9 Team Building Activities to Boost Your Team’s Morale After the Holiday Break

9 Team Building Activities to Boost Your Team’s Morale After the Holiday Break

Returning to work after the holiday break can be challenging for employees as they transition from relaxation mode back to the daily grind. However, it's crucial for employers to prioritise recharging their team's morale and motivation to kickstart the new year on a positive note.

In this article, we'll explore 9 creative and effective team building activities designed to re-energise your team and foster a sense of camaraderie after the holiday break.

1. Outdoor Adventure Retreat

Escape the confines of the office and immerse your team in nature with an outdoor adventure retreat. Whether it's a camping trip, hiking expedition, or day at the beach, outdoor activities provide a refreshing change of scenery and encourage team bonding. Engage in team challenges, outdoor games, and campfire storytelling to strengthen relationships and boost morale.

2. Volunteer Day

Give back to the community while fostering team spirit by organising a volunteer day. Choose a cause that resonates with your team and spend the day volunteering together. Whether it's cleaning up a local beach, serving meals at a homeless shelter, or participating in a charity run, contributing to a meaningful cause can instil a sense of pride and purpose among team members.

3. Wellness Workshops

Prioritise employee wellbeing by hosting wellness workshops focused on physical and mental health. Offer yoga or meditation sessions, nutrition workshops, or stress management seminars to help employees recharge and refocus. Investing in employee wellness not only boosts morale but also enhances productivity and reduces absenteeism.

4. Creative Team Building Exercises

Inject creativity and fun into your team building efforts with engaging activities such as Urban Quest. These types of activities challenge employees to think outside the box, work collaboratively, and problem-solve in a dynamic setting. Additionally, they provide a welcome break from routine tasks and foster a sense of excitement and camaraderie among team members.

5. Team Building Retreat

Plan a team building retreat at a scenic location where employees can disconnect from work and focus on personal and professional development. Design a program that includes on-site team building exercises, workshops, and motivational speakers to inspire and motivate your team. A retreat provides an opportunity for employees to recharge, gain new insights, and return to work with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

6. Virtual Team Building Activities

For remote or distributed teams, virtual team building activities offer a convenient and effective way to boost morale and foster team cohesion. Organise virtual team games, online workshops, or virtual coffee breaks to keep team members connected and engaged. Leverage technology to create interactive and immersive experiences that bring remote teams closer together.

7. Appreciation Day

Show your team how much you value their hard work and dedication by hosting an appreciation day. Treat employees to a catered lunch, award ceremony, or team outing to express gratitude for their contributions. Additionally, provide personalised tokens of appreciation, such as handwritten notes or small gifts, to make each team member feel valued and recognised.

8. Communication Workshops

Enhance communication and collaboration within your team by hosting communication workshops. These workshops can include activities such as role-playing exercises, active listening exercises, and indoor team building games focused on improving communication skills. Effective communication is essential for fostering trust, resolving conflicts, and achieving common goals.

9. Goal-Setting Sessions

Start the new year on the right foot by facilitating goal-setting sessions with your team. Encourage employees to set personal and professional goals for the year ahead and create action plans to achieve them. By aligning individual goals with team objectives, you can foster a sense of purpose and accountability among team members, driving motivation and productivity.

Conclusion

Recharging your team's morale after the holiday break is essential for setting the tone for a successful and productive year ahead. By incorporating these engaging team building activities into your post-holiday strategy, you can inspire camaraderie, foster collaboration, and create a positive work environment that fuels employee motivation and engagement. Invest in your team's wellbeing and watch as their morale and productivity soar to new heights in the year ahead.

Contact us to learn more about options Urban Quest has to offer to cover many of the suggested activities.

Top 10 Christmas Team Building Activities With Social Distancing For Your Work Party

Top 10 Christmas Team Building Activities With Social Distancing For Your Work Party

With Christmas coming around the corner, every workplace will start getting geared up to celebrate this fun festival! What's more is that this is the first time after the entire spread of Covid, that the possibility of having a Christmas get-together and indulging in team building games has even become possible (with social distancing). 

While this is awesome, indulging in social distancing and playing workplace team building activities may seem tough. But don’t worry, this is very possible provided you take a few steps of caution. 

So, let's dive right in to know what are the top 10 Christmas team building activities you can do this Christmas while maintaining social distancing

The Good Old Scavenger Hunt Game

This game has been around for decades and it almost seems like whoever made it knew it would always really come in handy. The beauty of a scavenger hunt is that there is more than enough distance maintained.

