Here is our guide to Guess the Baby.
We put this guide together after planning and running thousands of super fun virtual team building games.
Guess the Baby is a virtual team building activity where participants share baby pictures of themselves, and teams try to match each picture with the corresponding colleague. This activity fosters a sense of connection and camaraderie among team members by allowing them to learn fun and personal facts about each other in a lighthearted setting. This game promotes empathy, strengthens bonds, and encourages collaboration, making it an effective tool for enhancing team cohesion in remote work environments.
Ideal group size:
10 to 30 players
Activity duration:
30 to 45 minutes
Cost:
Free
What you’ll need:
- Video conferencing software (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet)
- A collection of baby photos from each participant
- Screen sharing capability within the video conferencing software
- A digital scoreboard or scoring system for tracking points
How to play:
Step 1: Gather Baby Photos
Before the game, collect baby photos from each participant, ensuring they are clear and identifiable. Participants should choose photos that will be challenging yet entertaining for their colleagues to guess.
Step 2: Set Up Video Call
Next, schedule a video call using your preferred conferencing platform and invite all participants to join. It is important that every player has access to the screen-sharing feature.
Step 3: Explain the Rules
Before the game, briefly explain the rules of Guess the Baby to all participants. Each participant will take turns sharing their baby photo while others attempt to guess who it is.
Step 4: Begin Sharing
One participant will start sharing their baby photo via screen sharing. Others can study the photo closely and make their guesses.
Step 5: Guessing Round
Participants can have a brief period to submit their guesses via chat or by raising their hands. Guesses should be respectful and lighthearted.
Step 6: Reveal the Answer
After all players submit their guesses, have the person who shared the baby photo reveal their identity. Then, acknowledge the correct guesses and share any fun anecdotes or stories related to the photo.
Step 7: Rotate Turns
You can continue rotating turns among participants until every player has had a chance to share their baby photo and others have guessed.
Step 8: Keep Score
If desired, keep track of points for each correct guess. This step can add an element of friendly competition and motivation for active participation.
Examples of games or activities:
1. Baby Photo Trivia
Participants share baby photos and create trivia questions about themselves for others to answer.
- Each participant submits a baby photo and prepares 2 to 3 trivia questions about themselves related to their babyhood.
- One by one, participants present their baby photos and ask their trivia questions to the group.
- Other participants try to guess the answers to the trivia questions.
- After teams have all answered questions, reveal the correct answers and award points for correct guesses.
- Rotate turns until all participants have shared their photo and trivia questions.
This activity encourages participants to reminisce about their own childhood and helps them learn interesting facts about their colleagues.
2. Celebrity Baby Lookalike
Participants find photos of themselves as babies and celebrities who resemble them, challenging others to match the baby photos with the correct celebrity.
- Each participant submits a baby photo of themselves and a photo of a celebrity they think resembles them as a baby.
- Compile all submitted photos and assign each pair a number for identification.
- Display the baby photos alongside the celebrity photos in a random order.
- Participants try to match the baby photos with the correct celebrity.
- After all players have attempted their matches, reveal the correct pairings and discuss the resemblances.
This activity adds a fun twist to traditional Guess the Baby by incorporating celebrity lookalikes and sparking conversation about perceptions and similarities.
3. Baby Photo Caption Contest:
Participants share baby photos, and others compete to come up with the most creative or humorous captions for each photo.
- Each participant submits a baby photo of themselves.
- Display one baby photo at a time and encourage participants to come up with captions for the photo.
- Participants submit their captions via chat or verbally.
- After all participants submit their captions, read them aloud to the group.
- Vote on the best caption for each photo, either through a show of hands or using polling features.
This activity encourages creativity and humor while fostering a lighthearted atmosphere of teamwork and camaraderie.
Tips:
- Encourage participants to choose clear and recognizable baby photos to ensure easier identification by others.
- Set a time limit for each round to maintain the game’s pace and keep participants engaged.
- Remind participants to keep their guesses respectful and avoid making assumptions based on stereotypes or appearances.
- Incorporate icebreaker questions or prompts related to participants’ babyhood to spark conversation and connection during the game.
- Consider using breakout rooms for smaller group discussions or deliberations during the game to facilitate deeper interactions.
- To incentivize active participation and add excitement to the game, award small prizes or recognition for creative or accurate guesses.
- Take breaks between rounds to allow participants to stretch, grab refreshments, or engage in informal chat, promoting a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere throughout the game.
Final Thoughts
Guess the Baby is a delightful journey into the cherished memories of each team member’s infancy. Through laughter, reminiscence, and friendly competition, this activity fosters deeper connections among colleagues. This game can cultivate empathy, strengthen bonds, and infuse teams with renewed energy and camaraderie.
Want more ideas? Check out our post on online office games.
