5 Fantastic Company Outing Ideas for Summer
This article was updated on July 10, 2019.
For many, summer means sunshine, baseball, enjoying time outdoors and a general feeling of relaxed fun — which also makes it a great time for memorable company outings that strengthen team relationships. Here are five ideas to get you started.
1. Scavenger Hunt
How well do your employees know your company's town, really? Research some destinations and plan a scavenger hunt (better yet, ask someone else to, so you can participate) where your employees have to work together to find and photograph local haunts and legends.
2. Volunteer Outdoors
Good company outing ideas help your business; great company outing ideas help others, too. Sign up for a charity walk or run, volunteer to pick up litter or get out and do some work in a community garden that serves the underprivileged. Altruism can be a powerfully unifying force.
3. Get Active
Host a picnic that features classic team events such as a tug-of-war competition and relay, potato sack and three-legged races — or build your outing around one main activity. A longer hike, zip lining or a kayak adventure can bring your team together through shared experience.
4. Team Trivia Night
Many local restaurants host trivia nights (bonus points for finding one with al fresco seating). Organize a team (or several), order some appetizers and pool your knowledge. You can gain valuable insights about the ways your employees communicate, share what they know, negotiate as a group and respond to setbacks. (Quick: What's the capital of Indonesia?)
5. Karaoke Night
You may have some self-proclaimed shrinking violets in your staff, but you may be surprised to see who ends up hopping up on stage first. Karaoke gives people a chance to express themselves creatively and show their support for each other.
Great company outings can foster a sense of community and creativity in your workplace, but most importantly, they should be fun. Start planning your next outing by polling your team to see which activity excites them the most.
Why are teams important?
Being on a team increases employee engagement -- it's that simple. Learn more about the importance of teams, how trust in a team leader is foundational to engagment and more by downloading this ADP Research Institute® report: The Global Study of Engagement