Everyone needs to put on their thinking cap, but teams are small, and clues are always quite far away from one another. This game will not only help you maintain social distancing but also make your team brainstorm. Working together to plan strategies, share ideas and decipher clues is perhaps one of the best and fun team building activities for a workplace

Considering how this applies to real-time work, this activity is one of the most ideal to indulge in. 

Step Up Your Fashion Sense

Fashion and critical thinking can go hand in hand. Believe it or not, creating a great outfit can take as much thinking and figuring out an entire commercial campaign. How? By asking your employees to put on their fashion caps. In this game, the instructions are simple. 

Dress up as your favourite Christmas character. Big fan of Santa? The Grinch? Rudolf? The very helpful elves? Whatever they choose, the objective is to create the best costume possible that suits the character. But hold on! There is one super catch. You can’t just order a ready-made costume from Amazon. 

You can only create this costume with possessions that you already own. Which is typical making the best of what you have in a situation. The beauty of this game is that your employees will be forced to think long and hard as to how to make the best of a situation. This in turn will help them learn how to indulge in creative thinking and come up with the best possible solution with already available resources. 

Therefore, this activity falls under the most fun team building activities and game ideas for work.

Christmas Sweets Cannot Be Ignored

Christmas is never complete without some good old cookies and milk. So why not get everyone to share what their versions of sweets and cookies look and taste like? In this activity, you set up tables and stations where participants can work individually or with a maximum of up to one more partner. 

All tables must be sufficiently apart so that social distancing is maintained at all times. Now we understand that a full-fledged baking situation can become a money-consuming activity, which is why the catch here will be that these sweets must be no-bake items. Let your employee’s minds go wild and allow them to unleash creativity and come up with quirky and maybe even new sweet ideas. 

This encourages your employees to tap into the creative and impulsive side of their minds to come up with a great and tasty idea that will work. Let’s just say that this falls under a very sweet category of team building activities.

Criminal Detectives

All of us have always had a detective fantasy where we get to play the cop or an FBI agent who is quick to catch the culprit. So why not bring that to life? There can be teams of 5 wherein every member plays a role. 

The cop, the criminal, the witness, the partner in crime, and the victim. Brainstorm a couple of fun themes and stories behind every death and you can get the teams to decipher clues and hints that can help them get to the bottom of the story. This activity is excellent and comes under the category of team building games. 

This makes your employees learn how to be team players and how to work well with a crowd. Understanding how to solve differences and find solutions with people having different working styles is always a bonus.

Be A Quiz Master

One of the best things that happened during the pandemic and the lockdown is that people discovered a lot of new movies and shows that they became huge fans of. This in turn has given us a chance to put their minds to the test and find out who could be the king/queen of knowing all about these shows. 

Pick up some popular movie franchises or sitcoms such as Harry Potter, Friends, Money Heist, How I Met Your Mother, James Bond, Brooklyn 99, and more. Then segregate teams as per their likings and become a quiz master and get teams to work in pairs. 

There can be three teams, consisting of two players each who work towards winning the quiz. This game is great as part of fun team building activities for the workplace.

Stand Up Shows

There are two types of people. Those who ooze humour even if they don’t want to and those who try their level best to be humorous but just don’t hit the right mark. Why not bring out the best in both? Creating teams of two, get your employees to come up with a humorous skit or stand up to entertain the crowd. 

The beauty of this is that in most cases, people will get paired up with one person who is not as funny. This creates opportunities for two people to bond and bounce ideas off each other and come halfway towards what the final product would be. 

This promotes inclusiveness and understanding and can teach your employees valuable lessons on how to get along with people who are completely different from them which is why this is a great team building activity.

Dub It Out

This exercise can prove to be one hell of a funny event or you may discover some amazing talent on your team. In this game, people can either choose to pair up or do this alone. The task is simple, pick out a 5-minute scene from one of your favourite movies or shows and then go ahead and dub them. 

Your employees can either make it very funny or recreate the same scene and dub the actor/actress's voice to make it as real as possible. Finally, on the d day, all these scenes are played out to everyone and a winner gets decided. 

This game is part of team building activities to bring out the talent and learn how to work together to get a project done.

Create Your Own Christmas Story

This is perhaps one of the best office group activities that are guaranteed to be highly memorable. In this game, your entire group can participate to create one big story that will always be their own to remember. 

The game is simple. A theme is given to the entire team. For example, Santa’s last visit, Rudolf’s adventure, The day all the elves went missing, etc. It could be anything as long as it is Christmas-specific. Once the topic is shared with the team, all members need to write two sentences to help build a story. The boss will be the one to create the introductory two lines while the others need to continue the story. 

