How the Right Team Building Activity Can Make or Break Your Event

Don’t let the “wrong” team building activity ruin all of your hard work as a planner! Find out how to select the best solution for your group to ensure that your event is a success.

As a planner, the last thing you want is for your event to fail because you chose a team building activity that didn’t work for your group.

But how can you make sure that you pick an activity that your coworkers won’t think is silly, boring, or a waste of time?

For expert advice and guidance on the best solution for your budget, location, and team dynamics, you can reach out to our Employee Engagement Consultants for your free consultation. After working with hundreds of planners just like you, our team can offer invaluable insight on why certain activities may work better for your group.

If you’d prefer to take on the task yourself, no problem! Continue reading for a break down of how you can pick the ideal activity for your organization.

How to Ensure You Select the Best Team Building Activity for Your Event

Want to know how to choose an activity that your group will love? Our team recommends reviewing some of the decisions you made in the planning process, such as your activity objective, budget, and event date, before you make your final selection.

1. Incorporate Your Goal

What do you hope to get out of your activity? You can use your event objective to find an activity that will meet the needs of your group, such as:

• Rewarding your team or celebrating – If you’re looking for a team building activity to reward your group for a job well done, it should – above all else – be fun! Try treating your team to something like The Amazing Chase, a day at an amusement park, or a local sports game.
• Boosting employee morale – Regularly giving back as a group can help your team feel great about their workplace, and give your office morale a boost. For example, your group could take part in philanthropic activities, such as charity team building or volunteering around your community.
• Offering an energizing meeting break – It’s no secret that day-long meetings and conferences can be really draining for employees. With a fun and exciting activity, such as Minute To Win It or anything that gets your group out of their seats, you can help your colleagues re-energize and blow off some steam.
• Connecting employees with each other – Want to help your entire team connect and strengthen their relationships? Solely collaborative activities, such as escape rooms, Domino Effect Challenge, brain teasers, or puzzles, can help encourage your group to bond as they work towards one common goal.
• Combining fun with learning objectives – You can integrate learning and development into your team building activity with interactive, project-based events. Try something like Cardboard Boat Building Challenge or a project simulation that mirrors your team’s day-to-day accountabilities, but in a fun, stress-free environment.
  
  

2. Review Your Budget

Your budget can be a deciding factor when it comes to what your team can and cannot do. Choosing an activity that’s not price-appropriate may lead to canceled events, unhappy key stakeholders, or disappointed employees.

Here are three resources to help you find the best activity for your price range:

• If you have no budget at all…Try one of 10 free team building games that you can set up in 10 minutes or less.
• If your budget is between $10 and $50 per person…Look for activities that you and your team can do on a budget, such as a self-hosted Team Pursuit, bowling, or laser tag.
• If your budget is between $35 and $200 per person…Sit back, relax, and leave all the details to a team of professionals with a group outing like a hosted team building activity, a rafting excursion, or a sightseeing tour.
  
  

3. Consider Your Event Date

Depending on when your team building event is, you should consider indoor versus outdoor activities.

In the summer, your colleagues may want to get out of the office and enjoy the nice weather. Picnics, lawn games, or urban scavenger hunts, such as Wild Goose Chase, are all great outdoor activity options.

In the winter months, when the weather may not be as good, many people will likely want to stay inside. You can try indoor options like a board games night, a murder mystery party, or an escape room.

Worried You’ll Choose the Wrong Activity?

If you’re still concerned about picking the “wrong” activity, check out The Ultimate Guide to Team Building for more in-depth advice. You can also get in touch with one of our professional Employee Engagement Consultants, and they’d be happy to help you narrow down a few ideal solutions for your group.

“The event was perfect for our group and very well received. We've done similar events in the past, but this one seemed to be more enjoyable for the participants." — Axcess Financial