Team-building activities can be great fun while helping to improve individual skills and the overall dynamic of your staff. Pick the right activity to boost employee morale and even gain insight into their potential for development.
Team Outing Ideas
Here are twenty varied ideas for excellent team-building activities.
Escape Room
Escape room activities replicate problem-solving situations that teams might encounter in real everyday situations. The nature of an escape room adventure also makes it impossible for less confident team members to hide behind the stronger and more dominant characters, although it does help highlight the natural leaders in the group.
Scavenger Hunt
There are lots of varieties for this kind of team-building activity so conduct a little research first to see what best suits your particular business and team dynamic. Usually you would split into smaller teams with directives that take them around the city you’re based in, each working together to figure out the clues and claim the reward.
Karaoke Night
If you have plenty of extroverts on your staff then a karaoke night might just be the best way to let them express themselves and get to know each other better. It can work for more introverted groups too, helping to coax them out of their shells and let their hair down for an afternoon or evening.
Go-Kart Racing
This activity is growing increasingly popular for all sorts of groups from stag or hen parties to birthday celebrations. It is an exciting event that everyone enjoys and it will encourage some fun competitiveness between team members who will grow closer as a group because of it.
Laser Tag
Another activity that encourages friendly competition as well as teamwork and coordination is the classic laser tag or laser quest. As well as being great fun, the games are also an opportunity for team members to practice and improve their strategic thinking skills.
Community Volunteering
There are numerous options for your team to make a difference in the local community. Try volunteering to help with a cause. It could be filling care packages for a local children’s hospital. Or clearing out a public green space that has become overgrown or filled with rubbish. Find an activity that benefits your local community. And give your business some good PR in the bargain!
Mystery Dinner Party
Arrange for people from different departments or others who don’t often interact with other to have dinner at a restaurant or at someone’s house as a way to integrate and get to know each other better.
Weekly Lunch Date
An alternative to the mystery dinner idea is the weekly lunch date, with the theme or venue chosen by a different member of staff each week. It is a great opportunity to get to know each other better and learn about new foods and interesting flavours at the same time.
Kayaking or Canoeing
Maybe dinner or lunch sound a bit pedestrian to you. Why not get your team out on the river for some crazy kayaking adventures. It is one of the best bonding and team-building activities as keeping yourself out of the water is pretty strong motivation to work in harmony together.
Trampoline Park
You can also think a little further out of the box. Try bringing your team to a trampoline park for some bouncy fun and frolics. This can be an especially good idea after a particularly pressurized period at work. So your team can really work off the stress.
Tourist Spots
The problem with living in or near a city is you often take the special attractions for granted as they’re always just right there. Pick something the majority of the team haven’t done before and embrace the silliness of being a tourist in your own city!
Countryside Outside
Similar to the tourist idea but a little more adventurous. Arrange a visit to the countryside or a forest or just somewhere that gets you away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Pack picnics and some fun games to enjoy for a team-building exercise that feels like old-fashioned family fun.
Art Class
There are various classes you can take like painting or clay-sculpting that everyone can do together for an interesting activity that really taps into the creative sides of your employees. It will be fun and interesting for your staff, and insightful for you too.
Improv Class
While painting might be a relaxing way of gaining insight into your employees’ natural creativity levels, an improv class will show you even more about the various characters on your staff. It is also a brilliant way to develop improvisational skills and the ability to innovate quickly and effectively in real life situations.
Local Sports Events
Smaller local sports teams do not charge very much for fans to attend (if at all), so find one who is competing at home soon and bring along your employees who can bond over their shared support of the local sports team.
Boozy Brainstorming
Instead of simply arranging an early finish and drinks after work on a Friday or two a month, head to a suitable bar with the intention of carrying on working for an hour or two with a brainstorming session. You may be surprised how much creativity is unleashed with a little tipple helping to relax the minds of your team.
Yoga Classes
Some stretching and relaxing might be exactly what your team needs to unwind from a stressful week. Doing it together creates a shared experience that can create a strong bond between team members.
Water Balloon Catching Game
You’ll probably want to wait for a nice warm day before suggesting this one. And perhaps warn your employees to bring a change of clothes! Head to the local park with some balloons filled with water and have pairs play catch with them, each taking a step further away with every successful catch.
Duel of the Blindfolded Buddies
Split your staff into two teams. Blindfold one member from each. Each team must then verbally direct their blindfolded teammate to a hidden object somewhere in the vicinity.
Professional Development Workshop
This shared learning experience can be specifically related to the roles of your employees. Or it can be used to developed new skills such as leadership, task management or sales techniques.
Image: Depositphotos.com
This article, "20 Team Outing Ideas Perfect for Small Businesses" was first published on Small Business Trends
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Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead, Khareem Sudlow
