Team Building Building Activities

Team Building Assembly Exercises

When coming up with team building activities for your next event, thinking outside the box can be key in creating a memorable experience for your staff. We’ve spent 35 years planning team building events for companies nationwide, and we’ve developed a repertoire of unique and exciting activities. Today, we’d like to talk about team building building activities – activities in which your team works together as a group to assemble something. This is a great way to engage your employees and give them something to bond over, as well as memories they can carry back to the office.

Why is Team Building Important?

“Team building” is an amazing way to promote a collaborative spirit, as well as boost communication and team bonds between coworkers, in the workforce. A connected, communicative team is a productive one. Not only is your staff more likely to be engaged in the workplace, but functioning as one unit, borrowing from each other’s strengths, and learning to solve problems together is essential to every company. In giving them exciting, engaging exercises, you can help them both feel valued and help them hone those practical skills they can carry with them even after the event ends.

The Appeal of Assembly as a Form of Team Building

In planning your next team building event, creative, unique activities can help amp up your team for the day, engaging them every step of the way. A physical, tangible, and visible result of a team building exercise can add an additional layer of satisfaction at the end of an event. That’s why we love assembly as a form of team building. Seeing a hard day’s work and a project completed is always satisfying, as is a physical example of your well bonded team! Your team understands the importance of being a connected team, but seeing a physical thing they’ve made, a tangible accomplishment, can give them an extra burst of satisfaction and joy. Wondering what sorts of things your team can build together? Let’s get into a few of our favorite team building building exercises!

Team Building Building Ideas:

Cardboard Boast Assembly & Race

Boosts problem solving, teamwork, creative thinking, and communication skills

Cardboard boat races are a great way to get your team together and have some fun. You’ll need a body of water for this one, be it a park pond or a large pool. This team building activity inspires innovativeness and teamwork, includes team elements like paddling, and is just plain fun. 

Supplies:

  • Scissors 
  • 10 rolls of duct tape per boat
  • 4 large cardboard boxes per boat
  • Decorative features* Optional

Assembly

Begin by stacking two to three flattened cardboard boxes on top of one another to create the boat’s bottom. When it comes to constructing the sides, front and back of the boat, sale/paddles, teams have carte blanche and must decide amongst themselves the best approach. The only construction materials allowed are scissors or other cutting tools, cardboard and duct tape. It’s important to remember that the tape will add weight to the boat and factor this into the design.

After the boat is assembled, it’s time to add the duct tape. This is what “waterproofs” the boat. Begin by taping the bottom of the boat first, making certain to tape both sides so ensure water doesn’t get in from the bottom. Do the same to the sides, front and back of the boat. After the boat is covered with tape, smooth out any air bubbles you find. Remember, once the tape has been added, the boat will be pretty heavy. Use caution when lifting and carrying. Check out this helpful article on building a cardboard boat as well to learn more.

How to Play

The real challenge here is not just building the boat, but sailing or paddling it across the water. Ponds in parks are an amazing place to do this, but just about any body of water will do, including a pool. The team can designate a captain to lead their sail, and paddles are needed to propel the boat. Timers can be used to see who reaches the other side of the water the fastest. Let the best boat win!

Marshmallow Tower Challenge

Helps promote creative thinking, problem solving, team bonding

This challenge focuses on innovation and creativity and is great for large groups. It’s a simple and laidback team building assembly activity that can serve well as a passive activity (which you can learn more about in our blog about them). So, too, is the marshmallow tower challenge fun and surprisingly difficult. Who would’ve thought that a marshmallow had enough weight to topple a tower? 

You’ll Need:

  • Uncooked spaghetti
  • Tape
  • String
  • Marshmallows

How to Play:

Divide your team into groups of five and provide them with 20 of the uncooked spaghetti noodles, about one yard each of string and tape, and one marshmallow. The teams must build the tallest tower possible with these supplies that will also support the weight of the marshmallow on top. Set a timer for 20 minutes for them to build their towers. When it runs out, whichever tower stands the longest wins the challenge. See more about this game in this article or watch this video about it.

