Team building activities can make friendships stronger, enhance collaboration among members and increase job satisfaction as well as engagement. However, team building activities can also turn out to be a waste of time and money if not planned correctly. 

Become a better team with our top 13 team building activities that are effective and budget-friendly.  

13 Team Building Activities Edmonton 

First, decide what you want to achieve with your activities. Focus on your goal rather than location or cost. This helps you choose activities that are meaningful and avoid wasting time or money. The article is divided into sections based on your common goals for team building activities Edmonton.

Improving Team Communication

1. Minefield

In Minefield, you go through a space full of objects without touching them. One person is blindfolded, and the other has to guide his team with words. This game helps with communication and trust. 

Another version of minefield has invisible “mines” in a grid. Players must remember where they are and guide their team. It tests memory and communication skills.

2. Reverse Pictionary 

In reverse pictionary, you have to sit in pairs, back-to-back. One person has a picture that they describe without saying its name. The other person has to figure out the name of that picture. For instance, they might describe a pen without saying the word “pen”. 

You can make it even tougher by only asking yes/no questions. Use complex pictures for more fun and better engagement. 

3. Geocaching

Have you heard of geocaching? It’s like a big treasure hunt all over the world! There are millions of hidden ‘geocaches’ waiting to be found. 

All you need is a smartphone with GPS and an app. Split into teams and go outside to find as many as you can in a certain time. It’s cheaper than other outdoor activities and gives you time to talk and bond with your team. Some caches are really tricky to find, so teamwork and thinking skills are important.

Problem-solving Activities

1. Object Sort or Classify This

This activity boosts your team’s creative thinking abilities. One organizer takes 10-20 objects from the office that don’t have obvious connections. The members are divided into pairs and work together to find some connection between objects and divide them into three to five groups. 

For instance, a pen, paper, and clipboard need to be grouped together because they all are related to writing. 

In a little while, stop what you’re doing and have pairs share what they’ve come up with. They should explain why they grouped things the way they did. Then, let other teams discuss whether they agree with the groups or not, and maybe figure out which pair did the best job.

2. Egg Drop

Here’s another fun team-building game called the egg drop. Each team gets basic stuff like paper, bags, and straws to make a contraption that keeps an egg safe when it’s dropped from high up.

Usually, this game is competitive, but you can try it differently:

  1. First, teams have a good amount of time, like 20 minutes, to make their contraptions and test them with a small drop.
  2. Then, in the second round, teams start over with only half the time, and the egg has to survive a bigger drop.
  3. Finally, in the last round, teams can change their designs or start from scratch, but the egg has to survive the biggest drop yet.

With each round, teams learn from what works and what doesn’t, and they have to deal with more pressure. You can make it even more challenging by adding rules like using only certain materials, dropping the egg a specific height above the ground, or using more than one egg.

3. Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are awesome for team building, especially in the workplace! There are two main types: task-based and riddle-based. 

In a task-based one, teams have a list of things to find or tasks to do in a set time. They get points based on how tough the tasks are. Afterward, teams compare what they found, and there might be a winner.

Riddle-based hunts have clues leading to more clues until teams find the “treasure,” often a small prize like a gift card. Sometimes there are tasks to complete to get the next clue.

Making a good scavenger hunt takes time and effort. If you offer a prize, make sure to plan for it. Also, if you do a clue-based hunt, it might disrupt work since teams can’t do it all at once.

4. Escape Room

Escape rooms are an awesome way to bond with your team and solve puzzles together. All you have to do is lock a team in one room and hide the key. The team has to find the key by solving challenges within a time limit. 

Icebreakers

1. Two Truths and a Lie

Here’s a classic icebreaker that’s always fun! Everyone writes down two true things about themselves and one made-up thing. The true things should be really weird, and the made-up one should sound believable.

Then, take turns reading out your statements. Everyone talks about them and tries to guess which one is the lie. Afterward, you reveal which one was the lie. It’s a great way to get to know each other!

2. One Question

In this activity, the organizer asks the team a question and expects one back.

They ask, “If you were hiring for a job like [role], what’s the one question you’d ask to know if someone’s right for it?”

You can pick any role, like a boss or a babysitter. Then, in pairs or small groups, talk about it. It’s tricky to choose just one question to decide if someone is a good fit for something important like a job or a relationship!

The point is to learn how to talk clearly and briefly while getting to know how your team thinks.

3. Through the Keyhole

Here’s a simple activity: ask everyone to bring in some pictures of their home, but hide anything too personal. Then, the team looks at each set of pictures and tries to guess which home belongs to which person. After everyone’s made their guesses, reveal the answers. People might notice things in the pictures that spark conversations, like if they support the same sports team or have similar hobbies.

This activity gets people talking and helps them find things they have in common.

Team’s Morale Boosting Activities

1. Team Memory Wall

Here’s a neat team-building idea: make a memory wall! Get everyone together and ask them to write down memories on Post-it notes or a whiteboard. It could be about funny stuff that happened during interviews, embarrassing moments on the first day, or hilarious typos in emails.

Sharing these memories brings the team closer and gives everyone a good laugh. You can keep the wall up for a while so people can keep enjoying the memories.

2. Employee-led Workshops and Activities

Boosting team morale is great through team-building activities, and one cool way is letting employees pick and organize their own. Just set a budget and ask for ideas. Maybe someone loves watercolor painting and wants to teach others. You can pay for the materials and schedule a workshop. Employees will love sharing their talents and feel valued that you let them lead the activity.

3. Compliments

Here’s a simple and heartwarming activity: give everyone some Post-it notes and ask them to write a compliment about another person. They could mention something they admire about them, like their leadership skills or how good they are at listening.

Collect the notes and put them up on a big sheet of paper, a whiteboard, or a wall under each person’s name. People might feel surprised and appreciated by the compliments they get! Do this for everyone so that everyone has their own “compliment wall.” It’s a great way to spread positivity and make people feel good about themselves.

Conclusion

Team building activities are crucial for building strong bonds among colleagues and improving communication and problem-solving skills. However, choosing the right activities is key to their success. 

By focusing on clear goals and selecting activities that resonate with your team, you can ensure that your team building efforts are effective and enjoyable. Whether it’s improving communication, problem-solving, or boosting morale, these activities offer something for every team. 

So, gather your team, try out some of team building activities Edmonton, and watch as your team grows stronger and more cohesive than ever before!