10 Filipino Games You Can Use for Awesome Team Building

When I look back at the many team building programs I’ve facilitated over the past two decades, some of the most unforgettable ones weren’t built around sophisticated tools or imported activities. They were built on the games we once played as kids.

I remember one program I designed for the sales team of Baxter. Instead of the usual icebreakers and problem-solving challenges, I brought them back to their childhood. But it wasn’t just nostalgia. I created mechanics where participants had to complete micro-challenges before they could play the main Filipino games: kadang-kadang, palo-sebo, sisid, shatong, luksong tinik, and tumbang preso.

At another team building, participants danced tinikling, swung like Tarzan, guarded lanes in patintero, and battled for the prize in agawan buko.

Some of these games can’t be played by everyone—at least not in their original form. But when you adapt them for team building, they become more than just games. They become tools for learning trust, communication, strategy, and resilience.

The laughter, the shouts, the sweat—all of it creates a powerful reminder: we first learned teamwork as children. Many in the modern generation missed this chance, but through these games, we can rediscover what it means to work together.

In this article, I’ll share 10 Filipino games you can use for modern team building—with stories, mechanics, and suggestions for adapting them so they’re safe, inclusive, and powerful for today’s organizations.

1. Kadang-Kadang (Bamboo Stilts Race)

I first introduced kadang-kadang in Baxter’s sales team program. At first, everyone laughed when they saw the bamboo stilts. But as soon as they tried, laughter turned into cheers, falls, and triumphant finishes.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Players balance on bamboo or coconut husk stilts tied with strings and race toward the finish line.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Use modern, safer stilts or large cans with ropes.
• Create relay races where teams must coordinate transitions.
• Add challenges (like carrying objects) to simulate multitasking.

Lessons for Teams

• Balance and coordination mirror how teams manage multiple priorities.
• Success requires rhythm, communication, and patience.

2. Palo-Sebo (Greased Bamboo Climb)

At Misibis Bay, I set up a modern version of palo-sebo. The goal wasn’t just reaching the prize on top but figuring out how to climb together. People quickly realized: one person can’t do it alone.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Players climb a greased bamboo pole to retrieve a small prize at the top.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Replace grease with challenges like rope burns or limited time.
• Allow teammates to support by anchoring or spotting.
• Make it a puzzle: participants climb only after solving questions.

Lessons for Teams

• Shows the importance of strategy and support.
• One climber represents the leader, but no leader succeeds without the team.

3. Sisid (Dive for Treasure)

At Baxter’s program, I dropped coins and tokens into a swimming pool. Teams had to dive to collect them. It wasn’t just physical—it was about who was willing to go deeper.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Players dive underwater to retrieve coins or objects.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Use shallow pools or basins for safety.
• Assign roles: divers, strategists, collectors.
• Points earned per “treasure,” but bonus points for teamwork.

Lessons for Teams

• Teams succeed when members take risks and others support them.
• Not everyone dives—but everyone contributes.

4. Shatong (Stick Game)

In one outdoor retreat, shatong turned into a heated contest. But when I reframed it, teams saw it wasn’t just about hitting a stick—it was about preparation and execution.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Players use a long stick to hit a shorter stick, launching it into the air and running bases.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Adapt as an outdoor challenge where points = distance and teamwork = accuracy.
• Use safe, padded sticks.
• Rotate roles: hitter, catcher, runner.

Lessons for Teams

• Preparation matters as much as execution.
• Every role contributes to the team’s score.

5. Luksong Tinik (Jumping Over Thorns)

When we played this with a corporate group, executives found themselves laughing as they tried to clear “thorns.” It was humbling, humanizing, and connective.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Players jump over hands/feet arranged as “thorns.” The “tinik” rises higher with each round.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Use safe barriers (ropes, foam blocks).
• Add “helpers” who can lift or guide teammates.
• Teams earn points for collective success, not individual records.

Lessons for Teams

• Teaches risk-taking and overcoming obstacles.
• Support systems matter more than raw skill.

6. Tumbang Preso (Knock Down the Can)

In another program, tumbang preso showed how strategy beats brute force. Teams learned to plan shots, distract “it,” and coordinate moves.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Players aim to knock down a can while avoiding being tagged.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Use plastic bottles or cones for safety.
• Assign roles: striker, distractor, runner.
• Make it collaborative—teams score when all members succeed.