Assign numbers to your teammates and once they are done writing both their lines, you call out these numbers and start joining all sentences. This will finally create one beautiful story that can then be printed into books and shared with all your employees. You can title it ‘Our Christmas Story 2021’. 

This can become a tradition and can be done every year. This will bring about a sense of unity and bonding between all which is why this is one of the best team building games.

Create Your Own Shark Tank Show

Based on the actual Shark Tank show, get your team members to come up with ideas that can help make the workplace better. It could be buying something or incorporating something to help make work life better, but they need to sell the idea to panels or as we call it “the dragons”. A team of 5 will act as judges to help determine which of the ideas presented by the teams will finally be accepted. 

However, be sure to incorporate the winning idea or else everyone will feel like it was only just a game. This activity is guaranteed to bring out the best of ideas and improve your team members' sales skills. 

Since everyone will bring to the table different selling styles, this is the perfect game to include in team building activities and game ideas for work.

A Talent Show

Simple, yet effective. As a leader, there is nothing better than this idea to help understand your teammates. Through this activity, your employees will get a chance to display their talents and a leader gets the chance to get to know how well these talents can be used to make work more fun. 

Many may even realize that their teammates could work in another department if they show the talent for it. However, this is a sure-shot activity that will bring out the best in everyone. Compliments will be shared; confidence is built and happiness is sure to spread around. Be sure that the winner gets a fabulous prize.

So, get geared up to indulge in all of these activities while maintaining social distancing. The beauty about all these group activities is that all of these can be done virtually, or they can be done one-on-one too. In both cases, social distancing can be maintained, and the safety of your employees is assured!

Happy Christmas! 

Importance Of Group Activities To Maximise Teams Performance

Importance Of Group Activities To Maximise Teams Performance

Empowered employees are the key differentiator for organisations seeking strategies to make their business increasingly lucrative and profitable. But how can you keep your employees motivated?

Novalease CEO Hayes Thomas suggests group activities such as corporate team building for the workplace to maximise your team's performance. According to him, "Fun team building activities are an effective approach to help your employees to collaborate and perform at their best. Unfortunately, many organisations ignore great bonding activities given the cost or time commitment. Only the most successful organisations appreciate the value of it and love the long benefits."

Any company or organisation will thrive if it values its employees and encourages the development of competence and teamwork. Here are some of the advantages of team building group activities for the workplace and the ways they can maximise teams' performance.

Improve Physical Health

Offering your employees a day away from their desks is a fantastic way to promote their physical wellbeing. Engaging in team building group activities provides a refreshing break from the monotony of computer screens and phone calls.

Encouraging physical health among employees is vital for business success. By participating in energising team activities, employees can improve their overall health and reduce the risk of illness-related absences.

Improve Mental Health

Problem-solving activities and recreational activities are both beneficial to people's mental wellbeing. You will earn a marked improvement in self-esteem and confidence by showing that you are responsible and accountable for accomplishing tasks.

Getting out and participating in fun team building group activities is also an excellent way to clear one's mind and feel much happier, both of which positively affect one's mental health.

Outdoor team building group activities are also helpful in relieving stress and anxiety, which will help employees perform better at work.

Assist In Assembling The Ideal Team

Building a successful team starts with having the best employees onboard. Competent team members excel when working together, adapt to different work styles, and collaborate effectively.

Team building activities further enhance employees' competency in their roles and foster positive relationships among team members, minimising conflicts that can hinder productivity.

Creating a friendly work environment through team building group activities not only strengthens camaraderie but also boosts overall work performance. When colleagues get along well, they're more motivated to work together towards common goals, leading to greater productivity and success.

Provide Positive Reinforcement 

Boost morale and acknowledge employees through engaging in group activities at work. Celebrate teamwork by playing games that highlight collective efforts and positive behaviours. These activities also provide an opportunity to reinforce your company's values and recognise individuals for their contributions to the organisation's success.

Encourage Better Communication

Enhanced communication among employees is a key benefit of effective group activities. These activities enable workers to build stronger relationships, gain deeper insights into their colleagues, and overcome barriers of distrust.

By focusing on shared experiences rather than differences, team building fosters better communication and collaboration among team members, leading to a more cohesive and productive work environment.

Aid In Delivering Appropriate Guidance

For a workgroup to thrive and achieve peak performance, effective project guidance from managers and supervisors is essential. Team building activities in the workplace provide an opportunity for leaders to hone and apply these crucial skills.

A skilled manager demonstrates precise instruction during team activities, outlining clear objectives, measurable metrics, and deadlines. Similarly, team leaders may delegate specific tasks to individual team members as part of a team building game, considering each member's unique strengths and performance.

By practising project guidance skills in the context of team building group activities, managers and supervisors can cultivate a collaborative and high-performing work environment.

