Team Building Ideas that Employees are Actually Excited About

Think about the last time you announced a team builder to your staff. Were there eye rolls? Groans? A sudden flood of dentist appointments?

Team building activities are important if you want to create a cohesive team. This Forbes article calls team building one of the most important investments you can make. At the same time, however, the article acknowledges that team builders have a reputation for being “lame.”

Because these activities are so important, it’s worth it to spend time planning how you’re going to make your next team builder great. If you want to avoid the complaints and get more willing participation, you’ve got to find the right activity.

You might think that “the right activity” has to include some sort of lesson about teamwork (we’re looking at you, trust falls), but actually, the activities that are going to get the most buy-in are the ones that simply allow your team to spend time together socializing, having fun, and maybe even engaging in some healthy competition. 

Here’s a list of team-building activities that your employees will actually be excited about.

• Geocaching
• Scavenger hunt
• Water park
• Video game tournament
• Paintball
• Go Kart racing
• Potluck
• Happy hour
• Indoor skydiving
• Hike
• Concert
• Karaoke
• Dinner party
• Escape room
• Board game tournament
• Bowling
• Laser tag
• Lake trip (kayaks, paddleboarding, jet skis)
• Cooking class
• Sporting event
• Convention/conference related to your industry
• Pool party
• Improv comedy show (or lessons)
• Volunteer
• Arcade

Related – Leadership Training: Is It Really Worth It?

Ideas like this are sure to get your team more excited about team building than ever before. For your next team builder, think outside the get-to-know-you games and typical collaboration exercises, and treat your team to a few hours of simply enjoying each other’s company.