great option. You can divide the participants into small groups and give them a set time to develop a product and pitch their idea to a panel. The aim is to share innovative ideas with a convincing presentation and negotiate the terms in their favor to seal a deal.    

Here are some ideas teams can pitch in the Shark Tank activity:

• A product that makes onboarding easier for new interns
• A wellness app designed for employees and interns
• A productivity tool for managing meetings and deadlines
• A sustainable office product that reduces workplace waste
• An app that improves communication between interns and managers
• An AI-powered assistant for handling everyday office tasks for interns

Goal: Enhance communication and strategic planning skills.

14. Skill Swapping

Everyone has that one thing they’re surprisingly good at, whether it’s creating killer presentations, editing videos, using shortcuts nobody else knows, or finding the perfect productivity hack. A skill-swapping session gives interns the chance to teach each other something new while learning skills beyond their day-to-day work. Participants take turns sharing the skills they excel at while teammates rotate through quick learning sessions, mini-demos, or hands-on workshops. 

Here are a few trendy skill swap ideas interns can try:

• Productivity Hack Exchange: Share favorite shortcuts, apps, or workflow hacks that make work easier
• Canva Crash Course: Teach teammates how to create better presentations, graphics, or social posts
• AI Prompt Swap: Share useful prompts or creative ways to use AI tools at work
• LinkedIn Glow-Up Session: Exchange tips on profiles, networking, and personal branding
• Creator Skills Workshop: Teach simple video editing, content creation, or storytelling techniques
• Life Hack Swap: Share practical skills like budgeting, meal prep, travel hacks, or organization tips
• Excel vs. Notion Showdown: Show off your favorite tools and why they deserve the hype.
• Hidden Talent Showcase: Teach something unexpected like speed cubing, photography, languages, music, or sketching.

Goal: Promote knowledge sharing and peer learning.

15. Intern Speed Networking

Nobody wants to spend 10 weeks working with people whose names they barely remember. Speed networking gives interns quick, structured conversations that help them meet more coworkers faster.

Rotate interns every 3 to 5 minutes using prompts like:

• Dream job if money didn’t matter?
• Most chaotic internship expectation?
• What app do you use most?
• What’s your most used emoji?

Goal: Build cross-team connections faster

Frequently Asked Questions

When is National Intern Day?

National Intern Day falls on the last Thursday of July every year. 

What are virtual team building activities for interns?

Virtual team building activities for interns are fun, interactive sessions conducted over video platforms to help new joiners connect and collaborate. Examples include icebreaker games, bingo, pop culture trivia, and scavenger hunts, to name a few. These sessions are typically guided by a professional host or facilitator who keeps the group engaged and ensures everyone participates. 

What skills do teams gain through fun internship activities?

Interns develop soft skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability through intern engagement ideas.

How do we host virtual team building activities for interns?

To host engaging team building activities for interns, select an online video conferencing platform suitable for your team size. Then, plan some fun activities for interns, such as icebreaker games and skill-building workshops to keep everyone engaged. Finally, share invites with everyone along with the necessary details so they can join the session. For a smooth and hassle-free experience, you can choose platforms like Hooray Teams to plan fun intern event ideas from start to end. 

How long do virtual internship team building activities last?

Most internship team building games or intern onboarding programs last between 30 and 90 minutes. They should be short enough to keep energy levels high, but long enough to allow for meaningful interaction.

What are some good intern icebreaker games?

Some top internship team building activities include Two Truths and a Lie, Would You Rather?, This or That, or Guess Who.

What are some of the best virtual intern event ideas​?

Pictionary, escape room, murder mystery, and scavenger hunt are some effective team-building activities for interns to play online.

What are some good games to break the ice between interns?

Two Truths and a Lie, Would You Rather, and Never Have I Ever are some engaging internship experiences to break the ice.

What are some good internship activities examples​?

Trivia, board game challenges, and Shark Tank are some of the best internship activities examples​ for teams.