Improved communication, bonding with colleagues and a boosted team morale – team building activities are incredibly important in creating a happy and efficient workforce. Regardless of your budget, or whether your team work onsite or remotely, this list will run you through our top ten team building ideas of 2018 so you’re sure to find the perfect one for your employees.

Offsite corporate team building ideas

Escape from reality

A popular and immersive team building activity, escape rooms involve your team being “locked” in a room, whereby they must find clues, solve riddles and work together in order to escape the room within 60 minutes.

Not only are they a thoroughly enjoyable and fun activity, but escape rooms involve team members communicating effectively to solve a common goal -  the room’s mystery and how to escape from it - making it a perfect team building exercise.

Escape room themes vary from zombie apocalypses to bank heists and haunted houses, so there’s plenty of choice to find a room that will suit each member of your team.

Be a part of the action

Immersive game-show type experiences are a great corporate team building idea. Many venues across the UK offer these types of experience, and the most popular include TV-show based events such as The Cube, Crystal Maze and Dragon’s Den.

Following the premise of the shows they’re based on, in The Crystal Maze teams compete against together to complete mental, physical and mystery challenges to acquire crystals, Dragon’s Den events include teams brainstorming a new idea and pitching to a panel, and The Cube activities involve employees working in teams to beat a series of difficult challenges.

Not only are these immersive experiences incredibly enjoyable, but they serve as a great team building event as they require employees to communicate and work together effectively to get through a range of both mental and physical challenges.

Eating and drinking, but with a twist

Going out for a meal is one of the most popular team building activities, but why not step it up a notch and get involved in a masterclass instead? They’re a great way for employees to chat, laugh and bond, whilst learning a new skill.

There are several food and drink masterclasses available up and down the country, where you can learn how to make a range of foods and cuisines, including pizza, Thai and even chocolate.

And if drinks are more your thing, cocktail masterclasses are popular and widely available, and a great way to start a team night out.

Get active and have fun

Sports are the ultimate team building activity and can be a great way for employees to work and compete against each other, whilst having fun at the same time.

Although not for everyone, paintballing is a popular team building sport. With the added sense of competition, it provides the opportunity for employees to communicate and work alongside their team to defeat the opposite side.

Trampolining and mini golf are also emerging as top team building activities. More fun and light-hearted, these activities are generally more accessible to a wider group of people.

Discover somewhere new

If the budget and time allows, corporate away days are an ideal way for teams to get to know each other away from the office environment.

Take a day trip to a new city and see the sights, visit a theme park for a fun day out or visit a pretty place in the countryside – day trips and mini breaks are an opportunity for employees to have fun with each other, whilst boosting team morale. 

What’s more, on away days, employees will be travelling, eating and drinking together, further providing more chances for them to build strong relationships, and have the friendly conversations they may not get the chance to have in an office environment. 

Team building ideas in the offices

Get involved in a game

If you don’t have the luxury to spend lots of money on activities, there are many team building ideas available in the office instead. Games are an effective team building activity as they allow colleagues to have fun with each other in a relaxed, familiar environment. 

A quiz can also help employees communicate and work alongside each other to answer questions, while having fun at the same time.

Go on a scavenger hunt

Another fun team building idea for the office, a scavenger hunt is a brilliant way for employees to work with each other and practice efficient communication to solve clues and find hidden objects.

Objects could include office stationery, photographs, clothing or food. If you wanted to make it more personal, you could include clues such as one of your employee’s favourite books or afternoon snacks.

Once employees find an object, they should take photos and mark them as found on the list. The first team to find all the objects and return to the start point the fastest will win.

Team building ideas for remote teams

It’s generally easy for colleagues to build relationships with each other when they’re in the same place 40 hours a week, but for teams that work remotely and not together, it can be difficult.

So, if you can’t get your team together for a team building activity, there are still a few things you can do to get to know each other a little better. And with remote team building, video conferencing is going to be your friend!

Give your coworkers a virtual tour

Even though they’re not based in the office, not all remote workers work from home either. Some people work at a coffee shop or a remote office, so a virtual tour enables co-workers to get to know their colleagues’ space and their daily routine as well.

Using a webcam, have each member of the team show off their workspace and take their colleagues on a virtual tour of the place they work. It won’t take any longer than 5-10 minutes per person and is a sure-fire way for colleagues to get to know more about each other and their day-to-day lives.

Connect with coworkers and play a game

Playing games is a great team building activity, and one you can easily do virtually.

Two truths and a lie is an effective ice breaker game that’s played over video conferencing. It involves team members writing down two truths and a lie about themselves, and their colleagues will try and detect the lie. This is a brilliant way for colleagues to get to know each other a bit more which will ultimately benefit their working relationship.

Rank It is also a great team building icebreaker. Also played over video conferencing, a team leader will choose five random items for each worker and provide a scenario such as a zombie apocalypse or being stranded on a desert island. Then, each employee will rank the usefulness of each item they were given, with the team leader electing a winner. Although quick and easy, this is a fun game that will provide a chance for your employers to see and spend some time with each other. 

Team building ideas for Co-working spaces

Although not necessarily part of the same team, it is important for people who work in a flexible workspace to get to know the people around them. Making friends and forming relationships with these people will make going to the office a more enjoyable experience, especially if you rent out a workspace long term.

Try speaking to people in the office whenever you can and take an interest in their work and personal interests. Or why not organise a skillset meeting, where each person will speak a little about their job, what it is they do and who they work for instead? This is a great way to get to know those around you and understand their line of work. Plus, flexible workspaces are often a great place to network and form business relationships with your coworkers, and getting to know their work will only benefit you if you ever need their help one day! 

From offsite activities to cost-free alternatives and remote team building via video call – no matter what your working situation, there is a suitable team building idea for your office.

We hope this list helped you get inspired by the best corporate team building ideas, and if you’re looking for flexible office space to host these new activities, Workthere can help find your perfect space.