Best Team Building Activities For Large Groups

Going to work every day can be challenging if you don’t have a group of supportive and encouraging workmates. It also helps to have an open-minded and positive company culture.

Yet, these things require effort and preparation.

One way to foster professional relationships in the workplace is through team building exercises. These diversions are great for letting off steam and having some fun.

They also serve a far more significant function, which is to build trust and communication between old and new employees.

So, if you’re looking to find out more about team building activities for large groups, keep reading.

Team-building activities: a quick overview

Team-building activities are events, meetings, and even Zoom games designed to encourage co-workers to get to know each other outside of work. This helps foster mutual respect and empathy.

Plus, it improves communication between colleagues and builds trust, which is the ultimate goal of any organization. In fact, according to recent polls, as many as 37% of employees stay in their jobs because they have a strong connection with their co-workers.

From the outside, these activities may look like a fun and engaging way to spend the afternoon or the weekend. That’s exactly how management wants employees to see them.

Yet, each activity was carefully designed to boost collaboration, teamwork, and synergy in the workplace. In short, their core value runs much deeper than just a few hours of fun games and insightful seminars.

In fact, many heads of management consider these activities to be the building blocks of a successful company. They can transform a hum-drum workplace filled with droopy shoulders and uninspired employees into one of trust, creativity, and motivation.

The cost of team-building activities depends on the number of participants and where these activities will be held.

Yet, it’s worth mentioning that employees who are energized and committed to their workplace are essential to the financial success of any business. According to a report published by Forbes, teams that are highly engaged are 21% more profitable.

On the flip side, employees who are burned out and unmotivated in the workplace are known to deliver substandard work and miss deadlines. As a result, the company begins to lose revenue, stops growing, and suffers from a reduction in employee retention.

So, management can think of the costs needed to put these activities into effect as an investment in the business.

Luckily, online tools are either moderately priced or completely free of charge. Some of these include a couple from Workhuman^®.

For example, there’s the Conversations^® tool. It allows team leaders and managers to create a culture that combines well-structured feedback, continuous growth, and good work relationships.

Another top choice is their Social Recognition^® solution, which helps your team stay connected. It also helps build trust between management and employees, thus boosting employee retention rates.

Finally, employees need to feel recognized for their dedication and hard work. To do that effectively, company heads can make use of Team Awards^®. Through this tool, management can give their employees the praise and recognition they deserve.

For these activities to work, team leaders should choose the ones that can help bring people together and help them work more efficiently.

These games are also designed to highlight each group member’s strengths and weaknesses. This way, everyone can focus more on their strengths to boost their team, improve output, and help enhance company growth.

Some of these activities can be done in an hour or during a regular team meeting. Other activities can be done over the course of several hours, but still during a regular workday.

Then, you have the type of team building exercises for large groups that can be carried out outside the office for maximum effect. These can be done in one day or, if everyone’s schedule allows it, they can be done over a full weekend.

Having the whole weekend means that team members have a better chance to show off their individuality and unique skill sets that they can bring to the team and the organization.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Team building activities to do during a meeting

Why not start your next meeting with one of the following activities? Not only will it be a pleasant change of pace, but it’ll also be a great way to spark a sense of teamwork and innovation.

 

If two people say the number at the same time, the count starts from the beginning. It’s a fun way for team members to be cognizant of the group dynamic.

Team building activities to do during the workday

If the whole team is down with spending an afternoon or a couple of hours away from their desks, then these activities are worth a try!

 

Team-building activities to do outside the workplace

This category is the most challenging to set up. For starters, you have to get everyone to agree on an afternoon when they’re all available. Then, you have to decide on a venue and a handful of fun activities.

Yet, once everything falls into place, you can be sure that these activities will do a world of good in terms of building teamwork and boosting trust.

 

Best team building activities for large groups

The different types of team-building activities are based on the various approaches used to form and manage big groups as well as remote teams. The most exciting activities are those that are a mix-and-match of two or more types of activities. This way, you can get the team together and boost their sense of drive and contribution.

While each of these activities works equally well for both large and small teams, larger groups usually have more fun with these activities. One reason could be that with more people playing, it’s easier to let loose and be yourself because everyone’s attention is divided between more people.

Check out the 6 most common types of activities for large groups that can help build the team’s rapport, improve feedback, and boost the company culture.

Large group discussions and problem-solving activities are great. Yet, sometimes, you just want everyone to tackle fun physical and mental challenges like these team fitness challenges.

 

Are you looking for a way to get teams closer while providing each one with a chance to boost their career? Then, why not offer them a shared learning experience everyone can benefit from with the help of these team-building problem-solving activities?

 

Why not show off your skills while having some fun?

 

Being stuck indoors because of bad weather or time constraints doesn’t mean canceling all the fun-filled team-bonding activities for large groups you’ve planned. It just means choosing from the many games that are better suited for playing indoors.

 

Nothing says teamwork quite like being outdoors. These five top-rated outdoor team-building activities are perfect to get you and your team ready for some fast-paced fun.

 

With team members sometimes working remotely, those laid-back in-person chats in the break room can be sorely missed. Luckily, there are still plenty of fun-filled virtual team-building activities to get you and your remote co-workers all pumped up.

 

How to set up team-building activities for large groups

Now that you have a good idea of the most common types of team building games for large groups, it’s time to get everything set up.

Yet, keep in mind that each activity has a different goal. For example, team retreats are better suited for promoting small group dynamics. Alternatively, team-building company retreats seek to foster respect, support, and a sense of camaraderie on an organizational level.

On the other hand, virtual team building exercises focus more on strengthening connections between remote workmates. However, problem-solving activities are designed to enhance critical thinking skills.

