Give me your best team building day ideas (please?!)

[AndSoFinally]

Am trying to organise a team building day. Morale is terrible, and we really need something.

I don't want to do the usual "getting to know you" games and building paper towers, I'd like to do something actually fun.

We are a group of about 30, ranging in age from 30s to mid 60s (but fairly active). Both men and women. Budget not enormous and would need to include lunch. Thinking around 10am to 4pm. South Wales if that helps.

Please give me some ideas! What was the best team building day you have attended?

Sorry, just place marking for ideas!

Fuck the team building element just hire a yacht or something and get drunk and eat good food.

How about approqching a local chatity? They may need a building or something painting or cleaning. It costs your company nothing, good PR and helps a good cause. Follow up with meal out in the evening. When volunteering at a charity we found it useful to get local firms in to assist one day a year.

Spot on.

Like most people i HATE forced fun.

A walk in the beautiful Brecon Beacons and pub lunch.

Could you spend your budget on giving them a cash bonus instead?

We were forced to do laughter yoga at a conference, it was the most horrifically cringeworthy couple hours of my, and judging by the office talk afterwards many many others, lives.

Do not for the love of god make your team do anything like that, there will be some that will absolutely hate you for it!

This is about the only team build I've ever done which no one hated. Thr. Give them a good feed!

This makes sense.

We did an afternoon sorting items at a food bank and at least it felt useful.

Oh also I agree with a pp just give them a day off and give them nice stuff. My brother just changed companies but the last one he worked for they have everyone a luxurious advent Calendar with some really nice gifts inside.
And they also all received some cakes in jars that looked delicious. (This was during covid so they were all working from home but if was well received!)

Better to find out why moral is low. One day of “fun” won’t fix it. Kinda hate being paid to do something else I hate where I know work would be waiting for me just stacking up too.

if you must then pub meal and drinks or something.

Give everyone the day off, full pay plus a hundred quid each and tell them to spend it doing whatever they like.

I guarantee they'll be happier.

I hate nights out with work. Forced fun on my own time and someone always takes it too far.

And fix the actual organisation failure. Morale is low because something is rotten in the workplace. A day at an alpaca farm or paintballing or trustfully exercises in the middle of a forest won't make things better.

Morale will still be low, only now they'll be pissed off they have to do team building bollocks too.

Escape rooms split into teams

Split teams again - treasure hunt around town is good eg photo wearing a hat - random things to find.. blue flower etc.

Some kind of treasure hunt in a town with about 5 easy questions (What letter does this town start with? What street is X shop on?) , a generous lunch budget and a "see you all at 4pm, have a great day 😉"

best - voluntier day at a local comminity garden. weeding and repairing of stuff.

worst - river cruise where most just got drunk and there was a massive fight with glass cut injuries, ambulance & police involved.

All these forced fun pessimists! There must be someone at work you enjoy a chat and a laugh with? This is on company time when you'd normally be sat at your desk! The more you get to know colleagues the easier it is to work together.

I agree with this! I would call in sick 🤣

Paintball. Most senior manager has to have a big X on their back.

Opportunity for a bit of friendly chitchat between matches, then back to the shooting each other.

What sort of people are they? Some teams enjoy quizzes, others not so much. Would they enjoy an escape room or similar?

Ooh, escape room! That could work but I wonder if 30 would be far too many. It's usually about 6 per room isn't it?

Against my expectations I had a fantastic day doing one of those treasure hunts with clues sent to our mobiles. Split the team in half and it was a proper laugh. However our morale was ok although we were insanely busy, it was summer, and we went to central London so it was all in all a lovely day out (drinks by the river at the end of the day).

I think just recognising morale is low is a good start, and checking in with people regularly, finding out more about what individuals need to feel better about coming to work each day. Don't raise hopes about improving things falsely but make small incremental changes so people know you are listening.

What actually helps is decent working conditions: a working environment that meets team and individual needs, good pay and clear progression opportunities, and fair distribution of work. If the team are feeling shit then you really need to look at those things first.

Unfortunately, we're NHS..... 😩

unfortunately, whatever you choose, it won’t please everyone. Some prefer outdoor activities, others gate then. Conversely, some like pub quizzes, whilst others don’t.

The best ideas I can think off is to get a whole lot of nice food in, get everyone to have a picnic at work, then give everyone the afternoon off. Or a pub buffet lunch at a nearby spot. Or get a pizza van and ice cream van to turn up work.