A solid team is made up of people who trust each other and are reliable. They may come from unique backgrounds with a variety of skills, but together they fill the gaps for an organisation. Undoubtedly then, team building is a paramount step in the stairway to success for anyone! Companies go to many lengths to bring their employees together and enhance their efficiency at the workplace. One setting you may never have thought of to facilitate team building in, is the outdoors. Not only is it literally a breath of fresh air but the vivid landscapes along with the feeling of exhilaration from doing something entirely new, can be a real game changer. Through the means of outdoors and the experiential learning it offers, organisations can definitely boost their employee engagement. We bring to you a list of 10 team building activities that will be fun and also lasting in their impacts on your employees which in turn will yield more employee engagement-

1. River Rafting : If you want to feel the very essence of coordination and its importance in moving our boats forward, pun intended, then river rafting should be on your agenda for the next corporate outing. Combined with thrills of the rushing, cold water and sound of rapids, the whole team must adhere to the commands of the guide to make the raft survive the giant waves. From “ forward paddle” to “hold the rope” the whole team echoes the action in synchrony and the feeling of togetherness is not just heard but also felt. 

2. Jungle Hike : Go for a forest hike with your team. Step out of the comfort of indoors and to the mossy paths filled with tall trees, lush foliage, gurgling streams and wildlife. If you are too stuck in your cities and can’t get out, look for the urban jungles around you. To remind you of a few, Delhi is bordered by the beautiful Aravalis, Mumbai has Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Bangalore has Avathi. You can go in teams, assign leaders who will set the right pace for everyone, cook a small meal in the middle or at a high point. The confidence from overcoming hard and long trails together as a team is a mental and physical boost that is truly beneficial. 

3. Paintballing : This can be an enthralling experience for many folks. It is modeled on the basic concept of survival but can be seen as an opportunity to plan and prepare tactics, execute missions, form allies and basically achieve your target with the help of your squad. A little bit of competition often brings out the best in team mates and hence enhances employee engagement. 

4. Navigational Treasure Hunt : Revive the enthusiasm of youngsters by getting your employees to play a game of treasure hunt. This one can even take place in your office building, at the cafeteria or even in the parking lot. Imagine your  conference room table but instead of work papers, you have maps in front of you. You can use your phone’s compass to find the direction where treasure awaits you. The treasure could be incentives or perks. It’s possible that by the end of it, teams at the office start referring to the conference room as 80 steps at 85 degrees North. Now that’s an interesting take away!

5. Adventure Day Out : If you are looking to make the most of your team building day out but don’t wish to go too far away then Rocksport adventure day out is the perfect option for you. Rest assured the adventure activities will keep your employees on their feet and minds engaged throughout the day! Boosting productivity is the very concept behind these adventure day out programs. With a refreshing view, calming ambience, healthy yet tasty food  and plethora of soft adventure activities, this is a popular one amongst everyone. 

6. Raft Building : Building a raft from scratch using old school junk such as tyre tubes, bamboo or pipes and rope. This simple yet creative process enhances the average employee psyche to feel a sense of achievement over something simple yet functional. This outdoor activity can be done in your neigbourhood school swimming pools as well!

7. Body Zorbing : Racing or wrestling sound like kiddish activities for team building but we have a twist for you. What if you were fitted with a zorb suit, a transparent and inflatable, human sized suit that wraps around your torso and made you have a bounce fight with your opponent? Sounds like a lot of fun right? Zorb suit matches are actually the most popular when it comes to fun team building games because of all the plotting and planning!

8. Mission Impossible : An exciting and technical version of treasure hunt, Mission Impossible takes places wherever you want to organise it. Teams are divided and without spilling too many beans about the game, they are given the task of locating a briefcase. A backend team is needed to organise and roll out the hurdles and teams attempt to locate the case using bare minimum clues. This one requires a sharp mind, leadership skills and a lot of trust. Beware if your boss goes missing in a planned “kidnapping” as part of the stint. 

9. Earth Ball : This is a game that uses one mega ball to create various activities and games around. It can be played by several teams with each segment leading upto a number of points. The points then get added to a total in the end that decides the winner. Strategizing and communicating are key here because this ball can quickly get too big to handle!

10. Egg Drop Challenge : Another quick, easy and effective game that can be played in the premises of the office is the egg drop challenge. The idea is simple, to use the bare minimum of items such as plastic bags and a few strings to keep your team’s eggs intact as you drop them! It requires the team to use logic and reasoning to arrive at a common consensus to do so and can end with broken eggs!

So next time you think about unique team building games to give a head start to the employee engagement and productivity, visit one of the Rocksport Nature Adventure Camp for an adventurous one day trip!

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