Introduction
Today, organizations have started to incorporate more team outings and building activities into their workplace. Team outings activities have become a standard practice for companies.
With team outing activities, employees experience a decrease in stress and an increase in productivity. A thorough analysis of several research studies confirms that spending more time outdoors and in a green setting improves the self-esteem and overall mood of people.
Keeping that in mind, let’s take a look at the most effective, fun, and exciting team outing ideas:
Hiking
When hiking becomes a group activity, it can be a lot of fun. If there are no mountain towns nearby, companies can plan hiking activities in local parks and create different paths where team members can cross paths with each other. Hiking improves communication and builds leadership within the workforce.
Outdoor Lawn Movie
Long working hours can be stressful when team members work on a complicated project. And to mitigate stress, your company can host a film event in an outdoor setting. Typically, relaxing on the lawn takes the edge off of team members. And watching a film creates an opportunity for co-workers to laugh together and improve their mood.
Beach Trip
If you live close to the beach, you can plan a trip to the beach. In summer, the beach can do wonders for people. In terms of engagement, you can schedule fun and exciting sand games. Companies can also host a volleyball sporting event on the sand beach.
Ropes Course
Contrary to naïve perception, a ropes course is a safe and fun activity. In a ropes course activity, coworkers can better connect with each other and learn to navigate treetop obstacles. One of the essential requirements of a ropes course is that it propels people to rely on one another. This back-and-forth guidance creates a sense of accomplishment and boosts teamwork. If some team members have vertigo – they can still encourage their co-workers and enjoy watching from the ground.
Scavenger Hunt
Companies can take a page from tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta that host scavenger hunt events each year. Usually, companies hire someone to create unique scavenger hunts to increase participation. In a scavenger hunt, employees can indulge in a lot of fun and participate in different scavenger hunts close to the workplace environment. When it comes to a scavenger hunt, team members can also create groups and compete with other groups.
City Tour
Touring a city is another thought-provoking outing idea. There is always room to explore new restaurants and spots in the city. With city bus tours, team members can go out and learn something new about the city and check out local food stalls, breweries, theme parks, and museums.
Photo Challenge
You can look at a photo challenge through the lens of a scavenger hunt. When team members have specific locations to visit, incorporate these tasks into a photo-taking challenge. The photo challenge shows that a team member managed to complete the challenge. And the outing photos allow team members to create a fun memory that they can enjoy for the rest of their employment.
Laser Tag
Laser tag is one of the most popular outing activities. If you want to spark competitive drive among co-workers, then laser tag serves as a great idea. Laser tag revolves around a concentrated dark room with physical obstacles. The objective of every team member is to infiltrate the territory of other team members without getting a hit.
Cookout
If you want to boost the morale of your workforce, then start an outdoor cookout competition. An outdoor cooking competition is more fun and safe than cooking indoors. You can invite specific team members to go head to head with the executive team. You can also conduct an outdoor cookout based on Asian or Italian cuisine.
Go-kart Racing
If you want to introduce friendly competition and engage in a team-building exercise, then go-kart racing is another great idea. And all companies need to do is find a big and clear outdoor track where employees can compete in go-kart racing. This is a kind of outing activity that most people associate with their childhood memories. And introducing go-kart racing as an outing activity would give team members better enjoyment than playing a video game.
Interdepartmental Outdoor Lunch
While a professional company dinner is a common outing activity, outdoor lunch for all departments can be more fun and exciting for the employees. Make sure to invite employees from all departments to foster a high level of engagement. You can also pair specific employees to see how they interact and engage in conversations.
Concert
Although it can be a bit expensive, taking employees out to a concert is a great outing activity. It gives co-workers a chance to mingle, enjoy art, and have a great time. Like monthly or quarterly company dinners, employers can get concert tickets for the employees. This outing activity helps team members better understand the dynamics and personalities of their co-workers.
Group Workout
Many companies create a dedicated gym for their employees to foster better mental and physical health. Prioritizing employees’ fitness works in favor of the companies. You can introduce different health and wellness programs to encourage more employees to get fit. Companies can also get gym memberships for employees to encourage group workouts. This, in turn, would trigger endorphins that would allow employees to feel refreshed, relaxed, and positive.
Celebrating Cultural Event
You can find no shortage of cultural events. In fact, many companies have started to use cultural events as an outing activity for their employees. It might sound like an unusual event but it increases the exposure of team members and gives them a clear perspective about traditions, food, etc.
Make Workplace Environment More Vibrant and Fun!
The most broadminded organizations indulge in several team outing activities. With team outings, employers can create a bond with their workforce and reduce their stress. Team outing activities give employers a chance to get familiar with their employees outside the office premises.
