Summer is for getting outdoors, and that goes double for team-building outings. But why stop at the door? Instead of settling for picnics, trust falls and other corporate clichés, try kicking it up a notch. After all, it can be difficult to excite a modern (not to mention millennial) group. Whether it’s building a castle (we’ll get to that) or paddling under the stars, the following are guaranteed reminders of why summer is the happiest season.
1. Adult Summer Camp
Every grown-up camper has felt the urge to return at least once or twice. At Camp No Counselors, adults enjoy camp’s delights in a completely new way. The all-inclusive, weekend-long, sleepaway camp offers the quintessential camp activities but with adult twists—mainly a no-phone policy and an open bar. Camp No Counselors has locations in Austin, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto and elsewhere.
2. Corporate Survivor
TeamBonding’s Corporate Survivor is modeled after the television reality show yet is tailored to corporate outings. When your group arrives, teams are divided up. Much like the original Survivor, participants are faced with a series of physical, problem-solving and survival-skill challenges. However, rather than turning on one another, teams collaborate to keep their members on the “island.”
3. Sand Sculpting Competition
Does anything say summer like building sand castles? Plus, this activity requires a high level of collaborative thinking, planning and coordination. Your team gets the opportunity to roam the beach and soak in the sunshine, all while stimulating their creativity. There are many programs that facilitate the competition as well. Such services include: TeamBonding, Beach Sand Sculptures, The Sand Lovers, SAND-ISLE and more.
4. Night Paddle
San Diego Hotel & Marina gives visitors a special opportunity to see San Diego bay at night. On LED-lit paddleboards, teams of 10 to 20 glide across the spectacular bay on a guided tour. The experience ends as any summer night should—with a camp fire, drinks and traditional Hawaiian-style storytelling.
5. Custom Chariot Race
Wildly Different offers a variety of special team-building exercises. One particularly fascinating option is Chariots Afire. During this activity, each team builds a chariot to use on an obstacle-filled race course. Carts, building and decorating materials are provided. But it’s up to the imagination of each team to simulate the horsepower to get the cart going.
