Team Development Thumball® Set (with Free Mesh Bag) is a ready-to-run bundle of soft, tossable conversation balls loaded with prompts that build trust, communication, and collaboration. Facilitate icebreakers, coaching conversations, and debriefs by simply tossing, catching, and answering the prompt under your thumb—no prep, no slides, just real dialogue that strengthens teams.
HOW IT HELPS TEAMS
- Fast engagement: the toss-catch mechanic reduces anxiety and gets everyone talking
- Better communication: printed prompts spark stories, perspectives, and active listening
- Psychological safety: low-risk questions build comfort before tackling tougher topics
- Scalable & flexible: works for stand-ups, workshops, off-sites, classrooms, and retreats
- Zero tech, high impact: portable tools that facilitate face-to-face conversation
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Curated Team Development Thumball® set (multiple conversation balls with printed prompts)
- Free mesh carry bag for storage and quick transport
- Quick-start facilitation tips (toss–catch–answer, pass option, timeboxing, debrief ideas)
Note: Specific Thumball® titles in the set may vary; each ball is focused on teamwork, leadership, and communication themes.
WHEN TO USE
- Kickoffs & new team formation
- Manager training & leadership development
- Retrospectives & after-action reviews
- Onboarding, cross-functional meetups, and offsites
- Icebreakers, energizers, and closing reflections
HOW TO FACILITATE
- Invite a volunteer to start; toss the Thumball® across the room.
- When caught, the player reads the panel under their thumb and shares a brief response.
- Toss to another person and repeat. Offer a “pass” option to keep psychological safety high.
- Debrief: capture patterns, insights, and next steps for the team.
FAQS
Q: What makes Thumball® different from typical icebreakers?
A: Prompts are printed on the ball, so no prep is needed. The playful toss reduces pressure, encourages participation, and keeps energy high.
Q: How many people can play?
A: Ideal for groups of 6–25. For larger groups, use multiple balls or run parallel circles.
Q: How long does a round take?
A: 5–15 minutes for a quick opener; 20–40 minutes for deeper discussion and debrief. It's good to model what sort of answers you're looking for. If an answer isn't thorough, feel free to say, "tell me more..."
Q: Who is this for?
A: Team leaders, facilitators, trainers, educators, and coaches who want a quick, effective way to strengthen team dynamics.
Q: How do I care for the balls and bag?
A: Wipe clean with a soft cloth. Store dry in the mesh bag to keep everything together between sessions.
THE SIX-BALL TEAM DEVELOPMENT SET
The Team Development Thumball Set puts almost 200 content-rich discussion prompts at your fingertips. Whether your team knows each other well, or are just forming new bonds, you're sure to find topics that will build appreciation and understanding. Each ball is easy to use! Just toss one of the 6 balls, then ask the recipient to look under their thumb and respond to the prompt. With this playful tool, your group will be able to explore:
- What makes your colleagues feel HAPPY?
- How do your TEAM DYNAMICS enable or inhibit success?
- Are you sensitive to Issues of DIVERSITY and INCLUSION?
- Is your team in sync when it comes to values and ETHICS?
- What's causing STRESS and how can it be managed?
- How you can promote positive LEADERSHIP?
The Team Development Thumball Set is conveniently packaged in a large mesh bag, which allows you to carry them around comfortably and stay organized.
Each Silver Series Thumball™ (6" stuffed vinyl ball) looks like a cool soccer ball but is pre-printed with 32 questions/discussion prompts that have been vetted by subject matter experts. They are suited for adults and teens alike! Following are more details about each of the popular Silver Series Thumballs in the Team Development set:
- The Get Happy at Work Thumball prompts help create a more positive workplace by allowing colleagues to share goals, discuss challenges, and build relationships. Focusing on Positive Emotion, Engagement, Meaning, Accomplishments, and Relationships, the prompts help surface sources of happiness as they draw out individuals' personal qualities, work challenges, professional goals, and organizational dynamics. By putting a positive spin on important discussion topics, the Get Happy at Work Thumball helps promote optimism, identify areas for organizational improvement and build a happier workplace.
- The Team Dynamics Thumball enables conversations that promote team spirit and boost flagging energy. Teams are everywhere – at work, at home, at school, on and off playing fields. From board rooms to church basements, we're thrown together with people we may or may not know well, and are challenged to achieve great results. Is your team performing to the max? How do you support each other? How do you develop consensus and manage disagreements? Team Dynamics Thumball is a playful way to raise these critical questions so that your teams can reach their full potential.
- The Be a Leader Thumball gets the conversation going about what skills great leaders possess, and guides players through a bit of introspection as they consider their own leadership strengths or opportunities for improvement.
- The Diversity Thumball is a fun training tool that tackles a difficult topic with smarts and sensitivity. We live in a diverse world. Some differences are visible, like skin color, gender, height or weight, physical challenges and age. Others may not be visually apparent, but still affect how individuals feel or are treated: ethnicity, socio-economic position, sexual orientation, use or non-use of alcohol, allergies, intellect, depression and other emotional diseases.
- The Workplace Ethics Thumball raises questions and fosters discussion about individual and organizational norms and ideals, regarding making and breaking rules, fostering ethical leadership, whistle blowing, bending the truth, and more. It helps in having rich conversations about the types of people you look to as a moral compass; how you'd handle different situations; what integrity, rules, ethics, and fairness mean to you; and how your organization or team handles ethical issues. How do you distinguish right from wrong? Is your idea of ethical obligations and responsibilities the same as your colleagues, friends and family?
- The Stress Management Thumball helps you explore the causes of stress and the various ways you might manage its impact. Teams can discuss what affects their stress level, how they can help each other out, how they can better manage their own approach to stress, and more.
©Trainers Warehouse – Trainers Warehouse holds the copyright for this set of questions. Reproductions cannot be made without express approval.