Buck Up Productivity Improvements

Employee engagement in fun group activities improves communication and teamwork, which has a favourable impact on production. Moreover, collaborating on a shared purpose reduces duplication of effort, reduces friction and pushback, and enhances employee productivity.

This is among the most sought-after objectives when companies invest in team building activities.

Boost Employees' Morale

Improved workplace morale is also one of the foremost advantages of group activities for the workplace. A motivated and upbeat staff that feels cared for will spread that vibe across the company, making it an enjoyable place to work.

Morale-boosting team activities and games may help workers break through barriers and provide supervisors with ideas on developing and maintaining a positive work environment.

Accelerate Workflow

Cohesion within a company is vital for successful collaboration among team members. Engaging in challenging tasks as a group helps foster enhanced chemistry and trust among coworkers, leading to improved cohesiveness within the team.

Additionally, when employees participate in enjoyable group activities together, they are less likely to exhibit aggressive behaviour and become more open to each other's perspectives. As a result, fostering teamwork through regular fun group activities can significantly enhance a company's workflow speed by strengthening cohesiveness among its employees.

Encourage Learning From Team Members

When employees interact as a team within a company, they have the opportunity to learn from each other. This learning extends beyond personal experiences and includes sharing insights about different departments' constraints and opportunities.

For example, if the marketing team consistently makes unrealistic demands, colleagues from other departments may help them understand why these expectations are unreasonable through teamwork and collaboration. This exchange of knowledge and perspectives among coworkers from diverse backgrounds contributes to a more informed and cohesive work environment.

Drives Motivation

Participating in anything new and exciting, such as an amazing race with a twist in Melbourne, boosts employee motivation since they know they are valued and rewarded accordingly.

This boost in motivation should enable boost production, morale, and trust in one another's abilities.

Identify And Intensify Leadership Qualities

Engaging in team building group activities allows executives and managers to identify leaders within the workplace. These leaders demonstrate effective problem-solving skills and provide support to their teammates when tackling assigned tasks.

During team games like the "Blindfold Shape Game," leaders showcase their ability to communicate effectively with team members and strategize to find the right solutions. Through such activities, executives and managers can recognise individuals who possess natural leadership qualities and may be suitable for future leadership roles within the organization.

Ensure Individual Accountability

Implementing a strategy where each individual is accountable for the group's success is among the most effective ways to enhance work performance. Similar to the structure seen in professionally organised group team building activities, establishing internal guidelines ensures that every team member fulfils their responsibilities, contributes equitably to the task, and meets all deadlines.

Moreover, engaging employees in enjoyable group activities fosters a sense of accountability and reduces instances of under-contribution or failure to complete tasks on time. This proactive approach helps maintain high levels of productivity and ensures that the entire team can effectively meet its objectives.

Two Together Beats One

Certainly, when two individuals collaborate on a task, it typically requires more labour hours compared to when it's tackled solo. However, the virtues and skills cultivated during team building group activities prepare employees for such scenarios.

Interestingly, studies have revealed that individual performance often improves when working alongside others. Research indicates that the productivity of a less efficient worker can increase by an average of 10% when collaborating with a partner or working in a group setting.

Encourage Creativity

Participating in group team building activities like Urban Quest in Melbourne can inspire employees to tap into their creativity through several activities that are part of each Urban Quest experience. During such activities, teams face a variety of imaginative and artistic challenges, pushing them to think innovatively and express their creative talents.

Encouraging employees to embrace creativity can have a profound impact on a company. When employees feel empowered to think outside the box and tackle challenges creatively, they bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to the table.

This not only fosters a culture of innovation within the organisation but also enhances problem-solving capabilities and promotes collaboration among team members. Ultimately, fostering creativity among employees can lead to greater productivity, increased morale, and overall success for the company.

Innovative ideas may keep a business ahead of the competition and offer endless possibilities.

Increase Employees’ Confidence Levels

Engaging in fun team building activities can have a significant impact on employees' self-confidence and their trust in their colleagues' abilities. When employees participate in enjoyable group activities, they gain a sense of accomplishment and develop trust in their teammates' skills and capabilities.

As employees build confidence through these activities, they become more willing to share their innovative ideas and collaborate with their team members. This increased confidence enables them to take on new challenges and responsibilities, knowing that they have the support of their colleagues to help them succeed.

Ultimately, boosting employees' self-confidence and trust in their coworkers fosters a positive work environment where individuals feel empowered to contribute their ideas and work collaboratively towards shared goals. This not only enhances teamwork and productivity but also contributes to the overall success of the business.

