Are you looking for ways to break the ice and get your team together in a safe, socially distanced way? Over the past year and a half, working dynamics have changed significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With more people working from home or carrying out hybrid working, the ways in which we get teams together to bond has also changed.

Team building is a great way to motivate and develop connections between co-workers, and virtual events were certainly the flavour of Summer 2020. However, now that more people are back in the office, you may be keen to set up some social distancing team building activities that get people together in person whilst respecting space and boundaries. Read on for some ideas on how to throw the best socially distanced events!

Scavenger hunt

A scavenger hunt is an oldie but a goodie when it comes to team building. And the best bit? You can adapt it to be COVID-secure. A local park or woodland makes an excellent venue choice, and being outside may reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. Your team can work together in pairs or tackle the challenge alone.

Scavenger hunts can easily be tailored to your company and interests. Perhaps you could put together riddles or create clues based on a particular theme. To see how well your co-workers know one another, you could even link each clue to a particular person!

If you include written or physical clues, you’re best to provide sanitiser and anti-bacterial hand gel and to clean any high-touch surfaces between each contestant visiting that clue station.

Talent show

Are your team members an outgoing lot? Let each person take to the stage and show their special skills — whether that’s singing, juggling or hula hooping! Providing there is sufficient space between the audience members and the ‘stage area’, keeping things socially distanced should be straightforward. Remote workers could also send in videos of their talents.

Pub quiz

A socially distanced trivia night is another classic activity to help teams break the ice. As long as tables are suitably spaced apart, and quizzers are in maximum teams of six, you can abide by social distancing. What’s more, those who can’t make it in person can always dial in over video call, so nobody has to miss out!

Why not create a list of fun general knowledge questions? Or how about quizzing the team on each other?

Sports day

What’s better than a little bit of healthy competition to unite co-workers? Sports day is another excellent option for the local park. You can set up as many sports activities as you like — sprints, egg and spoon races, long jump… the choice is yours.

If you decide to carry out games such as a relay, just remember to provide hand sanitiser and anti-bacterial spray to keep the batons clean. And don’t forget the water and sunscreen if it’s hot!

Picnic

It might seem simple, but a classic picnic is an effective way to get everyone together and encourage communication and socialising. To keep things COVID-secure, it’s best to ask everyone to bring their own cups and cutlery. You could also encourage each person to bring a dish, like a potluck.

Bespoke social distancing team building packages

If you’re keen to set up some social distancing team building activities but aren’t sure where to start, why not get in touch with the What An Event team? As leading corporate event planners, we have a wealth of experience in the field. We’re happy to put together a collection of bespoke activities tailored to your workplace, social distancing measures, and team-building goals.