Now that we’re back in the office again (at least part-time), we are so ready to make up for all that face-to-face bonding time we lost over the past year.
Yet doing so is easier said than done. What if your team doesn’t have the same spark — the same creative chemistry — it once did? Or, maybe you just need a few activities to reintroduce old office buddies and formerly introduce new teammates.
These 20 team-building activities will help ease your team back into that #officelifestyle.
Amazing Race
Just like in the TV game show The Amazing Race, challenge your employees to a series of challenges that take them across your city or town.
Amazing Race games allow each of your teammate’s strengths to shine. Encourage employees to take the lead on different challenges — all based on their own skillsets.
Game Shows
Pretty much everyone loves a good game show. Why not replicate Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, or Family Feud in your own office?
Choose a game show format (quiz, multiple-choice, trivia, etc.), and replicate your favorite shows, starring your very own teammates as the game show contestants!
Adventure Courses
Adventure courses allow your office mates to work together to solve physical and mental challenges — all while getting out of the office and into the Great Outdoors!
These courses are available in cities and towns all across America and offer a variety of climbing courses, based on difficulty. More experienced team members can choose black diamond courses while teammates that don’t want to head too high up in the trees can choose less challenging courses.
Escape Rooms
There are two ways to use escape rooms as team building events: head to your nearest escape room or create your own indoor or outdoor escape room — right in your office!
You can either create your own challenges, puzzles and storylines (if you have an experienced storyteller in your office), or hire a team building company to create a fully functional escape room for you!
Social Responsibility Team Building
What’s better than getting to know your office mates in a safe and respectable setting? Doing so in a way that helps your local community or vulnerable communities around the world!
Socal and community responsibility team building events will help your team work together to build bikes that will be donated to a children’s charity. Or, choose an event that encourages creativity through designing sock puppets — and donate hundreds or thousands of pairs of warm socks to those in need.
Murder Mystery
Murder mystery team building events take all the fun of murder mystery events and combine them with team bonding!
Use your super-sleuthing skills to find out ‘whodunnit’, take on the backstory of a mysterious character, and work together to find a killer!
Educational/Cultural Tours
Explore your own city, town, or community on an educational or cultural tour.
No matter where you’re located, you can probably find a local tour company that specializes in one of these types of tours.
What better way to bond with your coworkers than to discover new and exciting places together in your own backyard?
Scavenger Hunts
Like the Amazing Race and game show team building events, scavenger hunts force your coworkers to divide into teams and compete against each other to solve challenges and riddles — all while exploring your city, town, or office building!
Cooking Challenges
If your coworkers get together to watch old episodes of Chopped, this team-building activity is for you! Create your own cooking challenge by assembling ‘mystery baskets’ or simply asking your employees to work together to cook a dish they’ve never cooked before.
You can even partner with local cooking schools and team-building events companies to create a cohesive cooking challenge!
Trivia Night
Want to keep things simple? Set up a trivia night to test your coworkers’ knowledge on pop culture, history — or even company culture!
Crafternoons
Get a little crafty, and learn a new skill by inviting employees to a crafternoon. Show participants a quick tutorial on how to crochet a potholder or make a macrame plant hanger, and ask them to work together to create their own crafty piece!
You could even take your team to a local crafting center or hire a crafting teacher to help guide participants and assist them in making their best creations.
Creativity Jams
Feeling a little stuck creatively? It happens! Hire a creativity coach to help your employees get through their rut.
Or, sign everyone up for a creative writing or storytelling class. Sometimes taking a break from one creative endeavor to work on another is all you need to get your creative juices flowing again.
Talent Shows
Everyone has a hidden talent. Encourage your employees to show off their talents at an annual talent show.
Or, if you really want to encourage employees to dig deep, ask them to try out a new talent.
Show different groups a 10-minute tutorial on playing the recorder, collaging, or tap dancing. Give each group 20 minutes of practice time and ask them to show off their skills at the end of the hour-long session.
Communication Breakthrough
We all struggle with communication sometimes. It’s normal your team might not slide right back into their cubicles the same coworkers they were the last time you saw them.
Luckily, professional communication and creativity coaches specialize in getting everyone on the same page — both emotionally and creatively. Think of it as group therapy for your team!
Wine or Coffee Tastings
Look at the world through the eyes of a novice by scheduling a wine, coffee, or chocolate tasting.
Ask your sommelier to provide some basic instructions on how to detect different notes in a wide variety of beverages or foods. Give your employees guides on the different notes of foods from various regions, and ask teams to work together to determine the varietal or origin of each item.
Field Day Games
Everyone loves to get a break from the office! Set up a day of physical exertion and relaxation with an old-fashioned field day.
Set up stations with different games, including dodge ball, capture the flag, relay races, and more. Try to incorporate as many different types of games as you can, so employees have plenty of options to choose from.
Building Challenges
We all loved LEGOs as children. Buy a few sets of LEGOs and challenge your employees to break into teams to build each set. The team that builds its set the fastest wins!
Similarly, you could do the same challenge with jigsaw puzzles, too. Donate the puzzles and LEGOs and puzzles to local shelters or retirement homes afterward.
Two Truths and a Lie
Need an ice breaker that doesn’t take all day? Try this fun activity that will transform your idea of ice breakers — from eye-rolling and groan-worthy tasks — into a fun and insightful way to get to know your coworkers!
The concept is simple: everyone brainstorms two truths and a lie to tell about themselves.
Everyone else gets to guess which statement is the lie. The hard part is conjuring crazy-enough truths to thwart everyone into assuming they’re the lies!
Blind Fold Obstacle Course
This old-school trust activity is a classic for a reason: it’s totally timeless! Blindfold one member of your team before giving that team member an assignment. The rest of your team will offer detailed instructions on how to complete the assignment — without peeking!
Personality Test Sessions
There are dozens of personality tests available these days: it’s not just all Meyers Briggs anymore!
Discover your natural strengths, personality type, or temperament types. Ask your teammates to explain how different situations make them feel, and ask coworkers to try to put themselves in the shoes of their office mates.