Amplify Sense Of Responsibility 

Participating in fun group activities during team building sessions can significantly amplify a sense of responsibility among employees. In these activities, every member of the team plays a crucial role, and their contributions directly impact the team's success. This dynamic emphasises the importance of individual responsibility and accountability within a group setting.

As employees engage in team building games and activities, they become more aware of their role in achieving common objectives and understand the consequences of not fulfilling their responsibilities. This heightened sense of responsibility is valuable in the workplace, where individuals are expected to contribute effectively to team projects and initiatives.

By experiencing the importance of responsibility firsthand in a fun and interactive setting, employees are more likely to carry this mindset into their work environment. They become more proactive, reliable, and committed to their tasks, knowing that their contributions are essential for the team's success.

Overall, fostering a sense of responsibility through engaging group activities can lead to improved teamwork, productivity, and overall organisational success.

Open Doors For Trust

Establishing trust among coworkers is crucial for effective teamwork and collaboration. Fun group activities play a vital role in fostering this trust by providing employees with opportunities to understand each other on a more personal level.

During these activities, employees engage in various challenges and tasks that require teamwork and communication. As they work together to overcome obstacles, they learn about each other's strengths, weaknesses, and interests. This deeper understanding helps build trust among team members, as they develop a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect.

When employees trust their coworkers, they are more likely to collaborate effectively on tasks and projects. They feel comfortable sharing ideas, seeking help when needed, and working towards common goals. This trust also leads to increased job satisfaction and higher levels of performance, as employees feel supported and valued by their team.

Overall, fun team building group activities provide an ideal platform for employees to bond, build trust, and strengthen their relationships. By fostering a positive and supportive work environment, these activities contribute to improved teamwork, productivity, and overall success within the organisation.

Cheer Up Respect

Participating in problem-solving activities and fun team building exercises can significantly enhance the level of respect among employees. Through these activities, team members witness firsthand the support and capabilities of their colleagues, which fosters a greater sense of mutual respect.

When employees collaborate on tasks and challenges, they come to appreciate the unique skills and qualities that each team member brings to the table. This recognition leads to a deeper respect for their coworkers' abilities and contributions. Additionally, when individuals rely on one another to overcome obstacles and achieve shared goals, they develop a sense of trust and admiration for each other's capabilities.

Lots Of Fun!

Creating an enjoyable atmosphere among coworkers and teammates can benefit employees in various ways, from reducing employee turnover and sick leave to increasing efficiency and performance. Team building is a great deal of fun, and it's an incredible opportunity for employees to see a different side of their coworkers than they would see at work.

However, team building group activities are more than just a fun day out of the office - they're an essential aspect of the business and are effective strategies to motivate your employees.

More Ways to Improve Team Performance With The Help Of Urban Quest

Boosting a team's performance and productivity is akin to baking a cake - each ingredient (team member) must be carefully selected and blended. Just like a well-mixed batter, a diverse mix of components is necessary to empower your employees to excel.

While there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to enhancing productivity, creating a fun and creative work environment can lay the groundwork for success. By offering consistent support, and constructive feedback, as well as engaging your staff in enjoyable yet meaningful activities, you can cultivate a culture of productivity and collaboration.

Urban Quest, renowned for its expertise in team building group activities in Melbourne, has helped numerous companies and organisations create happier, more cohesive, and highly productive workplaces through its innovative programs.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to reap the benefits of team building activities - invest in your team's success today!

Talk to our representative, and let's plan your next team building session! 

Group Activities Melbourne: Spread Fun and Positivity at Work

Group Activities Melbourne: Spread Fun and Positivity at Work

The past year has been challenging for everyone in your team. Some had to adopt a remote work arrangement, and others had to let go of some beloved tasks. There were no gatherings in the break room, no banter in the hallways, and no after-work hangouts for a while. Some team members inevitably feel a bit detached from others. 

Shane Perry, a small business loans consultant at Max Funding, believes in the importance of group activities. He explains, “Team building activities for groups can help restore the sense of camaraderie, trust, and positivity at work. With these, it will be more comfortable for team members to perform and excel together.”

Here’s your go-to list of fun group activities in Melbourne that are easy to organise, plan and execute:

Urban Quest

After months of quarantine, everybody’s craving for an outdoor experience. Now that restrictions have been eased, your team can participate in an exhilarating outdoor team event - an adventure around the Melbourne CBD! 

Urban Quest is a fierce outdoor competition that involves solving puzzles, cracking codes, and exploring the city of Melbourne - with each challenge it becomes slightly more challenging as the teams get closer to the trophy. It uses technology to ensure that social distancing will still be observed throughout the game. All participants will be connected through their devices, and the event's planning is aligned with the government's health protocols. 