Building the Eiffel Tower out of Food

Helps boost creative thinking, team bonding, and communication

This fun challenge incorporates creativity with building in a fun (and edible!) way. You can build any object out of any food, but this game challenges your guests to build the landmark Eiffel tower out of some blueberries, croissants, and uncooked spaghetti. It’s simple, fun, and unforgettable.

You’ll Need:

  • Fresh blueberries
  • Croissants
  • Fresh grapes 
  • Uncooked spaghetti noodles

How to Play:

For the foundation, place four croissants in the shape of a square, one at each corner, to anchor your tower. To create the tower’s legs, skewer each croissant with two spaghetti noodles. Thread blueberries onto each noodle like beads until noodles are covered, leaving about 1” bare at the top of each noodle. Thread a grape vertically on the bare top of each noodle. Break two noodles in half, leaving you with a total of four pieces. Ever so carefully, anchor each piece into each grape you placed, allowing the free end of the noodle to lean diagonally inward so that they almost come to a point. Now for the pièce de résistance, gently attach the four noodles with a croissant. The first team able to accomplish this feat wins! Check out this blog on the topic for more inspiration.

Building Bikes for Charity

Helps hone communication, cooperation, bonding, and teamwork skills

Why not give back to your community while exercising your team’s collaboration and communication skills? Building bikes for charity is a great way to give back while not only learning new skills, but honing those skills needed in the workplace.

Building bikes for charity is a great way to make a lasting difference in your local community as well as bring your team together over a shared effort. It’s also a great way to boost morale in your team and spread a little joy during your team building event.

Other Charitable Assembly Ideas:

  • Playground Assembly or Installation
  • Building Wheelchairs
  • Building and Donating Toys
  • Assembling Care Packages 

Building LEGOs

Improves collaboration, communication, and problem solving skills 

LEGO team building challenges are a great way to boost communication between your staff. This activity is loads of fun, but also challenging, and a great way to exercise your team’s brains and get their gears going. 

What You’ll Need:

  • 30-piece sets of LEGOs
  • Diagrams
  • A timer 
  • A tabletop or flat surface

How it Works:

To play the LEGO team building game, teams are given a set of LEGOs, but only one member has seen the diagram. They aren’t allowed to take part in the building process, only describe it to the others. Generally, this person communicates to the “builders” via another player, adding a telephone-game-like layer of trickiness to the gameplay. The building process is timed (about 20 minutes should do) and the winners are whichever teams get their assembly closest to the diagram. If you’re looking for more information, check out this detailed guide to the LEGOs challenge or watch this helpful video.

Paper Airplane Competition

Helps foster collaboration, team bonding, problem-solving, and creative thinking

Paper airplanes are a great way to kick off a team building event. The rules for the paper plane competition are really all up to you: the fastest flier, the one who can stay aloft the longest, the one who can make the furthest distance, and so on. Divide your group into teams and have them work together to build their winning paper airplane design.

What You’ll Need:

  • A4 paper (preferably different colors)
  • Tape or staples for adding stability
  • Markers for customization
  • Red tape for marking start and finish lines
  • Measuring tape/stick (if using distance as a criteria)
  • A wide open space

How to Play:

Teams are given the criteria for the race, be it the fastest flier, longest duration of flight, or furthest distance. According to the specifications, teams must work together to build the most suitable airplane. Taping or stapling joints can offer stability, or by adding weights, reduce or up the drag on the plane depending on their position. This team building challenge is quick, easy, and loads of fun. For more ideas on paper airplane competitions, check out this helpful resource.

Other Plane Materials:

Balsa wood planes can also be used, or any other type of toy plane assembly on the market.

Looking for More Team Building Ideas?

Check out our blog on unique ideas on how to bond with your team. A well bonded team is essential in every workforce, and we hope these team building building activities will enrich your next event as well as bring your staff some extra joy. If you’re looking to plan an employee event, our expert picnic planners can help. We handle every detail so you can rest and enjoy the fun. To get started, you can fill out the form below, or call 1.800.316.6722. When you partner we build a team building event to remember!

PLAN YOUR PERFECT PICNIC