In the corporate world, there is often a misconception that team-building activities for bigger groups are difficult to organise. In addition, many people believe that these activities can’t really bring any tangible results due to the groups’ size.
However, when planned right, team-building exercises for large groups can indeed produce excellent long-term results. The secret to success is knowing how to pick the right activity based on a particular goal.
If you are a business owner managing a big team, stay tuned. Here are 5 team-building activities you can try out to make your employees work better together in the future.
1. An Escape Room
As you probably already know, an escape room experience involves collecting clues and solving puzzles to find a key that leads a team to freedom from a locked room. These puzzles can be anything from maths equations and chess matches to deciphering Morse code messages.
The beauty of escape rooms is in the fact that people truly have to work together in order to free themselves. Everyone’s skills are needed, and each person has to contribute something.
As such, escape rooms are a great opportunity to assess a big team and see how well it can work together. Plus, it can help your staff become closer and learn to rely on each other when it comes to problem-solving.
When choosing a particular escape room for your team, make sure that you go for something that suits their sensibilities. For example, don’t go for maths-heavy experiences if your team isn’t really interested in that. There are many options to choose from, so take your time to find something everyone will enjoy.
And finally, don’t forget the gifts! Prepare some freebies to give to your team once they complete the task. These gifts can be anything from custom totes or T-shirts that commemorate the event to a paid day off.
2. A Staff Potluck
Although it might seem so, not every team-building exercise has to be complicated. In fact, people usually open up and share more of themselves when they are relaxed and enjoying their leisure time. Thus, a company potluck might be just what you need to bring your team together!
This idea is quite simple: organise a company potluck where everyone brings their favourite dish and hangs out for a few hours. It is best to do these types of events outside, so don’t hesitate to volunteer as a host if you have a big yard.
For the potluck, you can come up with board games to play, compile a playlist of music people will enjoy, or simply let everyone mingle and talk amongst themselves. By the end, everyone will feel at least a little bit closer to each other, which will help you a lot in the long run.
Need a fun idea to take things to the next level? Organise a competition where everyone will rate the dishes they try. The one with the most votes can get a prize.
For example, it can be a custom apron with the words The Year’s Potluck King/Queen printed on it. This competition can then become an annual tradition that everyone will look forward to.
3. Volunteering
For many people, giving back to their community increases morale and team spirit. So, it might be a good idea to let your team volunteer at any institution they want in your area. It can be the local animal shelter, retirement home, library, charity organisation, or anything else they are passionate about.
It might be a smart move to find a cause that has direct ties to your brand or industry. However, the point of this activity is to do good and help others, so you can’t go wrong when it comes to choosing.
You can make the occasion even more special by printing some custom T-shirts that your team can wear when volunteering. If you make them versatile enough, they can serve for every volunteering gig you contribute to in the future.
4. A Scavenger Hunt
If you want to spend a fun afternoon with your team outside of the office, organising a scavenger hunt is an excellent idea! You can pick a large outdoor area (such as a park) and hide various items all over it. The goal of the hunt is to complete as many challenges as possible and find the most items.
For this activity, it is best to either split people into pairs or groups of up to four. Make sure that the groups are varied and that people who don’t usually work together also get a chance to communicate and have fun in each other’s company.
As for the items they will search for, there are really no limits. You can personalise some products — pens, notebooks, snack pots, toys, keyrings — and scatter them all over the area. However, you can also add regular tasks like finding as many different types of leaves as possible, etc. That way, you’ll engage everyone and make the entire ordeal fun.
And, of course, don’t forget to give rewards to the winning teams! Besides keeping the custom items they find, you can also give them free product bundles or other gifts you think they’d appreciate.
5. Paintball
Are you looking for an activity that will help your team lean on each other and strategise better? If so, paintball is indeed the best choice you can make!
Paintball is an activity in which two or more teams compete on an outdoor course by simulating military combat. They use paintball guns to eliminate members of other teams and the group that is left standing by the end wins.
At its core, this game emphasises teamwork, leadership skills, the ability to follow orders, and a particular group’s talent for strategy. As such, it is ideal for large groups with established hierarchies.
To shake things up, it might be a good idea to switch up people’s roles. Let those who don’t usually give orders lead the teams. On the other hand, make the team leaders and managers follow orders for once. That way, everyone will learn the importance of each other’s roles and to appreciate what each teammate contributes.
The best part about paintball is that most courses offer corporate discounts to large groups. Thus, you’ll get to organise this activity without spending a fortune. Whatever is left of your team-building budget can be used for the rewards for the winners. You can give them special care packages, personalised plaques, or product bundles.
Final Thoughts
Although it might seem challenging, organising team-building exercises for large staff groups can indeed be effortless. As long as you know what your overall goal is, you’ll be able to pick an activity that will yield great results and bring everyone closer together.
We hope this list inspires you to come up with your own unique exercises for your team. Remember to be creative and think outside the box, as every team is different and requires a specific approach.
In addition, don’t despair if your very first activity isn’t a raging success! It takes time to get things right, so keep trying until you find that magical activity that will impress your staff.
Happy team-building!
