Beach activities such as building a sand castle or kite building can create a great team effort and build long lasting relationships. As far team building among employees is concerned, these activities are very beneficial. Everyone from your team is all together in a more relaxed environment. Building a kite with designs relevant to your company’s image connects everyone in terms of how they identify as a team, but the strategies each member uses highlights individual strengths during a fun day of interactive bonding.

5 Benefits Of DIY Outdoor Team Building:

• Deeper connection to the things that keep us alive and well
• Appreciation for the simple things
• Opportunity to use your hands and brain
• Connection to other people
• Path to freedom

We’ve even got some tools available in our DIY store to help you choose team building kits and games to achieve a winning Outdoor Team Building experience..

Get Your Hands Dirty

Looking for something with a bit more substance? We facilitate events customized to fit your needs, like building chemistry among employees. The sand castle build is always a fun outdoor team building activity. There are only two pieces to this event: demonstration and building.

Your team will have the opportunity to view one or two pre-made sand sculptors, which will feature your company’s themes or brand. The fun all starts when the employees are divided into teams to start replicating the original masterpieces. Our excellent staff will make sure everyone is on track. Who knows, your creation could end up in company ads!

What outdoor team building activities do you have planned for the summer? Need some inspiration?

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The communication aspect of the word refers to breaking down company barriers and having fun discussions after work. Outside the office in comfortable surroundings, corporate hierarchy is broken down bring everyone onto the same playing field. Usually these gatherings create a family feeling in the office.

Team Mixologist: How To Improve Communication Skills With Cocktails

Sharing cocktails provides a shared experience, promotes disclosure, builds trust, increases self-awareness and levels the playing field. However, moderation and intention are key. Some of the drawbacks of after-work happy hours are that they are too far removed from the work environment, and without facilitated dialog, the potential learning never surfaces.

Team Mixology is a unique event that takes your team from good to great by focusing on some real time business skills through a series of interactive mix’ologist competitions.

Icebreakers and Team Building That Work

Your team will be setup into groups that are given a mystery box of ingredients and asked to design a custom cocktail; this can be tailored to fit a specific theme. Each team will come up with an original name for their cocktail and prepare a presentation to convince the judges and their fellow participants that their groups cocktail is the best of the best!

The instructors will select the winning cocktail based not only on the taste but on the concept, presentation and the making of the cocktails, prizes will be awarded accordingly.

How has sharing a few cocktails helped you bond with a co-worker or supervisor?

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Companies like Google and LinkedIn play a wide variety of games such as volleyball, bowling, foosball and arcade games. Due to an increase in play, stress levels decrease and usually optimism goes up. When employees are given the chance to relax, creative thoughts always seem to flow.

“There is good evidence that if you allow employees to engage in something they want to do, (which) is playful, there are better outcomes in terms of productivity and motivation”– Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the national institute for play.

Teamwork Games That Get Outrageous Get Results

The power of play gets you working as a team. The method behind our madness is based on a growing mountain of evidence that shows people who have fun at work as:

• More productive
• More creative
• Healthier
• More motivated
• More flexible and resilient
• Better able to meet job demands

Outrageous Games is the perfect summer activity. Just like the format of the Olympic games, Bronze, Silver and Gold medals are awarded to top tier teams. Picture an open field filled with all the nuts and bolts of a field day.

The torch is ignited at the beginning and the games last about two hours. Aside from the in game action, commentators give an inside scoop of all the fun.

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Effective Communication In The Workplace

In a recent study, people were given a $5 gift card on their way into a busy Starbucks. Some customers were asked to “have a genuine interaction with the cashier,” smiling and having a brief conversation. Others were told to be as efficient as possible: Get in, get out, go on with the day. Those who lingered left Starbucks feeling more cheerful. Both introverts and extroverts appear to benefit from social interactions in similar studies. Efficiency, it seems, is overrated. Effectiveness is sometimes more important.

The first step toward effective communication is listening. This doesn’t mean just hearing what someone has to say, but understanding what is being said. Your team will benefit immensely from learning to:

1. Improve listening skills
2. Create the right environment for communication
3. Organize delivery of message for clarity
4. Deal with conflict
5. Pay attention to body language

Build A Boat: Sink or Swim!

The Build A Boat program is a perfect example of collaborative team members contributing to a fun project. all members of your crew need to coordinate their efforts to brainstorm, create and build the raft together.

This is where strategy and collaboration are necessary– the success of your raft depends on the level of cooperation and fraternization among your team members. Team members must build as a group to complete the boat. This will help your team boost skills for effective communication in the workplace. 

Teams can win bragging rights from this challenge based on variety of factors, which allows everyone a role: best team flag, best team commercial, fastest time and more. As a result, your team gains a sense of project ownership, group decision making, improved communication skills and advanced resource management.

How to you promote effective communication in the workplace?

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Many organizations across the globe have stood out among many because of their continuous support to less fortunate communities.

Research has shown that giving has many upsides compared to receiving. When it comes down to it, people who earn money and spend a percentage on others often feel a sense of compassion. Even if money is not acquired, anything as small as a smile can impact a person’s day and the pattern continues on as you “pay it forward”.

Follow In Toms’ Footsteps

TOMS “one for one” is an organization that helps improve lives within the United States and globally. Their main target is finding a need for an underprivileged geographic area, and supplying them with that product. For instance, TOMS Roasting Company partnered with Water for People and created a challenge; each bag of coffee purchased, resulted in a new watering project in the country where the beans were originated. Other items include eyewear and shoes.

As a result of TOMS commitment to generosity, ten million pairs of shoes have been given to children in need. In regions where shoes are given, they eventually begin to produce shoes as a result. Also, they have worked to help partnering organizations give to those in need. TOMS wants to spread the culture of giving.

How to Motivate Employees By Giving Back

Money and raises are important if your team is having trouble making ends meet. If employees are struggling to pay their bills at home, they will be demotivated regardless of how much you try to engage with them. Check in with your team. If compensation is meeting everyone’s needs, try giving back to motivate employees.

According to a new research paper from Harvard Business School, spending money on others makes us happy. The researchers cite a 2008 study they conducted. Subjects were given five dollars or 20 dollars to spend by the end of the day. Half of the participants were told to buy themselves something nice. The other half were instructed to use the money to help somebody in need. Results found that the givers reported greater happiness. Similar results have occurred through other means of giving back.

Your organization doesn’t need to be a non-profit or social enterprise to give back to the community. Employer supported volunteering encourages team building, boosts publicity and attracts new staff. Your company can start by contributing pro bono staff time, professional skills, and company resources to local organizations. Offer employees time off to volunteer during the work day or coordinate days of service for your team to work together on large group projects. Be sure to include your team in the decision to give back. Feeling cornered can suck the joy out of giving.

Support Our Troops

Operation Military Care is a program that gives back to our US Armed Forced while helping your team unite in a myriad of fun and productive ways. This impactful program includes face-paced, competitive and engaging team building activities that lead up to the final team challenge – care packages assembled for our military heroes. Previous beneficiaries have included USO, Blue Start Mothers, HEROES Care, National Guard and Operation Homefront.

Put some heart into your team building event. Check out all of our charity team building programs.

Is there a non-profit organization close to your heart? How could your team give back? Share your ideas with us and we’ll try adding them to a program.

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