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Whether you\u2019re a teacher looking for new ways to get your class engaged or a manager searching for ideas to bring the team closer together, <\/span>community building activities<\/span> are a great way to get the job done. They offer a fun and exciting way to create new connections, build on existing relationships, and create common ground.<\/span><\/p>\n In this article, we\u2019ll share our favorite ideas for events, projects, and <\/span>initiatives<\/span> that bring people together and strengthen relationships. You\u2019ll find examples of successful <\/span>community-building activities<\/span> and discover tips to organize and promote these events to encourage participation.<\/span> If you want to foster <\/span>camaraderie<\/span> in the classroom or create better connections with your <\/span>remote team<\/span>, <\/span>community building activities<\/span> can help you reach your goals and make the process fun. From silly games that are sure to entertain <\/span>middle school<\/span> classes to simple activities that elementary students can do, there\u2019s something for everyone on this list. Plus, you\u2019ll find fun and challenging ideas for adults that you can use in the office to strengthen relationships. Here are some of the best <\/span>community building activities<\/span> to try today!<\/span><\/p>\n One of our favorite <\/span>group activities<\/span> is the <\/span>scavenger hunt<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s incredibly easy to plan and you can customize it to make it relevant to what you\u2019re working on in the office or classroom. Plus, <\/span>high school<\/span> students will love the opportunity to get out of the classroom and adults will also enjoy ditching the home or work office to get some fresh air. Get started by picking a theme, which can be something you\u2019ve been teaching in class or a fun motif.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some popular <\/span>scavenger hunt<\/span> themes include:<\/span><\/p>\n Once you have a theme, you can create clues to match and print out clue cards for each person to use. For example, if you\u2019re doing a city-themed <\/span>scavenger hunt<\/span>, create a list of sights to see (a popular museum, famous restaurant, or local park). You can include clipart imagery of each one or use famous landmarks like the skyline to match the theme. Ask participants to take a photo in front of each location. The <\/span>first person<\/span> who finishes wins!<\/span><\/p>\n Can\u2019t do this <\/span>fun <\/span>team building activity<\/a><\/strong> in person? Instead of printing clues on <\/span>sheets of paper<\/span>, use an online tool like<\/span> Actionbound<\/strong><\/span><\/a> to create digital <\/span>scavenger hunts<\/span> for <\/span>remote teams<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n While you can\u2019t do this activity remotely, it\u2019s a great game for in-person office environments and classrooms or <\/span>team retreats<\/a><\/strong>. Have your <\/span>team members<\/span> or students stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder. If you have a lot of people participating, divide them into <\/span>small<\/span> groups of 10\u00a0 to 12 people<\/a><\/strong>. Ask them to raise their right hand, reach across, and grab the hand of someone on the opposite side of the circle.<\/span><\/p>\n Next, ask them to repeat this with their left hand, making sure to grab the hand of a different person. Now the fun starts! The team will work together to untangle themselves without breaking their hands apart.<\/span><\/p>\n If you manage a design or product team, this <\/span>team building activity<\/span> lets them put their skills to the test. It\u2019s also a great activity for <\/span>classroom communities<\/span> and office teams that want to try something a little different.<\/span><\/p>\n Divide the participants into groups of four to five people. Give each team 20 sticks of dry spaghetti, one <\/span>marshmallow<\/span>, 1 yard of string, and tape. Set the clock for 20 minutes and tell teams to build the best freestanding structure they can in that time frame. They\u2019ll need to use <\/span>creative thinking<\/span> and <\/span>problem-solving skills<\/span> to get the job done.<\/span><\/p>\n Alternatively, you can use other supplies like popsicle sticks and glue. Additional options include toothpicks and clay or kid’s toy blocks. Assign a panel of judges to decide the winner or vote together to pick the best structure.<\/span><\/p>\n Get the <\/span>whole group<\/span> together to play a rousing game of <\/span>trivia<\/span>. The best part of this <\/span>team building exercise<\/span> is you can easily customize it to suit your team\u2019s needs. Choose office-related questions if you\u2019re playing this game with colleagues. Fun questions could include:<\/span><\/p>\n For classrooms, you can help <\/span>learners<\/span> have fun and build connections by referencing recent material you\u2019ve covered. You can also make it fun by mixing together random facts on everything from dinosaurs to mathematicians. Make it more engaging by inviting participants up to the <\/span>whiteboard<\/span> to create their own <\/span>trivia<\/span> questions.<\/span><\/p>\n This is a <\/span>fun way<\/span> of building a <\/span>sense of community<\/span> since people can see who is similar to them and what they share in common. It\u2019s also a great <\/span>icebreaker<\/span> since <\/span>team members<\/span> get to learn things they normally wouldn\u2019t in an office environment.