Which are the best team building activities you've taken part of?
Martina Hackbartt
31 replies
Hi, everyone! Hope you are having a great beginning of the week.
Today I wanted to know which team building activities this community enjoys. Have you taken part of any? Which were the ones you liked and why? Was there any activity you despised? I'd love to read your thoughts, and maybe we can all consider implementing some of the ideas to our teams and improve bonding, especially for those working remotely :)
Replies
Derek Duban@sclerek
If I remember correctly, we went white water rafting then end up in the Gobi desert, where we tobogganed down a sand dune before going horseback riding. And somewhere in there was food.
Maybe not such a good team building day since we were basically partnered up with the same person for the day. But memories are good.
Share
There was one activity that we did at Honda in my first job way back in 2009.
It was a kind of a human library. You hear a person out and their story without interjecting or giving reactions instantly. You absorb all that you hear and in the end, you share how it made you feel. This activity is amazing as it shows you the importance of being a good listener and to not judge anyone in your life. Everyone has their own story you are not aware of.
One of the corporate team building activity that over the years I've found to be quite inspirational is Campfire Stories. Essentially, this is the age-old tradition of storytelling.
The reason why this team building activity is popular is because the act of telling stories is thought to be at the heart of the community experience. It's also how information is passed around unofficially.
We've been having a blast using our own product VidDay to recognize and celebrate employees internally: https://www.vidday.com/video-mak...
Since we're all working remotely in different time zones, making group video gifts has been an awesome team-building experience all the while creating memorable keepsakes expressing warm wishes, appreciation, and gratitude.
@denis_devigne1 Thank you for this idea, Denis! It's soooo important to keep people feeling part of a team
We recently started playing video games together every Friday for an hour and that's been a really fun team-building thing. We have to collaborate in the game, strategize together, etc. and I think that carries over into working together too.
My dev team had an interest in playing Dungeons and Dragons(you read that right) every couple of weeks. We have given it a try and I think it really improves the team bond factor quite a lot. I think any kind of game you can do with people to get them cooperating together and celebrating triumphs together is a good idea.
@lukas_deconantsesznak Many people shared this same idea but with different games and apparently is one of the most appreciated ones! Cooperating in video games seems to really improve cooperation in a work setting. Thank you for sharing! :)
Playing videos game.
I mean, staying in my confort zone is the best things when I meet new people. 👀
@irina_seng1 what about your team building ? :)
We tried regatta. The best team building ever! Also we are watching movies and discuss them.
Our CTO @alexey_olkhovoy hosts wine tastings 🍷
Non-remote:
- Escape rooms
- Gameshows (it's through a local company that puts on game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud)
- Axe throwing
- Video games (both at arcades and in-office)
- Top Golf
- Bocce ball
- Volunteering
Remote:
- Team yoga
- Kahoot
- You Don't Know Jack
The coolest thing we do at Lucky Orange is the dino date. Long story on the name of it, but two coworkers from different teams are drawn at random each week. They then get to go out for lunch on the company's dime to talk about...anything. Everything. It's an awesome way to get to know coworkers.
What activity did I not like? I wasn't a fan of go-karts, but I'm also not a big fan of speed. It was still a blast though! This was the first company to really emphasize team building in a fun way.
Huge fan of ODT personally. I think the outdoor element adds a sense of freedom, plus - getting out of comfort zones together as a group is a proven connector. Not sure that works with remote employees, but I'm confident there's a creative workaround that could provide the same results. Happy to brainstorm with you if you'd like!
@martina_hackbartt How about an online escape room? That could be a cool experience.
I'm a fan of some of the more physical or interactive team building. There is an outdoor laser-tag facility here that I've been to with a team and Escape Rooms can be another great source for fun and learning to communicate and rely on each other.
There are lots of activities I like and some I despised. But one that I like to do, time and again, is what I call 'appreciation chit'.
Here each person in the team has a paper with their name on it. This paper is passed on to every other team member and they write something they appreciate or have learnt from that person. Then you fold it and pass it along.
This way, in the end, everyone gets to write a positive thing about the other and you get to read how you positively influence others.
@shahdeepa Oh wow I really like this! It's always great to have some feedback on things people like about you. Love the positive vibes. Thank you for sharing!
Not so many as I am new. But playing online Pictionary is super comforting and fun.
Just a few, I tried implementing-
1. Brain Stromming Calls/Sessions.
2. Ideas and Creativity Calls.
3. Learn and Share channel on our team Slack.
4. Weekly games and engagement for 1 hour.
5. A non-working day to enjoy hobbies and my time.
Being an initial start-up it is amazing to see people love to be part of your team because they feel like growing daily. I guess by taking such small initiatives we can grow the team.
@martina_hackbartt Welcome!
Do let me know if you are interested in knowing all of these in detail. :)