Chain Reaction

In this lively team building activity, teams collaborate to create fun tabletop contraptions inspired by the one and only Rube Goldberg. The idea is to design insanely complicated machines as a way to accomplish simple tasks.

Home Team Building Activities In-Person Chain Reaction

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In-Person

Why this event?

This activity offers a funny, engaging challenge designed to unleash creativity and foster healthy teamwork. The concept of making things far more complicated than they need to be is actually a powerful way to make the point that simple is usually better.

A bit of history on the inspiration behind Chain Reaction: Rube Goldberg was a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor. He somehow managed to combine all his talents into one genius-level superpower. Goldberg would dream up and illustrate a series of bizarrely complex mechanisms meant to accomplish very simple tasks.

Once divided into smaller teams, your group will move into friendly competition mode as they design and assemble their own “simple” machines. Each team designs builds and tests a number of simple machines. But ultimately, each of their individual inventions must also work together as part of a greater whole. Since the mission is challenging, teams need to think strategically as they develop a common vision to bring their crazy inventions to life. Collaboration has never been so fun.

Participant carefully assembles a part of a complex Chain Reaction machine during a team building activity inspired by Rube Goldberg.

Group of participants celebrate the completion of their collaborative Chain Reaction machine during a team building event, gathered around a complex setup of interconnected parts on a table.

Participants carefully assemble pieces for a Rube Goldberg-inspired machine during a Chain Reaction team building activity, focusing on intricate connections and design.

Teams collaborate in an open space to build complex, interconnected machines as part of a Chain Reaction team building event, fostering creativity and teamwork.

Team members gather around a strategic game board during a team building event, collaborating and discussing strategies to achieve shared goals.

Participants engage in hands-on collaboration, building a complex chain reaction device as part of a team building activity focused on creativity and teamwork.

Team members focus on constructing intricate chain reaction machines in a collaborative team building exercise, fostering creativity and problem-solving.

Participants meticulously assemble a chain reaction machine as part of a hands-on team building activity, emphasizing collaboration and strategic planning.

Smiling team poses proudly with their completed chain reaction machine during a creative and collaborative team building event.

Team stands behind their completed 'Double Helix' themed chain reaction machine, showcasing their collaborative creation at a team building event.

Close-up of a game board illustrating mechanics like pulleys, levers, and gears, used as part of a chain reaction team building activity.

Team members gather proudly around their completed chain reaction machine at a team building event, featuring creative structures and labeled with playful text on the table.

Close-up of a colorful and creative chain reaction machine in progress at a team building event, with participants actively engaging and collaborating on the design.

Colorful Chain Reaction game boards laid out on a table, ready for a team building event focused on creativity and collaboration.

A table filled with colorful parts and materials for a Chain Reaction team building activity, including gears, connectors, boards, and various building supplies, ready for creative assembly.

Participants eagerly watch a chain reaction contraption in action during a team building activity. A woman smiles as she sets off the colorful domino and building block setup on the table.

Group photo of team members standing together behind a chain reaction setup during a team building event. The participants are smiling, showcasing a collaborative and friendly atmosphere.

Participants in a team building activity collaborate to create a chain reaction setup. The group is fully engaged, working together with various materials on a shared table, fostering teamwork and creativity.

A focused team collaborates around a table filled with materials and a game board for a chain reaction team building activity, strategizing on how to create an interconnected setup to achieve a common goal.

Table setup for a chain reaction team building activity, featuring a game board, colorful building materials, and various tools arranged to inspire creativity and teamwork.

Colorful contraption setup for a chain reaction team building activity, featuring towers and a suspended bridge element crafted from various materials.

Participants collaborate to build a Rube Goldberg-inspired machine for a chain reaction team building activity, using colorful blocks, tracks, and other materials.

Team members work together during a chain reaction team building activity, assembling large colorful blocks as part of their Rube Goldberg-inspired machine.

Team members work together to lift a colleague, helping him reach up to complete a part of their chain reaction machine in a collaborative team building exercise.

Participants collaborate on building intricate chain reaction machines on the floor during a dynamic team building event, enhancing teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Participant excitedly tests her team's chain reaction machine at a team building event, with others capturing the moment in the background.

Team members collaborate intensely on their chain reaction machine during a team building event, with a 'Chain Reaction' sign displayed in the background.

Team size

10-1000

Time needed

2-4 hours

Space requirement

This works best as an indoor activity. You’ll want a large private function space with a long table for each team, plus four big rectangular tables at the front of the room. Chairs are optional. If your group is larger than 50, we’ll also need a microphone and speaker setup.

Ideal for

Supporting strategic planning
Friendly competition
Improving time management
Inspiring creativity and fun

Tailoring

TeamBonding is all about customization. Would you like specific elements of company branding, culture and/or mission statement woven into your program? Just let us know what you have in mind.

*For another variation on this popular event, check out Domino Effect.

Chosen By:

"Our team of 40+ engineers at Google really enjoyed Chain Reaction. If you are looking for a challenging, inclusive and all-around great team building activity this is the one! It forces teams to collaborate and creates an atmosphere of a friendly competition. Most importantly, teams leave with a sense of cohesion that they can definitely translate to their daily work lives."

Google

"I went with the Chain Reaction program for an offsite with one of my Engineering Leadership team, the group loved the activity and were fully involved. The program is fun and creative. I loved watching them all have fun and working together. The facilitator was very helpful and enthusiastic. I was very pleased and would definitely recommend it!"

Hitachi Vantara

"Yesterday's team building event went so well! The facilitators were awesome and fun and gave great direction and assistance. The chain reaction was such a good activity for our group. It was overall a great event. Thank you so much!"

Tango Therapeutics

"What the team liked most about Chain Reaction was the challenge to connect the tables, which is often an issue during daily work: how to connect with a colleague from another department."

Lehvoss Group

"Our company-wide meeting this summer included a Team Bonding event. Our goal was the get people to work with co-workers outside of their usual interactions and to have fun doing it. It was a success! Everyone got into the activity and the facilitators were great at encouraging people and keeping the atmosphere fun. Booking and planning the event was super easy, and everything went smoothly the day of- definitely a great experience!"

ActBlue

"I just wanted to pass on that the event was very successful on Tues. Several people said this was the best team building activity they had ever done. Thank you for making this a memorable experience!"

Boston Scientific

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Chain Reaction

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