Business and staff retreats can sometimes seem hokey, but the activities you take part in at these retreats are surprisingly effective. The games you play at these retreats may remind you of summer camp, but they are not just entertainment for children. Teamwork and trust-building exercises boost team morale and make the group a more cohesive community. These exercises also bring coworkers together, especially members of the team who might not be as outgoing.
Name Blanket
This game works as an icebreaker and builds group camaraderie. You will need a large sheet or blanket and two chairs.
Have two people who are not participating (such as managers) stand on the chairs and hold up the blanket to create a wall. Have half the group stand on one side of the wall and half the group stand on the other. Without speaking (because that will give away the answer) each group picks one person to be "It" and stand right up at the blanket. On the count of three, the managers lower the blanket and the "It" people race to see who can shout the other "It" person's name first. The group is not allowed to assist. Whichever team wins gets to have the loser switch to their team. Play until one team has all the players, or at least until everyone has had a turn.
Wispy Willow
This game builds trust among the group, but relies heavily on people's physical capabilities. It will require the use of a table.
Have everyone in the group stand behind the table with their arms above their head. One member of the group stands on the table and says "My name is (his name) and I am (something he considers a professional strength). An example of a professional strength would be, "And I am an incredible copy editor." He then leans backwards, the group catches him and crowd surfs him to the back. The process is repeated until everyone has participated.
M&Ms Game
This game allows members of the group to learn a little bit more about one another, which can put everyone a little more at ease.
Take a bag of M&Ms or another candy that comes in many colors. For every color candy, make up a question. For example, if you get a red candy, you must answer the question "What is your most embarrassing moment?" Pass the candy bag around the room, and each person draws a color and answers the question. Continue the game until there is no candy left. If someone draws the same color more than once, they can choose to answer a new question.