Urban Quest is a top-rated group activity that kickstarts the players with purposefully designed physical and mental challenges. Just imagine it as a personalised version of The Amazing Race but in the beautiful city of Melbourne!

Urban Quest provides a range of activities for large groups and is experienced in team building group activities in Melbourne.

Group size: 10 and above (subject to social restrictions)

Time: 2-2.5 hours (including pre-event instructional session and post-event awards)

Mode: Provided by Urban Quest

Cost: from $40 per person

The Mind Field

This game can be performed during short breaks or after office hours because it only lasts for 15 to 30 minutes, perfect if you’re after short group activities. Simply find an open space, e.g., a park or an empty parking lot. You can also do this at the beach!

Scatter objects, such as balls and bottles, across space—the more disorganised, the more exciting.

Ask everyone to pair up. If possible, pair people up with members from different departments. One person should blindfold the other, then using verbal instructions only, a person without a blindfold should guide the other from one side of the space to the other. The blindfolded person must avoid the objects and is not allowed to speak.

The Mind Field is a game that focuses on effective communication and trust

Time: 15 to 30 minutes

Number of participants: 4 or more (as long as the numbers are even)

Mode: DIY

The Perfect Square

This group activity is competitive but in a less exhausting way. Ask your team members to form a circle while holding a piece of rope. Have them put on a blindfold, set the string on the ground, and walk away from the circle. Then, ask them to come back and form a square using the rope while on blindfolds. To make it more competitive, set a time limit.

Perfect Square improves leadership and communication skills. Team members will learn to trust each other when they rely on one another to navigate in the right direction.

Time: 15 to 30 minutes

Number of participants: 5 to 20 people

Tools needed: Blindfold for each participant and a long piece of rope.

Mode: DIY

Game of Possibilities (Charades)

This 5-minute team building activity is an excellent mental warm-up. Instruct your colleagues to form smaller groups. Give an object to one member of each group. That person should go in front and act out the object given to them. The rest of the members must guess what the object is. The actor is not allowed to speak. Choose wacky objects to inspire a bit more creativity.

Time: 5 to 6 minutes

Number of participants: 6 or more

Mode: DIY

The Egg Drop

This is one of the most engaging team building activities for groups that encourage problem-solving abilities and teamwork. Because this game is more fun when there are more participants, it is suitable for corporate team building events. Just make sure you have extra eggs because you’ll probably break a lot.

Split your workmates into teams of 3 to 5 people, and give each group an uncooked egg. Prepare some items in a pile. These may include newspapers, rubber bands, straws, pencils, etc. Each team must build a contraption from the items from that pile to prevent the uncooked egg from breaking when it drops. Drop an egg down each contraption from 6 feet up. The group with the egg that didn’t break wins!

Time: 1 to 2 hours

Number of participants: 4 and above

Tools needed: uncooked eggs and assorted disposable items.

Mode: DIY

Update (3/4/2024): After reviewing this article, and this activity in particular we, here at Urban Quest, unanimously agreed that we do not support unsustainable activities, which this one is. Use it at your own risk. 😀

Scavenger Hunt

This is one of the classic DIY group activities that guarantees fun no matter the group size. In a scavenger hunt, the team will be broken down into two or more groups. Stray away from typical tasks and make a list of silly ones. These may include taking a selfie with an animal, bringing the biggest shoe, etc.

Give the list to each team and set the deadline. Whichever team completes the most tasks, wins! You may also want to set a point system depending on the task difficulty.

Scavenger Hunt can be a great way to make team members work with colleagues from other departments or social circles. It’s a great, cost-effective and creative option when looking for group activities. 

Time: 1-2 hours

Tools needed: pen and paper

Mode: DIY

Update (3/4/2024): we know that creating a truly engaging experience is not an easy feat. That's why we exist as a business. If you want this activity to be run professionally and leave lasting memories instead of eye-rolls contact us.

Blind Drawing

When looking for group activities or the perfect corporate team building activity, you want to make sure everyone is interacting with each other and using a different part of the brain that they are not used to.

Ask everyone to pair up. Two participants should sit back-to-back. Give one person a picture and the other a pen and paper. One should trace an image of the chosen object on their team member's back while they in turn will try to recreate it on the back of the person in front of them. The person with the pen and paper should draw based only on the verbal description of the other. Choose quirky pictures to make it more fun.

Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Number of participants: 2 or more people

Tools needed: Pen, paper and pictures.

