Why are team-building activities important?
Team building activities are commonly used as a way to bring different members of an organisation together, and have them share a high-impact learning experience.
No matter the activity chosen, the end purpose remains the same: to have all team members contribute to a common goal and improve their leadership, communication and problem-solving skills.
As a matter of fact, team-building activities have proved so successful to many different organisations that they are increasingly being incorporated into the employee training process.
Maintaining company culture has become more important now than ever before, as many teams and businesses have switched to remote work.
What are some good team-building activities for small groups?
Often, smaller groups of employees don’t think of taking part in team-building activities as it’s usually believed that smaller groups of people have a better chance to communicate and get to know each other well. However, organising team-building activities for small groups is just as important and will benefit all members just as much!
Whether you have only a few minutes to spare for this or a few hours, we’ve got you covered!
We’ve gathered below a selection of 5 activities that will be ideal for your small group team-building:
1. The Mine Field
This team-building activity is ideally suited in an open space and requires you to place several different objects across an area enclosed with tape. All participants are split into pairs and one person from each pair has to put on a blindfold. The second member has to lead their teammate from one side of the area to the other without stepping on any object, just by giving them verbal instructions. You can make it even more challenging by adding sheets of paper serving as mines, that must be avoided by blindfolded members, and have them pick up different objects across their route! This is a highly effective and engaging game that doesn’t take much time to complete and conveys trust, communication and active listening.
2. Treasure Hunt
This activity usually takes a few hours to complete and requires you to divide all participants into separate groups. Each group is given a list of tasks to complete or items to locate and bring back; the first team that brings back all items or accomplishes all tasks on their list wins!
You can include riddles and twists to make the hunt more challenging and fun, but make sure to set a time limit so that all members come back in a reasonable time. The purpose of this activity is to have all teams collaborate effectively and get creative together!.
3. Blind Drawing
This activity requires colleagues to work in pairs, and either sit back to back or away from each other. One team member is given a picture and has to describe it to the second member without using words specific to what's on the image. The latter has to try and draw what is being described to them. This team-building activity is ideal for small groups as well as if you don’t have a lot of time available for the activity, or enough space to organise a more physical one.
Team members will be able to work on their communication and listening skills, and more importantly, this effective activity reveals how instructions are interpreted by each member even when talking about the same thing.
4. Penny for your Thoughts
Another fun and simple team-building activity, commonly known as ‘penny for your thoughts’, requires you to gather coins with listed years on them. Make sure the coins aren’t dated older than the youngest team member.
Each member then draws out a coin and shares a story or something meaningful to them that’s happened in the year listed on their coin. This is an effective icebreaker activity as it allows all members to know each other a bit better and to feel comfortable speaking up around their colleagues.
5. Trivia
This activity doesn’t require any equipment or preparation. You can simply come up with a list of trivia questions to ask all members. Questions can either be about different topics or related to your workplace, as it is the one common thing to all teammates, and you can make it more fun and challenging by setting up teams that are competing for the win along with a set time to answer each question.
This team-building activity allows members to bond and work on their communication skills, but also to collaborate together to find the right answer.
This game can also be played online, via zoom or other video-conferencing tools, and can be just as beneficial to team members as it should allow them to get to know each other better and encourages communication and quick-thinking.
Summary
Learn more about social-distance compliant outdoor corporate activities we are currently offering for smaller groups.
If you want to make use of our spacious, airy conference rooms and grounds, or organise a full activity day with us for the ultimate team-building experience, contact us on 01869 810823 or email us at enquiries@thegreatbarn.net and make sure to check out our Covid-19 protocol to learn more about the safety measures we’ve put in place.