<\/span><\/p>\n While this isn\u2019t technically a <\/span>team building game<\/span>, it\u2019s a nice way to build positivity and foster a <\/span>sense of community<\/span> within the team, rather than just top-down. The goal of this activity is to give props and accolades to individuals when they do something well. You can set out a bell in your classroom and invite students to ring it when they want to praise another classmate for doing a good job.<\/span><\/p>\n For office environments, you can invite coworkers to ring a cowbell and announce a win that another person played a key role in. For <\/span>remote teams<\/span>, you can set time aside on a monthly company call to do quick <\/span>shout-outs<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Who doesn\u2019t love a good <\/span>board game<\/span>? A little friendly competition is a <\/span>fun way<\/span> to break the ice and get <\/span>group members<\/span> out of their <\/span>comfort zone<\/span>. You can play games in the office or classroom or do it as a <\/span>virtual happy hour<\/a><\/strong> with a tool like<\/span> Jackbox Games<\/strong><\/span><\/a> that works on Zoom. Other fun options include Telestrations, Clue, and Scattergories.<\/span><\/p>\n Another <\/span>fun team building activity<\/span> is an <\/span>escape room<\/span>. It gives <\/span>team members<\/span> the opportunity to show off their skills and work together to reach a common goal. If you have a <\/span>large group<\/span>, divide them into smaller teams. You can break them into departments or increase connections across departments by dividing everyone up randomly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Next, choose an <\/span>escape room<\/span> location in your area and get to <\/span>problem-solving<\/span>! You\u2019ll be given several clues and challenges that use different skills to finally escape the room within a certain <\/span>time limit<\/span>. These often include things like physical puzzles, logic riddles, ciphers, and number sequences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s a great way to build <\/span>communication skills<\/span> and encourage <\/span>teamwork<\/span> since everyone can contribute. Make it even more fun by sending out digital invitations to your <\/span>team members<\/span>. You can ask them to play into the theme by wearing a team costume and tell them where and when to meet to start the hunt.<\/span><\/p>\n The goal of this activity is to set time aside so everyone can get to know each other or chat casually before diving into deeper work. You can schedule these as part of daily or weekly meetings without a lot of effort. Simply allocate 5-10 minutes at the start of the meeting so coworkers or classmates can chat freely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n They can discuss their weekends, <\/span>check in<\/span> after a big project or discuss current events. You can let the conversation develop freely or guide it by creating a new question for everyone to answer. These can be things like:<\/span><\/p>\n Pick one person to answer first and let them hand the discussion off to the <\/span>next person<\/span>. This activity is a great way to kick off the <\/span>school year<\/span> or keep things exciting on <\/span>remote teams<\/span> where you don\u2019t get as much time to chat by the water cooler.<\/span><\/p>\n With these <\/span>community building activities<\/span>, you can foster connections and deepen existing relationships. Whether you’re a teacher leading a classroom, a manager heading up a team, or someone looking for ways to develop communities as fundraising <\/span>initiatives<\/span>, these games are a <\/span>fun way<\/span> to reach your goals.<\/span><\/p>\n Planning a more elaborate gathering like a team-building offsite? Browse our selection of<\/span> business invitations<\/a><\/strong> to easily let guests know about the big event. You\u2019ll find customizable designs in various themes and styles to fit the tone of your function.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n8 Fun Community Building Activities<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Community](\"https:\/\/www.greenvelope.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/group-of-coworkers-talking-to-each-other.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n1. <\/b>Scavenger Hunt<\/b><\/h3>\n
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2. The <\/b>Human Knot<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Community](\"https:\/\/www.greenvelope.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/All-Hands-on-Deck-Invitation.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. <\/b>Marshmallow<\/b> Challenge<\/b><\/h3>\n
4. <\/b>Trivia<\/b><\/h3>\n
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5. <\/b>Shout Outs<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Team](\"https:\/\/www.greenvelope.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Team-Building-Invitation.jpg\")
<\/p>\n6. <\/b>Board Games<\/b><\/h3>\n
7. <\/b>Escape Room<\/b><\/h3>\n
8. <\/b>Morning Meeting<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Structured](\"https:\/\/www.greenvelope.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Structured-Layout-Invitation-1.jpg\")
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Connect With These Fun Ideas<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"Colleagues](\"https:\/\/www.greenvelope.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/colleagues-happily-discussing-something.jpg\")
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