Mode: DIY

This is Better Than That

Choose four or more different objects or similar objects that look different from each other. Split the team into even numbers. Create a scenario where all the participants must use only the chosen objects to solve the problem. For example, “You’re stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere.” or “An alien species is invading Earth.” Ask each team to rank the objects based on their usefulness in the scenario and explain their reasoning.

This is a light team building game that inspires analysis and creativity. Just remember to make the scenarios challenging enough so that the participants can be truly challenged.

Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Number of participants: 2 or more

Tools needed: Four objects or more

Mode: DIY

Truth and Lies

Sometimes when looking for the perfect group activities, you need to look no further than the classics. Some schoolyard games or corporate icebreakers can be ideal activities for large groups in Melbourne.

Have everyone sit down in a circle. Each participant must share three things about them: two are facts, and one is a lie - in random order. Others have to guess which are the facts. A tip: encourage the participants to tell a lie in the most realistic way possible.

This is a good choice for group activities for small to medium-sized groups. It is recommended for new teams because it eliminates snap judgments about each other. It also gives members who are less sociable a chance to share facts about themselves and learn more about others.Time: 10 - 15 minutes

Number of Participants: four people or more

Mode: DIY

Truth or Dare

Truth or Dare is one of the all-favourite team building group activities. In this game, everyone should form a circle with an empty bottle in the middle. One person will spin the bottle and when it stops, the person seated where the tip of the bottle points should choose between truth or dare.

If they choose the truth, the person who spun the bottle should ask a question. If they choose to dare, the person who turned the bottle will ask them to do something. The person choosing will be the next one to spin the bottle.

Before the game, it’s essential to set the limitations for truth or consequence. For example, all questions can be personal but shouldn’t include relationships, financial status, or any other sensitive information. The tasks may be limited to singing or dancing.

This is an effortless team building group game that can easily become hilarious if your team is up for it.

Time: 15 to 30 minutes

Number of participants:  5 or more

Tools: an empty bottle

Mode: DIY

Bottom line:

Team building is one of the most important investments you can make for your people. It may not be instantly apparent, but this activity can have significant benefits to your entire organisation. Group activities, in Melbourne or anywhere, are vital to keeping employees happy and engaged.

First, it loosens up everyone. The bloopers, the quirky challenges, and the physical work get rid of stress.

Second, it eliminates prejudices. The more your members get to know each other, the more comfortable they become working together in the same organisation - which can translate to increased productivity.

Third, it conveys a message that you’re determined to foster healthy relationships in the office. This can result in fewer absences, fewer conflicts, and less turnover.

If you’re unsure how to organise regular team building activities, contact Urban Quest

We offer emotionally charged team building group activities organised professionally.

Team Building vs. Team Outing: Is There A Difference?

Team Building vs. Team Outing: Is There A Difference?

With restrictions having been lifted in Melbourne, we can finally gather the co-workers for an out-of-office social activity. But what do you do for such an occasion?

Pubs and restaurants are back in full swing, but is now really the time for the same old boring workplace dinner and drinks? What are the benefits of a team building event in comparison to a team outing?

Impact of Team Building: Insights from Research and Real-life Experiences

There have been many studies into the level of productivity brought into a company by team building activities. In a 2009 article called ‘Does Team Building Work?’ the authors determined that “team building has a positive… effect across all team outcomes” and “that team building was most strongly related to affective and process outcomes”.

In the book Team Building: Proven Strategies for Improving Team Performance the author stresses that “team building activities… made a significant difference in the organisation’s performance.” While there is a vast amount of well-researched studies on the benefits of team building activities, the best proof is the evidence you see first-hand with your co-workers.

It can be difficult to discern if your event should be classified as a team building activity or a team outing – both can be fun, both can involve alcohol and both will require a budget no matter how big or small.

However, we believe a simple team outing can only be elevated to a team building event with the following key factors:

1. At the centre, there is a clear problem-solving element

A singular challenge or task the team must work together to overcome.

2. There’s a focus on skill development

The task requires teammates to use and develop abilities that they may or may not have been aware of.

3. Often under pressure

Whether there is a time limit, a number to score or another team to chase, this is a healthy added pressure to test your staff and prepare them when the going gets tough.

4. All workers are split into small teams

What better way to improve your team working skills than by letting you work directly with others? Find out who’s the natural leader and who’s the workhorse in small cooperative groups

5. BONUS: Teams are picked strategically for better results

Do you want the marketing team to associate better with the IT team or want the up-and-coming person from accounts to see how they mesh with the people from business development? All are encouraged within team building activities.

6. Overall duration shouldn't be too long or too short

Standard work drinks can drag on all night, and some other activities can be over in 15 minutes.