Despite their dissimilar goals, they all follow a similar implementation plan when it’s time to put things into motion. Here are eight steps to consider when planning a team-building event, regardless of the type of big group activity.

Step 1: Decide on the goals you want the team to achieve

The first step is to outline the areas of focus that you want to build during these events. After that, you can choose the activities and games best suited for each goal.

Step 2: Take a look at the available budget

Once you’ve determined the top priorities, it’s time to consider the budget. It’s worth mentioning that the pricing of some of these events can quickly get out of control if you’re not careful.

That’s why experts recommend always sticking to a realistic budget to ensure that you don’t end up spending more than you had planned.

Step 3: Put together a planning team

Team-building events shouldn’t be prepared by only one person. There are too many things to prepare for, anticipate, and organize.

The most effective way to plan for these activities is to have teams of any size helping out. Delegating responsibilities ensures that the planning process goes smoothly and nothing gets overlooked.

Step 4: Decide who’s coming

Sometimes, inviting everyone is just easier. Yet, will it serve the purpose you’re hoping to achieve with these activities?

If not, then you need to figure out who will be on the list of invitees and who will have to wait their turn. To help narrow down possible candidates and invite the right people, ask yourself these questions:

 

Step 5: Choose the right activities

Knowing the goals you want the team to achieve can help you decide on which activities you want to include that align with these goals.

At the same time, keep in mind that you should combine activities from different categories. This way, you can address a broader range of skill sets, preferences, and interests.

Step 6: Choose a suitable date and time

This is probably one of the more challenging parts of planning a team-building event. First, you have to choose several ideal time slots. Then, everyone else has to decide when they can set aside some free time.

There’s also the weather to consider, especially if any of the activities will be held outdoors.

Step 7: Choose an ideal location

After everyone’s settled on a date, it’s time to pick a venue. Yet, keep in mind that location is one of the most critical factors in planning team-building activities; it can either make or break the entire event.

Make sure you avoid places that are too cramped for the number of people coming. Also, ask beforehand if the location is suitable for all the activities you’ve planned.

Step 8: Advertise the event internally

Marketing the event will create a buzz around the workplace and get employees excited about the upcoming event. Distribute an agenda that highlights all the planned events and activities, inviting them to get ready for some fast-paced, action-packed game time.

This will boost employee motivation and get everyone talking. You can even consider it a positive by-product or side effect of hosting these events.

The benefits of team-building activities

One of the most rewarding things about team building ideas for large groups of people is that everyone can benefit from them. Starting from the employees who are participating in the exercises to management to the clients.

So, what may appear to be just spending a few hours letting loose and having fun can be of great use to the organization and everyone connected to it.

These benefits include:

Better interchange of ideas

Almost every team-building activity relies on the use of well-thought-out and deliberate communication strategies to win the game.

So, what team members learn through these various exercises, they take back to their workplace. As a result, there’s a more efficient workflow, improved feedback, and a boost in output and profitability.

Improved creativity and resourcefulness

As you’ve seen above, some team-building activities require creative thinking and snap decision-making on the part of all team members.

These games help employees engage in critical thinking more frequently. Thus, the more often they apply these skills, the easier it’ll be to put them to use whenever a problem or challenge turns up in the workplace.

Increased trust and commitment

One of the more positive features of any team-building activity is that it gets everyone involved. From senior and middle management to high, intermediate, and entry-level positions has the opportunity to come together and win the game.

This enhances everyone’s sense of trust in their co-workers and mentors, which also fosters trust in the organization collectively.

A strong sense of motivation and incentive

There’s something about spending time in a non-work-related setting. Even though employees are still technically working with the same people they see each day, just being somewhere new and taking part in exciting activities can bring a fresh perspective to things.

Thus, workmates can transfer this exciting buzz to the workplace and refresh their enthusiasm for their work.

Well-developed problem-solving and analytical skills

Each of these fun team building activities is designed to be low-pressure. As a result, it allows team members to use their problem-solving capabilities without any constraints or fear of failure.

Once they build up their confidence, they can apply those same problem-solving skills in real-world high-pressure scenarios with more ease, finesse, and perceptiveness.

FAQs

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about activities for groups of all sizes.

What are the main types of team-building activities?

The four main types of large group team building activities include:

 

Can different activities have different goals?

Yes. Each event or activity designed with team bonding in mind has different goals. For example, team bonding games for large groups are all about boosting incentives and morale in the workplace while enhancing work relationships.

Alternatively, creativity and problem-solving team building focus more on improving collaboration, teamwork, and critical thinking skills.

What are the 5 Cs of team building?

For any group to work together effectively, it must conform to five attributes:

 

What’s a good icebreaker for a large group?

Usually, in large teams, some people will inevitably get quiet and fade into the background. Icebreakers are a great way for everyone on the team to interact and have fun.

One way to break the ice is to ask everyone to name one thing they’re looking forward to during the upcoming week.

Other ideas include:

 

What’s the best way to boost team building for large groups?

There are several ways to keep teams engaged and motivated. The most popular is to divide large groups into multiple smaller ones. This ensures that everyone gets a chance to participate in the activities and have some fun.

A final note

So, what do you think of our extensive list of great team building activities for large groups? Remember, the ultimate goal of any team-building activity for large groups is to boost morale, build trust, and encourage teamwork.

By engaging in suitable exercises, team leaders and management can bring together everyone’s unique skillsets, strengths, and personalities to create a dynamic, high-powered, formidable team.

Tell us what you think in the comments below and share the article with friends and colleagues to spread the word about these highly effective activities.