It’s not always easy to find a team-building activity that fully engages attendees.
Go for the safe option, and you’re likely to miss the opportunity to let people play and work together in a truly creative and collaborative way.
But think a little outside the box, and there are a ton of offbeat and unusual team-building ideas that bring people together in new and innovative ways.
Indeed, by looking beyond traditional team-building approaches, you foster more engaged, adaptable, and connected groups.
That’s why you need to find a team-building idea that is:
- Fun and engaging, both physically and mentally
- Capable of cultivating genuine and long-lasting relationships
- Age- and skill-level appropriate for your members
In this post, we take a look at five team-building activities that are sure to do just that.
Is the ‘old’ team-building playbook outdated?
It’s a question anyone dipping their toe into the world of team-building exercises should be asking.
And the answer is a resounding ‘yes’.
The old playbook tends to focus on tried-and-tested but often staid ideas of what constitutes fun for groups and teams.
However, recently there has been a move to more innovative team-building workshop-focused activities.
The new types of team-based activities are more memorable than traditional types because they engage attendees in more collaborative and creative endeavours.
Fun team-building ideas you can’t miss
1. Team-building workshop with LEGO bricks
The humble LEGO brickA LEGO brick is a standard LEGO piece that is three plates h... More can be put to a multitude of uses in team-building exercises that get attendees working – and thinking – in new and creative ways.
Workshops with LEGO bricks are known to be excellent forums for corporate team-building exercises.
LEGO-themed team building activities usually feature hands-on challenges that require teamwork and creative and critical thinking to pull off successfully.
2. Online gaming with your team
When it comes to computer games as a team-building activity, you have two options: co-operative games and full-team multiplayer games.
Both provide opportunities for team building, but which type of game you choose depends on whether you’re looking to foster cooperation or competition among participants.
- Co-operative (co-op) games: Teammates work together against the game rather than against each other.
- Full-team games: The team plays the same game in friendly competition.
3. Competitive outdoor activities
If you’re looking to kick it up a gear and want a high-energy team-building exercise, then the great outdoors await.
Outdoor adventure-based team-building activities not only promote teamwork and open communication, but also encourage participants to display resilience and toughness.
Popular outdoor activities that offer a modern twist on traditional outdoor team-based exercise are Amazing Race-style city-based challenges, GPS treasure hunts, also known as geocaching, and AR-enabled treasure or scavenger hunts.
4. Cooking classes
Food-themed team-building events – whether in person or online – bring teammates together in unexpected ways.
An activity that has food preparation as its themeA theme is a specific category within LEGO's product lines ... More requires participants to use all their collaboration, communication, and creative problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, once the food has been cooked, it gives a focal point around which the team involved in its preparation can chew the fat.
5. TV-themed workshops
Team-building exercises built around viral TV shows are very popular nowadays, and for good reason.
TV-based activities tend to get instant buy-in from participants, as they recognise the themes and challenges from the show that spawned them.
Popular TV-themed workshops include:
- The Traitors: Teams complete missions while trying to identify the ‘traitors’ in their midst using strategy, observation and teamwork.
- I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Team members try their hands at tackling some of the challenges familiar from the TV show, including bush tucker-style challenges, obstacle courses and problem-solving tasks.
- The Crystal Maze: Teams attempt to navigate themed zones, each of which involves physical and mental challenges that earn those precious crystals, later used in the endgame, the Dome.
Conclusion
The days of ‘forced’ fun team-building activities are gone.
That means traditional team-based activities like trust falls and simple puzzle games have had their day.
In their place are more experiential events and workshop-based activities, especially ones suited to the modern workplace, where hybrid and remote working are commonplace and diverse ethnicities and outlooks are a fixture.
Speak to us directly about how we can help with facilitating a workshop with LEGO bricks for your team.