Activities for team building is the focus for this article, as it is a particularly easy way to find suitable measures for more cohesion in any type of team and company.
Teams work in changing constellations and are only sometimes or never in the same place. This makes team building measures even more important today in order to promote good cooperation. Such activities promote team spirit, strengthen problem-solving skills, build trust and improve communication. There are team building measures in various forms, from games and exercises to workshops and large events.
Team development activities are part of a successful company
Team building activities for adults deserve special attention. Because you can achieve a lot with little effort: A team that works well together is more efficient, motivated and committed and therefore naturally more productive. Team development measures also improve the working atmosphere. If there is an atmosphere of trust, it is easier for employees to openly address mistakes and conflicts. This creates the basis for finding constructive solutions, which in turn makes work more efficient. Another positive aspect is the growing loyalty to the company. The fewer changes in the team, the more stable and reliable the collaboration is.
Games are particularly suitable for team building. People who play have fun, are relaxed and more open to new experiences. Instead of theoretical learning, real experiences are gained through play. Employees have to react directly to challenges and can create solutions to problems together. Learning through experience often has a more lasting effect than purely cognitive learning. The atmosphere in a game is more relaxed than in a seminar, which makes it easier to interact with colleagues on a relational level. You experience new situations and contexts in the team and can therefore also develop new ways of working together.
10 team building activities for work
Marshmallow Challenge
Number of participants: from 6 persons
Location: on site
Duration: 10 minutes
Aids: marshmallows, raw spaghetti
In this indoor team building activity, three to four people form a team and each group receives a handful of marshmallows and a bundle of spaghetti. The challenge is to build the tallest free-standing structure out of marshmallows and spaghetti within a set time frame (10 to 15 minutes) – without any other aids.
This exercise promotes teamwork, strengthens problem-solving skills and stimulates creative thinking. It encourages participants to develop solutions together and find unconventional approaches.
Save the egg
Number of participants: 3 to 7 people per group, up to 10 groups
Location: on site
Duration: 20 minutes construction time, 40 minutes in total
Resources: craft materials such as paper, drinking straws, adhesive tape, feathers, ice cream sticks or cotton balls
In this team building activity for indoors and outdoors, each group is given the same craft materials and a raw egg. The task is to design and build a structure that will protect the egg from breaking if it is dropped from a certain height (e.g. table height, can also be increased). A time limit is set and the task is to see which group develops the most creative and effective “egg protection”. At the end of the time limit, each group presents its design with arguments in favor of the chosen solution. Then comes the exciting practical test: the egg is dropped to see if it survives the fall.
This fun and practical team building activity promotes teamwork, problem-solving skills and creative thinking.
The perfect square
Number of participants: 15 to 20 people
Location: on site,
Duration: 15 minutes
Aids: rope, blindfolds
In this indoor and outdoor team building activity, the team is placed in a circle. Each member wears a blindfold and holds the same rope with one hand, the ends of which are knotted together. The aim of the exercise is for the team to form a perfect square from the rope without removing the blindfolds. As soon as the team thinks they have formed the square, they are allowed to take off the blindfolds to check what they have achieved.
Different variations can be introduced. For example, a team member can be instructed not to speak. One person at a time is “muted”, making communication more difficult. Another variation is for the team to develop a plan before putting on the blindfolds, but not to speak after putting them on. This game encourages communication and reflects the leadership styles within the team. It encourages team members to work together. The ‘mute’ also provides a test of trust – as the instructions cannot be checked verbally – and the team must trust that the instructions will be carried out correctly.
I like chocolate
Number of participants: from 12 persons
Location: on-site, hybrid and remote teams
Duration: 5 to 10 minutes
Aids: Chairs
In the indoor team building activity, all participants sit on their chairs in a circle while one person stands in the middle. This person says something about themselves such as: “I like chocolate”, “I like traveling”, “I love dogs”, “I like playing tennis” or “I’m a Harry Potter fan” or similar. Anyone who shares this preference stands up and tries to get one of the seats that have become free. Anyone who doesn’t get a seat now stands in the middle. In the next round, a new statement is made. The game is suitable as an ice-breaker and a game to get to know each other, but can also be used to give the team an energy boost with movement and fun.
The game can also be played online. The participants stick a post-it on the camera so that no one can be seen in the video call. One person starts with a statement such as “I slept well today”. Everyone who feels the same takes off their Post-it. The next person is then nominated to make a new statement.
