Team building activities are an excellent way to make your employees come together and learn to operate as a unit. Unfortunately, if you choose the wrong activity you may end up doing more harm than good. The best activities for building stronger team bonds are about more than just spending time together completing a non-work exercise, they should be fun, too! When your employees have a great time together it helps them to form stronger bonds through the shared experience, and happier, more connected employees are also more effective employees.
1) Escape Rooms
When you get your entire team working together on a puzzle it allows for the fullest team building experience. From working together to thinking outside the box to problem-solving, an escape room offers a wide array of opportunities for your employees to learn and grow together.
2) Painting Classes
Not every team building activity requires complex thinking or riddles to solve. Sometimes the best activity is one which simply provides your team with a pleasant time together to form shared memories and raise morale. Painting courses allow your employees to follow along with a professional and create their own art by the end of class.
3) Office Game Shows
Game shows remain one of the most popular styles of shows on television because people love to feel smart and love playing games. With an office game show you keep your employees engaged and let them work their brains. Throw in some prizes for teams or players who perform the best and you provide a pick me up for the whole office.
4) Paintball or Laser Tag
A day of paintball has long been a popular choice for a group building activity, however, it’s not for everyone. Some people are put off by the occasionally painful nature of the game. With laser tag, you get all the fun of a day of paintball without any of the physical pain, as the guns fire lasers which sensors on the players pick up to mark a player as eliminated.
5) Battle of the Air Bands
Karaoke is yesterday’s news. The new fun way to put a spin on popular music is to enter the world of air rock. While many are familiar with air guitaring, an entire artform has sprung out from it with bands replicating every member of their favorite bands, from the lip-syncing lead singer to the drummer with an invisible kit. Organizing a battle of the air bands allows the more playful members of your company to put on a show that everyone enjoys for a quick and easy boost to staff morale.
6) Bartending Classes
Learning new skills is always a fun treat for your employees and there’s no group class more entertaining than bartending classes. Flair bartending is an art which was famously featured in the Tom Cruise film Cocktail, and involves not just pouring drinks, but doing so with a show. From flipping shakers to pouring drinks from well above the glasses, flair bartenders are entertaining and your employees will love the opportunity to dig in and learn to perform tricks they can wow friends and family with when the workshop is over.
7) Scavenger Hunts
One great option for helping staff get to know each other in a company with many different departments is to organize a scavenger hunt. When you split the teams up among members of different departments, and make sure to include clues which require groups to travel all over the company building, you make it easier for everyone on staff to learn what all their fellow coworkers are doing from day to day. A fuller understanding of everyone’s importance creates a more productive working environment.
8) Office Olympics
Company Bar-B-Q’s are a popular office retreat. They not only allow everyone to relax and have a good time together, but they also allow you and your employees to get outside and get some fresh air. If you want to add some fun to your next company BBQ then consider scheduling an Office Olympics. Create several teams from your staff members and schedule some outdoor fun and games, awarding points to the competitors who perform the best. It not only gets your employees active, but also gets them rooting for each other as they cheer on their teammates.
Did you like our list? For more ideas, check a comprehensive list of 30 team building activities here! Leave us comments below and let us know what other team building options do you love that we don’t have on our list!
Team building activities are an excellent way to make your employees come together and learn to operate as a unit. But, unfortunately, if you choose the wrong activity, you may end up doing more harm than good.