20+ FUN OUTDOOR TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES
OUTDOOR TEAM BUILDING IDEAS FOR WORK COLLEAGUES
This article will feature 20+ outdoor team-building fun days, games, parties, gardening events, sports, and much more!
Building strong and cohesive teams has become more important than ever, and we get there by fostering collaboration, creativity, and productivity. We do this year-round through conferences, offsites, retreats, and summer brings a unique opportunity: outdoor team building activities. We can take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days, and get our teams bonding, having fun, and connecting through fun parties, classes, and outdoor activities!
OUTDOOR FIELD DAY
An outdoor field day is an excellent opportunity for in-person teams to bring the whole company together, including their families! You can dedicate a day to fun, lighthearted experiences and invest in fun entertainment, activities, and catering for your team.
Family Fun Day: The best way to guarantee a successful family fun day is to provide activities everyone can enjoy, from the very little to the very grown! To keep all the little people entertained and happy, turn to classic party entertainment like a bouncy castle, face painting, balloon animals, etc. For the big kids, organize a themed treasure hunt or scavenger hunt, as well as sports tournaments, and set up some cool prizes to incentives everyone!
Sports Day: Does your team have a notorious competitive streak? Invite them to the ultimate sports day! A sports tournament can inspire friendly competition and is a great way to encourage team bonding and trust building. You should include classic summer sports activities like ring toss, relay races, tug-of-war, hula hoop competitions, football toss, and obstacle courses!
Pro Tip: To ensure this experience includes all abilities, reach out to your team in advance to give them a heads-up! You could include a sports tournament as part of your company field day, so there is still plenty of diversity activity-wise. Opt to have some low-impact sports like spoon relay, frisbee golf, bean bag toss,mini-golf, and yoga/pilates.
Team Picnic/BBQ: Host a great picnic or BBQ for the team, giving them a chance to come together and hang out while enjoying some delicious food. You can reach out to a corporate catering company to provide a delicious menu and send everyone home with a special BBQ-inspired gift like a BBQ rub, marinade, or hot sauce. For smaller or more close-knit groups, a potluck could be a fun way to learn more about each other’s culture and background, so invite them to bring along their favorite summer dish. To elevate this experience, you could even write a team cookbook - colleagues can share their favorite recipes and learn from one another!
2. OUTDOOR BEACH PARTY
Whether you live by the coast or not, you can bring the beach to the office this summer with a fun beach party! An outdoor party will be a great way to wrap up a busy week after a major deadline or project and give your teams something to look forward to. Find out how to incorporate all the best elements of a beach party, minus the messy sand!
Summer Icebreakers: Kick off your event with a fun icebreaker like a get-to-know-you question, would you rather or this or that question. These fun and ice questions can help your teams feel more at ease, and provide an opportunity for cross-department team members to get to know each other in a lighthearted way.
Summer Playlist: Ahead of the event, invite your team to send along requests for their favorite summer hits. Then, build the ultimate summer playlist full of classics, and your team’s favorites. This will encourage them to sing and dance, and connect over shared taste in music.
Photo Booth: A photo booth is a great addition to any party. Build a ‘wardrobe’ full of summer props like hats, glasses, beach gear, and fun backgrounds. A photo is an opportunity to be silly and goofy and have fun with all your props! You can create an event hashtag, so your whole team can see photos from the event on social media, or have a Polaroid wall so everyone can take momentum home!
Beach Swag: Swag is always a fun gift idea, so why not turn it up a notch with some cool beach swag? You can send everyone home with a summer gift like a cooler or a beach tote and throw in a few fun goodbyes like a pocket fan, a reusable water bottle, or a foldable picnic blanket. You can customize these in fun summer or company colors, and include a note wishing your team a great summer!
Ice Cream Truck: Treat your team to the ultimate summer dessert - ice cream! You can partner with a local ice cream truck, or reputable source of your choice, and have them on-site giving out delicious and nostalgic treats like ice cream sandwiches, drumsticks, or strawberry shortcake bars. To include everyone, make sure your provider offers options for those with dietary restrictions and personal preferences before booking your ice cream truck. Check with the vendor to ensure they provide vegan, Kosher, gluten-free, and dairy-free options.
3. Nature Outdoor Team Activities
Summer is an awesome opportunity to connect with nature, so invite your team to discover to get their hands dirty this season!
Gardening Club: A company gardening club can be a great way to foster a sense of community, promote wellness and help your team develop a new skill. Form a core team of gardening aficionados, and determine the goals of your club: growing flowers, vegetables, herbs, or a combination of all. Discussing your approach will help determine your approach like being environmentally friendly and sustainable among other things. You could also choose to be a ‘pollinator-friendly garden’ and even become certified by the National Wildlife Federation!
Nature Scavenger Hunt: Challenge your team through a fun and competitive nature scavenger hunt! Colleagues will unite, and race against the clock, and each other to find as many of the assigned natural features. You can choose a park, a botanical garden, a nature center, or whatever location you have access to. Remember, when in nature, we want to avoid removing anything from the natural environment that is supposed to be there, so a photo scavenger hunt and bingo card is a great alternative! Remind your team to be respectful of the habitats they are entering and focus on the competition element of the challenge. A scavenger hunt is a great opportunity for teams to develop problem-solving and teamwork skills.
Environmental Cleanup: As your team’s charitable or community event, you can support your local community this summer through an environmental cleanup! Choose a nearby park, beach, or natural area that needs cleaning and provide gloves, trash bags, and any necessary equipment. By removing litter and waste, you will help local wildlife and prevent further pollution. Clean-ups can instill a great sense of pride and ownership in their community, and foster a sense of shared responsibility and social bonding.
4. OUTDOOR TEAM BUILDING EVENTS
If you are looking to treat your team, why not leave the office behind and go off for a real summer offsite? You can gift your team an awesome day out with a fun activity or game, and lunch for the team! Enjoying the outdoors will be a great break from the day-to-day routine, and you may even introduce a new hobby to your colleagues.
Mini Golf: Mini-golf is a great team day out, and you can even set up a competition among teams, especially if you are bringing colleagues from different departments together. It will be fun to keep score and race against the opposing teams while getting to know colleagues and their skillset. Plus, who doesn’t love mini-golf?
Outdoor Film: For a super laid-back experience, treat your team to the ultimate watch party. Send an invite and have your teams vote on a classic summer movie they want to see. You can elevate this experience by providing a concession stand with delicious film treats like popcorn, candy, and drinks; your team will love it!
Outdoor Meditation/Yoga: We know summer can be hectic, and sometimes unwinding is just what we need! Invite your team to an outdoor yoga or meditation class and give them the tools they need to handle whatever life throws them. Being out in nature and practicing mindfulness is an incredible combination!
Did you enjoy this article? Check out our other summer-themed posts!
About KraftyLab
KraftyLab is a leading corporate event planning company providing corporate team-building experiences across the US & Canada. Our focus is on providing fun and engaging activities wherever your team may be through fun virtual games and virtual team building classes!
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