If you’ve noticed a dip in employee motivation over the winter months, you’re not alone. While winter has its magical moments, it’s often a challenging time for many people’s overall health. With the weather getting warmer, your employees may naturally start to perk up again; however, it doesn’t hurt to intentionally work on helping them shake off that cold-season slump! You can do that by organizing spring team-building activities designed to connect coworkers, ignite creativity, and renew productivity.
The best part? These activities don’t feel like work at all. If that sounds like something your co-workers need, keep reading to explore 22 of our favorite spring group activities and games for work in 2022, whether your team is remote or onsite.
11 Virtual Spring Team Building Activities
Your organization may not be ready to return to work or may have permanently adopted a remote or hybrid work model. However, that distance doesn’t have to eliminate close working relationships. Each activity below operates virtually, meaning you can bring all your remote team members together for some memorable fun, regardless of location!
1. Improv Team Building Workshop
Here’s how this spring team building idea works: your team will meet through Zoom and the provider will guide them through icebreakers, storytelling games, and other fun exercises. These interactions are a great way for everyone to get to know each other in a casual setting. The nice thing is. no one gets singled out or put on the spot, so this workshop is great for outgoing and quiet folks alike to collaborate with one another!
Pricing: Starting from $25 / person
Minimum group size: 15 people
2. The Wilting Peony: A ‘Whodunnit’ Mystery Game
Problem-solving is a massive part of teamwork, but who said collaboration always has to involve dull PowerPoint presentations and dreary focus groups? We certainly don’t think so. This is a fun, interactive problem-solving game based on crime fiction! It requires participants to review information about a mystery crime and find out who did the dirty work and why. Think Clue, but without the board game format.
Your team will continue to talk about this experience long after the show is over! After all, what better way to hone communication and critical thinking skills than solving a challenging mystery?
Pricing: Starting from $35 / person
Minimum group size: 9 to 12 people
3. Cabin Fever: Virtual Escape Room
This virtual escape room (yep, you read that right!) is another highly interactive, challenging, and super fun virtual activity that encourages teamwork. Participants will work together to avoid becoming Hacksaw McGraw’s next meal within a limited amount of time! This game will achieve two things: one, your team will sharpen their puzzle-solving and collaboration skills, which will certainly come in handy in the real world. And two, by the end of this activity, everyone will have a pretty good idea of who they can trust to stay calm in a crisis!
Pricing: Starting from $30 / person
Minimum group size: 12 people
4. Laughing & Bonding
Did you know that laughing is an elixir? According to Mayo Clinic: “Whether you’re guffawing at a sitcom on TV or quietly giggling at a newspaper cartoon, laughing does you good. Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that’s no joke.”
Laughing together might not seem like much, but it’s an important part of bonding and building workplace friendships. This activity is pretty much what it sounds like: a joy-filled and engaging comedy show featuring real, professional comedians featured on well-known shows. All your team has to do ahead of this event is complete a pre-event survey so the hosts can tailor the event just right.
Pricing: Starting from $1,070
Minimum group size: N/A
5. Paint Night
Your team’s creativity and wellbeing will improve with each stroke of a paintbrush during this activity. And don’t worry, they won’t have to do it alone. A professional artist will provide a step-by-step guide so everyone can create their very own masterpiece of a featured image – no experience required!
Pricing: Starting from $40 / person (plus an additional $35 / person for an optional paint supply kit)
Minimum group size: 10 people
6. Plant Doctor
Studies have shown a clear link between owning houseplants and better mental health, which is why they became crazily popular during the COVID-19 lockdowns. But houseplants are a lot like pets; many people love the idea of having them, but not everyone knows how to provide the right care! This workshop is a hands-on activity for all skill levels, hosted by an expert florist. Participants will learn key tips and concepts for helping houseplants thrive, and by the end of the event, your team members will know how to keep more than just cacti alive!
Pricing: $305 / person
Minimum group size: 10 people
7. Guess-My-Sketch
Guess-My-Sketch is a hilarious Pictionary-style virtual art game where the hosts will divide your team into smaller, competing groups. During each round, the small groups will go into their private online rooms to sketch images on a doodling platform, after which all the groups will back together and try to decipher the mysterious doodles! Once again, a unique way to promote collaboration and creativity.