Lessons for Teams

• Strategy and timing matter.
• Success requires both risk-takers and supporters.

7. Tinikling (Bamboo Dance)

Though not a game, I used tinikling in team building to test coordination. Participants laughed, stumbled, and finally found rhythm—just like in teamwork.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Two people beat bamboo poles in rhythm while dancers step in and out.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Use PVC or lighter poles.
• Encourage pairs or trios to dance together.
• Add music for energy.

Lessons for Teams

• Synchronization builds flow.
• Teams must adjust pace to succeed together.

8. Tarzan Swing

A team once faced a rope swing challenge over a “river.” They strategized, cheered, and pulled each other across. It wasn’t Tarzan—it was teamwork.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Not a Filipino childhood game but often used in school camps. Players swing from one side to another.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Use ropes, tires, or safe swings.
• Create scenarios: cross the “river” without touching the floor.
• Teams plan sequence and execution.

Lessons for Teams

• Requires planning, courage, and trust.
• Highlights interdependence—everyone must cross.

9. Patintero (Block the Path)

In one workshop, patintero became a metaphor for office politics and bottlenecks. Teams realized how important it is to find gaps and create opportunities.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Players cross a grid while defenders block their path.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Use chalk, tape, or cones for grids.
• Add layers: puzzles before crossing, team relays.
• Make roles rotate—attackers become defenders.

Lessons for Teams

• Teaches anticipation, strategy, and adaptability.
• Sometimes the path forward requires creativity, not brute force.

10. Agawan Buko (Coconut Scramble)

At a beachside program, we used agawan buko. At first, it was chaos. But when teams strategized—assigning blockers, grabbers, protectors—they saw the power of roles.

How It’s Played Traditionally

Teams fight to grab a coconut from the center.

How to Revise for Team Building

• Replace coconut with balls or safe objects.
• Add objectives (bring it back to base without losing it).
• Encourage strategic roles: defenders, attackers, carriers.

Lessons for Teams

• Strategy and role clarity win over brute strength.
• Collaboration is more powerful than competition.

Why Filipino Games Work for Team Building

• They reconnect us to childhood → vulnerability, laughter, and authenticity.
• They are physical metaphors → each game represents teamwork principles.
• They reflect Filipino values → bayanihan, pakikipagkapwa, malasakit.
• They are fun and inclusive → bridging generations and breaking barriers.

Table: 10 Filipino Games for Team Building

Game	Modern Revision	Key Lesson for Teams
Kadang-Kadang	Use safe stilts, relay races	Balance, rhythm, patience
Palo-Sebo	Rope climbs, puzzle-climbs	Strategy, support, shared leadership
Sisid	Dive for tokens in safe spaces	Risk-taking, support roles
Shatong	Safe sticks, team scoring	Preparation, role execution
Luksong Tinik	Use ropes/blocks, team support	Overcoming obstacles, collective support
Tumbang Preso	Bottles/cones, collaborative scoring	Strategy, timing, coordination
Tinikling	Light poles, group dances	Synchronization, flow, adaptation
Tarzan Swing	Rope swings, sequence planning	Courage, trust, interdependence
Patintero	Grids with puzzles, role rotation	Anticipation, adaptability, creativity
Agawan Buko	Safe objects, role-based strategies	Role clarity, collaboration over competition

I’ve facilitated team building programs in the Philippines and across Asia for more than 20 years. I’ve seen executives, managers, and frontline staff rediscover teamwork through these Filipino games. From Baxter’s sales team to startups and cooperatives, these activities create unforgettable experiences that lead to lasting shifts.

Because at the heart of it all, team building isn’t about games. It’s about bringing people together the Bayanihan Way—fun, friendly, and transformational.

Conclusion

These 10 Filipino games may look simple, but they hold timeless wisdom. They remind us that teamwork is not a corporate invention—it’s something we first learned as children. When we play them again as adults, we don’t just laugh—we relearn how to trust, commit, and support each other.

If you’re ready to design a team building program that’s not just fun but also meaningful, explore our Team Building Workshops at Team Bayanihan.

Together, we’ll bring back the spirit of play—and the deeper lessons of teamwork that come with it.