7 Fun Team Bonding Activities That Don’t Suck
Workplace culture remains one of the top factors influencing employee happiness. And with more people working from home than ever before, the importance of bringing your team together and reconnecting has never been more important. Investing in team-building activities will not only help your team learn more about each other in terms of how each person thinks, works and solves problems, but it can do wonders in terms of facilitating a collaborative and motivated work culture, fostering responsive and meaningful communication, as well as encouraging creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. The key, though, is in organising team-building activities that are not only educational but also enjoyable. Here are our top 7 fun team-bonding activities, which will have your team strengthening its bonds in no time.
Escape Rooms
Escape Rooms are a fun, outsourced team-building activity, which gets small teams working together to decipher clues and solve puzzles within a set timeframe to achieve a common goal – to escape the room. Varying in difficulty and duration, and often with their own unique themes, this popular team-bonding exercise encourages lateral thinking and interpersonal communication, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and also the team as a whole.
Axe Throwing
Bring out your inner lumberjack in the name of team-bonding with the rather unexpected team-building activity of axe throwing. Being an activity most people won’t have tried before, axe throwing is a great ice breaker, confidence builder and conversation starter that will coax a whole new level of cooperation out of your team in drawing people out of their comfort zones and encouraging team members to get to know each other better in a fun and completely novel context.
Scavenger Hunts
Good teamwork is paramount to ensuring any business runs at an optimum level. A scavenger hunt or Amazing Race-style event is the ultimate way to get your team moving and collaborating in novel ways. Not only does it engage members to hone their time management, delegation and communication skills, it’s also a great tool for engendering team spirit, healthy competitiveness and the desire to problem-solve, overcome challenges and reach goals – just like a day in the office.
Volunteering
Volunteering can be one of the most profound and powerful things you can arrange for your team as a bonding exercise and to give back with a cause that everyone is excited to go above and beyond for. Not only does it serve to give back to those in need in your local community, it is also a great way to enhance relationships, promote collaboration and simply bring everyone closer together. Many volunteering opportunities are also structured in a way that encourages a high level of social interaction in connecting with your local community, such as serving food at a soup kitchen or filling boxes at an upcycled clothing depot or a meal delivery charity.
Yoga
If you’re looking to inject a touch of zen into your workplace, a balanced and relaxing yoga class is the perfect way to get small- to mid-sized teams inspired and tap into a deeper sense of connection and energy as a group. Team-building yoga marries exercise and meditation, centering the mind while stretching the body and providing health benefits such as decreased stress and elevated mood while cultivating strength and flexibility. Subconsciously synching movements and breathing as a team taps into the collective unconscious and not only boosts health and happiness but also promotes stronger relationships as well as improving communication, collaboration, trust and empathy.
Race Go-Karts
Go-karting is a great platform from which to up the ante on energy levels in introducing an element of friendly competition along with an invigorating dose of fun, speed and thrills. This is a great team-bonding activity to build and motivate your team in getting them thinking, focussing on one another, forward-thinking and working more closely together toward a common goal. The perfect test for individual and group strength, the adrenaline involved is the perfect way to challenge ability and offers team members a unique context in which to learn to evaluate and resolve the unexpected.
Clay Bird Shooting
Clay bird shooting offers employees a unique and exhilarating experience for beginners and intermediates alike. Not only does this activity allow members some much-deserved rest and relaxation, it is also a fun way to get to know your employees better while improving team functionality in terms of morale and relationships while offering them the opportunity to learn something completely new.