Pricing: $30 / person
Minimum group size: 20 people
8. Musical Bingo
Musical Bingo is super similar to traditional bingo games, except participants receive a card featuring a list of music! The bingo host plays a piece of music and participants listen and try to identify it. This activity is tons of fun, but it’s also therapeutic. Music releases feel-good brain chemicals like dopamine, and can even reduce stress levels among your team.
Pricing: $40 / person
Minimum group size: 15 people
9. Kindness Challenge for the Workplace
This is a month-long challenge, making it the perfect spring-themed team-building activity. Your team will perform intentional acts of kindness to one another through daily self-selected acts and reflections. They’ll also receive one email per week for four weeks, providing insight into a type of kindness.
The goal? To shift the energy in your workplace by creating a ripple effect of meaningful gestures. This is one of the best spring group activities you can use to change the atmosphere in your work environment now that winter has come to an end.
Pricing: $1,260
Minimum group size: Any order size
10. Origami Class
Few things are more satisfying than creating something beautiful with your hands. Origami is an ancient, interactive art form your team can use to explore their creative abilities. They will make 2 beginner-friendly origami shapes with a professional instructor while learning about the history of the art. Requiring only paper and scissors, this activity is proof that you don’t need much to have a blast and connect meaningfully with others.
Pricing: $20 / person
Minimum group size: 10 people
11. Earth Day Coffee Painting
Earth Day Coffee Painting is a creative, relaxing activity where your team will paint a masterpiece using little more than instant coffee and a few other simple items. Who knew you could make gorgeous art out of a beverage? Maybe that’s why they say you shouldn’t cry over spilled milk (or in this case, coffee)!
Pricing: $40 / person
Minimum group size: 15 people
11 In-Person Spring Team Building Activities
Teams (human beings in general, really) typically function best when they can see each other physically, observe facial expressions, read each other’s body language, and so on. That’s why, while remote and virtual setups can work effectively, nothing can replace team-building face-to-face. With that said, the list below covers 11 in-person work team activities for spring!
1. Global Recycling Day
Global Recycling Day (marked on March 18th each year) is an initiative that started in 2018 to highlight our culture’s current throw-away culture and to recognize how important recycling is for preserving the earth’s primary resources.
If you missed March 18th, no worries! Your team can still plan an event to commemorate the occasion this spring. For example, everyone could hike and pick up trash on the trail, pick up trash from a municipal park or playground, or volunteer at your local recycling center. Keep it fun!
2. Flat Out a Float: Build and Race Cardboard Boats
If your team is up for a real adventure, they won’t want to miss out on this spring group game! There’s a reason why this activity has been described as “the world’s most innovative and exciting ‘build your own boat’ concept”.
During this event, participants will form smaller teams that will each embark on a quest to build a seaworthy boat out of all kinds of scrap materials (from scratch). Then, comes the real challenge: sailing their newly built boats in a race against each other! Whether your team is full of engineers or folks who have never even picked up a set of blueprints, this game will deliver a competitive, uproarious experience that will inspire collaboration and fond memories.
Pricing: Upon request
Minimum group size: 75 people
3. Sushi Making Class
A sushi-making class may be the ultimate spring office activity for your team for the simple reason that everyone gets to eat their masterpieces at the end! As you probably guessed, your team will learn the art of gourmet sushi making from a real sushi chef. They can either procure the ingredients themselves, or the provider can deliver complete sushi-making kits for an additional cost – whatever works! Either way, gather your team in a boardroom (or someone’s kitchen) and enjoy this class together via Zoom.
Pricing: Starting from $40 / person (plus an additional $65 / person for an optional sushi-making kit)
Minimum group size: 15 people
4. Mafia Mystery Night
Mafia Mystery Night is a thrilling, interactive, psychological game for a team of any size. This game facilitates teamwork and problem-solving with a delightful twist. Participants play a group of “town members” composed of innocent civilians and mafia members. The big challenge? The innocent civilians must discover who the mafia members are and then vote them out to survive the night!
