Want to plan a corporate fun day that delivers on its promise? You’ve come to the right place. The era of team-building as cringe-worthy trust falls and icebreakers has passed us by. Today’s employees crave real fun that people stumble upon naturally, and the good news is that there are heaps of innovative ways to make that happen.
Get Everyone Moving With Active Challenges
There’s nothing that tears down barriers quite like getting everyone’s heart rate up together. Think about putting together an inflatable obstacle course that’ll have your coworkers cracking up as they make their way through bouncy challenges together. You can’t help but not take yourself too seriously when you’re crawling through tunnels and bouncing off walls, which is the idea.
Sports tournaments also go well, especially if you mix and match old-fashioned teams. Try hosting a mini-Olympics with some activities like three-legged races, tug-of-war, or even oddball events like racing office chairs. The idea is to choose activities where ability level isn’t so crucial as enthusiasm and coordination.
Brain-Teasing Adventures
For those that love a mental challenge, escape rooms have taken the world by storm for a reason.
Working together to solve things under pressure brings out all of the problem-solving instincts of every member and produces real moments of bonding. If you aren’t able to get to a physical escape room, bring the experience to your doorstep with a do-it-yourself mystery game.
Scavenger hunts are another excellent option, especially if you can wrap them around company history or local landmarks. Split into mixed teams and watch people who don’t usually collaborate suddenly become strategic partners, trading skills and knowledge they might never have discovered about each other otherwise.
Creative Collaboration Sessions
At other times, the best team-building comes about when individuals make something together. Art activities such as mural painting or sculpture building together access various skills and reveal peers in a new light altogether. You’ll be surprised by how the introverted accountant is now the creative leader.
Cooking games have exploded in popularity, and it’s easy to see why. There is something special about cooking and serving food as a group. Whether that is a decorating a cupcake competition or a real cooking competition, these games naturally promote communication, delegating, and praising different strengths.
Games That Actually Work
Board game competitions can look innocuous, but they function perfectly at breaking down hierarchies. When the CEO is strategizing a Monopoly move with the intern, formal workplace politics cease to apply.
Set up several game stations and have people go through different groups during the day.
Trivia games are fun if you ask questions about members in addition to trivia questions. It is fun to know that your hard-nosed project manager used to travel with a punk band or that the IT guru speaks four languages.
Making It Memorable
A successful company fun day isn’t so much choosing the ideal activities – it’s designing an arena where everyone feels confident to participate. Keep things positive and low-key, celebrate effort rather than success, and make sure there are enough opportunities for all types of personalities to shine.If Monday morning rolls around and everyone is still talking about the day’s adventures, you’ll have known you’ve succeeded in forging something more valuable than mere workplace camaraderie – you’ve forged true friendships that brighten up work.
