Any ideas for fun/well-being activity for a team development day?

[Vivacious78]

Hi all- I manage a team of 12 along with 3 other team leaders so we have about 35 staff all together. We have previously been split into 2 Districts and are now all back as one big whole team.
It is our first face to face development day for 2 years.
I have been asked to do a fun activity for well-being.
It's in the office in a conference room. It's tomorrow!
Thanks in advance

Get out the office and go for a walk. Anything else is forced and I find doesn’t actually help well-being at all

Just provide food and drink and leave everyone alone to have a chat.

A quiz? Probably a quick fire one with buzzers to keep it lively. In teams so it suits the extroverts and introverts.

You can do online quizzes with things like Mentee where people answer on their phone and it appears on a screen, they are quite fun.

I did one the other day where everyone had to introduce themselves and then say something they had done which no one else in the room would have done. We all thought it sounded awful but it ended up being funny - but that was more because the person leading it was funny and had good responses to everything.

I would give people easels and get them to draw each other.

Seed sowing in pots, bring a selection of seeds, some compost, plant labels, newspaper. It's the right time of year and even if they just have a windowsill they can sow chillis or salad greens.

Echo PP. If you.can, is there somewhere outside you can all go and sit I'd the weather is decent? Free coffee and pastries/sandwiches and let people chat. The team leaders could float around so you can chat to as many of them as possible and just ask them what they're up to over Easter.

Or, if that's not possible, as you've said it's in a conference room, could you do something like put on a few games of bingo with some small prizes. Get people into teams maybe, get them laughing and relaxing a bit?

Please just don't do something like massage or yoga.

Yep, get out of the conference room, get outdoors.

I would give people easels and get them to draw each other

I really hope this is a joke. People will hate doing this; and the potential to cause offence is also huge.

The thing is, people don't want to do forced fun activities. It's always feels awkward and 90% of people will really not enjoy it, with the other 10% irritating everyone around them. If the weather's ok, as a pp said, go out for a short walk. If it's not, then split people into groups for an informal chat, and bring snacks.

We recently had a terrarium building workshop. It was cool and we all got to take them home.

I echo getting outside!
The best team day I ever organised as a manager, was outside, last summer after all that time of remote working/being inside etc.

Site visit.
Packed lunch /Pub lunch.
I bought everyone a soft drink.
Site visit.

Fortunately the nature of our work means that "sites" are woods and rivers.
But failing this, a city centre park. Maybe a city treasure hunt . You can even get them ready made - or even a mat based indoor version if you have to stay inside Treasure Hunts

In years as a manager and a Cub leader, I've found that people are far more likely to talk when they are out walking, rather than building towers out of spaghetti and marshmallows or doing daft quizzes.

A long time ago, we did a bird house building day supported by the RSPB.

Something around Lego?

Ooh lots of ideas thanks

Agree with PPs - go outdoors if you can. The only team day I remember with fondness was a picnic and a game of rounders in the park for those able/wanting to play (and those that couldn’t became the team coaches/cheerleaders for their chosen side, and made up some amazing team chants which still make me laugh years later!). Pub afterwards for those who wanted to go. Lovely, relaxed, fun afternoon: no Powerpoint, no icebreaker tasks, no horrible soulless office environment!

DHs office recently arranged for a local reptile rescue to bring the snakes for a visit. It was very calming apparently!

We've gone conservation days too with the National Trust (tree planting) and various things with local authority footpaths/countryside officers.

Please consider accessibility. All of the messages saying to get outside are good but I couldn't do that with limited mobility which either means I am excluded or puts people in the position of having to disclose something they may want to. I never considered this before I was disabled myself.

Most people hate these forced type of activities. For the well being of the majority don't do any activity and let everyone leave an hour earlier than expected. I have no idea why senior managers insisit on this childish crap.

Oh god - I thought the pandemic had killed off all of this crap.

No-one wants to take part in enforced "fun" activities.

Who has suggested you organise this?

And above, who the hell thought it was a good idea for snakes to be brought into a workplace. I have anxiety even typing this.