Team building activities without physical contact
CO2 Challenge
Number of participants: for every team size
Location: on-site, hybrid and remote teams
Duration: flexible
Tools: Changers Fit App
This playful team competition not only strengthens the sense of togetherness, but also promotes climate protection. Employees compete as teams (e.g. departments or locations) to see who can save the most CO2. Those who walk, cycle or use public transport save CO2. The savings are measured and compared using the APP. This motivates people to leave their cars at home and strengthens team spirit. The special thing about this team building measure is the joint commitment to climate protection. Because in the end, it’s not just the victory that counts, but rather the joint savings result. You can find all the information about a CO2 challenge in your company in a separate magazine article.
Steps Challenge
Number of participants: for every team size
Location: on-site, hybrid and remote teams
Duration: flexible
Tools: Changers Fit App
This team building activity is also a challenge to get the team moving. Divided into teams, the aim is to walk as many steps as possible together. Every step is counted by the app until the end of the challenge and is visible on the leaderboard. In this way, participants motivate each other to cover as many distances as possible on foot. If you are clever, you can also encourage people to hold meetings while walking. This playful competition not only strengthens team spirit, employees also playfully develop new health-promoting and climate-friendly behaviors that are integrated into everyday working life. This challenge is easy to implement without any effort. You can find detailed information on the steps challenge for companies in another magazine article.
Cycling Challenge
Number of participants: for every team size
Location: on-site, hybrid and remote teams
Duration: flexible
Tools: Changers Fit App
In the playful team challenge, an app is used to record the kilometers covered by bike and the CO2 saved as a result. Employees can see their individual score – but even more importantly: their team effort in comparison with other teams. The teams can be put together specifically or departments or locations can compete against each other. This team building activity is particularly suitable for companies that attach importance to doing something for climate protection. The playful competition strengthens the sense of togetherness and the awareness of being able to achieve more together. You can find more information about the bicycle challenge here.
Team building activities without equipment
Finding common ground
Number of participants: from 10 persons
Location: on site
Duration: 30 minutes
Aids: none
For this team building activity for work, the team is divided into groups of four to five people. Each group now has the task of finding commonalities between the members. These could be hobbies, favorite series or even unpopular foods. The aim is to discover as many similarities as possible. After the time is up, the collected results are shared with the whole team. This team building activity without physical contact is particularly suitable for new teams to get to know each other better. However, colleagues who already know each other also benefit from this communicative game, in which it is important to let all participants have their say.
Where is your place?
Number of participants: from 12 persons
Location: on site
Duration: 5 minutes
Aids: none
In this team building activity for indoors and outdoors, all team members, with the exception of one person, are positioned in the shape of a triangle. They stand next to each other and face inwards to form the outline of the shape. The remaining person is placed inside the triangle and can decide which way to face. The other team members must remember exactly where they stand in relation to the person in the middle, who they are next to and where they belong in the triangle shape.
The person in the middle starts to turn slowly. When the person stops, the team has a set time, e.g. 5 minutes, to reposition themselves so that they all form a correctly aligned triangle again, stand in the same place and are aligned with the person in the middle as they were at the beginning.
This exercise promotes cooperation. The members have to remember their position in the triangle and also help others to complete the task within the given time.
Important aspects for planning a successful team building activity
- What goals do you want to achieve?
Determine what your team building activities for adults should achieve in detail, for example strengthening cohesion, building trust or raising awareness of company values (such as climate protection). - What personalities are there in the team?
Can you inspire your employees with creative, cognitive or physical challenges? Is there something for everyone?
- What suits your team size
It’s best to choose team building activities that can be adapted to all group sizes. - What motivates people to take part
A sense of achievement and fun are important. Games that have motivating elements beyond winning the game and have achievable goals are ideal. - How to organize the team building activity
The objectives, procedure and rules of the individual games should be clearly communicated. - How can you make your team building more sustainable
Better than one-off big events are team building activities that take place regularly and influence behavior in everyday life. Get feedback and make the results visible to everyone.
Conclusion
Team building activities for adults are an effective way to promote cooperation and team spirit within the company. They help to improve communication, trust and problem-solving skills, which has a direct impact on productivity and the working atmosphere. It is a fun way to encourage employee engagement and motivation. Games provide a relaxed atmosphere that allows participants to get to know each other better on a personal level and develop new ways of working together. In addition, team building activities can be adapted to different company needs and team dynamics. It is important for success that these measures are firmly integrated into the company’s daily routine. The Changers app offers you an easy way to offer your employees team building activities in the form of challenges. The playful competition not only strengthens the sense of togetherness, but is also a visible contribution by your company to climate protection. If you would like to find out more about the possibilities of the Changers app, please visit our website Changers.com or contact us directly.
Do you have any questions? Feel free to contact us!
We look forward to getting to know you. Let’s set up your first CO2 challenge together in your company.
Daniela Schiffer
d.schiffer@changers.com
+49 172 367 40 38