The ideal team building activity will run between 1-2 hours. Enough time to learn a new skill, form memories with teammates or accomplish a task without the event feeling like it’s dragging.

7. And finally, there are results

A team building event, unlike a social outing, should be able to give participants a complete idea of how they went, what they did well and what they can do better.

This gives you and your co-workers a great idea of their strengths and how to best utilise them within the company. A clear set of results also gives participants a clear goal to strive for at the next team building event and a clearer idea of how to accomplish it.

The Power of Team Building: Moving Beyond Social Outings Monotony

The effect of social outings on workplace unity has not been as thoroughly researched or studied. Anyone can understand the benefits of letting your hair down and trying to relax – but when does a social outing with your co-workers start to feel… pointless?

When no community goals are driving the team forward, a social out-of-work gathering can feel like the same monotonous cycle of pleasantries traded over the coffee station in the morning. 

A company-wide get-together certainly has its place and depending on the size of the tab, can be a cost-effective evening out with the team. However with the drastic life changes brought on by COVID-19, office morale is at an all-time low.

Hear some insights on the subject from Chris, one of the team events experts here at Urban Quest:

https://youtu.be/uGp8Ny0WjIY?si=YwJXzqwdDRa8d_6b

So to genuinely bring everyone back into the office and remind the team of how productive they’ve been in the past, look no further than a properly designed and organised team building event to bring the team back in style.

If you’re looking for the perfect team activity to bring the best out of your workers when they come out from behind the computer screens, look no further than Urban Quest.

Urban Quest’s fully interactive city-wide Amazing Race is the most fun and high-tech challenge-based team building activity in Melbourne.

For workplaces large and small, there’s no Melbourne team event better at encouraging unity and productivity in your team than an amazing race with Urban Quest.

The winning team at Urban Quest Team Building Melbourne

Resources:http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/300https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1046496408328821

The Best Team Building Activities… While Everyone’s Working From Home

The Best Team Building Activities… While Everyone’s Working From Home

It’s Business as Unusual.

Companies around the world have been flipped upside down. Team building has been pushed aside as a priority as more people are working from home than ever before and employee morale has plummeted. Team building activities are desperately needed in the workplace... but nobody is in the workplace.

While you can never substitute the benefits of in-person experiential team building activities, it’s important people don’t forget they’re part of a team. Through Urban Quest’s experience of team building activities, we’ve compiled some of our favourite NON-CRINGEY team building activities to keep the team spirit up while everyone’s working from home.

1. Guess the Artist

Let’s start with a simple one that never fails. Before a meeting, you ask everyone to anonymously pick and send in a picture (this could be a picture online of something that resonates with them, a picture of a pet, their desk or something they drew themselves). Everyone goes around and guesses who they think chose each picture. You go around again as everyone reveals what picture they chose and why. Whoever picked the most right wins! A great way to understand your co-workers better, which should make this game easier and easier the more often you play.

2. Kahoot 

Kahoot.com is an awesome DIY trivia game that lets anyone create their quiz and play with whoever they want! Take it in turns writing a quiz each week as the host picks their topic (or something company-related) and quizzes their co-workers. Games can run for as long or as short as you like and are a great way to add a pinch of competition into the office.

3. Iron Chef Lunch

Once a week the manager picks a secret ingredient (e.g. carrots, rice, basil, etc) and cooks at home or ordered in, everyone’s lunches must contain that ingredient. Jump on your video conferencing software of choice and talk through what everyone’s eating and how they incorporated the ingredients - points for creativity. Food brings people together and a weekly Iron Chef lunch is a great way to forget about work for a while and get to know your co-workers.

4. gif Battles

Sometimes it’s good to test out the other side of your brain, let loose and have a laugh. Using this Trello template (which will talk you through the rules) you can square your workers off in a good old fashion .gif battle. See who has the quick wit and who has the most wicked sense of humor.

5. Collaborative Playlists

Wanting to maintain the fun without the competition? See what makes people tick and create a collaborative playlist on Spotify. Everyone can listen along and add their songs. You can go for a theme, or a particular mood or just see what everyone else’s favourites are. This is a great way to create a sense of community and space even when divided across the city, country or even the world.

It’s safe to assume that once the dust has settled a portion of employers will discover that they can save on a range of costs by allowing their employees to work from home going forward. This will come with many benefits for both the employer and employee while increasing the importance of corporate team building events, to ensure people are still working and growing together as a team.

Team building and in-person events are the glue that not only keeps a team together but keeps them thriving. It is essential to keep employees challenged and entertained if you want to get the most out of them, and the best way to do that is with an engaging team building event. But with the world caught in the middle of an international pandemic, we’ll have to make do with alternatives.

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