15 original team building activities

Why team building is more than an outing

Team building has a bad image. Many people think of mandatory trust exercises in a stuffy room, or of that one time they had to go into a canoe with colleagues and almost went overboard. But well-organized team building can be extremely valuable: it strengthens mutual bonds, improves communication and provides more job satisfaction. The key? Activities that are fun, challenging and — very importantly — feel voluntary.

Creative activities

1. Joint cooking workshop

Cooking together is one of the best ways to get your team working together outside the office environment. Divide the team into groups, each preparing a course, and then eat the result together. From sushi to Italian — there is a suitable workshop for every team.

2. Graffiti workshop

Surprise your team with a street art workshop. Under the guidance of a professional graffiti artist, everyone learns the basic techniques and creates their own work of art. Perfect to stimulate creativity and get to know colleagues from a different side.

3. Improvisation theatre

Nothing takes people out of their comfort zone as quickly as improv. An improvisation theater workshop trains listening, collaboration and daring to fail — and it's incredibly funny. Ideal for teams that want to communicate better.

4. Making music without being able to play an instrument

Boomwhackers, body percussion or a drum circle. Musical team building is not about talent, but about creating something beautiful together. Within an hour your team will have its own song — including the ridiculous practice process.

Active and outdoor activities

5. City walk with assignments

Combine a walk through the city with creative and knowledge-oriented assignments. Teams compete against each other as they explore the city. Much more fun than a standard pub quiz.

6. Canoe trip or SUP

Water connects. A canoe trip on a river or SUP on a lake is accessible, sporty and produces beautiful team photos. Bonus: It's almost impossible to talk about work when you're trying to keep your balance.

7. Farm Day

Spend a day on a farm: milk a cow, bake bread, make cheese. Back to basics and making something together with your hands. Surprisingly relaxing and connecting.

8. Outdoor escape room

Escape rooms are proven team building material, but the outdoor version takes it to the next level. Solve puzzles in a forest, park or old fort while working together under time pressure.

Relaxing and social activities

9. Wine tasting

Let a sommelier take your team through the world of wine. Blind tasting, guessing and scoring — it's educational and fun. Also works great with beer, whiskey or gin.

10. Movie evening with your own short film

Give each team a camera, a theme and two hours. The result: hilarious short films that you will watch back for years to come. Creativity, collaboration and lots of laughter guaranteed.

11. Volunteer work

To give something back to society together. Whether it concerns renovating a city garden, preparing meals for the food bank or painting a school — the feeling afterwards is priceless.

Competitive activities

12. Hackathon

Allow teams to come up with a solution to a real problem within the company in one day. The best ideas are actually implemented. Motivating, creative and directly relevant.

13. Pub quiz with your own questions

Make a pub quiz with questions about the company, colleagues and the industry. Who knows which colleague has a secret hobby? Who knows the founding date by heart?

14. Sports tournament

Organize a mini-tournament: football, volleyball, table tennis or — for the less sporty — jeu de boules. Keep it accessible and provide a nice cup for the winner.

15. Escape the office

Transform the office itself into an escape room. Hide clues in conference rooms, kitchens and at desks. Cheap, original and your colleagues will never see the office the same way again.

The best team building doesn't feel like team building. Choose an activity that suits your team's interests and don't make it mandatory.

The organization: inviting and planning

Good team building starts with a good invitation. Use Invitedd to invite your colleagues with all the practical information: date, location, what to bring and dress code. With the RSVP function you know exactly who is coming, so you can perfectly tailor the activity to the group size.

Are you planning team building outside office hours? Then a festive invitation is extra important. It shows that you put in the effort, and it sets the right tone: this will be fun, not mandatory.

Tips for successful team building

• Know your team — not everyone enjoys physical challenges, consider different fitness and comfort levels
• Mix the groups — ensure that people work together with colleagues they normally speak less to
• Keep it short — half a day is often more effective than a whole day
• Evaluate afterwards — ask what people thought so that next time will be even better
• Take photos — share them afterwards via Invitedd so everyone can see the memories