Pricing: Upon request
Minimum group size: Any order size
5. Corporate Survivor
Corporate Survivor is another excellent choice if your team is craving fresh air, sunshine, and light-hearted competition.
Your team will split off into smaller groups (or tribes) and do their best to survive on a figurative island. Tribes will face a series of challenges that they must overcome and collect as many points and advantages as possible. The tribe that gathers the most points wins! While it’s all fun and games, this activity may have its tough moments, which is why it’s an effective team-building experience. Plus, it’s primarily an outdoor activity, making it perfect for spring!
Pricing: Upon request
Minimum group size: Any order size
6. Meals on Wheels
Nothing brings a team closer together than working toward a meaningful cause. In fact, your employees may appreciate this more than you realize, especially younger individuals. According to The Deloitte Global 2021 Millennial and Gen Z Survey, these two generations want to work for companies that emphasize creating a positive social impact, especially in light of the pandemic’s impact.
Meals on Wheels is a free, volunteer service to seniors to enable them to live independently in their own homes. Your team will help deliver meals to the seniors and help provide security checks to them. Now, that’s a meaningful cause!
Pricing: Free
Minimum group size: N/A (book 2 to 4 orders)
7. Building a Dream: a Team Charity Bike Building Challenge!
This is another memorable team-building activity to try this March! It combines charity with a fun, collaborative, problem-solving experience for small or large groups. Participants will work in teams to solve challenges and puzzles in order to earn bicycle parts, which they’ll use to build a bicycle in a limited period of time.
At the end of this activity, each team will present its bicycle to the other teams representing customers. But the goal isn’t to sell the bicycles – instead, each one will make its way to a charity! This bike-building challenge is another spring team-building activity that emphasizes giving back to the community.
Pricing: Upon request
Minimum group size: Any order size
8. Refreshed Approach to Vision Boards: Professional & Personal
Can we just agree that it’s important to regularly fine-tune a company’s vision and goals, and make sure everyone working there feels connected to them? To some, vision boards may sound too “woo-woo” for a corporate setting; however, they are an excellent, practical tool for getting crystal clear on everyone’s personal and professional goals and values.
This activity involves an interactive, collaborative workshop aimed at supporting your team to create a unified vision and identify key success metrics and performance indicators for your company. Your team members will also have the opportunity to reflect and realign themselves with the company’s mission and values. An organization with a cohesive vision is unstoppable, so consider this activity to kick off your team’s spring season!
Pricing: $1,885
Minimum group size: Any order size
9. Digital City Team Adventures
If your team wants yet another outdoor adventure this spring, look no further! Digital City Team Adventures is an exciting, collaborative and rewarding activity where teams use the latest GPS and communication technology to go on an epic treasure hunt. The GPS technology will guide them through several challenges to strategic mystery locations; whichever team scores the most points wins!
Pricing: Starting from $35 / person
Minimum group size: 5 people
10. Team Building Retreat
There’s nothing like a well-planned retreat to help your team slow down and spend some quality time together away from the busyness of daily office life. A team-building retreat can refresh your team and boost their morale by providing a break from the usual monotony and work environment. It can also create an ideal atmosphere for reviewing and clarifying company vision and goals, brainstorming ideas for strategic planning, personal reflection, and much more.
Thriver’s marketplace is full of resources to help you plan your next team building retreat. And if you need help turning your retreat ideas into reality, we can help take the pressure off you. Simply contact our retreat planning experts! Our experts will find and book your desired retreat experiences for you through our platform on your behalf. Talk about a real time-saver!
11. Tree Planting
Finally, tree planting is another amazing opportunity for everyone to get together outdoors and enjoy fresh air and sunshine while showing some much-needed love to the environment. Plus, what says “spring” more than new plant life? To plan your team event, you can reach out to local groups involved with tree planting projects in your community and find one that your team could participate in.
Team building activities are valuable at any point in the year because they improve communication, create higher morale and employee engagement, and generate higher productivity. Try one or all of them this spring, and let us know your thoughts by leaving a review!